97 - The bestowal of a boon by the Pitris in the Rauch’ya Manv-antara.

A body of light appeared in the sky, and Much’i offered a hymn to all the deities and Pitris—The Pitris appeared, and to enable him, to be a Prajd-pati granted him the boon of a teife—They command the hymn offered to them and declare its manifold efficacy. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 Now while he offered praises thus, a lofty pile of light

2 appeared suddenly, snffusing the sky. When he saw that very great light, which remained stationary encompassing the world, Ruch’i sank to the earth on his knees and sang this hymn. 

Ruch’i spoke:

3 I pay reverence† ever to those Pitris, who are honoured, incorporeal,†† luminously splendid, who are rapt in meditation, 

† Namasyami. It is used with the object in the genitive here and in verse 6; in the accusative in verses 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11; and in the dative in verses 8 and 9. The construction with the accusative is the only one mentioned in the dictionary. 

†† The Bombay edition reads A-murttanam ch’a murttanam, “who are incorporeal and who are corporeal.”

4 and who possess supernatural sight. And I pay reverence to those granters of men’s desires, who are the leaders of Indra and the other gods, and of Daksha and Marich’a, of the seven 

5 rishis and of other sages. I pay reverence to all the Pitris of Manu and the other chief munis, and of the sun and moon,

6 among the waters and in the sea. With conjoint hands I pay reverence likewise to the constellations and planets, to

7 wind and fire and the sky, and to heaven and earth. And with conjoint hands I pay reverence to the devarshis’ progenitors’ unto whom reverence is paid by all the worlds, who are always

8 givers of what is imperishable. With conjoint hands I pay reverence always to the Praja-pati* Kashyapa, to Soma† and to

* For Praja-pateh read Praja-pate? 

† Or, “the moon.” ‘Soma ‘seems to be played upon in its various meanings in these verses. 

9 Varuna, and to the princes of religious devotion. Reverence to the seven classes of Pitris Moreover, in the seven worlds!†† I pay reverence to self-existent Brahma who is contemplationeyed.

†† Or, “Reverence to the seven classes of Pitris and to the seven worlds!

10 I pay reverence to the Somadhara and Yoga-murttidhara classes of Pitris, and to Soma the father of the worlds.

11 I pay reverence Moreover, to the other Pitris who have the form of fire,§ because this universe is entirely composed of

§ ‘Agni’ is also played upon in its different meanings. 

12 Agni and Soma. Now these who dwell in this light, and who have the bodies of the moon, sun and fire, || and whose true nature is the world, and whose true nature is Brahma¶—to all

||“Soma, Surya and Agni,” 

¶ Or, “Brahman.”

13 those Pitris, practisers of religious devotion, I pay reverence with subdued mind, reverence, yea reverence. May they, the consumers of the svadha, be gracious unto me! 

Markandeya syoke:

14 Being thus praised by him, O best of munis, those Pitris issued forth with their splendour, illuminating the ten regions

16 of the sky; and he beheld them standing in front then, adorned with the flowers, perfumes and unguents which he

16 had presented unto them. Falling prostrate again in faith , again indeed joining his hands, full of respect he exclaimed, separately to each of them, “Reverence to thee!” “Reverence

17 to thee!” Well-pleased the Pitris thereupon said to him, the best of munis, “Choose thou- a boon.” To them he spoke bending his neck respectfully. 

Ruch’i spoke:

18 Brahma has commanded me now to be the maker of a new creation. In such capacity I desire to obtain a wife, who shall be happy, of heavenly kind, prolific. 

The Pitris spoke:

19 Here verily for thee let a wife be produced forthwith who shall be most fascinating, and by her thou shalt have a son,

20 a Manu supreme, the ruler of a Manv-antara, wise, characterized by thy very own name, being called Ranchya from

21 thee, O Ruchi; he shall attain fame in the three worlds. Ha shall also have many sons, great in strength and prowess,.

22 great of soul, guardians of the earth. And thou, becoming” a Praja-pati, shalt create people of the four classes; and when thy dominion shall come to an end and thou shalt bewise in righteousness, thou shalt thereafter attain perfect felicity. 

23 And whatever man shall gratify us with this hymn in faith, we being gratified will give him enjoyments and

24 sublime spiritual knowledge, perfect bodily health, and wealth, and sons, grandsons and other descendants;* because verily those who desire blessings must constantly praise us with this

* The Bombay edition ineerts a verse and a half here— “We will give [the foregoing blessings] assuredly and whatever else is earnestly desired. Therefore men who continnally desire sacred recompenses in the world and  the imperishable gratification of the Pitris -such men most praise us with a hymn.”

 25 hymn. And he who shall recite this hymn, which causes us pleasure, with faith at a shraddha, standing the while in front

26 of the brahmans as they feast, that shraddha, shall undoubtedly become ours imperishably, because of our pleasure in hearing the hymn when a man makes close approach unto us. 

27 Although a shraddha be performed without a brahman learned in the Veda, although it may be vitiated by means of wealth

28 which has been gained unjustly, or although it be performed in SiUy other defective manner, or although Moreover, it be performed with blemished offerings unfit for a shraddha, or be performed also at a wrong time or in a wrong place, or 

29 yet be unaccompanied by the proper ordinances, or if it is performed by men without faith or in reliance on deceit nevertheless, such a shraddha shall be to our delight because 

30 this, hymn is uttered thereat. Wherever this hymn which brings ns happiness is recited at a shraddha, there delight

31 accrues unto us, lasting for twelve years. This hymn recited in the winter yields delight for twelve years; and this beautiful hymn recited in the dewy season yields delight for twice

32 thai number of years; when recited at a shraddha ceremony in the spring it tends to delight us for sixteen years; and this hymn recited in the hot season causes delight for sixteen years

33 indeed. When a shraddha although performed imperfectly is consummated with this hymn in the rainy season, imperishable

34 delight accrues unto us, O Ruchi. When recited at the time of a shraddha even in the autumn season, it yields us

35 delight with men which lasts for fifteen years. And in whose soever house this hymn remains constantly in written form, there shall we be present when a shraddha is performed.

36 Therefore standing at a shraddha in front of the feasting brahmans, illustrious Sir! thou must hear this hymn which supplies nourishment unto us.*