गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम्। तत्फलं जाह्नवीस्नाने राहुग्रस्ते निशाकरे
The fruit of properly giving a hundred thousand cows—that fruit is gained by bathing in the Gaṅgā when the moon is seized by Rāhu.
चंद्रसूर्यग्रहे चैव अवगाहति जाह्नवीं। स स्नातस्सर्वतीर्थेषु किमर्थमटते महीम्
And at the eclipse of the moon or sun, one who bathes in the Gaṅgā—having bathed in all the sacred fords, why should he wander the earth?
सूर्यग्रहः सूर्यवारे सोमे सोमग्रहस्तथा। चूडामणिरिति ख्यातस्तत्रानंतफलं स्मृतम्
When the sun is eclipsed on a Sunday, or the moon on a Monday, this is known as the 'crest-jewel' and is remembered as yielding endless fruit.
समुपोष्य तयोः पूर्वे पुण्यतीर्थे तु यः पुमान्। दत्वा पिंडोदकं दानं सत्यलोके प्रतिष्ठितः
Whoever, after fasting on those days at a sacred ford, offers rice-balls, water, and gifts, is established in the world of truth.
द्विज उवाच-। पितुरेव महायज्ञः श्राद्धं च भवतेरितं। ताता पश्चिमकालादौ किं कर्त्तव्यं सुतेन हि
The twice-born said: The great sacrifice and the śrāddha you have described are for the father. O revered one, what should a son do at the end of his father's life?
किं कृत्वा च परं श्रेयो जन्मजन्मसु लभ्यते। पुत्रेण धीमता देव यत्नतो वक्तुमर्हसि
By performing what does a wise son attain the highest good through many births? O god, you should earnestly declare this.
श्रीभगवानुवाच-। पूर्वे वयसि संप्राप्ते पिता पुत्र इति स्मृतः। उत्तरे च सुतस्तातः पालनान्न तु पूजनात्
The Blessed Lord said: In earlier years, one is called 'son' and the other 'father'; later, the son becomes the support of the father, not merely his worshipper.
देववत्पूजयेत्तातं स्नेहं कुर्याच्च पुत्रवत्। न लंघयेद्वचस्तस्य मनसापि कदाचन
He should honor his father as a god, show affection as to a son, and never transgress his words, not even in thought.
आतुरस्य पितुः पुत्रो यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रतिक्रियां। सोक्षयं लभते स्वर्गं सदा देवैः प्रपूज्यते
A son who provides care for a sick father attains heaven without decay and is always honored by the gods.
मुमूर्षोरपिता तस्य पश्यतो मृत्युलक्षणम्। कृत्वा च यजनं पुत्रो देवानां तुल्यतां व्रजेत्
If a father is dying and the son, seeing the signs of death, performs the proper rites, he attains equality with the gods.
विधिनानशने नैव पितुः स्वर्गं ददाति यः। पुत्रस्य तस्य धीरस्य शृणु वक्ष्यामि यद्गुणम्
If, at the time of fasting according to the rite, a son does not grant his father heaven, hear now the merit of that steadfast son.
अश्वमेधसहस्राणि राजसूयशतानि च। भवेदनशने पुण्यं तीर्थकोटिगुणं तयोः
The merit gained by fasting at that time surpasses a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred royal consecrations, and is ten million times greater than bathing at sacred fords.
भागीरथ्या जले चैव यो मृतः पुरुषोत्तमः। पयोधररसं मातुर्न पिबेन्मुक्ततां व्रजेत्
A man who dies in the waters of the Bhāgīrathī and does not drink his mother's breast-milk attains liberation.
वाराणस्यां त्यजेद्यस्तु प्राणांश्चैव यदृच्छया। अभीष्टं च फलं भुक्त्वा मद्देहे प्रविलीयते
Whoever gives up his life at Vārāṇasī, whether by chance or intent, enjoys his desired reward and merges into my own being.
या गतिर्योगयुक्तानां मुनीनामूर्द्ध्वरेतसां। सा गतिस्त्यजतः प्राणान्ब्रह्मपुत्रेषु सप्तसु
The state attained by yogis and sages of controlled seed is the same state reached by those who die among the seven sons of Brahmā.
