89 - Story of Ruchi

Suta said: 

1-2. When requested by Kraunchuki Markandeya continued the story: Ruchi became worried and anxious on hearing the last utterance of the Manes. In his search for a wife the brahmin sage wandered over the world. He could not get any girl. The utterance of the manes kindled him. He became agitated and excited and began to ruminate. 

3. "O what shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I secure a wife? How is it possible to uplift myself and my ancestors quickly?" 

4. Thus ruminating he thought of an idea. "O I shall propitiate Brahma the lotus-born god by means of penance!" 

5. He stayed in a forest for a long time leading a disciplined life and propitiating (Brahma). With a concentrated mind he performed divine austerities for full one hundred years. 

6. Brahma the patriarch of worlds revealed himself to the sage and said-- "I am pleased. Let me hear what you desire." 

7. Thereupon the sage bowed down and told Brahma the ultimate refuge of the universe what he was desirous of doing at the bidding of the manes. 

Brahma said: 

8-9. You shall be a Prajapati (a progenitor of children). O Brahmin, after begetting children and performing sacred rites, you shall achieve the desired results. Hence, go ahead in your attempt to secure a wife as advised by the manes. 

10. With desire in your mind worship the manes who being duly propitiated, will bestow upon you what you desire. Won't they, your grandfathers when propitiated provide you with a wife and sons?

Markandeya said: 

11. After hearing the words of Brahma born of the unmanifest, the sage Ruchi performed Tarpana unto the manes on the sacred banks of a river. 

12. With reverence he thought of the manes with pure and concentrated mind and stooping his shoulders with due devotion the brahmin adored the manes by means of the following verses in prayer.

Ruchi said: 

13. "I bow unto the manes with devotion-the manes who reside amidst the deities and who are propitiated by the deities during Shraddhas, with mantras ending with 'Svadha.' 

14. I bow unto the manes who are propitiated by the sages in the heaven desirous of devotion and salvation by Shraddha performed mentally with great devotion. 

15. I bow unto the manes whom the Siddhas in heaven propitiate during Shraddhas by means of unrivalled divine offerings. 

16. I bow unto the manes who are worshipped with devotion by the Guhyakas¹ in heaven who desire an identical prosperity that is the utmost possible.

1. Attendant of Kubera and guards of his treasury.

17. I bow unto the manes who are worshipped by men in the world during Shraddhas with perfect faith and who bestow full nourishment of the desired world. 

18. I bow unto the manes who are worshipped by the brahmins in the world for the acquisition of the object of desire as they are the bestowers of Prajapatya (State of being a Progenitor). 

19. I bow unto the manes who are propitiated by the dwellers in the forest who exercise full control over their diet and who have dispelled their sins by penance, in their Shraddhas with articles produced in the forest. 

20. I bow unto the manes who are propitiated by Samadhis (mystic trances) by brahmins of great self-discipline, righteous activities and self-control over the senses. 

21. I bow unto the manes whom the great kings propitiate during Shraddhas with every kind of Kavyas (food oblations) as they are the bestowers of fruits of both the worlds.

22. I bow unto the manes who are worshipped by Vaishyas devoted to their special functions and who use flowers, incense, foodstuffs and water for the worship. 

23. I bow unto the manes famous throughout the world as Sukalins and worshipped by even Shudras with great devotion. 

24. I bow unto the manes who have nectar for their diet and who are propitiated in Patala by the demons who have forsaken their haughtiness and pride. 

25. I bow unto the manes who are worshipped in Rasatala during Shraddhas by the Nagas desirous of attaining cherished wishes, by means of offerings not leaving anything. 

26. I bow unto the manes who are duly propitiated there itself (in Rasatala) by Sarpas (Serpents) fully equipped with riches, mantras and all food offerings. 

27. I bow unto the manes directly who reside either in heaven or on the Earth or in Ether worthy of being worshipped even by Rakshasas. Let them accept what is offered by me. 

