The Rite of Vrishotsarga

Verse 1 (garuda.2.41.1)

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । वृषोत्सर्गं प्रकुर्वीत विधिपूर्वं खगेश्वर । कार्तिकादिषु मासेषु पौर्णमास्यां शुभे दिने

śrīviṣṇuruvāca vṛṣotsargaṁ prakurvīta vidhipūrvaṁ khageśvara kārtikādiṣu māseṣu paurṇamāsyāṁ śubhe dine

Shri Vishnu said: "O lord of birds, the vrishotsarga should be performed according to rule, in the months beginning with Kartika, on the auspicious day of the full moon."

Verse 2 (garuda.2.41.2)

विवाहोत्सर्जनं श्राद्धं नान्दीमुखमुपक्रमेत् । कुर्याद्भुवश्च संस्कारानग्निस्थापनमेव च

vivāhotsarjanaṁ śrāddhaṁ nāndīmukhamupakramet kuryādbhuvaśca saṁskārānagnisthāpanameva ca

"One should begin with a marriage-like consecration, the shraddha, and the nandimukha rite; the consecration of the ground and the establishment of the fire should also be performed."

Verse 3 (garuda.2.41.3)

वाप्यां कूपे गवां गोष्ठे स्थाप्याग्निं विधिवत्ततः । विवाहविधिना सर्वं कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणवाचनम्

vāpyāṁ kūpe gavāṁ goṣṭhe sthāpyāgniṁ vidhivattataḥ vivāhavidhinā sarvaṁ kuryādbrāhmaṇavācanam

"Having established the fire according to rule at a step-well, a well, or a cow-pen, everything should be done as in the marriage rite, together with the recitation for brahmins."

Verse 4 (garuda.2.41.4)

पात्रासादनं श्रपणमुपयमनकुशादिकम् । पुर्युक्षणान्ते होमं च कर्या द्वै ब्राह्मणेन तु

pātrāsādanaṁ śrapaṇamupayamanakuśādikam puryukṣaṇānte homaṁ ca karyā dvai brāhmaṇena tu

"The placing of vessels, the cooking, the taking up of kusha and the like; at the end of the sprinkling of the ground, the fire-offering should be performed by the brahmin."

Verse 5 (garuda.2.41.5)

आघारावाज्यभागौ च चक्षुषी च प्रदा पयेत् । प्रथमेऽहरिति मन्त्रेण होतव्याश्च षडाहुतीः (तयः)

āghārāvājyabhāgau ca cakṣuṣī ca pradā payet prathame'hariti mantreṇa hotavyāśca ṣaḍāhutīḥ (tayaḥ)

"The a-ghara and ajya-bhaga oblations should be offered, and the two 'eye' oblations given; with the mantra 'prathame'hah', six oblations should be given."

Verse 6 (garuda.2.41.6)

आघारावाज्यभागौ तु पायसेनाङ्गदेवताः । अग्नये रुद्राय शर्वाय पशुपतये उग्राय शिवाय । भवाय महादेवायेशानाय यमाय च

āghārāvājyabhāgau tu pāyasenāṅgadevatāḥ agnaye rudrāya śarvāya paśupataye ugrāya śivāya bhavāya mahādevāyeśānāya yamāya ca

"The a-ghara and ajya-bhaga with milk-rice pudding, for the deities of the limbs — for Agni, Rudra, Sharva, Pashupati, Ugra, Shiva, Bhava, Mahadeva, Ishana, and Yama."

Verse 7 (garuda.2.41.7)

पिष्टकेन सकृद्धोमं पूषागा इति मन्त्रतः । उभयोः स्विष्टिकूद्धोमश्चरुणा पायसेन च

piṣṭakena sakṛddhomaṁ pūṣāgā iti mantrataḥ ubhayoḥ sviṣṭikūddhomaścaruṇā pāyasena ca

"A single oblation of flour-cake should be given with the mantra 'Pushann agah'; the svishtakrit oblation should be made for both with rice porridge and milk-rice."

Verse 8 (garuda.2.41.8)

प्रथमं व्याहृतिहोमः प्रायश्चित्तं प्रजापतिः । संस्त्रवप्राशनं कुर्यात्प्रणीतापरिमोक्षणम्

prathamaṁ vyāhṛtihomaḥ prāyaścittaṁ prajāpatiḥ saṁstravaprāśanaṁ kuryātpraṇītāparimokṣaṇam

"First the vyahriti fire-offering, then the expiatory oblation to Prajapati; the drinking of the residue and the release of the consecrated vessels should be performed."

Verse 9 (garuda.2.41.9)

पवित्रप्रतिपत्तिश्च ब्राह्मणे दक्षैणा ततः । षडङ्गरुद्रजाप्येन प्रोतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्

pavitrapratipattiśca brāhmaṇe dakṣaiṇā tataḥ ṣaḍaṅgarudrajāpyena proto mokṣamavāpnuyāt

"The purifying thread should be taken up, and then a fee given to the brahmin; joined with the six-limbed Rudra-japa, liberation is attained."

Verse 10 (garuda.2.41.10)

एकवर्णं वृषञ्चैव सकृद्वत्सतरीं खग । स्नापयित्वा ततः कुर्यात्सर्वालङ्कारभूषितम्

ekavarṇaṁ vṛṣañcaiva sakṛdvatsatarīṁ khaga snāpayitvā tataḥ kuryātsarvālaṅkārabhūṣitam

"O bird, a bull of a single color, and, along with it, a young heifer, should be bathed and then adorned with every ornament."

Verse 11 (garuda.2.41.11)

प्रतिष्ठाप्य च तद्युग्मं प्रेतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात् । पुच्छेच तर्पणं कार्यमुच्छ्रिते मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेत्पश्चाद्दक्षिणाभिश्च तोषयेत्

pratiṣṭhāpya ca tadyugmaṁ preto mokṣamavāpnuyāt puccheca tarpaṇaṁ kāryamucchrite mantrapūrvakam brāhmaṇān bhojayetpaścāddakṣiṇābhiśca toṣayet

"Having established that pair, the preta attains liberation. Then, raising their tails, tarpana should be performed with mantras; afterward brahmins should be fed and satisfied with fees."

Verse 12 (garuda.2.41.12)

ततः श्राद्धं समुद्दिष्टमेकोद्दिष्टं यथाविधि । जलमन्नं तथा देयं प्रेतोद्धरणहेतवे

tataḥ śrāddhaṁ samuddiṣṭamekoddiṣṭaṁ yathāvidhi jalamannaṁ tathā deyaṁ pretoddharaṇahetave

"Then the ekoddishta shraddha should be performed according to rule; water and food should be given for the deliverance of the preta."

Verse 13 (garuda.2.41.13)

द्वादशाहे ततः कुर्यान्मासेमासे पृथक्पथक् । एवं विधिः समायुक्तः प्रेतमोक्षे करोति हि

dvādaśāhe tataḥ kuryānmāsemāse pṛthakpathak evaṁ vidhiḥ samāyuktaḥ pretamokṣe karoti hi

"Then, on the twelfth day, and in every month thereafter, this should be performed separately. This rite, properly carried out in this way, indeed accomplishes the preta's liberation."