Matsyapurana 17
English (machine translation) 17
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- English
17.1
Sūta said: / Beyond this, I shall declare what was proclaimed by Viṣṇu: / the śrāddha known as ‘common’, which grants the fruit of enjoyment and liberation,
17.2
at the solstices, the equinoxes, the conjunctions, and at an ordinary transit of the sun, / on the new moon, on the Aṣṭakā days, during the dark fortnight, and on the fifteenth days.
17.3
During Ārdrā, Maghā, and Rohiṇī; when suitable provisions and brāhmaṇas are available; / at the time of Gajacchāyā and Vyatīpāta; and on a day of Viṣṭi or Vaidhṛti;
17.4
on the third day of Vaiśākha, the ninth of Kārttika, / the fifteenth of Māgha, and the thirteenth of Nabhasya (Bhādrapada) —
17.5
these are remembered as the beginnings of the yugas, which render offerings imperishable. / Likewise, at the commencement of a cosmic epoch of Manu, the wise man should offer a śrāddha.
17.6
The bright ninth of Aśvayuj; likewise the twelfth in Kārttika; / the third day of the month of Caitra; and likewise of Bhādrapada;
17.7
the new moon of Phālguna; likewise the eleventh of Pauṣa; / the tenth of Āṣāḍha; the seventh of the month of Māgha;
17.8
the dark eighth of Śrāvaṇa; likewise the full moon of Āṣāḍha; / the full moons of Kārttika, Phālguna, Caitra, and the bright fifteenth of Jyeṣṭha — / these are the beginnings of the cosmic epochs of Manu, rendering offerings imperishable.
17.9
The seventh day of the month of Māgha, on which the sun mounted his chariot / at the start of a cosmic epoch of Manu, is known as Rathsaptamī.
17.10
Even if a man, restrained, offers water mixed with sesame seeds to the ancestors on this day, / a śrāddha is performed by him for a thousand years; this secret the ancestors declare.
17.11
On the full moon of Vaiśākha, during eclipses, at festivals and at the Mahālaya, / in sacred shrines, cowpens, illuminated gardens, and houses,
17.12
in places that are solitary and smeared [with cow dung], the wise man should offer the śrāddha. / With a humble mind, he should invite the brāhmaṇas on the preceding day and on the following day:
17.13
[brāhmaṇas] endowed with good conduct, right practice, and virtues, and possessed of suitable age and beauty — / two for the divine rite, three for the ancestral rite, or one for each.
17.14
Even if very wealthy, he should feed them without indulging in excessive display. / Having worshipped the Viśvedevas with barley and flowers after offering a seat,
17.15
he should fill a pair of vessels after placing a purifier made of darbha grass [in them]. / He should pour water with the mantra 'śaṃ no devīḥ' and barley grains with 'yavo 'si.'
17.16
Having worshipped with scents and flowers, he should place it before the Viśvedevas. / Invoking them with the two verses 'viśve devāsaḥ', he should scatter barley grains.
17.17
Having adorned them with scents and flowers, he should release the arghya offering with 'yā divyāḥ'. / Having worshipped, when that is dismissed, he should begin the ancestral rites.
17.18
First giving a seat of darbha grass, he should fill three vessels. / Having first made sky-purifiers [of darbha], he should pour water with 'śaṃ no devīḥ'.
17.19
With 'tilo 'si' he should add sesame seeds, and then scents, flowers, and the rest. / The vessel may be made of wood, or made of leaves;
17.20
or he may use one made of water-born [shells] or produced from the ocean. / A golden or silver vessel is declared suitable for the ancestors.
17.21
Even the mention of silver, its sight, or the gift of it, / or offering to them in silver vessels, or vessels touched with silver —
17.22
even water given with faith leads to imperishable merit. / Thus, for the arghya, the rice balls, and food offerings, silver is considered [best] for the ancestors.
17.23
Because it arose from Śiva's eye, it is dear to the ancestors. / It is inauspicious [for gods]; therefore, one should diligently avoid it in rites for the gods.
17.24
Having thus prepared the vessels according to his means, free from envy, / holding darbha in his hand, he should deposit [water] with 'yā divyāḥ', uttering the father's name and lineage.
17.25
Saying 'I shall invoke the ancestors,' and replied to by them with 'Do so,' / he should invoke the ancestors with the two verses 'uśantas tvā' and 'ā yantu'.
17.26
Releasing the arghya offering with 'yā divyāḥ', he should then give scents and the rest. / Having first poured that water from the hand, he should collect the residue from the beginning,
17.27
place it in the ancestral vessel, and set it down inverted to the north. / Saying 'Thou art a seat for the ancestors,' he should place it and sprinkle water around.
17.28
There too, free from envy, he should perform the fire offering as before. / Bringing [the food] with both hands, he should serve it,
17.29
with a tranquil mind at all times, holding darbha in his hand, completely [serving] / with quality-rich lentil broths and vegetables, and especially various delicacies;
17.30
food accompanied by curd, milk, cow's ghee, and sugar / pleases all the ancestors for a month; so Keśava declared.
17.31
For two months with fish meat; for three months with deer meat; / for four with mutton; and for five with the meat of birds;
17.32
the ancestors are satisfied for six months with goat meat; / for seven with the meat of the spotted deer; and for eight with that of the black antelope;
17.33
they are satisfied for ten months with the flesh of boar and buffalo; / and for eleven months with the meat of hare and tortoise;
17.34
for a full year with cow's milk and rice-milk pudding; / and they are satisfied for fifteen months with the flesh of the ruru deer;
17.35
their satisfaction lasts twelve years with the flesh of the vārdhrīṇasa bird; / and it is endless with the kālaśāka herb and the meat of the rhinoceros.
