युधिष्ठिर उवाच चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्मात्मन् धर्माः प्रोक्ता यथा त्वया। तथैव मे श्राद्धविधिं कृत्स्नं प्रब्रूहि पार्थिव॥
Yudhishthira said You have described to me, you of righteous soul, the duties of the four castes. Do you, similarly, O king, describe to me now all the ordinances regarding the Shraddha.
वैशम्पायन उवाच युधिष्ठरेणैवमुक्तो भीष्मः शान्तनवस्तदा। इमं श्राद्धविधिं कृत्स्नं वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे॥
Vaishampayana said Thus addressed by Yuthishthira, the son of Shantanu began of recite to him the following ritual, consistent with the ordinances, of the Shraddha.
भीष्म उवाच शृणुष्वावहितो राजञ्छ्राद्धकर्मविधिं शुभम्। धन्यं यशस्यं पुत्रीयं पितृयज्ञं परंतप॥
Bhishma said Listen, O king, with rapt attention, to me as I describe to you the ritual of the Shraddha. or That ritual is auspicious, laudable, productive of fame and progeny, and is considered as a sacrifice, O scorcher of enemies, in honour of the departed Manes.
देवासुरमनुष्याणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम्। पिशाचकिन्नराणां च पूज्या वै पितरः सदा॥
Gods or Asuras human beings, Gandharvas or Uragas or Rakshasas, Pishachas or Kinnaras, every one should always adore the departed Manes.
पितॄन् पूज्यादितः पश्चाद्देवतास्तर्पयन्ति वै। तस्मात् तान् सर्वयज्ञेन पुरुषः पूजयेत् सदा॥
It is seen that people adore the departed Manes first, and please the celestials next by offering them their worship. Hence, one should always adore the departed Manes with every care.
अन्वाहार्ये महाराज पितॄणां श्राद्धमुच्यते। तस्माद् विशेषविधिना विधिः प्रथमकल्पितः॥
It is said, O king, that the Shraddha perforined in honour of the departed Manes is performable afterwards. But this general rule has a special restraint.
सर्वेष्वहःसु प्रीयन्ते कृते श्राद्धे पितामहाः। प्रवक्ष्यामि तु ते सर्वास्तिथ्यातिथ्यगुणागुणान्॥
The (deceased) grandfather become gratified with the Shraddha that may be performed on any day. I shall, however, tell you now what the merits and demerits are of the respective lunar days.
येष्वहःसु कृतैः श्राद्धैर्यत् फलं प्राप्यतेऽनघ। तत् सर्वे कीर्तयिष्यामि यथावत् तन्निबोध मे॥
I shall describe to you, O sinless one, what fruits are attained on what days by performing the Shraddha. Do you listen to me with rapt attention.
पितॄनगे प्रतिपदि प्राप्नुयात् सुगृहे स्त्रियः। अभिरूपप्रजायिन्यो दर्शनीया बहुप्रजाः॥
By worshipping the departed Manes on the first day of the light fortnight, one obtains in his abode beautiful wives capable of producing many children all endued with desirable accomplishments.
स्त्रियो द्वितीयां जायन्ते तृतीयायां तु वाजिनः। चतुर्थ्यो क्षुद्रपशवो भवन्ति बहवो गृहे॥
By performing the Shraddha on the second day of the light fortnight, one gets many daughters. By performing on the third day, one acquires many horses. By performing it on the fourth day, one gets a large herd of smaller arimals in his house.
पञ्चम्यां बहवः पुत्रा जायन्ते कुर्वतां नृप। कुर्वाणास्तु नराः षष्ठ्यां भवन्ति द्युतिभागिनः॥
They, O king, who perform the Shraddha on the fifth day, get many sons. Those men who perform the Shraddha on the sixth day, acquire great splendour.
कृषिभागी भवेच्छ्राद्धं कुर्वाण: सप्तमी नृप। अष्टम्यां तु प्रकुर्वाणो वाणिज्ये लाभमाप्नुयात्॥
By performing it on the seventh day, O king, one wins great fame. By performing it on the eighth day one, secures great profits in commercial pursuits.
नवम्यां कुर्वतः श्राद्धं भवत्येकशफं बहु। विवर्धन्ते तु दशमी गावः श्राद्धान् विकुर्वतः॥
By performing it on the ninth day, one, acquires many animals of uncloven hoofs. By performing it on the tenth day, one acquires many valuable kine.
कुप्यभागी भवेन्मर्त्यः कुर्वन्नेकादशीं नृप। ब्रह्मवर्चस्विनः पुत्रा जायन्ते तस्य वेश्मनि॥
By performing it on the eleventh day one gets valuable cloths and utensils. Such a man also gets many sons all of whom become endued with Brahma splendour.
द्वादश्यामीहमानस्य नित्यमेव प्रदृश्यते। रजतं बहुवित्तं च सुवर्णं च मनोरमम्॥
By performing the Shraddha on the twelfth day, one always sees if he desires various sorts of beautiful silver and gold articles.
ज्ञातीनां तु भवेच्छेष्ठः कुर्वञ्छ्राद्धं त्रयोदशीम्। अवश्यं तु युवानोऽस्य प्रमीयन्ते नरा गृहे॥ युद्धभागी भवेन्मर्त्यः कुर्वञ्छ्राद्धं चतुर्दशीम्। अमावास्यां तु निर्वापात् सर्वकामानवाप्नुयात्॥
on By performing the Shraddha the thirteenth day, one reigns supreme over his kinsmen. Forsooth, all the young men in the family of him who performs the Shraddha on the fourteenth day die. Such a man becomes entangled in war. By performing the Shraddha on the day of the new moon, one gets the fruition of every desire.
कृष्णपक्षे दशम्यादौ वर्जयित्वा चतुर्दशीम्। श्राद्धकर्मणि तिथ्यस्तु प्रशस्ता न तथेतराः॥
In the dark fortnight, all the days beginning with the tenth, Icaving only the fourteenth day out, are good days for the performance of the Shraddha. Other days of that fortnight are not SO.
यथा चैवापरः पक्षः पूर्वपक्षाद् विशिष्यते। तथा श्राद्धस्य पूर्वाह्वादपराह्वो विशिष्यते॥
Then, again, as the dark fortnight is better than the light one, so the afternoon of the day is better than the forenoon for the Shraddha.