Foods Fit and Unfit for Shraddha, and the Merit of Gaya

Verse 1 (vishnu.3.16.1)

और्व उवाच हविष्यमत्स्यमांसैस्तु शशस्य नकुलस्य च । सौकरच्छागलैणेयरौरवैर्गवयेन च

aurva uvāca haviṣyamatsyamāṁsaistu śaśasya nakulasya ca saukaracchāgalaiṇeyarauravairgavayena ca

Aurva said: With havishya food, with fish and meat, and with the meat of the hare, the mongoose (or bird), the boar, the goat, the black antelope, the ruru deer, and the gavaya,

Verse 2 (vishnu.3.16.2)

औरभ्रगव्यैश्च तथा मासवृद्ध्या पितामहाः । प्रयान्ति तृप्तिं मांसैस्तु नित्यं वाध्रीणसामिषैः

aurabhragavyaiśca tathā māsavṛddhyā pitāmahāḥ prayānti tṛptiṁ māṁsaistu nityaṁ vādhrīṇasāmiṣaiḥ

and likewise with the meat of the ram and the cow, with each succeeding month the grandfathers attain an ever-increasing satisfaction; and with the flesh of the vardhrinasa animal they are satisfied at all times.

Verse 3 (vishnu.3.16.3)

खड्गमांसमतीवात्र कालशाकं तथा मधु । शस्तानि कर्मण्यत्यन्ततृप्तिदानि नरेश्वर

khaḍgamāṁsamatīvātra kālaśākaṁ tathā madhu śastāni karmaṇyatyantatṛptidāni nareśvara

O lord of men, the meat of the rhinoceros, the herb called Kalashaka, and honey -- these are especially praised in this rite, and bestow the greatest satisfaction.

Verse 4 (vishnu.3.16.4)

गयामुपेत्य यः श्राद्धं करोति पृथिवीपते । सफलं तस्य तज्जन्म जायते पितृतुष्टिदम्

gayāmupetya yaḥ śrāddhaṁ karoti pṛthivīpate saphalaṁ tasya tajjanma jāyate pitṛtuṣṭidam

O lord of the earth, he who, having gone to Gaya, performs the shraddha there -- his very birth becomes fruitful, bestowing satisfaction upon the ancestors.

Verse 5 (vishnu.3.16.5)

प्रशान्तिकास्सनीवाराः श्यामाका द्विविधास्तथा । वन्यौषधीप्रधानास्तु श्राद्धार्हाः पुरुषर्षभ

praśāntikāssanīvārāḥ śyāmākā dvividhāstathā vanyauṣadhīpradhānāstu śrāddhārhāḥ puruṣarṣabha

Prashatika rice, wild millet, and the two kinds of Shyamaka grain -- O bull among men, these, chief among the wild grains, are all fit for shraddha.

Verse 6 (vishnu.3.16.6)

यवाः प्रियङ्गवो मुद्गा गोधूमा व्रीहयस्तिलाः । निष्पावाः कोविदाराश्च सर्षपाश्चात्र शोभनाः

yavāḥ priyaṅgavo mudgā godhūmā vrīhayastilāḥ niṣpāvāḥ kovidārāśca sarṣapāścātra śobhanāḥ

Barley, priyangu millet, mung beans, wheat, rice, sesame, nishpava beans, and kovidara -- and here mustard too is auspicious.

Verse 7 (vishnu.3.16.7)

अकृताग्रयणं यच्च धान्यजातं नरेश्वर । राजमाषानणूंश्चैव मसूरांश्च विसर्जयेत्

akṛtāgrayaṇaṁ yacca dhānyajātaṁ nareśvara rājamāṣānaṇūṁścaiva masūrāṁśca visarjayet

O lord of men, let him exclude any kind of grain from which the first-fruit offering has not yet been made; and let him exclude also the kidney bean, small millets, and the red lentil.

Verse 8 (vishnu.3.16.8)

अलाबुं गृञ्जनं चैव पलाण्डुं पिण्डमूलकम् । गान्धारककरम्बादिलवणान्यौषराणि च

alābuṁ gṛñjanaṁ caiva palāṇḍuṁ piṇḍamūlakam gāndhārakakarambādilavaṇānyauṣarāṇi ca

The gourd, the carrot, the onion, the pindamulaka root, gandharaka, karambha, common salt, and salt from saline soil,

Verse 9 (vishnu.3.16.9)

आरक्ताश्चैव निर्यासाः प्रत्यक्षलवणानि च । वर्ज्यान्येतानि वै श्राद्धे यच्च वाचा न शस्यते

āraktāścaiva niryāsāḥ pratyakṣalavaṇāni ca varjyānyetāni vai śrāddhe yacca vācā na śasyate

and red-colored resins, and salts that are visibly conspicuous -- all of these are to be avoided at a shraddha, as is whatever else is declared unpraiseworthy in speech.

Verse 10 (vishnu.3.16.10)

नक्ताहृतमनुच्छिन्नं तृप्यते न च यत्र गौः । दुर्गन्धि फेनिलं चाम्बु श्राद्धयोग्यं न पार्थिव

naktāhṛtamanucchinnaṁ tṛpyate na ca yatra gauḥ durgandhi phenilaṁ cāmbu śrāddhayogyaṁ na pārthiva

O king, what has been brought at night and left unopened, by which even a cow would not be satisfied, and water that is foul-smelling and foamy -- these are not fit for a shraddha.

