Mahabharata · Chapter 13.188

janma mānuṣyakaṃ prāpya karmakṣetraṃ sudurlabham /
śreyorthinā daridreṇa kiṃ kartavyaṃ pitāmaha //

dānānāmuttamaṃ yacca deyaṃ yacca yathāyathā /
mānyānpūjyāṃśca gāṅgeya rahasyaṃ vaktumarhasi //
vaiśampāyana uvāca /

evaṃ pṛṣṭo narendreṇa pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā /
dharmāṇāṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ bhīṣmaḥ provāca pārthivam //
bhīṣma uvāca /

śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājandharmaguhyāni bhārata /
yathāhi bhagavānvyāsaḥ purā kathitavānmayi //

devaguhyamidaṃ rājanyamenākliṣṭakarmaṇā /
niyamasthena yuktena tapaso mahataḥ phalam //

yena yaḥ prīyate devaḥ prīyante pitarastathā /
ṛṣayaḥ pramathāḥ śrīśca citragupto diśāṃ gajāḥ //

ṛṣidharmaḥ smṛto yatra sarahasyo mahāphalaḥ /
mahādānaphalaṃ caiva sarvayajñaphalaṃ tathā //

yaścaitadevaṃ jānīyājjñātvā vā kurute'nagha /
sadoṣo'doṣavāṃśceha tairguṇaiḥ saha yujyate //

daśasūnāsamaṃ cakraṃ daśacakrasamo dhvajaḥ / daśadhvajasamā veśyā daśaveśyāsamo nṛpaḥ

arghenaitāni sarvāṇi nṛpatiḥ kathyate'dhikaḥ /
trivargasahitaṃ śāstraṃ pavitraṃ puṇyalakṣaṇam //

dharmivyākaraṇaṃ puṇyaṃ rahasyaśravaṇaṃ mahat /
śrotavyaṃ dharmasaṃyuktaṃ vihitaṃ tridaśaiḥ svayam //

pitṝṇāṃ yatra guhyāni procyante śrāddhakarmaṇi /
devatānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ rahasyaṃ kathyate'khilam //

ṛṣidharmaḥ smṛto yatra sarahasyo mahāphalaḥ /
mahāyajñaphalaṃ caiva sarvadānaphalaṃ tathā //

ye paṭhanti sadā martyā yeṣāṃ caivopatiṣṭhati /
śrutvā ca phalamācaṣṭe svayaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ //

gavāṃ phalaṃ tīrthaphalaṃ yajñānāṃ caiva yatphalam /
etatphalamavāpnoti yo naro'tithipūjakaḥ //

śrotāraḥ śraddhadhānāśca yeṣāṃ śuddhaṃ ca mānasam /
teṣāṃ vyaktaṃ jitā lokāḥ śraddadhānena sādhunā //

mucyate kilbiṣāccaiva na sa pāpena lipyate /
dharmaṃ ca labhate nityaṃ pretya lokagato naraḥ //

kasyacittvatha kālasya devadūto yadṛcchayā /
sthito hyantarhito bhūtvā paryabhāṣata vāsavam //

yo tau kāmaguṇopetāvaśvinau bhiṣajāṃ varau /
ājñayā'haṃ tayoḥ prāptaḥ sanarānpitṛdaivatān //

kasmāddhi maithunaṃ śrāddhe dāturbhoktuśca varjitam /
kemarthaṃ ca trayaḥ piṇḍāḥ pravibhaktāḥ pṛthakpṛthak //

prathamaḥ kasya dātavyo madhyamaḥ kva ca gacchati /
uttaraśca smṛtaḥ kasya etadicchāmi veditum //

śraddadhānena dūtena bhāṣitaṃ dharmasaṃhitam /
pūrvasthāstridaśāḥ sarve pitaraḥ pūjya khecaram //
pitara ūcuḥ /

svāgataṃ te'stu bhadraṃ te śrūyatāṃ khecarottama /
gūḍhārthaḥ paramaḥ praśno bhavatā samudīritaḥ //

śrāddhaṃ dattvā ca bhuktvā ca puruṣo yaḥ striyaṃ vrajet /
pitarastasya taṃ māsaṃ tasminretasi śerate //

pravibhāgaṃ tu piṇḍānāṃ pravakṣyāmyanupūrvaśaḥ /
piṇḍo hyadhastādgacchaṃstu apa āviśya bhāvayet //

piṇḍaṃ tu madhyamaṃ tatra patnītvekā samaśnute / piṇḍastṛtīyo yasteṣāṃ taṃ dadyājjātavedasi /
eṣa śrāddhavidhiḥ prokto yathā dharmo na lupyate //

pitarastasya tuṣyanti prahṛṣṭamanasaḥ sadā /
prajā vivardhate cāsya akṣayaṃ copatiṣṭhati //
devadūta uvāca /

