The Merits of Shraddha on the Lunar Days

Verse 1 (13.134.1)

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्मात्मन्धर्माः प्रोक्ता यथा त्वया । तथैव मे श्राद्धविधिं कृत्स्नं प्रब्रूहि पार्थिव ॥

cāturvarṇyasya dharmātmandharmāḥ proktā yathā tvayā | tathaiva me śrāddhavidhiṃ kṛtsnaṃ prabrūhi pārthiva

You have told me the duties of the four castes, righteous one; in the same way, O king, tell me the whole rite of shraddha.

Verse 2 (13.134.2)

युधिष्ठिरेणैवमुक्तो भीष्मः शान्तनवस्तदा । इमं श्राद्धविधिं कृत्स्नं वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे ॥

yudhiṣṭhireṇaivamukto bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavastadā | imaṃ śrāddhavidhiṃ kṛtsnaṃ vaktuṃ samupacakrame

Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, then began to set out the whole rite of shraddha.

Verse 3 (13.134.3)

शृणुष्वावहितो राजञ्श्राद्धकर्मविधिं शुभम् । धन्यं यशस्यं पुत्रीयं पितृयज्ञं परन्तप ॥

śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājañśrāddhakarmavidhiṃ śubham | dhanyaṃ yaśasyaṃ putrīyaṃ pitṛyajñaṃ parantapa

Listen with attention, O king, to the auspicious rite of shraddha, which brings prosperity and fame and is the ancestors' sacrifice for the sake of sons, O scorcher of foes.

Verse 4 (13.134.4)

देवासुरमनुष्याणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् । पिशाचकिन्नराणां च पूज्या वै पितरः सदा ॥

devāsuramanuṣyāṇāṃ gandharvoragarakṣasām | piśācakinnarāṇāṃ ca pūjyā vai pitaraḥ sadā

The ancestors are always to be honoured by gods, asuras and men, by gandharvas, serpents and rakshasas, by pishachas and kinnaras.

Verse 5 (13.134.5)

पितॄन्पूज्यादितः पश्चाद्देवतास्तर्पयन्ति वै । तस्मात्तान्सर्वयत्नेन पुरुषः पूजयेत्सदा ॥

pitṝnpūjyāditaḥ paścāddevatāstarpayanti vai | tasmāttānsarvayatnena puruṣaḥ pūjayetsadā

They first honour the ancestors and afterwards satisfy the gods; therefore a man should always honour them with every effort.

Verse 6 (13.134.6)

अन्वाहार्यं महाराज पितॄणां श्राद्धमुच्यते । तस्माद्विशेषविधिना विधिः प्रथमकल्पितः ॥

anvāhāryaṃ mahārāja pitṝṇāṃ śrāddhamucyate | tasmādviśeṣavidhinā vidhiḥ prathamakalpitaḥ

O great king, the shraddha of the ancestors is called anvaharya. For this reason the rule that is laid down first is a special rule.

Verse 7 (13.134.7)

सर्वेष्वहःसु प्रीयन्ते कृते श्राद्धे पितामहाः । पिण्डान्वाहार्यकं श्राद्धं कुर्यान्मासानुमासिकम् । पितृयज्ञं तु निर्वर्त्य विप्रश्चन्द्रक्षयेऽग्निमान् ॥

sarveṣvahaḥsu prīyante kṛte śrāddhe pitāmahāḥ | piṇḍānvāhāryakaṃ śrāddhaṃ kuryānmāsānumāsikam | pitṛyajñaṃ tu nirvartya vipraścandrakṣaye'gnimān

When shraddha is performed, the grandfathers are pleased on every day. A Brahmin who keeps the sacred fires should perform the pinda-shraddha called anvaharya month after month, once he has completed the ancestors' sacrifice at the waning of the moon.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick (wiki mark) from the second line. Three-line verse as printed on the page (13-134-7a,b,c): the first line = CE 13.87.7a (CE reads 'kṛtaiḥ śrāddhaiḥ'); lines 2-3 = CE star lines 13.87.7b*0404_01-02.

