Anushasanika Parva — The history and particular rites of a Shraddha

Yudhishthira said By whom was the Shraddha first conceived and at what time? What also is its substance? In the time when the world was inhabited by only the descendants of Bhrigu and Angirasa who was the Muni who established the Shraddha?

What deeds should not be done at Shraddha? What are those Shraddhas in which fruits and roots are to be offered? What kinds also of paddy should be avoided in Shraddhas? Tell me all this, O grandfather.

Bhishma said Listen to me, O kine, as I tell you how the Shraddha was introduced, the time of such introduction, the essence of the rite, and the ascetic who conceived it.

Form the SelfCreate Brahman sprang Atri, O you of Kuru's race. In Atri's family was born a Muni named Dattatreya.

Dattatreya got a son named Nimi having asceticism for wealth. Nimi got a son named Shrimat who was gifted with great beauty of person.

Upon the expiration of a full thousand years, Shrimat having practised the practised the severest austerities, yielded to the influence of Time and departed from this world.

His father Nimi, having performed the purificatoy rites according to sanctioned rites, because stricken with great grief, thinking continually of the loss of his son.

Thanking of that cause of sorrow, the great Nimi collected together various agreeable objects on the fourteenth day of the moon. The next morning he rose from bed.

Stricken as his heart was with grief, as he rose from sleep that day he succeeded in withdrawing it from the one object upon which it had been working. His mind became busy with other matters.

With rapt attention he then conceived the idea of a Shraddha. All those articles of his own fond, containing fruits and roots, and all those kinds of staple grains which he liked, were carefully thought of by that sage having penances for wealth.

On the day of the New Moon he invited a number of worthy Brahmanas. Gifted with great wisdom, Nimi made them sit on seats and honoured them by going round thein.

Approaching seven such Brahmanas whom he had brought to his house together, the powerful Nimi gave them food consisting of Shyamaka rice, unmixed with salt.

Towards the feet of those Brahmanas engaged in eating the food that was served to them a number of Kusha blades was spread out, on the seats they occupied, with the tops of the blades directed towards the south.

With a pure body and mind and with rapt attention, Niini, having placed those blades of sacred grass in the way indicated, offered cakes of rice to his dead son, uttering his name and family.

Having done this, that foremost of ascetics became filled with regret at the idea of having done a deed that had not been laid down in any of the scriptures. Indeed, filled with regret, he began to think of what he had done.

Never done before by the ascetics, alas, what have I done! How shall I avoid being cursed by the Brahmanas?

He then thought of the original founder of his race. As soon as he was thought of, Atri having penances for wealth came there.

Seeing him greatly stricken with grief consequent on the death of his son, the immortal Atri comforted him with agreeable advice.

He said to him, O Nimi, this rite that you have conceived, is a sacrifice in honour of the departed Manes. Do not fear, O you, having asceticism for wealth. Formerly the Grandfather Brahman himself laid it down.

This rite that you have conceived, has been ordained by the SelfCreate himself. Who else save the SelfCreate could ordain this ritual in Shraddhas?

I shall now tell you, O son, the excellent ordinance laid down in the Shraddhas. Ordained by the SelfCreate himself, O son follow it. Listen to me first.

Having first performed the Karna on the sacred fire with the help of Mantras, O you having penances for wealth, one should always pour libations next to the god of fire, and Soma, and Varuna.

The Self Create next ordained a portion of the offerings to the Vishvedevas also, who are always the companions of the departed Manes.

The Earth also, as the goddess who sustains the offerings made at Shraddhas, should then be lauded under the names of Vaishnavi, Kashyapi, and the inexhaustible,

When water is being fatched for the Shraddha, the powerful god Varuna should be lauded. After this, both Agni and Soma should be invoked with respect and pleased (with libations), O sinless one.

Those deities named Pitris were created by the SelfCreate. Others also, highly blessed, viz., the Ushmapas, were created by him. For all these, shares have been sanctioned of the offerings made at Shraddhas.

By worshipping all those gods at Shraddhas, the ancestors of the persons performing them become purged of all sins. The departed Manes referred to above as those created by the SelfCreate are seven in number.

The Vishvedevas, having Agni for their mouth, have been mentioned before. I shall now mention the names of those great deities who deserve shares of the offerings made at Shraddhas.

They are Vala, Dhriti, Vipapma, Punyakrit, Pavana, Parshni. Kshemen, Samuha, Divyasanu, Vivasvat, Vivasvat, Virytavat, Hrimat, Kirtimat, Krita, Jitaman, Munivirtya, Diptroman, Bhayankara Anukarınan, Pratita, Pradatri, Angshumat, Shailabha, Parama, Krodhi, Dhiroshni, Bhupati, Shajas, Vajrin, and Vari, these are the eternal Vishvedevas, There are others also whose names Vidyutvarchas, Somavarchas, and Suryashree by name. are

Others also are Somapa, Suryasavitra, Dattatman, Pundariyaka, Ushninabha, Nabhoda. Vishvayu, Dipti, Chamuhara, Suresha, Vyomari, Shankara, Bhava, Isha, Karttri, Kriti, Daksha, Bhuvana, Divyakarmakrit, Ganita, Panchaviryya, Aditya, Rashmimat, Saptakrit, Somavarchas, Vishvakrit, Kavi, Anugoptri, Sugoptri, Naptri, and Ishvara, these highly blessed ones are called Vishvedevas. They are eternal, and they know all that occurs in Time,

Kodrava, and Pulaka are the species of paddy which should not be offered at Shraddhas. Asafoetida also, among articles used in coO king, should not be offered, as also onions and garlic's, the produce of the Moringa, pterygosperma, Bauhinia, Variegataa, the meat of animals killed with poisoned arrows, all varieties of Cucurbita Pepo, Cucurbita lagenaria, and black salt. All articles, again, upon which any one has spat or upon which tears have fallen should be avoided at Shraddhas.

The other articles that should not be offered at Shraddhas are the flesh of the domesticated hog, the meat of all animals not killed at sacrifices, Nigella sativa, salt of the variety called Vid, the potherb that is called Shitapaki, all sprouts and also the Trapa bispinosa. All kinds of salt should be excluded from the offerings made at Shraddhas, and also fruits of the Eugenia Jambolana.

Among offerings made to the departed Manes or with the Havya and Kavya offered to the celestials, the potherb called Sudarshana should not be included. Havi mixed with this is not acceptable to the departed Manes.

From the place where the Shraddha is being performed, the Chandala and the Shvapacha should be excluded, as also all who wear yellow clothes and persons suffering from leprosy, or one who has bcen outcasted, or one who is guilty of Brahmanicide, or a Brahmana of mixed descent, or one who is the relative of an outcast man. These all should be excluded by wise persons from the place where a Shraddha is being performed.

Having said these words formerly to the Rishi Nimi of his own race, the illustrious Atri having penances for wealth then went back to the Grandfather's court in the celestial region.