वैशम्पायन उवाच कस्यचित् त्वथ कालस्य नारदः परमेष्ठिजः। दैवं कृत्वा यथान्यायं पित्र्यं चक्रे ततः परम्॥
Vaishampayana said On one occasion, while living in the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, Narada the son of Prameshthi, having duly performed the rites and observances in honour of the gods, began to perforin thereafter the rites in honour of the departed manes.
ततस्तं वचनं प्राह ज्येष्ठो धर्मात्मजः प्रभुः। क इज्यते द्विजश्रेष्ठ दैवे पित्र्ये च कल्पिते॥ त्वया मतिमतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे शंस यथागमम्। किमेतत् क्रियते कर्म फलं वास्य किमिष्यते॥
Beholding him thus prepared, the eldest son of Dharma, viz., the powerful Narayana, addressed him, saying,-Whom you adoring, O foremost of twice-born ones, by these rites and the observances in connection with the gods and the departed means. O foremost of all persons gifted with intelligence, tell me this, agreeably to the scriptures. What is this that you are doing? What also are the fruits desired by you of those rites which you are performing. are
नारद उवाच त्वयैतत् कथितं पूर्वं दैवं कर्तव्यमित्यपि। दैवतं च परो यज्ञः परमात्मा सनातनः॥
Narada said You said to me formerly that rites and observances in honour of the gods should be performed. You said that the rites in honour of the gods from the highest sacrifice and are equivalent to the worship of the Eternal and Supreme Soul.
ततस्तद्भावितो नित्यं यजे वैकुण्ठमव्ययम्। तस्माच्च प्रसृतः पूर्वं ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः॥
Thus instructed, I always sacrifice in honour of the eternal and iminutable Vishnu through these rites that I perform in adoring the gods. It is from that Supreme Deity that Brahman, the Grandfather of all the worlds, sprang in days of yore.
मम वै पितरं प्रीतः परमेष्ठ्यप्यजीजनत्। अहं संकल्पजस्तस्य पुत्रः प्रथमकल्पितः॥
That Brahman, otherwise called Prameshthi, filled with cheerfulness, caused my father (Daksha) to come into being. I was the son of Brahman, created before all others, by his will.
यजामि वै पितृन् साधो नारायणविधौ कृते। एवं स एव भगवान् पिता माता पितामहः॥
Orighteous and illustrious one, I am performing these rites in honour of the departed manes for the sake of Narayana and according to those ordinances that have been ordained by himself. The illustrious Narayana is the father, mother, and grandfather.
इज्यते पितृयज्ञेषु तथा नित्यं जगत्पतिः। श्रुतिश्चाप्यपरा देवी पुत्रान् हि पितरोऽयजन्॥
In all sacrifices performed in honour of the departed manes, it is that Lord of the universe who is worshipped. On one occasion, the gods, who were father, taught their children the Shrutis.
वेदश्रुतिः प्रणष्टा च पुनरध्यापिता सुतैः। ततस्ते मन्त्रदाः पुत्राः पितृत्वमुपपेदिरे॥
Having lost their knowledge of the Shrutis, and father had to acquire it again from those sons to whom they had come municated it. On account of this incident, the sons, who had thus to communicate the Mantras to their father, acquired the status of fathers.
वै नूनं पुरैतद् विदितं युवयोर्भावितात्मनोः। पुत्राश्च पितरश्चैव परस्परमपूजयन्॥
Forsooth, what the gods did on that occasion is well known to you two. Sons and fathers had thus to adore each other.
त्रीन् पिण्डान् न्यस्य पृथव्यां पूर्वं दत्त्वा कुशानिति। कथं तु पिण्डसंज्ञां ते पितरो लेभिरे पुरा॥
Having first spread some blades of Kusha grass, the gods and the departed manes placed three funeral cakes thereon and thus adored each other. I wish to know, however, the reason why the departed manes in days of yore acquired the name of Pindas.
नरनारायणावूचतुः इमां हि धरणी पूर्वं नष्टां सागरमेखलाम्। गोविन्द उज्जहाराशु वारां रूपमास्थितः।१२।।
Nara and Narayana said The Earth, in days of yore, with her belt of seas, disappeared from the view. Govinda, taking the form of a gigantic boar, raised her up.
सापयित्वा तु धरणी स्वे स्थाने पुरुषोत्तमः। जलकर्दमलिप्ताङ्गो लोककार्यार्थमुद्यतः॥
Having replaced the Earth in her former position, that foremost of Purushas, his body smeared with water and mud, began to do what was necessary for the world and its inhabitants.