Verse 8 (13.134.8)

पिण्डानां मासिकश्राद्धमन्वाहार्यं विदुर्बुधाः । तदामिषेण कुर्वीत प्रयतः प्राञ्जलिः शुचिः ॥

piṇḍānāṃ māsikaśrāddhamanvāhāryaṃ vidurbudhāḥ | tadāmiṣeṇa kurvīta prayataḥ prāñjaliḥ śuciḥ

The wise call the monthly shraddha of the pindas anvaharya; one should then perform it with meat, self-controlled, with joined palms, and pure.

Note on the text: Removed a stray closing quote mark and doubled danda printed after 'शुचिः' (wiki marks). Not in the critical edition's numbered text: star passage 13.87.7b*0404_03-04.

Verse 9 (13.134.9)

प्रवक्ष्यामि तु ते सर्वांस्तिथ्यांतिथ्यां दिने गुणान् । येष्वहःसु कृतैः श्राद्धैर्यत्फलं प्राप्यतेऽनघ । तत्सर्वं कीर्तयिष्यामि यथावत्तन्निबोध मे ॥

pravakṣyāmi tu te sarvāṃstithyāṃtithyāṃ dine guṇān | yeṣvahaḥsu kṛtaiḥ śrāddhairyatphalaṃ prāpyate'nagha | tatsarvaṃ kīrtayiṣyāmi yathāvattannibodha me

I shall tell you, sinless one, the merits of each lunar day, and the fruit gained from shraddhas performed on those days. I shall tell it all as it is; listen to me.

Note on the text: Three-line verse as printed on the page (13-134-9a,b,c) = CE 13.87.7c, 8a and 8c.

Verse 10 (13.134.10)

पितॄनर्च्य प्रतिपदि प्राप्नुयात्स्वगृहे स्त्रियः । अभिरूपप्रजायिन्यो दर्शनीया बहुप्रजाः ॥

pitṝnarcya pratipadi prāpnuyātsvagṛhe striyaḥ | abhirūpaprajāyinyo darśanīyā bahuprajāḥ

Having honoured the ancestors on the first day of the fortnight, a man obtains in his house women of fine form, bearing children, good to look at, with many children.

Verse 11 (13.134.11)

स्त्रियो द्वितीयां जायन्ते तृतीयायां तु वाजिनः । चतुर्थ्यां क्षुद्रपशवो भवन्ति बहवो गृहे ॥

striyo dvitīyāṃ jāyante tṛtīyāyāṃ tu vājinaḥ | caturthyāṃ kṣudrapaśavo bhavanti bahavo gṛhe

On the second day, daughters are born; on the third, horses; on the fourth, many small animals come to the house.

Verse 12 (13.134.12)

पञ्चम्यां बहवः पुत्रा जायन्ते कुर्वतां नृप । कुर्वाणास्तु नराः षष्ठ्यां भवन्ति द्युतिभागिनः ॥

pañcamyāṃ bahavaḥ putrā jāyante kurvatāṃ nṛpa | kurvāṇāstu narāḥ ṣaṣṭhyāṃ bhavanti dyutibhāginaḥ

On the fifth, those who perform it have many sons, O king; and men who perform it on the sixth become radiant.

Verse 13 (13.134.13)

कृषिभागी भवेच्छ्राद्धं कुर्वाणः सप्तमीं नृप । अष्टम्यां तु प्रकुर्वाणो वाणिज्ये लाभमाप्नुयात् ॥

kṛṣibhāgī bhavecchrāddhaṃ kurvāṇaḥ saptamīṃ nṛpa | aṣṭamyāṃ tu prakurvāṇo vāṇijye lābhamāpnuyāt

One who performs shraddha on the seventh, O king, gets a share in farming; one who performs it on the eighth gains profit in trade.

