The Rules Governing the Shraddha

Verse 1 (skanda.6.218.1)

भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच एतत्सामान्यतः प्रोक्तं मया श्राद्धं यथा नरैः कर्त्तव्यं विप्रपूर्वैर्यद्वर्णैः पार्थिवसत्तम

bhartṛyajña uvāca etatsāmānyataḥ proktaṁ mayā śrāddhaṁ yathā naraiḥ karttavyaṁ viprapūrvairyadvarṇaiḥ pārthivasattama

Bhartriyajna said: This, O best of kings, I have declared to you in general — the shraddha as it should be performed by men of all the varnas, brahmins foremost among them.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.218.2)

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि स्वशाखायाः स्मृतं नृप स्वदेशवर्णजातीयं यथा स्यादत्र निर्वृतिः

ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi svaśākhāyāḥ smṛtaṁ nṛpa svadeśavarṇajātīyaṁ yathā syādatra nirvṛtiḥ

Henceforth, O king, I shall declare what is prescribed according to one's own Vedic branch, and according to one's own country, varna, and family, so that satisfaction may result from it.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.218.3)

श्राद्धे श्रद्धा यतो मूलं तेन श्राद्धं प्रकीर्तितम् तत्तस्मिन्क्रियमाणे तु न किंचिद्व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

śrāddhe śraddhā yato mūlaṁ tena śrāddhaṁ prakīrtitam tattasminkriyamāṇe tu na kiṁcidvyarthatāṁ vrajet

Since faith (shraddha) is the root of the shraddha rite, it is therefore called shraddha; and when it is performed with faith, nothing in it goes to waste.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.218.4)

अनिष्टमपि राजेन्द्र तस्माच्छ्राद्धं समाचरेत् विप्रपादोदकं यत्तु भूमौ पतति पार्थिव

aniṣṭamapi rājendra tasmācchrāddhaṁ samācaret viprapādodakaṁ yattu bhūmau patati pārthiva

Therefore, O lord of kings, one should perform the shraddha even when it seems burdensome. For, O king, the water that falls to the ground from the washing of a brahmin's feet —

Verse 5 (skanda.6.218.5)

जाता ये गोत्रजाः केचिदपुत्रा मरणं गताः ते यांति परमां तृप्तिममृतेन यथा सुराः

jātā ye gotrajāḥ kecidaputrā maraṇaṁ gatāḥ te yāṁti paramāṁ tṛptimamṛtena yathā surāḥ

— by it, whatever kinsmen of the gotra were born and died without sons attain supreme satisfaction, just as the gods do through nectar.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.218.6)

विप्रपादोदकक्लिन्ना यावत्तिष्ठति मेदिनी तावत्पुष्करपात्रेषु पिबन्ति पितरो जलम्

viprapādodakaklinnā yāvattiṣṭhati medinī tāvatpuṣkarapātreṣu pibanti pitaro jalam

For as long as the earth remains moist with the water from a brahmin's feet, so long do the ancestors drink that water from lotus-vessels.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.218.7)

श्राद्धेऽथ क्रियमाणे तु यत्किंचित्पतति क्षितौ पुष्पगन्धोदकं चान्नमपि तोयं नरेश्वर

śrāddhe'tha kriyamāṇe tu yatkiṁcitpatati kṣitau puṣpagandhodakaṁ cānnamapi toyaṁ nareśvara

Now, while the shraddha is being performed, whatever falls to the ground — flowers, scented water, food, or plain water, O lord of men —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.218.8)

तेन तृप्तिं परां यांति ये कृमित्वमुपागताः कीटत्वं वापि तिर्यक्त्वं व्यालत्वं च नराधिप

tena tṛptiṁ parāṁ yāṁti ye kṛmitvamupāgatāḥ kīṭatvaṁ vāpi tiryaktvaṁ vyālatvaṁ ca narādhipa