प्राप्ते चाह्निककाले तु मध्यदेशगते रवौ। दंष्ट्राविलग्नांस्त्रीन् पिण्डान् विधाय सहसा प्रभुः।१४॥ स्थापयामास वै पृथ्वयां कुशानास्तीर्य नारद। स तेष्वात्मानमुद्दिश्य पित्र्यं चक्रे यथाविधि॥
When the Sun reached the meridian, and the hour, therefore, came for saying the morning prayers, the powerful Lord, suddenly shaking off thrce balls of mud from his tusk, placed them upon the Earth, O Narada, having previously spread powerful Vishnu dedicated those balls of mud to his own self, according to the rites laid down in the eternal ordinance.
संकल्पयित्वा त्रीन् पिण्डान् स्वेनैव विधिना प्रभुः। आत्मगात्रोष्मसम्भूतैः स्नेहगर्भस्तिलैरपि॥ प्रोक्ष्यापसव्यं देवेशः प्राङ्मुखः कृतवान् स्वयम्। मर्यादास्थापनार्थं च ततो वचनमुक्तवान्॥
Regarding the three balls of mud that the powerful Lord had shaken off from his tusks as funeral cakes, he then, with sesame seeds that arose from the heat of his own body, himself performed the rite of dedication, sitting with face turned towards the East. That foremost of gods then, moved by the desire of establishing rules of conduct for the inhabitants of the three worlds, said these words.
वृषाकपिरुवाच अहं हि पितरः स्रष्टुमुद्यतो लोककृत् स्वयम्। यस्य चिन्तयतः सद्यः पितृकार्यविधीन् परान्॥
I am the Creator of the worlds. I ain determined to create those that are to be called departed manes.-Saying these words, he began to think of those high ordinances that should regulate the rites to be performed in honour of the departed manes.
दंष्ट्राभ्यां प्रविनिर्धूता ममैते दक्षिणां दिशम्। आश्रिता धरणी पिण्डास्तस्मात् पितर एव ते॥
While thus doing, he beheld that the three balls of mud, shaken off his tusk, had fallen towards the South. He then said to himself,—These balls, shaken off my tusk, have fallen on the Earth towards the south of her surface! Led by this, I declare that these should be known henceforth by the name of departed manes.
त्रयो मूर्तिविहीना वै पिण्डमूतिधरास्त्विमे। भवन्तु पितरो लोके मया सृष्टाः सनातनाः॥
Let these three that are of no particular shape, and that are only round, come to be considered as Pitris in the world! Thus do I create the eternal Pitris.
पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः। अहमेवात्र विज्ञेयस्त्रिषु पिण्डेषु संस्थितः॥
I am the father, the grandfather and the great grandfather, and I should be considered as living in these three Pindas.
नास्ति मत्तोऽधिः कश्चित् को वान्योऽयॊ मया स्वयम् को वा मम पिता लोके अहमेव पितामहः॥
There is no one that is superior to me. Who is there whom I myself may adore with rites? Who, again, is iny father in the universe? I myself am my grandfather.
पितामहपिता चैव अहमेवात्र कारणम्। इत्येतदुक्त्वा वचनं देवदेवो वृषाकपिः॥ वराहपर्वते विप्र दत्त्वा पिण्डान् सविस्तरान्। आत्मानं पूजयित्वैव तत्रैवादर्शनं गतः॥
I am, indeed, the Grandfather and the father, I am the one cause! Having said these words, that God of gods, viz., He called Vrishakapi, offered those funeral cakes, O learned Brahmana, on the breast of the Varaha mountains, with elaborate rites. By those rites. He adored His own self, and having finished the adoration, disappeared there and then.
एषा तस्य स्थितिविप्र पितरः पिण्डसंज्ञिताः। लभन्ते सततं पूजां वृषाकपिवचो यथा॥
Hence the Pitris are called Pinda. This is the root of the designation. According to the words given vent to by Vrishakapi at that time, the Pitris receive the worship offered by all.
ये यजन्ति पितॄन् देवान् गुरूंश्चैवातिथींस्तथा। गाश्चैव द्विजमुख्यांश्च पृथिवीं मातरं यथा॥ कर्मणा मनसा वाचा विष्णुमेव यजन्ति ते! अन्तर्गतः स भगवान् सर्वसत्त्वशरीरगः॥
They who celebrate sacrifices in honour of and adore the departed manes, the gods, the preceptor or other reverend senior, guests arrived at the house, kine, superior Brahmanas, the goddess Earth, and their mothers, in thought, word, and deed, and said to adore and sacrifice to Vishnu himself. Entering the bodies of all existent creatures, the illustrious Lord is the Soul of all things.
समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु ईश्वरः सुखदुःखयोः। महान् महात्मा सर्वात्मा नारायण इति श्रुतिः॥
Unaffected by happiness or misery, His attitude towards all is equal. Gifted with greatness, and of great soul, Narayana has been said to be the soul of all things in the universe.