After performing the morning duties, the wise householder should undertake the sacred rite known as Vaiśvadeva, offering food to the deities. It is proper that he then take his meal, sharing it with those deserving of honor, as well as with his servants and family members, thus fostering harmony and respect within the household. Having thus fulfilled his daily obligations, the wise should also perform the śrāddha ceremony for both paternal and maternal ancestors. When the forefathers are satisfied by these offerings, they bestow all that is desired upon their descendants. Three things are said to purify the śrāddha rite: the presence of a grandson, the use of sacred darbha grass, and sesame seeds. In addition, the gift of silver, the recitation of sacred stories, and the singing of hymns bring further sanctity to the occasion. During śrāddha, one should avoid anger, travel, and haste, for these are discouraged even for those partaking of the meal. By properly performing śrāddha, the Viśvedevas, paternal ancestors, maternal forebears, and one’s own family are all nourished and pleased. The ancestors are sustained by Soma, and the moon is the very foundation of sacrifice; thus, the union of yoga with śrāddha is especially praised. It is said that if a yogi stands among a thousand Brāhmaṇas during the rite, he delivers not only those who partake of the offerings but also the sacrificer himself. Aurva then explained the materials suitable for śrāddha. Sacrificial food, as well as the meat of fish, hare, mongoose, pig, goat, sheep, deer, and wild ox, may be offered. The meat of a ram or wild ox, given according to the season, brings satisfaction to the ancestors, who are always pleased with the meat of the vadhrīṇasa. Swordfish, kālaśāka greens, and honey are also excellent offerings, granting the utmost satisfaction to the forefathers. O ruler of the earth, whoever performs śrāddha at the sacred site of Gayā attains a fruitful birth and brings great joy to the ancestors. Certain grains and herbs—praśāntikā, sanīvārā, two types of śyāmāka, and wild medicinal plants—are suitable for śrāddha, as are barley, priyaṅgu, mung beans, wheat, rice, sesame seeds, peas, kovidāra, and mustard. Yet, grains not used for the first-fruits offering, as well as rajamāṣa, anū, and masūra beans, should be excluded, just as gourd, gṛñjana, onion, radish, gandhāraka, karamba, and salt from mines are not to be used. Red resins, visible salts, and anything not praised in sacred speech should also be avoided. Milk that is taken at night without interruption leaves the cow unsatisfied, and water that is foul-smelling or frothy is not fit for the rite. The milk of single-hoofed animals, camels, sheep, and buffalo is likewise unsuitable for śrāddha. The presence of certain people or creatures can defile the rite: eunuchs, outcasts, those of mixed birth, the wicked, heretics, the diseased, crows, dogs, the naked, monkeys, villagers, and pigs. If the śrāddha is seen by women drawing water, women who have recently given birth, those in impurity, or those who handle corpses, then, O best of men, the ancestors do not partake of the offering. Therefore, śrāddha should be performed with faith in a purified place. Care must be taken to prevent demons from scattering the sesame seeds upon the earth. Food contaminated by nails, hair, insects, leftovers, or staleness is unfit for offering. Yet whatever is offered with faith, naming the ancestors’ lineage and with a devoted heart, becomes true nourishment for them. It is also told that, in ancient times, the ancestors sang a verse in the sacred grove of Kalāpa to Ikṣvāku, son of Manu: “May there be, in our lineage, those of virtuous conduct who, coming to Gayā, will offer us rice balls with reverence. May one be born in our family who will give us the thirteenth offering of rice cooked with milk, honey, and ghee, during the rains and under the Maghā star. Or may he marry a fair maiden, release a dark bull, or perform the horse sacrifice with proper gifts, all according to sacred rule.” Śrī Parāśara then spoke of the lineages. He recounted the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of Yayāti: Jayadhvaja’s son was Tāla-jaṅgha. Of Anu, Yayāti’s fourth son, three sons were born—Sabhānala, Cakṣu, and Parameṣus. Sabhānala’s son was Kālānala. Śrī Maitreya, seeking to know the origins of all beings, asked the great sage Parāśara to reveal how, at the beginning of the kalpa, the blessed Brahmā-Nārāyaṇa created the worlds. Parāśara replied: The blessed Brahmā, whose very essence is Nārāyaṇa, created the creatures. Listen, then, to how the lord of the progenitors, the god, brought forth creation. At the end of the previous kalpa, after the cosmic night had passed, Brahmā awoke and beheld the world as empty. Nārāyaṇa, the supreme and inconceivable, even beyond the highest, is Himself the form of Brahmā, the origin of all, and the source of everything. A verse is recited about Nārāyaṇa: He, who is the form of Brahmā, is both the origin and the dissolution of the world. The waters are called ‘nārā’—they are said to be the offspring of Nara, and their abode was first in Him; thus, He is remembered as Nārāyaṇa. Knowing that the earth was submerged within the waters, when the world had become a single ocean, the Lord of creatures, desiring to raise it up, discerned the means to do so. As in previous cycles, He assumed various forms—such as those of the fish, tortoise, and others. In the same way, He took the form of the Boar. The steadfast Lord of creatures, the Self of all, the Supreme Self, took a form composed of Veda and sacrifice to support the world. Praised by the perfected beings dwelling in Janaloka, such as Sanaka and others, He, the sustainer of the earth and the foundation of all, entered the waters. There, the goddess Earth, who had come from the lowest netherworld, beheld Him. Filled with devotion, she bowed before Him and sang His praises, her heart overflowing with reverence.