28. I bow unto the manes who retain their reality and who stay in their aerial chariots in airy unembodied forms and whom the Yogishvaras (great yogins) worship in their unsullied minds — the manes who cause the removal of all pains. 

29. I bow unto the manes in heaven the Svadhadieted embodied ones, who are capable of bestowing all wishes in case the devotee has any charished desire and who are competent to bestow salvation if the devotee has no special desire. 

30. Let the manes be propitiated with the Tarpana ceremony. The manes bestow the desired objects upon those who desire the lordship of deities, devahood or even greater things or elephants, horses, gems or great mansions. 

31. Those who stay in the rays of the moon, or in the disc of the sun or in a white aerial chariot for ever shall be propitiated by this. Let those manes be nourished by the food oblations, water and fragrance. 

32. May the manes be propitiated by food and water in sacred rite -- the manes who are satiated when the Havis is offered in the fire, who take in food by staying in the bodies of the brahmins and who are delighted by the offerings of Pinda. 

33. By this sacred rite delighted may the manes be who are sought to be pleased by gods with the flesh of the Rhinoceros, the black gingelly seeds, of divine origin and pleasing appearance, and by great sages with Kala Shaka (Black vegetable). 

34. Let those Kavyas (food offerings) which delight the manes worthy of my respect, be present, in their entirety, in these flowers, fragrant water and food offerings prepared by me. 

35. Let this sacred rite offer satisfaction to the different manes - who receive worship daily, who are to be worshipped at the end of every month, or on Ashtakas (the 7th, 8th and 9th days of the lunar fortnight), or at the end of a year or on special occasions of prosperity or victory. 

36-37. Some manes white like the moon or the Kunda flower are to be worshipped by brahmins; the manes coloured like the fire and the Sun are to be worshipped by the Kshatriyas; the manes of golden hue are to be worshipped by the Vaishyas and the manes coloured like the indigo are to be worshipped by the Shudras. Let these manes be delighted and satiated by my offerings of flowers, incense, water and foodstuffs as well as by Agnihoma. I bow unto those manes always. 

38. Let those manes be delighted with this rite -- the manes who partake of the Kavyas, auspiciously offered for their satiation after giving precedence to the deities and who when delighted create prosperity. I bow unto them. 

39. Let the primordial manes of the deities worthy of worship event by Indra, be satisfied with this sacred rite and let them remove all evil spirits, bad ghosts, goblins of fierce type and miseries of the people. I bow unto them. 

40. Let the different types of manes, viz, — Agnishvattas, Barhishads, Ajyapas and Somapas be propitiated by this Shraddha. I have offered Tarpana unto them. 

41. Let the groups of manes Agnishvattas, protect the eastern side; let the manes, Barhishads, protect the southern side; Ajyapas -- West and Somapas — the north. 

42. Let the manes accord me protection from evil spirits, ghosts, geni, goblins, all round. 

43-48. Let the thirty-one sets of manes by whom the entire universe is pervaded be satisfied with what I have offered. The sets are as follows: - The nine sets are these: Vishvas, Vishvabhuks, Aradhyas, Dharmas, Dhanyas, Shubhananas Bhutidas, Bhutikruts and Bhutis. The six sets are these: -- Kalyanas, Kalyadas, Kartrus, Kalyas, Kalyatarashrayas and the sinless Kalyatahetus. The seven sets are these: - Varas, Varenyas, Varadas, Tushtidas, Pushtidas, Vishvapatrus, and Dhatrus. The five sets dispelling sins are: -Mahans, Mahatmans, Mahitas, Mahimavans and Mahabalas. The four sets are: Sukhadas, Dhanadas."

Markandeya said: 

49. As he (Ruchi) was repeating this prayer, a high column of brilliant light came into view suddenly spreading over the sky. 

50. On seeing that column of brilliant light enveloping the world, Ruchi knelt on the ground and sang this hymn.

Ruchi said: 

51. I offer my salutations to the manes who are worshipped, disembodied, of brilliant splendour, endowed with divine vision and engaged in meditation. 

