Chapter 91

“Yudhishthira said, ‘By whom was the Sraddha first conceived and at whattime? What also is its essence? During the time when the world waspeopled by only the descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras; who was the munithat established the Sraddha? What acts should not be done at Sraddha?What are those Sraddhas in which fruits and roots are to be offered? Whatspecies’ also of paddy should be avoided in Sraddhas? Do thou tell me allthis, O grandsire!’

“Bhishma said, ‘Listen to me, O ruler of men, as I tell thee how theSraddha was introduced, the time of such introduction, the essences ofthe rite, and the Muni who conceived it. From the Self-born Brahmansprang Atri, O thou of Kuru’s race. In Atri’s race was born a Muni of thename of Dattatreya. Dattatreya got a son of the name of Nimi possessed ofwealth of asceticism. Nimi got a son named Srimat who was endued withgreat beauty of person. Upon the expiration of a full thousand years,Srimat, having undergone the severest austerities, succumbed to theinfluence of Time and departed from this world. His sire Nimi, havingperformed the Purificatory rites according to the ritual laid down in theordinance, became filled with great grief, thinking continually of theloss of his son.[411] Thinking of that cause of sorrow the high-souledNimi collected together various agreeable objects (of food and drink) onthe fourteenth day of the moon. The next morning he rose from bed. Painedhis heart was with grief, as he rose from sleep that day–he succeeded inwithdrawing it from the one object upon which it had been working. Hisunderstanding succeeded in busying itself with other matters. Withconcentrated attention he then conceived the idea of a Sraddha. All thosearticles of his own food, consisting of fruits and roots, and all thosekinds of staple grains that were agreeable to him, were carefully thoughtof by that sage possessed of wealth of penances. On the day of the Newmoon he invited a number of adorable Brahmanas (to his asylum). Possessedof great wisdom, Nimi caused them to be seated on seats (of Kusa grass)and honoured them by going around their persons. Approaching seven suchBrahmanas whom he had brought to his abode together, the puissant Nimigave unto them food consisting of Syamaka rice, unmixed with salt.Towards the feet of those Brahmanas engaged in eating the food that wasserved unto them a number of Kusa blades was spread out on the seats theyoccupied, with the top ends of the blades directed towards the south.With a pure body and mind and with concentrated attention, Nimi, havingplaced those blades of sacred grass in the way indicated, offered cakesof rice unto his dead son, uttering his name and family. Having donethis, that foremost of Munis became filled with regret at the idea ofhaving achieved an act that had not (to his knowledge) been laid down inany of the scriptures. Indeed, filled with regret he began to think ofwhat he had done.[412] ‘Never done before by the Munis, alas, what have Idone! How shall I (for having done an act that has not been ordained)avoid being cursed by the Brahmanas (as an introducer of strange rites)?’He then thought of the original progenitor of his race. As soon as he wasthought of, Atri endued with wealth of penances came there. Beholding himexceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, theimmortal Atri comforted him with agreeable counsels. He said unto him, ‘OMini, this rite that thou hast conceived, is a sacrifice in honour of thePitris. Let no fear be thine, O thou that art possessed of the wealth ofasceticism! The Grandsire Brahman himself, in days of old, laid it down!This rite that thou hast conceived has been ordained by the Self-bornhimself. Who else than the Self-born could ordain this ritual inSraddhas? I shall presently tell thee, O son, the excellent ordinancelaid down in respect of Sraddhas. Ordained by the Self-born himself, Oson, do thou follow it. Listen to me first! Having first performed theKarana on the sacred fire with the aid of Mantras, O thou that artpossessed of wealth of penances, one should always pour libations nextunto the deity of fire, and Soma, and Varuna. Unto the Viswedevas also,who are always the companions of the Pitris, the Self-born then ordaineda portion of the offerings. The Earth also, as the goddess that sustainsthe offerings made at Sraddhas, should then be praised under the names ofVaishnavi, Kasyapi, and the inexhaustible.[413] When water is beingfetched for the Sraddha, the deity Varuna of great puissance should bepraised. After this, both Agni and Soma should be invoked with reverenceand gratified (with libations), O sinless one. Those deities that arecalled by the name of Pitris were created by the Self-born. Others also,highly blessed, viz., the Ushnapsa, were created by him. For all theseshares have been ordained of the offerings made at Sraddhas. By adoringall these deities at Sraddhas, the ancestors of the persons performingthem become freed from all sins. The Pitris referred to above as thosecreated by the Self-born number seven. The Viswedevas having Agni fortheir mouth (for it is through Agni that they feed), have been mentionedbefore. I shall now mention the names of those high-souled deities whodeserve shares of the offerings made at Sraddhas. Those names at Vala,Dhriti, Vipapa, Punyakrit, Pavana, Parshni, Kshemak, Divysanu, Vivaswat,Viryavat, Hrimat, Kirtimat, Krita, Jitatman, Munivirya, Diptaroman,Bhayankara, Anukarman, Pratia, Pradatri, Ansumat, Sailabha, Paramakrodhi, Dhiroshni, Bhupati, Sraja, Vajrin, and Vari,–these are theeternal Viswedevas. There are others also whose names are Vidyutvarchas,Somavarchas, and Suryasri. Others also are numbered amongst them, viz.,Somapa, Suryasavitra, Dattatman, Pundariyaka, Ushninabha, Nabhoda,Viswayu, Dipti, Chamuhara, Suresa, Vyomari, Sankara Bhava, Isa, Kartri,Kriti, Daksha, Bhuvana, Divya, Karmakrit, Ganita Panchavirya, Aditya,Rasmimat, Saptakrit, Somavachas, Viswakrit, Kavi, Anugoptri, Sugoptri,Naptri, and Iswara:–these highly blessed ones are numbered as theViswedevas. They are eternal and conversant with all that occurs in Time.The species of paddy which should not be offered at Sraddhas are thosecalled Kodrava, and Pulka. Assafoetida also, among articles used incooking, should not be offered, as also onions and garlic, the produce ofthe Moringa pterygosperma, Bauhinia Variegata, the meat of animals slainwith envenomed shafts all varieties of Sucuribita Pepo, Sucuribitalagenaria, and black salt. The other articles that should not be offeredat Sraddhas are the flesh of the domesticated hog, the meat of allanimals not slaughtered at sacrifices, Nigella sativa, salt of thevariety called Vid, the potherb that is called Sitapaki, all sprouts(like those of the bamboo), and also the Trapa bispinosa. All kinds ofsalt should be excluded from the offerings made at Sraddhas, and also thefruits of the Eugenia Jamblana. All articles, again, upon which any onehas spat or upon which tears have fallen should not be offered atSraddhas. Among offerings made to the Pitris or with the Havya and Kavyaoffered to the deities, the potherb called Sudarsana (Menispermumtomentosum, Rox) should not be included. Havi mixed with this is notacceptable to Pitris. From the place where the Sraddha is beingperformed, the Chandala and the Swapacha should be excluded, as also allwho wear clothes steeped in yellow, and persons affected with leprosy, orone who has been excasted (for transgressions), or one who is guilty ofBrahmanicide, or a Brahmana of mixed descent or one who is the relativeof an excasted man. These all should be excluded by persons possessed ofwisdom from the place where a Sraddha is being performed,’ Having saidthese words in days of old unto the Rishi Nimi of his own race, theillustrious Atri possessed of wealth of penances then went back to theGrandsire’s assembly in Heaven.'”