CHAP. III. 'neither in this life nor in the next, and that bestow'ed on a Bráhmen, who has married a widow, resem'bles clarified butter poured on ashes as an oblation 'to fire. 182. That food, which is given to other base, 'inadmissible men, before mentioned, the wise have pronounced to be no more than animal oil, blood, 'flesh, skin, and bones. 6 6 183. Now learn comprehensively, by what Bráhmens a company may be purified, when it has been defiled by inadmissible persons ; Bráhmens, the chief of their class, the purifiers of every assembly. 184. Those priests must be considered as the puri'fiers of a company who are most learned in all the Védas and in all their Angas, together with their 'descendants who have read the whole scripture : 185. A priest learned in a principal part of the Yajurveda; one who keeps the five fires constantly burning; one skilled in a principal part of the Rigvéda; one who explains the six Védángas; the son ' of a Bráhmì, or woman married by the Brahma ceremony; and one who chants the principal Sáman ; 186. One who propounds the sense of the Védas, ' which he learnt from his preceptor, a student who has given a thousand cows for pious uses, and a Bráhmen a hundred years old, must all be considered as the purifiers of a party at a sráddha. " 187. On 6 187. On the day before the sacred obsequies, or on CHAP. the very day when they are prepared, let the per- III. former of them invite, with due honour, such Bráh mens as have been mentioned; usually one superiour, 'who has three inferiour to him. 188. The Bráhmen, who has been invited to a sráddha for departed ancestors, must be continually abstemious; he must not even read the Védas; and he, who performs the ceremony, must act in the same manner. 6 189. Departed ancestors, no doubt, are attendant on such invited Bráhmens; hovering around them like pure spirits, and sitting by them, when they are seated. 190. The priest, who having been duly invited to a sráddha, breaks the appointment, commits a grievous offence, and, in his next birth, becomes a hog. 191. He, who caresses a Súdrà woman, after he has 'been invited to sacred obsequies, takes on himself all the sin, that has been committed by the giver of the repast. 192. The Pitris or great progenitors, are free from 'wrath, intent on purity, ever exempt from sensual passions, endued with exalted qualities: they are pri'meval divinities, who have laid arms aside. 193. HEAR now completely, from whom they sprang ; 'who they are; by whom, and by what ceremonies they are to be honoured. 194. The sons of MARICHI and of all the other • Rishis N CHAP. III. 6 Rishis, who were the offspring of MENU, son of BRAHMA', are called the companies of Pitris, or forefathers. 195. The Sómasads, who sprang from VIRAJ, are declared to be the ancestors of the Sádhyas; and the Agnishwáttas, who are famed among created beings as the children of MARI'CHI, to be the progenitors of the Dévas. 196. Of the Daityas, the Dánavas, the Yacshas, 'the Gandharvas, the Uragas, or Serpents, the Racshases, the Garudas, and the Cinnaras, the ancestors are Barhishads descended from ATRI; 6 6 197. 198. The Sómapas descended from Me, BHRIGU; 'the Havishmats, from ANGIRAS; the Ajyapas, from 'PULASTYA; the Sucálins, from VASISHT’Ha. 199. Those who are, and those who are not, con sumable by fire, called Agnidagdhas, and Anag nidagdhas, the Cavyas, the Barhishads, the Agnishwáttas, and the Saumyas, let mankind consider as 'the chief progenitors of Bráhmens. 200. Of those just enumerated, who are generally reputed the principal tribes of Pitris, the sons and grandsons indefinitely, are also in this world considered as great progenitors. triarchs; from the Pitris, both Dévas and Dánavas; CHAP. 'from the Dévas, this whole world of animals and III. vegetables, in due order. 202. Mere water, offered with faith to the proge'nitors of men, in vessels of silver, or adorned with 'silver, proves the source of incorruption. 6 203. An oblation by Bráhmens to their ancestors 'transcends an oblation to the deities; because that to the deities is considered as the opening and com'pletion of that to ancestors. 204. As a preservative of the oblation to the patriarchs, let the house-keeper begin with an offering to the gods; for the Racshases rend in pieces an oblation which has no such preservative. 205. Let an offering to the gods be made at the beginning and end of the sráddha: it must not begin and end with an offering to ancestors; for he, who begins and ends it with an oblation to the Pitris, quickly perishes with his progeny. 206. LET the Bráhmen smear with cow-dung a purified and sequestered piece of ground; and let him, with great care, select a place with a declivity toward the south: 207. The divine manes are always pleased with an oblation in empty glades, naturally clean, on the banks of rivers, and in solitary spots. 208. Having duly made duly made an ablution with water, 'let him place the invited Bráhmens, who have also performed their ablutions, one by one, on allotted seats purified with cusa-grass. 209. When he has placed them with reverence on 'their seats, let him honour them, (having first honoured the Gods) with fragrant garlands and sweet ' odours. 210. Having brought water for them with cusa-grass and tila, let the Bráhmen, with the Bráhmens, pour 'the oblation, as the law directs, on the holy fire. 211. First, as it is ordained, having satisfied AGNI, SOMA, and YAMA, with clarified butter, let him proceed to satisfy the manes of his progenitors. 212. If he have no consecrated fire, as if he be yet unmarried, or his wife be just deceased, let him drop 'the oblation into the hand of a Bráhmen; since, what 'fire is, even such is a Bráhmen; as priests, who know 'the Véda declare: 213. Holy sages call the chief of the twice-born the gods of obsequies, free from wrath, with placid aspects, of a primeval race, employed in the advance" ment of human creatures. 214. Having walked in order from east to south, and thrown into the fire all the ingredients of his oblation, let him sprinkle water on the ground with his right hand. 6 215. From the remainder of the clarified butter having formed three balls of rice, let him offer them, • with |