When a person performs the śrāddha ceremony on the sixth day, the twice-born—those learned in sacred knowledge—honor him. If he observes śrāddha on the seventh day, and does so consistently, he attains the merit of a great sacrifice and becomes lord over groups of beings. Should he perform this rite on the eighth day, he gains complete prosperity. On the ninth day, śrāddha brings wealth and the fulfillment of the desire for a good wife. If performed on the tenth day, a man attains the prosperity associated with Brāhmī, the creative power, and gains all the Vedas, along with the destruction of his sins. On the eleventh day, supreme gifts and unbroken sovereignty are bestowed. The twelfth day brings victory, a kingdom, and wealth to the one who performs śrāddha. On the thirteenth day, the fruits multiply: offspring, intelligence, cattle, wisdom, independence, supreme nourishment, long life, and prosperity. For those whose households have suffered the loss of young men, offerings should be made for them; and for those who have died by weapons, offerings are to be made on the fourteenth day. In the same way, for those born in adverse circumstances and for twins, śrāddha should always be performed with purity and care on the new moon day. One who, on the new moon, offers the great and nourishing Soma with truthfulness attains all desires and enjoys boundless heaven. Soma, thus nourished by these offerings, sustains the three worlds and is continually praised by Siddhas, Cāraṇas, and Gandharvas. These divine beings extol him with hymns, delightful flowers, all desired offerings, and the dances, music, and songs of thousands of Apsarases. There are games, aerial chariots, and steadfast devotion to the ancestors, and the gods, Gandharvas, and groups of Siddhas always praise such a devotee. One who is devoted to the ancestors and performs the rites on the new moon attains all desires; through him, the ancestors are always worshipped directly. Because the ancestors are the deities of the Maghā constellation, that day is considered imperishable, and the wise especially perform ancestral rites then. Thus, the ancestors always desire Maghā, and those devoted to their deities attain the highest state. Then Bṛhaspati spoke: “Hear from me in detail of the śrāddhas which Yama himself taught to Śiva (Śaśabindu), each according to the lunar mansion. A man who always performs śrāddha during Kṛttikā, having established the sacred fire, is blessed with sons and freedom from illness. One desiring offspring, performing śrāddha under Rohiṇī with the gentle moon, becomes vigorous; but generally, śrāddha under Ārdrā is for those of harsh deeds. By performing śrāddha under Punarvasu, one obtains land and daughters, wealth and grain, and is surrounded by sons and grandsons. Desiring satisfaction, a man should perform śrāddha under Puṣya; by worshipping the ancestors under Āśleṣā, he obtains heroic sons. He who performs śrāddha under Maghā becomes foremost among his kin; worshipping the ancestors under Phalgunī brings good fortune. He who performs it under the Uttaras, with proper conduct and sons, becomes eminent among the virtuous; he who satisfies the ancestors under Hasta becomes chief. Under Citrā, he sees handsome sons; under Svāti, he attains the company of the learned. A man desiring sons should perform śrāddha under Viśākhā; performing it under Anurādhā sets the wheel of prosperity in motion. He who always performs śrāddha under Jyeṣṭhā attains lordship and excellence; under Mūla, health is desired; under Āṣāḍhā, great fame is gained. By performing the rite during the Uttarāṣāḍhā and Śravaṇā constellations, a man becomes free from sorrow; in Śravaṇā, he attains the highest state among the virtuous. In Dhaniṣṭhā, one obtains abundant wealth and a share in sovereignty; by performing śrāddha in Abhijit, one gains the fruit of the Ajāvika path. Under the Vāruṇī constellation, mastery in medicine is attained; in Pūrvā Proṣṭhapadā, again, the fruit of the Ajāvika path is gained. By performing the rite in the Uttarā constellations, one obtains thousands of cows; in Revatī, wealth of many forms; in Aśvinī, horses; and in Bharaṇī, supreme longevity. By performing this śrāddha rite, Śaśabindu gained the entire earth, and having obtained it all, he praised this rite. Thus ends the twentieth chapter, named ‘Description of the Fruits of Śrāddha According to the Constellations,’ in the Vāyu Purāṇa as spoken by Vāyu. Then Śaṃyu asked, “Even a little that is given to the ancestors brings benefit, O best of speakers; what leads to long-lasting or eternal results?” Bṛhaspati replied, “Hear from me all the offerings known to the learned as proper at the time of śrāddha, and their respective fruits. By offering sesame, rice, barley, black gram, water, roots, and fruits, the grandfathers are pleased for a month through the śrāddha. With fish, they are pleased for two months; with deer meat, for three months; with hare, for four months; with bird, for five months. With boar, for six months; with goat, for seven months; with partridge, it is said, for eight months. With ruru deer, the grandfathers are pleased for nine months; with wild ox meat, satisfaction lasts for ten months. With tortoise meat, for eleven months; but with cow’s meat at śrāddha, satisfaction lasts for a year. Likewise, rice cooked with cow’s milk, honey, and ghee, and with vadhrīṇasa’s meat, brings satisfaction for twelve years. For endless satisfaction, offerings of swordfish meat at the waning of the ancestors, as well as black goat and monitor lizard, are suitable for eternity. On this subject, the knowers of old recite the songs of the ancestors; I shall now declare them to you in full—listen attentively.