Vayu Purana

स तदा ह्याहुतेः कालो दर्शस्य च वषट्क्रिया। एतदृतुमुखं ज्ञेयममावास्यास्य पर्वणः ।। ५६.

At that time is the period for offering oblations and the Vaṣaṭ-ritual of Darsha; this is to be known as the beginning of the season for the Amavasya sacrifice.

दिवा पर्वण्यमावास्यां क्षीणेन्दौ बहुले तु वै। तस्माद्दिवा ह्यमावास्यां गृह्यतेऽसौ दिवाकरः। गृह्यते वै दिवा ह्यस्मादमावास्यां दिविक्षयैः ।। ५६.

On Amavasya during the day, when the moon is waning and dark, therefore, on Amavasya during the day, the sun is taken; indeed, on Amavasya during the day, the sun is taken for the rites of the day.

कलानामपि वै तासां बहुमान्याजडात्मकैः। तिथीनां नाम धेयानि विद्वद्भिः संज्ञितानि वै ।। ५६.

Even for those lunar phases, their names are given by the learned, being designated by the wise according to the tithis, though they are of inert nature.

दर्शयेतामथान्योन्यं सूर्याचन्द्रमसावुभौ । निष्क्रामत्यथ तेनैव क्रमशः सूर्यमण्डलात् ।। ५६.

Then, the sun and the moon show each other, and then, in that order, the moon departs from the solar disc.

द्विलवेन ह्यहो रात्रं भास्करं स्पृशते शशी। स तदा ह्याहुतेः कालो दर्शस्य च वषट्‌क्रिया ।। ५६.

With two lavas, day and night, the moon touches the sun; at that time is the period for offering oblations and the Vaṣaṭ-ritual of Darsha.

कुहेति कोकिरेनोक्तो यः कालः परिचिह्नितः। तत्कालसंज्ञिता यस्मादमावास्या कुहुः स्मृता ।। ५६.

The time marked as 'Kuhu' is so called by the sages; because of that designation, Amavasya is known as Kuhu.

सिनीवालीप्रमाणेन क्षीणशेषो निशाकरः। अमावास्यां विशत्यर्कं सिनीवाली ततः स्मृता ।। ५६.

With only a slender remnant, measured by Sinivali, the moon enters the sun at Amavasya; therefore, it is called Sinivali.

पर्वणः पर्वकालस्तु तुल्यो वै तु वषट्‌क्रिया। चन्द्रसूर्यव्यतीपाते उभे ते पूर्णिमे स्मृते ।। ५६.

The time of the lunar phase at the festival is equal to the Vaṣaṭ-ritual; at the conjunction of the moon and sun, both are considered as the full moon.

प्रतिपत्पञ्चदश्योश्च पर्वकालो द्विमात्रकः। कालः कुहुसिनीवाल्योः समुद्रो द्विलवः स्मृतः ।। ५६.

The time between the first and fifteenth lunar days is of two measures; the time of Kuhu and Sinivali is called the ocean of two lavas.

अर्काग्निमण्डले सोमे पर्वकालः कलाश्रयः। एवं स शुक्रपक्षो वै रजन्याः पर्वसन्धिषु ।। ५६.

At the time of the lunar phase in the orbs of the sun and fire, the bright fortnight proceeds in the night at the festival junctions.

सम्पूर्णमण्डलः श्रीमांश्चन्द्रमा उपरज्यते। यस्मादाप्यायते सोमः पञ्चदश्यान्तु पूर्णिमा ।। ५६.

The splendid, full-orbed moon is eclipsed; because Soma is filled, the full moon occurs on the fifteenth day.

दशभिः पञ्चभिश्चैव कलाभिर्दिवसक्रमात्। तस्मात् कला पञ्चदशी सोमे नास्ति तु षोडशी। तस्मात्सोमस्य भवति पञ्चदश्यां महाक्षयः ।। ५६.

By ten and then five phases, day by day, the lunar digits increase; thus, on the fifteenth day, the moon has no sixteenth digit. Therefore, on the fifteenth day, the moon undergoes a great waning.

इत्येते पितरो देवाः सोमपाः सोमवर्द्धनाः। आर्त्तवा ऋतवो यस्मात्ते देवा भावयन्ति च ।। ५६.

These are the ancestral deities, drinkers of Soma, increasers of Soma; they are called 'seasonal' because the gods nourish them through the seasons.

अतः पितॄन् प्रवक्ष्यामि मासश्राद्धभुजस्तु ये। तेषां गतिञ्च सत्त्वञ्च गतिं श्राद्धस्य चैव हि ।। ५६.

Now I shall speak of the ancestors who partake of the monthly śrāddha, their path and nature, and also the course of the śrāddha itself.