52. I offer my salutations to the manes who bestow cherished desires and who are the leaders of Indra and other gods, Daksha and Maricha and of the seven sages and others. 

53. I offer my salutations to the manes who are the leaders of Manu and others, the sun and the moon. He (Manu) uplifted even the manes? 

54. With palms joined together I offer my salutations to the manes of stars, planets, wind, fire, sky, heaven and Earth. 

55. With joined palms I offer salutations unto Kashyapa Prajapati, Soma, Varuna and all Yogeshvaras. 

56. I make obeisance to the seven ganas in the seven worlds. I offer salutations to Brahman the self-originated and endowed with yogic vision. 

57. I offer salutations to the groups of manes called Somadharas, Yogamurtidharas, and the moon the father of worlds: 

58. I make obeisance to the manes who have assumed the form of fire and others as well. The universe is permeated by fire and the moon and it is meet that I make my obeisance to them. 

59-60. Those who are in the Cosmic fire, those who have assumed the forms of the moon, sun and fire, those who have assumed the form of the Universe and those who have assumed the form of Brahman - obeisance, obeisance, obeisance unto all those Yogins and manes. I have purified my mind. Let manes, whose diet is Svadha, be delighted.”

Markandeya said: 

61. Thus glorified by him (Ruchi) those excellent sages, the manes, came out of that brilliant column of light illuminating the quarters. 

62. He saw them standing in front smeared and embellished with flowers and fragrant unguents offered by him. 

63. Kneeling and then with palms joined in reverence the devout Ruchi said like this with respect "Obeisance to you all, obeisance to you all." 

64. The delighted manes said to the sage, “Choose your boon". Ruchi with stooping shoulders said: 

Ruchi said: 

65. "Brahma has entrusted me with the task of initiating the creation of a new set of people. I wish for a wife satisfactory in every respect, divine in origin and capable of conceiving." 

The manes said: 

66. "O noble sage, presently, here itself a very comely maiden shall be your wife. You will beget of her a son too. 

67. O Ruchi, he will be renowned as Rauchya. He will be the founder of a Manvantara named after him. 

68. Many sons will be born to him who will be endowed with strength and valour. They will be noble souls reigning over the world. 

69. You will become a Prajapati and create four sorts of people. When your power wants you will achieve the final goal, well versed in Dharma that you are.

70-71. We will be pleased with the man who will adore us with devotion with this hymn. We will bestow on him the gift of sons, enjoyments, interest in meditation, longevity, health, wealth and a flourishing family. Hence, we are to be adored with this hymn for ever by those who wish for these. 

72-73. If anyone recites this hymn that delights us in Shraddhas in front of excellent Brahmins taking food we shall be present there delighted by hearing this hymn. Then, undoubtedly the Shraddha shall be everlasting in benefits. 

74-76. Even if a Shraddha were to be Ashrotriya (not presided over by a Vedic Scholar), even if it be defective, or performed with the money acquired by illegal means, even if the materials used are unworthy of Shraddha, if it is performed untimely, if it is performed in an unworthy place, if it is performed breaking the rules and canons, if it is performed without faith or if the persons performing it are haughty (in spite of all these defects) the Shraddha shall be delightful to us if this hymn is recited. 

77. Our satisfaction will last for twelve years if in a Shraddha this hymn pleasing to us is recited. 

78-79. This hymn will delight us for twelve years if the Shraddha is in the season of Hemanta (early winter) and for twenty-four years—in Shishira (late winter). It will give us satisfaction for sixteen years if the recitation is in Vasanta or Grishma (spring and summer). 

80. O Ruchi! even if the Shraddha is incomplete our satisfaction will be endless if in the rainy season this hymn is recited.

81. If this hymn is read by men at the time of Shraddha in the season of Sharad (autumn) it will give us delight lasting for fifteen years. 

82. We will grace with our presence that house in which this hymn is written and preserved, whenever Shraddha is performed. 

83. Hence you, O fortunate one, shall recite this hymn elevating us, at the time of Shraddha, in front of brahmins taking food there."