Chapter 89

“Bhishma continued, ‘Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, as I tell thee whatthose optional Sraddhas are that should be performed under the differentconstellations and that were first spoken of by Yama unto kingSasavindu.[402] That man who always performs the Sraddha under theconstellation Krittika is regarded as performing a sacrifice afterestablishing the sacred fire. Such a person, freed from fear, ascends toheaven with his children. He that is desirous of children should performthe Sraddha under the constellation Rohini, while he that is desirous ofenergy should do it under the constellation Mrigasiras. By performing theSraddha under the constellation Ardra, a man becomes the doer of fiercedeeds. A mortal, by performing the Sraddha under Punarvasu, makes suchagain by agriculture. The man that is desirous of growth and advancementshould perform the Sraddha under Pushya. By doing it under theconstellation Aslesha one begets heroic children. By doing it under theMaghas one attains to pre-eminence among kinsmen. By doing it under theprior Phalgunis, the doer of it becomes endued with good fortune. Bydoing the Sraddha under the later Phalgunis one attains to many children;while by performing it under Hasta, one attains to the fruition of one’swishes. By performing it under the constellation Chitra one obtainschildren endued with great beauty. By doing it under the constellationSwati, one makes much profit by trade. The man that desires childrenacquires the fruition of his wish by performing the Sraddha under theconstellation Visakha. By doing it under Anuradha one becomes a king ofkings.[403] By making offerings in honour of the Pitris under theconstellation Jyeshtha with devotion and humility, one attains tosovereignty, O foremost one of Kuru’s race. By doing the Sraddha underMula one attains to health, and by doing it under the prior Ashadha, oneacquires excellent fame. By performing it under the later Ashadha onesucceeds in roving over the whole world, freed from every sorrow. Bydoing it under the constellation Abhijit one attains to high knowledge.By doing it under Sravana one, departing from this world, attains to avery high end. The man that performs the Sraddha under the constellationDhanishtha becomes the ruler of a kingdom. By doing it under theconstellation presided over by Varuna (viz., Satabhisha), one attains tosuccess as a physician. By performing the Sraddha under the constellationof the prior Bhadrapada one acquires large property in goats and sheep;while by doing it under the later Bhadrapada one acquires thousands ofkine. By performing the Sraddha under the constellation Revati oneacquires much wealth in utensils of white brass and copper. By doing itunder Aswini one acquires many steeds, while under Bharani one attains tolongevity. Listening to these ordinances about the Sraddha, kingSasavindu acted accordingly, and succeeded in easily subjugating andruling the whole earth.'”