— by that, those kinsmen who have been reborn as worms, or as insects, or as beasts, or as serpents, O lord of men, attain supreme satisfaction.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.218.9)

यदुच्छिष्टं क्षितौ याति पात्रप्रक्षालनोद्भवम् तेन तृप्तिं परां यांति ये प्रेतत्वमुपागताः

yaducchiṣṭaṁ kṣitau yāti pātraprakṣālanodbhavam tena tṛptiṁ parāṁ yāṁti ye pretatvamupāgatāḥ

Whatever leftover water, arising from the washing of vessels, falls to the ground — by that, those who have been reborn as pretas attain supreme satisfaction.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.218.10)

ये चापमृत्युना केचिन्मृत्युं प्राप्ताः स्ववंशजाः असंस्कृतप्रमीतानां त्यागिनां कुलयोषिताम्

ye cāpamṛtyunā kecinmṛtyuṁ prāptāḥ svavaṁśajāḥ asaṁskṛtapramītānāṁ tyāgināṁ kulayoṣitām

Whatever kinsmen have met death through an untimely end, and those who died before receiving the sacraments, and ascetics, and the forsaken women of the family — [they too are satisfied by this].

Verse 11 (skanda.6.218.11)

उच्छिष्टभागधेयं स्याद्दर्भेषु विकिरश्च यः विकिरेण प्रदत्तेन ते तृप्तिं यांति चाखिलाः

ucchiṣṭabhāgadheyaṁ syāddarbheṣu vikiraśca yaḥ vikireṇa pradattena te tṛptiṁ yāṁti cākhilāḥ

The scattered portion of leftover food placed upon the kusha grass is called vikira; by the giving of this vikira, all of the aforesaid attain satisfaction.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.218.12)

यत्किंचिन्मंत्रहीनं वा कालहीनमथापि वा विधिहीनं च संपूर्णं दक्षिणायां तु तद्भवेत्

yatkiṁcinmaṁtrahīnaṁ vā kālahīnamathāpi vā vidhihīnaṁ ca saṁpūrṇaṁ dakṣiṇāyāṁ tu tadbhavet

Whatever is deficient in mantra, or deficient in proper time, or deficient in correct procedure — all of that becomes complete through the gift of dakshina.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.218.13)

तस्मान्न दक्षिणाहीनं श्राद्धं कार्यं विपश्चिता य इच्छेच्छाश्वतीं तृप्तिं पितॄणामात्मनश्च यः

tasmānna dakṣiṇāhīnaṁ śrāddhaṁ kāryaṁ vipaścitā ya icchecchāśvatīṁ tṛptiṁ pitṝṇāmātmanaśca yaḥ

Therefore, the wise man who desires everlasting satisfaction for the ancestors and for himself should never perform a shraddha devoid of dakshina.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.218.14)

दक्षिणारहितं श्राद्धं यथैवोषरवर्षितम् यथा तमसि नृत्यं च गीतं वा बधिरस्य च

dakṣiṇārahitaṁ śrāddhaṁ yathaivoṣaravarṣitam yathā tamasi nṛtyaṁ ca gītaṁ vā badhirasya ca

A shraddha without dakshina is like rain falling upon barren soil; it is like dancing in darkness, or like singing for a deaf man.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.218.15)

श्राद्धं दत्त्वा च युक्त्वा च श्राद्धे निष्कामतां व्रजेत् न स्वाध्यायः प्रकर्तव्यो न ग्रामांतरकं व्रजेत्

śrāddhaṁ dattvā ca yuktvā ca śrāddhe niṣkāmatāṁ vrajet na svādhyāyaḥ prakartavyo na grāmāṁtarakaṁ vrajet

Having offered the shraddha and duly completed it, one should become free of further desire regarding it; one should not perform Vedic recitation that day, nor should one go to another village.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.218.16)

