32 - The ordinance of the Shraddha. 

Madálasá explains what kinds of food please the pitris at śhráddhas and for what periods-what kinds are to be avoided-what sites should be avoided for the ceremony-what men and animals should be excludeded-and what defilements must be avoided. Yogis must have priority at the shráddha-ancient songs are to be sung-and what benefits accurate from the performance. 

Madálasá spoke.

1 Next hear, my son, with faith this* that I say, -what is to be avoided iu order to please the pitris, or what conduces to their pleasure.

* For imam read idam. 

2 The pitris are satisfied with clarified butter and rice for a month. The paternal grandfathers receive satisfaction with

3 fish-meat for two months. Venison should be known to satisfy the pitris for three months; and the flesh of hares

4 nourishes the pitris for four months; birds’ flosh satisfies them for five months; hog’s flesh for six months; goat’s flesh for

5 seven months; and flesh of the black antelope† for eight mouths; flesh of the ruru dcer gives them satisfaction for nine months, without doubt; flesh of the gayal†† gives them

† For aineyam read aineyam. 

††For gavasyámisham read gavayámisham?

6 satisfaction for ten months. Moreover,, sheep’s flesh§ satisfies the pitris for eleven months; and milk of kine or anything

§ For úrabhram read aurabhram.

7 made of milk satisfies them a year. Flesh of the rhinoceros flesh of the red-goat, tho dark tulsi plant, || and honey, and

||Kála-sháka: Ocymum sanctum, Roxb. I do not find it in Hooker. 

8 flesh of the rhinoceros¶ and whatever olse is given by members of their own family, and turmeric and soma juice, and a shráddha performed at Gayá without doubt yield the pitris endless

¶ Dauhitra; but the rhinoceros is already mentioned. 

9 satisfaction. Shyámáka* grain and rája-shyámáka† grain, and likewise small-grained rice, ††  wild rice,§ and paushkala grain, these among grain tend to satisfy the pitris. 

*This according to Roxburgh is Panicum frumentaceum, the Beng. shyámá; he says the Beng. shyáma also denotos P. colonum. 

†Perhaps this may be Panicum hispidulum, which Roxburgh says is called Beng. bara-shyámá. 

†† Prashátika,

10 Barley, vrihi rice,|| and sesamum-seed, and wheat, green gram, ¶ and mustard, priyangu** seed, kovidára†† seed, and

||The ans, or rainy season crop?

¶ Mudga; see note, §§ p. 84.

 ** Priyangu, Panicum italicum, (Roxb. p 101.)

†† Kovidára, Bauhinia variegata; see note ||, p. 27.

11 the finest pulse, †††† markataka§§  seed, rája-másha|||| pulse, and anu¶¶ grain should be eschewed at a shráddha. Vipráshika***

§ Nivára.

†††† Nishpáva; see note  p. 86.

*** Vipráshika; not given in tho Dictionary.

|||| Rája-másha. Prof. Monier-Williams says this is Vigna catiang (Dolichos catjang, Linn. and Roxb.). (Hooker, vol. II, p. 205).

§§ Markataka; this does not scem to be known.

¶¶ Punicum maliaceum, Roxb., the modern china.

12 seed and lentils††† are forbidden in a shráddha. Garlic†††††† and red garlic, §§§ onions, |||||| carrots, ¶¶¶ asparagus, **** and

††† Masúra. Prof. Monier-Williams says this is either Ervrum hirsutum Cicer or lens (Roxb. p. 567). The former is the modern musúr chana, and the latter mesur. Hookor appears to combine both in Vicia hirsuta, which seems be the common Lentil (Hooker, vol II, pp. 177 and 179).

†††††† Lashuna.

§§§ Grinjana.

 |||||| Palándu. 

¶¶¶ Piņda-múlaka.

**** Karambha, neut. Prof. Monier-Williams does not give the neut, but s karambhá, fem., is Asparagus racemosus, which is also called shata-muli. Roxb). 201; not in Hooker). 

13 whatever other vegetables are shunned on account of their taste and colour; gándháriká* and kadus, † salts and salted this things,

*Gándháriká: not in the Dictionary. Professor Monier-Williams says dhári denotes Hedysarum alhagi (Roxb., p. 574), and the Prickly Nightshade (which appears to be Solanum Jacquini, Roxb., p. 191); but neither seen appropriate. The text as it stands seems corrupt. For gandhárikám gandholikam, which might mean “dry ginger”?

† Alábu; see note * page 118. 

14 and reddish juices,†† and things that are manifestly salt -these should be indeed avoided in a śhráddha. And whatever has been obtained by talk or through bribes or other improper means not commended, nor what has been acquired from an outcaste;

†† Niryása; or ‘gums.

15 and wealth that has been obtained unlawfully as the chase-price of a bride is forbidden in this ceremony. And water that is bad-smelling and frothy, and very scanty, and

16 water that cattle would disdain, and what has been taken by night, and what has been left after every one has cooked and what is unfit for drinking in a tank-that water should

17 be avoided always in the ceremony to the pitris. All from deer, sheep, camels, and from animals that have uncloven hoofs, from buffaloes, and from tho yak, and cow’s

18 milk that is not more than ten days old, § and what been brought to a person who has asked for it on account of

§ A-nirdasha. This seems strange. 

19 the pitris,-such milk must be always avoided by the good in the Shraddha ceremony. 

And in this ceremony ground must be avoided that swarming with insects, that is rough, and that has been

20 scorched by fire, and that is hot with tho words of enemies and wicked men, and that is foul-smelling. 

Men who disgrace their family or who injure their family by

21 separating themsolves from the shráddha, naked men and crimnals may destroy tho ceremony to the pitris with their glance; a eunuch, and a man repudiated by his relations, a cock, and

22 the village hog, and a dog, each ruins śhráddhas by his look, and so also do Rákshasas. 

Hence lot a man offer the ceremony being well secluded and

23 scattering the ground with sesamum seed. Thus may safety be secured in the shraddha even for both, my child. 

What has been touched by a corpse or by a recently

24 delivered woman,* and by those who have been long ill, by outcastes, and by filthy persons, does not nourish the pitris. 

And the celebrant must Moreover, avoid the sight of a

*For shava-sutaka-samsprishtam read sutaka-shava-samprishtam?

25 woman who is in her courses; and he must shun sitting together with bald-pated men and drunken men at a śhráddha, out of respect. 

And whatever is infested with hair-lice, and whatever has

26 been gazed at by dogs, and whatever is putrid and stale, and the brinjal,† and ferments, †† and whatever has been fanned by the wind from clothing, are indeed to ho avoided at a śráddha. 

† Vartaki, the brinjal, Solanum melongena, Roxb., the modern. Prof. Monier-Williams calls it the egg-plant. It is a well-known and favourite vegetable. I do not find it in Hooker.

†† for abhishavams read abhishavas?

27 Whatever, in the shape of articles of food possessed by thee, is given with supreme faith to the pitris according to

28 their name and family, that becomes food for them. Hence aman of faith, who desires the pitris’ satisfaction, must place the best that he has in the vessel and according to rule at a ceremony to the pitris. 

29 And tho yogis must always be fed by a wise man at a śhráddha; for the pitris are patrons of religious devotion;

30 hence one should ever worship them. Now if a yogi is fed tirst, he can save the person for whom the sacrifice is offered and those who feast, just as a boat saves in water, better than thousands of bráhmans. 

31 At this ceremony also songs in honour of the pitris are sung hy those who recite the Veda, songs which were§ formerly sung

§ for asin read asam.

32 by the pitřis to king Purúravas. “When will any one of us have a son, the chief among his race, who, eating the remains of

33 food left by the yogis, will offer the piņda on earth? Or will offer tha pinda, buffalo-beef, the clarified butter, or tho vegeta ble kála* mixed with sesamum-seed, or khichree at Gaya for

* There are many plants of this name.

34 our monthly satisfaction? May we obtain† the offering the Vishva-devas and the soma juice, buffalo-beef, and finest clarified butter, and the divine food †† by getting a young§ rhinoceros!”

† For ashnuvámahe road ashnuvámahai? 

†† Asúryam in the text, but it seems incorrect. Read asuryam or águram from asura? Asura is in the dictionary, but not asurya. 

§ Vishana-varjya, hornless.

35 Let him duly offer the shráddha on the thirteenth day a when the moon is in the asterism Maghá, and milk mixed with honey and clarified butter during the winter half of the year.

36 Let a man therefore,, my son, worship his own pitris in faith hoping to gnin all his wishes and his own deliverance form

37 evil. Men’s pitřis, wlien delighted with śhráddhas, please the Vasus, the Rudras and the Adityas, the constellations, the

38 planets and tho stars. The pitris, when delighted wit sháráddhas, bestow long life, wisdom, wealth, knowledge Svarga, final emancipation from existence, and joys and sovereignty.

39 I have declared to thee, my son, the śhráddha ceremony as it has been expounded: hear, my child, the praise o the Voluntary Shraddhas according to the various days in which they are performed.