17.36
Whatever cow's milk, ghee, and milk pudding mixed with honey is given, / is imperishable; so declare the ancestors, the ancient deities.
17.37
He should recite the ancestral Vedic texts and all the Purāṇas, / as well as various hymns to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Sun, and Rudra,
17.38
and purifying hymns to Indra, Agni, and Soma, according to his capacity; / likewise the Bṛhadrathaṃtara, the Jyeṣṭhasāma, and the Rauhiṇa sāman,
17.39
as well as the chapter on pacification, the Madhubrāhmaṇa, / the Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa, and whatever else produces delight
17.40
both in the brāhmaṇas and in himself — he should recite all that. / Then, when they have eaten, O king, near the dining place,
17.41
having gathered every kind of food and sprinkled it with water, / he should offer it in front of those who have eaten, scattering it on the ground:
17.42
'May those living beings in my family who were burned by fire, and those who were not burned, / be satisfied by this given on the ground, and may they attain the supreme state!
17.43
Those who have neither mother, nor father, nor kin, nor purity of lineage, nor food — / for their satisfaction this food is given on the ground; may they likewise depart to realms of happiness!'
17.44
For women of the family who died without sacraments or were abandoned, / the portion consists of the remnants and what is scattered upon the darbha grass.
17.45
Knowing they are satisfied, he should give water once into the hand of each brāhmaṇa. / Then, on the surface of the ground smeared with cow dung and cow urine water,
17.46
having carefully laid down blades of darbha grass pointing southward according to rule, / he should offer rice balls made of all kinds of food, just as in the ancestral sacrifice,
17.47
preceded by the pouring of water, reciting name and lineage, / and he should present scents, incense, and the like, after pouring water again.
17.48
Bending his left knee, moving clockwise with his left hand, / and holding darbha grass in his hand, he should duly bring and execute that ancestral rite.
17.49
Likewise, the wise man should light the lamp and worship with flowers. / Then, when they have rinsed their mouths, he should rinse his own and offer water once to each.
17.50
Then, afterwards, he should offer flowers, unbroken grains, and water of imperishability / with sesame seeds, pronouncing the name and lineage, and give a priestly fee according to his capacity.
17.51
He should give cattle, land, gold, clothing, and comfortable beds, / and whatever is pleasing to the Brahmins, to himself, and to the ancestors.
17.52
Free from stinginess of wealth, bringing pleasure to the ancestors; / then, having offered the utterance of svadhā and water for the Viśvedevas,
17.53
facing eastward, the wise man should receive blessings from the Brahmins: / "May the ancestors be gentle!" and once told by the Brahmins, "May they be so!"
17.54
and then told by them, "May our lineage prosper similarly—so be it!" / he should also say, "May our benefactors prosper!"
17.55
"May these blessings come true!" and when told by them, "May they be so!", / he should take up the balls of rice with devotion and perform the blessing ceremony.
17.56
The remnants should remain as long as the Brahmins are not dismissed; / after that he should offer oblation to the planets: such is the rule of duty.
17.57
The remnants that have fallen to the ground for an honest, believing, / servant class are declared to be the ancestral share.
17.58
This was ordained by the ancestors formerly as constant nourishment / for women without sons, as well as for those with sons, O king of men.
17.59
Then, standing before them and taking a water jar, / reciting the verse "vāje vāje", he should dismiss them with the tip of a kuśa grass.
17.60
He should perform circumambulation outside, walking eight steps behind them, / accompanied by his kin, and together with his sons and wife.
17.61
Having returned, bowed, and sprinkled the fire with mantras, / he should perform the Vaiśvadeva rite and the daily bali offering.
17.62
Then, at the conclusion of the Vaiśvadeva, accompanied by servants, sons, and relatives, / joined by guests, he should eat all that was partaken of by the ancestors.
17.63
Even one uninitiated may perform this on all the lunar junctures; / it is named the universal śrāddha, granting the fruit of all desires.
17.64
Even one separated from his wife, even one living abroad, if devoted, / even a Śūdra should perform this without mantras, according to this rule, O wise one.
17.65
The third is the festive rite, called the vṛddhi-śrāddha, / during an abundance of joyous celebrations, auspicious rites like sacrifices and weddings.
17.66
The mothers are to be worshipped first, the fathers immediately after them, / then the maternal grandfathers, O king, and likewise the Viśvedevas.
17.67
With clockwise rites, with curd, unbroken grains, fruit, and water, / facing east, he should offer balls of rice combined with dūrvā and kuśa grasses.
17.68
Saying "It is accomplished!" during auspicious rites, he should give guest-water to pairs; / the twice-born are to be honoured in pairs with garments, gold, and other gifts.
17.69
The purpose of sesame should be carried out with barley, preceded by the word "nāndī"; / and he should have all auspicious words recited by the best of Brahmins.
17.70
In this way, even a Śūdra in the general vṛddhi-śrāddha at all times / should always perform it with raw grain, using the mantra of reverence [namas].
17.71
The Śūdra should have giving as his chief duty, so said the blessed Lord, / since through giving the attainment of all desires arises for him.
Translations (1)
- The Matsya Puranam — A Taluqdar of Oudh 1916, English
Linked texts (1)
- Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit