Chapter 97
“Yudhishthira said, ‘O foremost one of Bharata’s race, do thou relate tome all the duties of the household mode and tell me all that a man shoulddo in order to attain to prosperity in this world.’
“Bhishma said, ‘O Bharata, I shall, in this connection, recite to theethe old story of Vasudeva and the goddess Earth, The puissant Vasudeva. Oexcellent prince of Bharata’s race, after hymning the praises of thegoddess Earth, questioned her about this very topic that thou hastenquired about.’
“Vasudeva said, ‘Having adopted the state of a householder, what actsshould I, or one like me, perform and how are such acts to fructify ingood?'”
“The goddess Earth said, ‘O Madhava, the Rishis, the deities, the Pitris,and men should be worshipped, and sacrifices should be performed, by ahouseholder. Do thou also learn this from me that the deities are alwayspleased with sacrifices, and men are gratified with hospitality.Therefore, the householder should gratify them with such objects as theydesire. By such acts, O slayer of Madhu, the Rishis also are gratified.The householder, abstaining from food, should daily attend to his sacredfire and to his sacrificial offerings. The deities, O slayer of Madhu,are gratified with such acts. The householder should daily offeroblations of food and water, or of fruits, roots and water, for thegratification of the Pitris, and the Vaiswadeva offering should beperformed with rice boiled, and oblations of clarified butter unto Agni,Soma, and Dhanwantari. He should offer separate and distinct oblationsunto Prajapati. He should make sacrificial offerings in due order; toYama in the Southern region, to Varuna in Western region, to Soma in theNorthern region, to Prajapati within the homestead, to Dhanwantari in theNorth-eastern region, and to Indra in the Eastern region. He should offerfood to men at the entrance of his house. These, O Madhava, are known asthe Vali offerings. The Vali should be offered to the Maruts and thedeities in the interior of one’s house. To the Viswedevas it should beoffered in open air, and to the Rakshasas and spirits the offeringsshould be made at night. After making these offerings, the householdershould make offerings unto Brahmanas, and if no Brahmana be present, thefirst portion of the food should be thrown into the fire. When a mandesires to offer Sraddha to his ancestors, he should, when the Sraddhaceremony is concluded, gratify his ancestors and then make the Valiofferings in due order. He should then make offerings unto theViswedevas. He should next invite Brahmanas and then properly regaleguests arrived at his house, with food. By this act, O prince, are guestsgratified. He who does not stay in the house long, or, having come, goesaway after a short time, is called a guest. To his preceptor, to hisfather, to his friend and to a guest, a householder should say, ‘I havegot this in my house to offer thee today!’ And he should offer itaccordingly every day. The householder should do whatever they would askhim to do. This is the established usage. The householder, O Krishna,should take his food last of all after having offered food to all ofthem. The householder should worship, with offerings of Madhuparka hisking, his priest, his preceptor, and his father-in-law as also SnatakaBrahmanas even if they were to stay in his house for a whole year. In themorning as well as in the evening, food should be offered on the groundto dogs, Swapachas,[438] and birds. This is called the Vaiswadevaoffering. The householder, who performs these ceremonies with a mindunclouded by passion, obtains the blessings of the Rishis in this world,and after death attains to the heavenly regions.'”
“Bhishma continued, “The puissant Vasudeva, having listened to all thisfrom the goddess Earth, acted accordingly. Do thou also act in the sameway. By performing these duties of a householder, O king, thou shaltacquire fame in this world and attain to heaven after death!'”