Verse 14 (13.134.14)

नवम्यां कुर्वतः श्राद्धं भवत्येकशफं बहु । विवर्धन्ते तु दशमीं गावः श्राद्धानि कुर्वतः ॥

navamyāṃ kurvataḥ śrāddhaṃ bhavatyekaśaphaṃ bahu | vivardhante tu daśamīṃ gāvaḥ śrāddhāni kurvataḥ

For one who performs shraddha on the ninth, there are many single-hoofed animals; and for those who perform shraddhas on the tenth, cattle increase.

Verse 15 (13.134.15)

कुप्यभागी भवेन्मर्त्यः कुर्वन्नेकादशीं नृप । ब्रह्मवर्चस्विनः पुत्रा जायन्ते तस्य वेश्मनि ॥

kupyabhāgī bhavenmartyaḥ kurvannekādaśīṃ nṛpa | brahmavarcasvinaḥ putrā jāyante tasya veśmani

One who performs it on the eleventh, O king, gets a share of cloth and vessels; and in his house sons are born with the radiance of Brahman.

Verse 16 (13.134.16)

द्वादश्यामीहमानस्य नित्यमेव प्रदृश्यते । रजतं बहुवित्तं च सुवर्णं च मनोरमम् ॥

dvādaśyāmīhamānasya nityameva pradṛśyate | rajataṃ bahuvittaṃ ca suvarṇaṃ ca manoramam

For one who strives on the twelfth, silver, abundant wealth and beautiful gold are always seen.

Verse 17 (13.134.17)

ज्ञातीनां तु भवेच्छ्रेष्ठः कुर्वञ्श्राद्धं त्रयोदशीम् ॥

jñātīnāṃ tu bhavecchreṣṭhaḥ kurvañśrāddhaṃ trayodaśīm

One who performs shraddha on the thirteenth becomes the foremost among his kinsmen.

Note on the text: One-line verse as printed on the page (13-134-17a) = CE 13.87.16a.

Verse 18 (13.134.18)

अवश्यं तु युवानोऽस्य प्रमीयन्ते नरा गृहे । युद्धभागी भवेन्मर्त्यः कुर्वञ्श्राद्धं चतुर्दशीम् ॥

avaśyaṃ tu yuvāno'sya pramīyante narā gṛhe | yuddhabhāgī bhavenmartyaḥ kurvañśrāddhaṃ caturdaśīm

But young men in his house are sure to die; and a man who performs shraddha on the fourteenth gets a share in battle.

Note on the text: Two lines = CE 13.87.16c and 17a (Wikisource divides the CE's verses 16-17 differently).

Verse 19 (13.134.19)

अमावास्यां तु निवपन्सर्वकामानवाप्नुयात् ॥

amāvāsyāṃ tu nivapansarvakāmānavāpnuyāt

But one who offers on the new-moon day obtains all his desires.

Note on the text: One-line verse as printed on the page (13-134-19a) = CE 13.87.17c.

Verse 20 (13.134.20)

कृष्णपक्षे दशम्यादौ वर्जयित्वा चतुर्दशीम् । श्राद्धकर्मणि तिथ्यस्तु प्रशस्ता न तथेतराः ॥

kṛṣṇapakṣe daśamyādau varjayitvā caturdaśīm | śrāddhakarmaṇi tithyastu praśastā na tathetarāḥ

In the dark fortnight, from the tenth day onward, excepting the fourteenth, those lunar days are praised for shraddha; the others are not so.

Verse 21 (13.134.21)

यथा चैवापरः पक्षः पूर्वपक्षाद्विशिष्यते । तथा श्राद्धस्य पूर्वाह्णादपराह्णो विशिष्यते ॥

yathā caivāparaḥ pakṣaḥ pūrvapakṣādviśiṣyate | tathā śrāddhasya pūrvāhṇādaparāhṇo viśiṣyate

Just as the later fortnight is better than the earlier fortnight, so for shraddha the afternoon is better than the forenoon.