Chapter 219 - Kāmya Śrāddha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This chapter gives the fruits or benefits obtained by performing Śrāddha on a particular Tithi.

Bhartṛyajña said:

1-2. O king, I shall now explain Kāmya Śrāddhas (those performed for the realization of specific desires) to you. If they are performed, a man obtains what is cherished in the heart.

If a man wishes for a woman of beauty and decent behaviour in this world as well as in the other, the first day readily fits him.

3. That is the chief day in the Pretapakṣa pertaining to Śrāddhas.

O king, if a man wishes for an excellent virgin of good conduct and comely features, O king, Śrāddha should be performed by him on the Dvitīyā (second) day,

4. Śrāddha should be performed on the Tṛtīyā (third) day by a learned man who wishes for horses having the speed similar to that of wind.

5. Śrāddha should be performed for the propitiation of the Pitṛs on the Caturthī day by a person who wishes for animals of great utility and wealth as well as precious and best metals.

6. O king, Śrāddha should always be performed on Pañcamī (fifth day) by a person who wishes for covetable sons of good conduct, the very ornaments unto the whole family.

7. Śrāddha should be performed on the ṣaṣṭhī (sixth) day, O king, by one who desires that his descendants should offer Śrāddha unto himself when he goes to the other world.

8. It is undoubtedly proper to perform Śrāddha on the Saptamī (seventh) day if one wishes for perfect agricultural produce in the seasons of summer as well as of autumn.

9. O king, it is proper to perform Śrāddha on the Aṣṭamī (eighth) day, if a man wishes for perfect success in mercantile activities and business dealings.

10. He who performs Śrāddha on the Navamī (ninth) day shall obtains herds of quadrupeds, conjugal felicity, destruction of ailments and union with those whom he loves.

11. If a devotee performs Śrāddha on the Daśamī day with great concentration, he will attain the desired perfection in all his activities always.

12. A man who performs Śrāddha on the Ekādaśī (eleventh) day gets wealth, food-grain, favour of the king and whatever else he may have desired in his mind.

13. He who performs on the Dvādaśī day Śrāddha with great faith, obtains excellent sons and the desired cattle wealth.

14. If a man desires his salvation along with his Pitṛs but has no progeny, Śrāddha on the Trayodaśī (thirteenth) day is recommended in his case.

15. If a man desirous of (further) progeny performs Śrāddha on the Trayodaśī day, his family becomes extinct. Trayodaśī is not at all conducive to the increase of progeny.

16. In respect to Śrāddha rite, O great king, this is the ancient Śruti: “Let such a son be born in our family who may have no occasion to perform the Śrāddha on the Trayodaśī day.”

17. During rainy season, if the constellation is Maghā and Maghā coincides with Trayodaśī, the devotee performs Śrāddha offering milk-pudding along with honey and ghee. He should worship the Pitṛs with milk pudding.

18-21. His Pitṛs do not desire the holy rite of Śrāddha that year.

Śakra who was afraid of excess of merit discarded the offering of balls of rice. He has shown fear of the death of one’s son performing the Śrāddha on that day. (That means only a ṣonless person should perform a Śrāddha on that day).

O king, Ekoddiṣṭa (with only one Brāhmaṇa in view) should be performed on the Caturdaśī day (fourteenth) in the following cases: if the ancestors die due to weapons, have premature death, if they die due to divine calamity, person etc. if they are burnt in fire, if they are drowned in water, if they are killed by serpent, python or tiger, if they die due to being torn by horns or if they commit suicide by hanging themselves.^[1]

22. If that Śrāddha is performed on that day they will have satisfaction for the whole of that fortnight.

23. By performing Śrāddha on the Amāvāsyā day one obtains all those desired things which I have earlier mentioned to you all, O king. There is no doubt therein.

24. Thus I have fully narrated the benefit of Kāmya Śrāddhas to you. On hearing this a man realizes all his desires.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In the Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha, there is no Agnau-karaṇa no Abhiśrāvaṇa, no Dīpa, Dhūpa (incense), no Svadhā pronunciation—Baudhāyana Sūtra III.12.6.

The Śrāddha is meant for accidental deaths.