Aurva, the revered sage, addressed the king with gentle gravity: “O king, listen now to the sacred verses once sung by the ancestors. By hearing and understanding them, let your heart be filled with devotion, and act accordingly. “Fortunate is that wise descendant of our lineage who, free from deceit regarding wealth, offers rice-balls and food to honor us. Blessed too is the one who, possessing riches, gives gems, garments, vehicles, and every enjoyment to Brahmins on our behalf. Or, if he is able, he feeds excellent Brahmins with devotion and humility—even if his means are modest, and he has only a little to give. “If one cannot provide cooked food, he should offer uncooked grain according to his ability, or even a small token to the foremost of the twice-born. And if even that is beyond him, let him bow before a distinguished Brahmin and give just a few sesame seeds, held at the tips of his fingers. With seven or eight sesame seeds, or even a mere handful of water, offered with devotion and humility, he dedicates it to us here on earth. “Whatever he receives from anywhere, or even the daily yield from cows—if nothing else is available—should be offered with faith, seeking our satisfaction. If he truly has nothing at all, let him go to the forest, point to the roots of the trees, and loudly declare to the Sun and the guardians of the worlds: ‘I have no wealth, no riches, nothing suitable for the śrāddha. I bow to my ancestors. May they be satisfied with my devotion, as I raise these two arms upon the path of the wind.’ “Aurva then affirmed: ‘Thus have the ancestors sung, describing what should be done in both prosperity and adversity. Whoever follows these teachings, O King, will have accomplished the śrāddha.’ Aurva continued, “At the śrāddha, one should feed Brahmins. Listen to the qualities they should possess: The most worthy are those who know the three sacred fires, the threefold honey, and the three Suparṇas; those learned in the six limbs of the Veda, knowers of the Veda, Śrotriyas, yogins, and the eldest Sāmagā. Priests, maternal uncles, daughter’s sons, sons-in-law, fathers-in-law, those devoted to austerity, performers of the five fires, disciples, relatives, and those devoted to their mother and father—these should be engaged first in the śrāddha, O King, and then other Brahmins in proper order, for the satisfaction of the ancestors. “However, one who is hostile to friends, has deformed nails, is impotent, has black teeth, a Brahmin who has violated a maiden, one who has abandoned the sacred fire, or who sells Soma; one who is cursed, a thief, a slanderer, a village priest, one who teaches or is taught for hire; one who has married another’s former wife, abandoned his mother or father, supports or marries a Śūdra woman, or is himself her husband; and likewise, a temple priest—such persons are not fit to be invited to a śrāddha. “On the first day, the wise should invite those who are praiseworthy, such as Śrotriyas, and inform them of the duties to be performed for the ancestors and the gods. Once the Brahmins have been invited, the sacrificer must refrain from anger, sexual activity, and exertion in their presence, for great fault arises otherwise. If a Brahmin appointed at a śrāddha, after eating or feeding others, engages in sexual intercourse, he plunges his ancestors into a pit of semen. “Therefore, as stated, the foremost twice-born should be invited first; without inviting them, one should not feed ascetics who arrive. Those twice-born who come to the house should be honored with foot-washing and other rites. With pure hands, after they have rinsed their mouths, they should be seated on proper seats, for the pairs of ancestors, the gods, and the twice-born, according to one’s wish. “One should assign the seats for the gods and ancestors, either individually or one by one. In the same way, the maternal grandfather’s śrāddha should be performed, accompanied by the Vaiśvadeva rite, with devotion and completeness, or according to the Vaiśvadeva ritual. “The Brahmins representing the gods should be fed facing east, for they embody the gods; those representing the ancestors and maternal grandfathers should be fed facing north. Some say these two rites should be performed separately for the śrāddha, O King, while others, the great sages, declare that both may be done together with a single cooking. “For the seat, one should offer a blade of kuśa grass and properly honor the guests with water for washing. With their permission, the wise should perform the invocation of the gods. Arghya should be given to the gods with barley-water, and garlands, fragrance, incense, and lamps offered as prescribed. “For the ancestors, all this should be performed in the left-handed manner; after obtaining their permission, darbha grass split in two should be given. With sacred mantras, the wise should invoke the ancestors and offer arghya and other offerings with sesame-water, again in the left-handed way. “If, at this time, a guest arrives seeking food—a king or a traveler—one may, with the Brahmins’ permission, also feed him as desired. Yogis, benefactors of men, wander the earth in many forms, their true nature unknown. Therefore, the wise should always honor a guest who arrives at the time of śrāddha, for a guest not honored destroys the fruit of the rite. “Food, except for condiments and salt, should be offered into the fire, permitted by the Brahmins, three times. First, the oblation is given to Agni, the carrier of offerings, with the invocation ‘svāhā’; next, to Soma, who is associated with the ancestors. Then, a third oblation is given to Vaivasvata; and the small amount of food remaining from the offering is placed in vessels for the ancestors. “Finally, a handful of well-prepared, desired food should be given; and after the offering, one may say as he wishes—always with gentleness and respect.” Thus, Aurva lovingly explained the sacred conduct of śrāddha, guiding the king and all descendants on the path of honoring their ancestors, whether in abundance or in want, always with devotion and humility.