Verse 11 (vishnu.3.16.11)

क्षीरमेकशफानां यदौष्ट्रमाविकमेव च । मार्गं च माहिषं चैव वर्जयेच्छ्राद्धकर्मणि

kṣīramekaśaphānāṁ yadauṣṭramāvikameva ca mārgaṁ ca māhiṣaṁ caiva varjayecchrāddhakarmaṇi

The milk of single-hoofed animals, and likewise the milk of the she-camel and the ewe, of the doe, and of the buffalo-cow -- let him exclude these from the rite of shraddha.

Verse 12 (vishnu.3.16.12)

षण्ढापविद्धचाण्डालपापिपाषण्डिरोगिभिः । कृकवाकुश्वननग्नैश्च वानरग्रामसूकरैः

ṣaṇḍhāpaviddhacāṇḍālapāpipāṣaṇḍirogibhiḥ kṛkavākuśvananagnaiśca vānaragrāmasūkaraiḥ

A eunuch, an outcast, a chandala, a sinner, a heretic, a sick person, a cock, a dog, a naked man, a monkey, a village pig,

Verse 13 (vishnu.3.16.13)

उदक्यासूतकाशौचिमृतहारैश्च वीक्षिते । श्राद्धे सुरा न पितरो भुञ्जते पुरुषर्षभ

udakyāsūtakāśaucimṛtahāraiśca vīkṣite śrāddhe surā na pitaro bhuñjate puruṣarṣabha

a menstruating woman, one under birth or death impurity, and a corpse-bearer -- O bull among men, the ancestors do not partake of a shraddha witnessed by such as these.

Verse 14 (vishnu.3.16.14)

तस्मात्परिश्रिते कुर्याच्छ्राद्धं श्रद्धासमन्वितः । उर्व्यां च तिलविक्षेपाद्यातुधानान्निवारयेत्

tasmātpariśrite kuryācchrāddhaṁ śraddhāsamanvitaḥ urvyāṁ ca tilavikṣepādyātudhānānnivārayet

Therefore let him, filled with faith, perform the shraddha in an enclosed place, and, by scattering sesame upon the ground, ward off the demons.

Verse 15 (vishnu.3.16.15)

न पूतिना चोपपन्नं केशकीटादिभिर्नृप । न चैवाभिषवैर्मिश्रमन्नं पर्युषितं तथा

na pūtinā copapannaṁ keśakīṭādibhirnṛpa na caivābhiṣavairmiśramannaṁ paryuṣitaṁ tathā

O king, that which is not putrid, nor mixed with hair, insects, and the like, nor blended with fermented drinks, nor stale, [alone is fit for the shraddha].

Verse 16 (vishnu.3.16.16)

श्रद्धासमन्वितैर्दत्तं पितृभ्यो नामगोत्रतः । यदाहारास्तु ते जातास्तदाहारत्वमेति तत्

śraddhāsamanvitairdattaṁ pitṛbhyo nāmagotrataḥ yadāhārāstu te jātāstadāhāratvameti tat

Whatever is given with faith to the ancestors, naming them by name and lineage, whatever form of existence they may have been born into, that food becomes food suited to that very form.

Verse 17 (vishnu.3.16.17)

श्रूयते चापि पितृभिर्गीता गाथा महीपते । इक्ष्वाकोर्मनुपुत्रस्य कलापोपवने पुरा

śrūyate cāpi pitṛbhirgītā gāthā mahīpate ikṣvākormanuputrasya kalāpopavane purā

O lord of the earth, it is also heard that in ancient times, in the Kalapa grove of Ikshvaku, son of Manu, a ballad was sung by the ancestors.

Verse 18 (vishnu.3.16.18)

अपि नस्ते भविष्यन्ति कुले सन्मार्गशीलिनः । गयामुपेत्य ये पिण्डान् दास्यन्त्यस्माकमादरात्

api naste bhaviṣyanti kule sanmārgaśīlinaḥ gayāmupetya ye piṇḍān dāsyantyasmākamādarāt

'Will there be, in our lineage, men devoted to the righteous path, who, having gone to Gaya, will reverently offer rice-balls unto us?

Verse 19 (vishnu.3.16.19)

अपि नः स कुले जायाद्यो नो दद्यात् त्रयोदशीम् । पायसं मधुसर्पिर्भ्यां वर्षासु च मघासु च

api naḥ sa kule jāyādyo no dadyāt trayodaśīm pāyasaṁ madhusarpirbhyāṁ varṣāsu ca maghāsu ca

Will he be born in our lineage, who will offer unto us, on the thirteenth day, in the rainy season and under the Magha constellation, rice-pudding together with honey and ghee?

Verse 20 (vishnu.3.16.20)

गौरीं वाप्युद्वहेत् कन्यां नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत् । यजेत वाश्वमेधेन विधिवद्दक्षिणावता

gaurīṁ vāpyudvahet kanyāṁ nīlaṁ vā vṛṣamutsṛjet yajeta vāśvamedhena vidhivaddakṣiṇāvatā

or who will give a fair maiden in marriage, or set free a dark-blue bull, or perform the horse-sacrifice, duly, with its proper offerings?'