History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.287

v5.c74.t2.287

Then the pilgrim should descend from the hill (Pretaśilā) to the ground below and should bathe in the deep pool well-known as Rāmatīrtha¹⁵²⁶ (which is in the form of Prabhāsa-hrada) at the meeting place of the great river (Phalgu) with the Prabhāsa hill after making a saṅkalpa (as given in the foot-note) and after repeating the mantra 'janmāntaraśataṁ' (Vāyu 108 18). He should then perform *tarpaṇa* and perform śrāddha or (if unable to offer śrāddha) offer only piṇḍas accord-ing to the procedure of his own gṛhyasūtra. He should offer as done in the Pretaśilā śrāddha twelve piṇḍas to the father and the others, the single inexhaustible piṇḍa and the ṣoḍaśi-piṇḍas If he cannot go through all these, he may perform any one of them. Then he should make a saṅkalpa and should offer obeisance to Rāma with the mantra 'Rāma Rāma' (Vāyu 108.20). When a pilgrim performs this bath, śrāddha and piṇḍadāna his pitṛs become free from the condition of being *preta* (Vāyu 108. 21). Then he should perform obeisance to the refulgent Prabhāseśa (Śiva). He should offer obeisance to both Rāma and Prabhāseśa with the mantra 'āpastvamasi' (Vāyu 108. 22). Then he should offer a *bali* of boiled rice to Yama with the words 'this is a bali, om! bow to Yama.' Then on a hill called Naga situated to the south of Prabhāsa hill and on the middle of Pretaśilā he should recite the verse 'dvau śvānau' (Vāyu 108. 30) and offer a bali made up of some kind of cooked food with the words 'this is a bali to Yamarāja and Bhramarāja (Dharma-rāja?); salutation' This offering of bali is obligatory (on every pilgrim); the rest may be done according to one's ability. This finishes the rites on the first day (i. e. the day of entering Gayā).