श्राद्धभुग्रमणीतल्पं तदहर्योऽधिगच्छति तं मासं पितरस्तस्य जायंते वीर्यभोजिनः

śrāddhabhugramaṇītalpaṁ tadaharyo'dhigacchati taṁ māsaṁ pitarastasya jāyaṁte vīryabhojinaḥ

One who has eaten at a shraddha, if he approaches a woman's bed that same day — for that whole month his ancestors become eaters of semen.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.218.17)

श्राद्धभुक्छ्राद्धदाता च यः सेवयति मैथुनम् तस्य संवत्सरं यावत्पितरः शुक्रभोजिनः प्रभवंति न संदेह इत्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः

śrāddhabhukchrāddhadātā ca yaḥ sevayati maithunam tasya saṁvatsaraṁ yāvatpitaraḥ śukrabhojinaḥ prabhavaṁti na saṁdeha ityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ

If either the one who eats at the shraddha or the one who offers it engages in intercourse, then for a whole year his ancestors become eaters of semen — there is no doubt of this; such is the Vedic teaching.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.218.18)

श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाथ दत्त्वा वा यः श्राद्धं कुरुतेल्पधीः स्वाध्यायं पितरस्तस्य यावत्संवत्सरं नृप व्यर्थश्राद्धफलाः संतः पीड्यंते क्षुत्पिपासया

śrāddhe bhuktvātha dattvā vā yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurutelpadhīḥ svādhyāyaṁ pitarastasya yāvatsaṁvatsaraṁ nṛpa vyarthaśrāddhaphalāḥ saṁtaḥ pīḍyaṁte kṣutpipāsayā

The foolish man who, having eaten or given at a shraddha, then performs Vedic recitation — his ancestors, O king, for a whole year, their shraddha-fruit rendered fruitless, remain afflicted by hunger and thirst.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.218.19)

श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ दत्त्वा वा यः श्राद्धं मानवाधमः ग्रामातरं प्रयात्यत्र तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha dattvā vā yaḥ śrāddhaṁ mānavādhamaḥ grāmātaraṁ prayātyatra tacchrāddhaṁ vyarthatāṁ vrajet

The basest of men who, having eaten or given at a shraddha, goes off to another village that same day — his shraddha becomes fruitless.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.218.20)

ब्राह्मणेन न भोक्तव्यं समायाते निमंत्रणे अथ भुंक्ते च यो मोहात्स प्रयाति ह्यधोगतिम्

brāhmaṇena na bhoktavyaṁ samāyāte nimaṁtraṇe atha bhuṁkte ca yo mohātsa prayāti hyadhogatim

A brahmin should not accept food at another invitation that comes to him that day; and if, out of delusion, he eats there, he goes to a degraded state.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.218.21)

यजमानेन च तथा न कार्यं भोजनं परम् कुर्वंति ये नराः सर्वे ते यांति नरकं ध्रुवम्

yajamānena ca tathā na kāryaṁ bhojanaṁ param kurvaṁti ye narāḥ sarve te yāṁti narakaṁ dhruvam

Likewise, the sacrificer should not accept any other meal that day; all those men who do so certainly go to hell.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.218.22)

श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ दत्त्वा वा श्राद्धं यो युद्धमाचरेत् असंदिग्धं हि तच्छ्राद्धं स मन्दो व्यर्थतं नयेत्

śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha dattvā vā śrāddhaṁ yo yuddhamācaret asaṁdigdhaṁ hi tacchrāddhaṁ sa mando vyarthataṁ nayet

One who, having eaten or given at a shraddha, then engages in a quarrel — that dull-witted man undoubtedly renders that shraddha fruitless.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.218.23)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन दोषानेतान्परित्यजेत् श्राद्धभुग्यजमानश्च विशेषेण महीपते

tasmātsarvaprayatnena doṣānetānparityajet śrāddhabhugyajamānaśca viśeṣeṇa mahīpate

Therefore, O lord of the earth, both the one who eats at the shraddha and the sacrificer especially should, with every effort, abandon all these faults.