Vayu Purana

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.

स्थानेषु पाच्यमानाश्च यातायातेषु तेषु वै। शाल्मलौ वैतरण्याञ्च कुम्भीपाकेषु तेषु च ।। ५६.

Those who are cooked in various places, coming and going, in the Salmali forest, in the Vaitarani river, and in the Kumbhipaka hells.

करम्भवालुकायाञ्च असिपत्रवने तथा। शिलासम्पेषणे चैव पात्यमानाः स्वकर्मभिः ।। ५६.

In the Karambha sand, in the Asipatra forest, and in the crushing by stones, they are thrown according to their own actions.

तत्र स्थानानि तेषां वै दुःखानामप्यनाकवत्। तेषां लोकान्तरस्थानां विविधैर्नामगोत्रतः ।। ५६.

There, the places of their suffering are countless, and those beings dwelling in other worlds are distinguished by various names and lineages.

भूम्यापसव्यदर्भेषु दत्त्वा पिण्डत्रयन्तु वै। पति तांस्तर्पयन्ते च प्रेतस्थानेष्वधिष्ठिताः ।। ५६.

On the earth, on the left side of the sacred grass, after offering three balls of food, the husband satisfies them, established in the place of the departed.

अप्राप्ता यातनास्थानं सृष्टा ये भुवि पञ्चधा। पश्चादिस्थावरान्तेषु भूतानां तेषु कर्मसु ।। ५६.

Those who have not reached the place of torment, created on earth in five ways, among the immobile and mobile beings, according to their actions.

नानारूपासु जातीषु तिर्यग्योनिषु चातिषु। यदाहारा भवन्त्येते तासु तास्विह योनिषु। तस्मिस्तस्मिंस्तदाहारं श्राद्धदत्तोपतिष्ठति ।। ५६.

In the various forms of birth, in animal wombs and others, whatever food they receive in those wombs, that very food given in the śrāddha reaches them.

काले न्यायागतं पात्रं विधिना प्रतिपादितम्। प्राप्नोत्यन्नं यथा दत्तं बन्धुर्यत्रावतिष्ठते ।। ५६.

At the proper time, the vessel duly appointed by the rite receives the food as it is given, wherever the relative abides.

यथा गोषु प्रनष्टासु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम्। तथा श्राद्धे तदिष्टानां मन्त्रः प्रापयते पितॄन् ।। ५६.

Just as a calf finds its mother among lost cows, so the mantra in the śrāddha brings the ancestors to those who are desired.

एवं ह्यविकलं श्राद्धं श्राद्धदत्तन्तु मन्त्रतः। सनत्कुमारः प्रोवाच पश्यन् दिव्येन चक्षुषा। गतागतिज्ञः प्रेतानां मन्त्रः प्रापयते पितॄन् ।। ५६.

Thus, the śrāddha performed without defect, and the offering given with mantra, Sanatkumara spoke, seeing with divine vision; knowing the coming and going of the departed, the mantra brings the ancestors.

बह्वीकास्वोष्मपाश्चैव दिवाकीर्त्याश्च ते स्मृताः। कृष्णपक्षस्त्वहस्तेषां शुक्लः स्वप्राय शर्वरी ।। ५६.

Those remembered as Bahvika, Asva, Ushmapa, and Divakirtya; the dark fortnight is their domain, the bright is their own night.