लोहितस्य विशेषेण तीरोत्तरसमाश्रितः। विधिना यस्त्यजेत्प्राणान्स च मत्समतां व्रजेत्
Especially in the northern part of the Lohita river, whoever gives up his life according to the rite attains equality with me.
तस्यैव चोर्वशीकेशे पुण्यतीर्थे द्विजोत्तम। मृतोत्पन्नः समाप्नोति सर्वं दोषैर्न लिप्यते
If one dies at the sacred ford of Urvaśīkeśa, O best of twice-born, he is reborn free from all faults and attains everything.
गृहस्याभ्यंतरे यस्य प्राणत्यागो भवेद्ध्रुवम्। यावद्ग्रंथिर्गृहे तिष्ठेत्तावद्बंधो भवे तनौ
If someone dies within his own house, bondage remains as long as the body is tied to the house.
हायनेहायने चापि एकैकं परिहीयते। पश्यतां पुत्रबंधूनां वंधने नास्ति निष्कृतिः
Year after year, one bond is shed, but as his sons and relatives look on, there is no release from bondage.
पर्वते कानने दुर्गे स्थाने वा जलवर्जिते। मृतो दुर्गतिमाप्नोति कीटादौ जायते पुनः २५० 1.50.
If one dies on a mountain, in a forest, in a difficult place, or where there is no water, he attains a bad state and is born again as a worm or the like.
संस्कारश्च भवेद्यस्य मृतस्य परवासरे। षष्टिर्वर्षसहस्राणि कुंभीपाके प्रतिष्ठति
If the funeral rites are performed for someone on the following day after death, he remains in Kumbhipaka hell for sixty thousand years.
अस्पृश्यस्पर्शनादेव उच्छिष्टः पतितो मृतः। सुचिरं नरके स्थित्वा म्लेच्छजातिषु जायते
One who dies polluted by contact with an untouchable, or in a state of impurity, after enduring a long time in hell, is born among the mleccha races.
तथैव बहुकीटेषु जायते सत्त्वजातिषु। तस्मान्न चिरकालेषु जानीयात्पुण्यपातकम्
Likewise, he is born among many kinds of insects and lower beings; therefore, one should quickly discern virtue and vice.
पुण्यात्पुण्यप्रयोगैश्च सर्वेषां मर्त्यवासिनाम्। मरणे या गतिः पुंसां गतिर्भवति तादृशी
By acts of merit and demerit, the destiny at death for all mortals is determined according to their deeds.
पुण्यतीर्थे मृतो यस्तु विष्णोर्नामानि चिंतयन्। पापात्पूतो व्रजेत्स्वर्गं सर्वदोषैर्न लिप्यते
He who dies at a holy place, meditating on the names of Vishnu, purified from sin, goes to heaven and is untouched by all faults.
पितुर्मृतस्य देहं तु वहेद्यस्तु सुतो बली। पदेपदेश्वमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम्
If a strong son carries the body of his deceased father, he certainly attains the fruit of performing the Ashvamedha sacrifice at every step.
प्राक्चितौ च पितुर्देहे मुखाग्निं कारयेत्सुतः। विधिना मंत्रपूतेन पश्चाद्देहं दहेत्पुनः
At the cremation ground, the son should place fire in the mouth of the father's body, using mantras as prescribed, and then burn the body completely.
लोभमोहसमायुक्तं पापपुण्यसमावृतम्। दहेयं सर्वगात्राणि दिव्यान्लोकान्स गच्छतु
The body, filled with greed and delusion, covered with both sin and merit, should be burned entirely, so that the soul may reach the divine worlds.
दग्ध्वा च लंघयेत्पुत्रोप्यस्थिसंचयनं प्रति। दशाहे समनुप्राप्ते चार्द्रवस्त्रं परित्यजेत्
After burning the body, the son should cross over to collect the bones, and when the tenth day arrives, he should abandon his wet garments.
छित्वा च लोहितं चेलं वह्नौ चाथ जले क्षिपेत्। ततश्चैकादशाहे च श्राद्धं कुर्याद्विचक्षणः
Having cut the blood-stained cloth, he should cast it into fire or water; then, on the eleventh day, the wise should perform the śrāddha ceremony.