ānupūrvyeṇa piṇḍānāṃ pravibhāgaḥ pṛthakpṛthak /
pitṝṇāṃ triṣu sarveṣāṃ niruktaṃ kathitaṃ tvayā //

ekaḥ samuddhṛtaḥ piṇḍo hyadhastātkasya gacchati /
kaṃ vā prīṇayate devaṃ kathaṃ tārayate pitṝn //

madhyamaṃ tu tadā patnī bhuṅkte'nujñātameva hi /
kimarthaṃ pitarastasya kavyameva ca bhuñjate //

atra yastvantimaḥ piṇḍo gacchate jātavedasam /
bhavate kā gatistasya kaṃ vā samanugacchati //

etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ piṇḍeṣu triṣu yā gatiḥ /
phalaṃ vṛttiṃ ca mārgaṃ ca yaścainaṃ pratipadyate //
pitara ūcuḥ /

sumahāneṣa praśno vai yastvayā samudīritaḥ /
rahasyamadbhutaṃ cāpi pṛṣṭāḥ sma gaganecara //

etadeva praśaṃsanti devāśca munayastathā / te'pyevaṃ nābhijānanti pitṛkāryaviniścayam /
varjayitvā mahātmānaṃ cirajīvinamuttamam //

pitṛbhaktastu yo vipro valabdho mahāyaśāḥ /
trayāṇāmapi piṇḍānāṃ śrutvā bhagavato gatim //

devadūtena yaḥ pṛṣṭaḥ śrāddhasya vidiniścayaḥ /
gatiṃ trayāṇāṃ piṇḍānāṃ śṛṇuṣvāvahito mama //

apo gacchati yo hyatra śaśinaṃ hyeṣa prīṇayet /
śaśī prīṇayate devānpitṝṃścaiva mahāmate //

bhuṅkte tu patnīṃ yaṃ caiṣāmanujñātā tu madhyamam /
putrakāmāya putraṃ tu prayacchanti pitāmahāḥ //

havyavāhe tu yaḥ piṇḍo dīyate tannibodha me / pitarastena tṛpyanti prītāḥ kāmāndiśanti ca /
etatte kathitaṃ sarvaṃ triṣu piṇḍeṣu yā gatiḥ //

ṛtvigyo yajamānasya pitṛtvamanugacchati /
tasminnahani manyante parihāryaṃ hi maithunam //

śucinā tu sadā śrāddhaṃ bhoktavyaṃ khecarottama /
ye mayā kathitā doṣāste tathā syurna cānyathā //

tasmātsnātaḥ śuciḥ kṣāntaḥ śrāddhaṃ bhuñjīta vai dvijaḥ /
prajā vivardate cāsya caścaivaṃ samprayacchati //

tato vidyutprabho nāma ṛṣirāha mahātapāḥ /
ādityatejasā tasya tulyaṃ rūpaṃ prakāśate //

sa ca dharmarahasyāni śrutvā śakramathābravīt //

tiryagyonigatānsatvānmartyā hiṃsanti mohitāḥ / kīṭānpipīlikānsarpānmeṣānsamṛgapakṣiṇaḥ /
kilbiṣaṃ subahu prāptāḥ kiṃsvideṣāṃ pratikriyā //

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve ṛṣayaśca tapodhanāḥ /
pitaraśca mahābhāgāḥ pūjayanti sma taṃ munim //
śakra uvāca /

kurukṣetraṃ gayāṃ gaṅgāṃ prabhāsaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca / etāni manasā dhyātvā avagāhettato jalam /
tathā mucyati pāpeni rāhuṇā candramā yathā //

tryahaṃ snātaḥ sa bhavati nirāhāraśca vartate /
spṛśate yo gavāṃ pṛṣṭhaṃ vāladhiṃ ca namasyati //

tato vidyutprabho vākyamabhyabhāṣata vāsavam /
ayaṃ sūkṣmataro dharmastaṃ nibodha śatakrato //

ghṛṣṭo vaṭakaṣāyeṇi anuliptaḥ priyaṅguṇā /
kṣīreṇa ṣaṣṭikānbhuktvā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate //

śrūyatāṃ cāparaṃ guhyaṃ rahasyamṛṣicintitam / śrutaṃ me bhāṣamāṇasya sthāṇoḥ sthāne bṛhaspateḥ /
rudreṇa saha deveśa tannibodha śacīpate //

parvatārohaṇaṃ kṛtvā ekapādo vibhāvasum / nirīkṣeta nirāhāra ūrdhvabāhuḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ /
tapasā mahatā yukta upavāsaphalaṃ labhet //

raśmibhistāpito'rkasya sarvapāpamapohati /
grīṣmakāle'thavā śīte evaṃ pāpamapohati //

tataḥ pāpātpramuktasya dyutirbhavati śāśvatī /
tejasā sūryavaddīpto bhrājate somavatpanaḥ //

madhye tridaśavargasya devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ /
uvāca madhuraṃ vākyaṃ bṛhaspatimanuttamam //

dharmaguhyaṃ tu bhagavanmānuṣāṇāṃ sukhāvaham /
sarahasyāśca ye doṣāstānyathāvadudīratha //
bṛhaspatiruvāca /

pratimehanti ye sūryamanilaṃ dviṣate ca ye /
havyavāhe pradīpte ca samidhaṃ ye na juhvati //

bālavatsāṃ ca ye dhenuṃ duhanti kṣīrakāraṇāt /
teṣāṃ doṣānpravakṣyāmi tānnibodha śacīpate //

bhānumānanilaścaiva havyavāhaśca vāsava /
lokānāṃ mātaraścaiva gāvaḥ sṛṣṭāḥ svayambhuvā //

lokāṃstārayituṃ śaktā martyeṣveteṣu devatāḥ /
sarve bhavantaḥ śṛṇivantu ekaikaṃ dharmaniścayam //

varṣāṇi ṣaḍaśītiṃ tu durvṛttāḥ kulapāṃsanāḥ /
striyaḥ sarvāśca durvṛttāḥ pratimehanti yā ravim //

aniladveṣiṇaḥ śakra garbhasthā cyavate prajā / havyavāhasya dīptasya samidhaṃ ye na juhvati /
agnikāryeṣu vai teṣāṃ havyaṃ nāśnāti pāvakaḥ //

kṣīraṃ tu bālavatsānāṃ ye pibantīha mānavāḥ /
na teṣāṃ kṣīrapāḥ kecijjāyante kulavardhanāḥ //

prajākṣayeṇa yujyante kulavaṃśakṣayeṇa ca /
evametatpurā dṛṣṭaṃ kulavṛddhairdvijātibhiḥ //

tasmādvarjyāni varjyāni kāryaṃ kāryaṃ ca nityaśaḥ /
bhūtikāmeni martyena satyametadbravīmi te //

tataḥ sarvā mahābhāga devatāḥ samarudgaṇāḥ /
ṛṣayaśca mahābhāgāḥ pṛcchanti sma pitṝṃstataḥ //

pitaraḥ kena tuṣyanti martyānāmalpacetasām /
akṣayaṃ ca kathaṃ dānaṃ bhaveccaivaurdhvadehikam //

ānṛṇyaṃ vā kathaṃ martyā gaccheyuḥ kena karmaṇā /
etadicchāmahe śrotuṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ //
pitara ūcuḥ /

nyāyato vai mahābhāgāḥ saṃśayaḥ samudāhṛtaḥ /
śrūyatāṃ yena tuṣyāmo martyānāṃ sādhukarmaṇām //

nīlaṣaṇḍapramokṣeṇa aṇāvāsyāṃ tilodakaiḥ /
varṣāsu dīpakaiścaiva pitṝṇāmanṛṇo bhavet //

akṣayaṃ nirvyalīkaṃ ca dānametanmahāphalam /
asmākaṃ paritoṣaśca akṣayaḥ parikīrtyate //

śraddhadhānāśca ye martyā āhariṣyanti santatim /
durgātte tārayiṣyanti narakātprapitāmahān //

pitṝṇāṃ bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā hṛṣṭaromā tapodhanaḥ /
vṛddhagārgyo mahātejāstānevaṃ vākyamabravīt //

ke guṇā nīlaṣaṇḍasya pramuktasya tapodhanāḥ /
varṣāsu dīpadānena tathaiva ca tilodakaiḥ //
pitara ūcuḥ /

nīlaṣaṇḍasya lāṅgūlaṃ toyamabhyuddaredyadi /
ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣasahasrāṇi pitarastena tarpitāḥ //

yastu śṛṅgagataṃ paṅktaṃ kūlāduddhṛtya tiṣṭhati /
pitarastena gacchanti somalokamasaṃśayam //

varṣāsu dīpadānena śaśīvacchobhate naraḥ /
tamorūpaṃ na tasyāsti dīpakaṃ yaḥ prayacchati //

amāvāsyāṃ tu ye martyāḥ prayacchanti tilodakam / pātramaudumbaraṃ gṛhya madhumiśraṃ tapodhana /
kṛtaṃ bhavati taiḥ śrāddhaṃ sarahasyaṃ yathārthavat //

hṛṣṭapuṣṭamanāsteṣāṃ prajā bhavati nityadā / kulavaṃśasya vṛddhistu piṇḍadasya phalaṃ bhavet /
śraddadhānastu yaḥ kuryātpitṝṇāmanṛṇo bhavet //

evameva samuddiṣṭaḥ śrāddhakālakramastathā / vidhiḥ pātraṃ phalaṃ caiva yathāvadanukīrtitam // ] //