Chapter 21

Vishnu Smriti 21

Then, after the āśauca has passed, having bathed well, with hands and feet well washed, and having rinsed his mouth, he shall feed Brāhmaṇas of this same kind, as many as he can, seated facing north, and honored with perfumes, garlands, clothes, ornaments, and the like. // Vi_21.1 //

In an ekoddiṣṭa (a rite for a single deceased person), he shall adapt the mantras to refer to one person. // Vi_21.2 //

Near the leftovers, he shall offer one funeral cake (piṇḍa) with the name and lineage of that person. // Vi_21.3 //

After the Brāhmaṇas have eaten and been honored with a gift, and after the water with the akṣayya formula has been given with the name and lineage of the deceased, he shall make three karṣūs (ritual trenches), four finger-breadths wide, with the same distance between them, dug to the same depth, and one hand-span long. // Vi_21.4 //

Near the karṣūs, he shall establish three fires, spread sacred grass around them, and offer three oblations in each one. // Vi_21.5 //

To Soma, accompanied by the ancestors, svadhā, salutation! // Vi_21.6 //

To Agni, the conveyor of offerings to the ancestors, svadhā, salutation! // Vi_21.7 //

To Yama, accompanied by the Aṅgirasas, svadhā, salutation! // Vi_21.8 //

And in the three places, he shall offer the funeral cakes as before. // Vi_21.9 //

Having filled the three karṣūs with food, curd, clarified butter, honey, and meat, he shall murmur, "This is for you." // Vi_21.10 //

Thus he shall do every month on the day of death. // Vi_21.11 //

At the end of the year, he shall feed Brāhmaṇas for the deceased, his father, his paternal grandfather, and his paternal great-grandfather, with the rites for the gods performed first. // Vi_21.12 //

Here, he shall perform the offering into the fire, the invocation, and the offering of water for the feet. // Vi_21.13 //

And with the mantra, "May the earth unite you, and may she be of one mind," he shall pour the water from the deceased's foot-water vessel into the three foot-water vessels of the ancestors. // Vi_21.14 //

Near the leftovers, he shall make four funeral cakes. // Vi_21.15 //

And having accompanied the Brāhmaṇas, who have rinsed their mouths and received their gifts, he shall dismiss them. // Vi_21.16 //

Then he shall place the deceased's funeral cake into the three other funeral cakes, just as he did with the water from the foot-water vessel. // Vi_21.17 //

Near the three karṣūs, he shall do the same. // Vi_21.18 //

The sapiṇḍīkaraṇa may be performed on the thirteenth day, after having performed the twelve monthly śrāddhas in the form of a twelve-day rite. // Vi_21.19 //

For Śūdras, it is on the twelfth day, but without mantras. // Vi_21.20 //

If there is an intercalary month within the year, he shall add one day for the monthly rites. // Vi_21.21 //

The sapiṇḍīkaraṇa of women should be performed in the same way; And one should perform the śrāddha (ancestral rite) every year for as long as one lives. || Vi_21.22 ||

For him whose sapiṇḍīkaraṇa has been performed before the year is out, A twice-born man shall still give food and a pitcher of water for a year. || Vi_21.23 ||