न मृतानां गतिः शक्या विज्ञातुं पुनरागतिः। तपसापि प्रसिद्धेन किं पुनर्मांसचक्षुषा ।। ५६.

The path of the departed cannot be known, nor their return, even by renowned asceticism—how much less by the fleshly eye.

श्राद्धदेवान् पिदॄनेतान् पितरो लौकिकाः स्मृताः। देवाः सौम्याश्च यज्वानः सर्वे चैव ह्ययोनिजाः ।। ५६.

Those who are called śrāddha deities and ancestors are worldly ancestors; the gods are gentle and sacrificial, and all are indeed not born from a womb.

देवास्ते पितरः सर्वे देवास्तान् भावयन्त्युत। मनुष्याः पितरश्चैव तेभ्योऽन्ये लौकिकाः स्मृताः ।। ५६.

All those gods are ancestors, and the gods indeed sustain them; humans and their ancestors are considered distinct and worldly.

पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः। यज्वानो ये तु सोमे न सोमवन्तस्तु ते स्मृताः ।। ५६.

The father, grandfather, and great-grandfather—those who perform sacrifices with Soma are remembered as such, but those without Soma are not so regarded.

ये यज्वानः स्मृतास्तेषां ते वै बर्हिषदः स्मृताः। कर्मस्वेतेषु युक्तास्ते तृप्यन्त्यादेहसम्भवात् ।। ५६.

Those who are remembered as sacrificers among them are called Barhiṣads; engaged in their rites, they are satisfied, being born without a body.

अग्निष्वात्ताः स्मृतास्तेषां होमिनो याज्ययाजिनः। ये वाप्याश्रमधर्मेण प्रस्थानेषु व्यवस्थिताः ।। ५६.

Those among them called Agniṣvāttas are sacrificers, both those who perform the principal and subsidiary rites, and those established in the duties of the āśramas at the time of departure.

अन्ते च नैव सीदन्ति श्रद्धायुक्तेन कर्मणा। ब्रह्मचर्येण तपसा यज्ञेन प्रजया च वै ।। ५६.

In the end, they do not fall, through actions endowed with faith, through celibacy, asceticism, sacrifice, and progeny.

श्रद्धया विद्यया चैव प्रदानेन च सप्तधा। कर्मस्वेतेषु ये युक्ता भवन्त्या देवपातनात् ।। ५६.

By faith, by knowledge, and by giving—sevenfold—those engaged in these actions attain that state by the descent of the gods.

देवैस्तैः पितृभिः सार्द्धं सूक्ष्मकैः सोमपायकैः। स्वर्गता दिवि मोदन्ते पितृमन्तमुपासते ।। ५६.

With those gods and subtle, Soma-drinking ancestors, those who have gone to heaven rejoice in the sky and attend upon the lord of the ancestors.

प्रजावतां प्रशंसैव स्मृता सिद्धा क्रियावताम्। तेषां निवापदत्तान्नं तत्कुलीनैश्च बान्धवैः ।। ५६.

Among those who have progeny, the accomplished are praised; their food is given by their own kin and relatives.

मासं श्राद्धभुजस्तृप्ति लभन्ते सोमलौकिकाः। एते मनुष्याः पितरो मासि श्राद्ध भुजस्तु ते ।। ५६.

For a month, the Soma-worldly ancestors who partake of śrāddha obtain satisfaction; these are the human ancestors who partake of śrāddha each month.

तेभ्योऽपरे तु ये चान्ये सङ्कीर्णाः कर्मयोनिषु। भ्रष्टाश्चाश्रमधर्मेभ्यः स्वधास्वाहाविवर्जिताः ।। ५६.

But others, who are mixed in their actions and origins, who have fallen from the duties of the āśramas, deprived of the offerings of svadhā and svāhā—

भिन्नदेहा दुरात्मनः प्रेतभूता यमक्षये। स्वकर्माण्येव शोचन्ति यातनास्थानमागताः ।। ५६.

Separated from their bodies, of evil mind, as pretas and spirits in Yama's realm, they grieve over their own deeds, having reached the place of torment.

दीर्घायुषोऽतिशुष्काश्च विवर्णाश्च विवाससः। क्षुत्पिपासापरीताश्च विद्रवन्ति इतस्ततः ।। ५६.

Long-lived, extremely emaciated, discolored, and without clothing, afflicted by hunger and thirst, they wander here and there.

सरित्सरस्तडागानि वापिश्चैव जलेप्सवः। परान्नानि च लिप्सन्ते कम्पमानास्ततस्ततः ।। ५६.

Desiring water, they seek out rivers, lakes, ponds, and wells; trembling, they long for others' food, moving from place to place.