Mantra

My father is my highest Dharma. My father is my highest Tapas. My father is my Heaven. On my father being satisfied, the whole Universe is satisfied (55).

Taking up some flowers from the remnants, the Pitris should be asked for their blessings, with the following (56)

Mantra

Give me your blessings, O Merciful Pitris. May my knowledge, progeny, and kinsmen always increase. May my benefactors prosper. May I have food in profusion. May many always beg of me, and may I not have to beg of any (57-58).

Then he should remove the Devas and Brahmanas made of kusha grass, as also the Pindas, commencing with the Devas. The wise one should then make presents to all three (59).

He should then make japa of the Gayatri ten times, and the Mantra, "I salute the Divinities," five times, and, after looking at the fire and the Sun, should, with folded palms, ask the Vipra the following question (60):

"Is the Shraddha complete?" and the Brahmana should make reply:

"It has been completed according to the injunctions" (61).

Then, for the removal of the effects of any error or omission, the Pranava should be inwardly recited ten times, and the ceremony should be brought to a close, uttering the following

Mantra

"May the Shraddha rite be faultless"; and then the food and drink in the vessels should be offered to the officiating Brahmana (62).

In the absence of a Vipra, it should be given to cows and goats, or should be thrown into water. This is called "Vriddhi Shraddha," enjoined for all obligatory sacramental rites (63). Shraddha performed on the occasion of any Parvvan is called "Parvvana Shraddha" (64).

In ceremonies relating to the consecration of emblems or images of Devas, or while starting for or returning from pilgrimage, the Shraddha should be according to the injunctions laid down for Parvvana Shraddha (65). On the occasion of Parvvana Shraddha the Pitris should not be addressed with the prefix "Nandimukha," and for the words "Salutation to Pushti" should be substituted the words "Salutation to Svadha" (66).

O Beautiful One! if any of the three Ancestors be alive, then the wise one should make the offerings to another Ancestor of higher degree (67). If the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather be alive, then, O Queen of the Devas! no Shraddha need be performed. If they are pleased, then the object of the funeral rite and sacrifice is attained (68).

If his father be living, then a man may perform his mother's Shraddha, his wife's Shraddha, and Nandi-mukha Shraddha; but he is not entitled to perform the Shraddha of anyone else (69).O Queen of the Kula! at the time of Ekoddishta Shraddha the Vishva-Devas are not to be worshipped. The word of entreaty should be addressed to one Ancestor only (70).

At the time of Ekoddishta Shraddha cooked rice and Pinda should be given whilst facing south. The rest of the ceremony is the same as that which has been already described, with the exception that sesamum should be substituted for barley (71).

The peculiarity in Preta Shraddha is that the worship of Ganga and others is omitted, and in the framing of the Mantra the deceased should be spoken of as Preta whilst rice and Pindas are offered to him (72).

The Shraddha performed for one man is called "Ekoddishta." In offering Pinda to the Preta, fish and meat should be added (73). O Mistress of the Kula! know this, that the Shraddha which is performed on the day following the end of the period of uncleanliness is Preta Shraddha (74). If there is a miscarriage, or if the child dies immediately on birth, or if a child is born or dies, then the period of uncleanliness is to be reckoned according to the custom of the family (75).

The period of uncleanliness in the case of the twice-born is ten days (for Brahmanas), twelve (for Kshatriyas), and a fortnight (for Vaishyas); for Shudras and Samanyas the period is one month (thirty days) (76).

On the death of an Agnate who is not a Sapinda, the period of uncleanliness is three days, and on the death of a Sapinda, should information of it arrive after the period prescribed, one becomes unclean for three days (77).

The unclean man, O Primordial One! is not entitled to perform any rite relating to the Devas and the Pitris, excepting Kula worship and that which has been already commenced (78).

Persons over five years of age should be burnt in the burning-ground, but, O Kuleshani! a wife should not be burnt with her dead husband (79). Every woman is Thy image.Thou residest concealed in the forms of all women in this world. That woman who in her delusion ascends the funeral pyre of her lord shall go to hell (80).

Kalika! the corpses of worshippers of Brahman should be either buried, thrown into running water, or burnt, according as they may direct (81).

Ambika! death in a holy place or a place of pilgrimage, or near the Devi, or near the Kaulikas, is a happy one (82).

He who at the time of his death meditates on the one Truth, forgetful of the three worlds, attains to his own Essential Being (83).

After death the corpse should be taken to the burning-ground, and when it has been washed it should be smeared with ghee and placed on the pyre, with the face to the north (84).

The deceased should be addressed by his name, and Gotra and as Preta. Giving the Pinda to the mouth of the corpse, the pyre should be lighted by applying the torch to the mouth of the corpse, inwardly the while reciting the Vahni Vija (85).

Beloved! the Pinda should be made of boiled or unboiled rice, or crushed barley, or wheat, and should be of the size of an emblic myrobalam (86). To the eldest son of the Preta is given the privilege of performing the Shraddha; in his absence to the other sons, according to the order of their seniority (87).

The day after the day upon which the period of uncleanliness expires, the mourner should bathe and purify himself, and give away gold and sesamum for the liberation of the Preta (88).

The son of the Preta should give away cattle, lands, clothes, carriages, vessels made of metals, and various kinds of edibles, in order that the Preta may attain Heaven (89).

He should also give away scents, garlands, fruits, water, a beautiful bed, and everything which the Preta himself liked to insure his passage to Heaven (90).

Then a bull should be branded with the mark of a trident, and decorated with gold and ornaments, and then let loose, with the object that the deceased may attain Heaven (91).

He should then with a devout spirit perform the Shraddha, according to the injunctions laid down for the performance of Preta Shraddha, and then feed Brahmanas and Kaulas possessed of Divine knowledge, and the hungry (92).

The man who is unable to make gifts should perform the Shraddha to the best of his ability, and feed the hungry, and thus liberate his father from the state of existence of a Preta (93).

This Preta Shraddha is known as Adya or Ekod-dishta Shraddha, and it liberates the deceased from the state of Preta. After this every year on the tithi of his death edibles should be given to the deceased (94).

There is no necessity for a multitude of injunctions nor for a multitude of rituals. Man may attain all siddhi by honouring a Kaulika. The object of all Sangskaras is completely attained if, in lieu of the prescribed Homa, Japa, and Shraddha, even a single Kaulika is duly honoured (96), at the time of the ceremony.

The injunction of Shiva is that all auspicious ceremonies should be performed between the period beginning with the fourth day of the light half of the lunar half-month, and ending on the fifth of the dark half-month (97).

He, however, who is desirous of performing any rite which must be performed may perform it even on an inauspicious day, provided he be so directed by his Guru, by a Ritvij, or a Kaulika (98).

A Kaulika should commence the building of a house, should first enter a house, start on a journey, wear new jewels, and the like,only after worshipping the Primordial One with the five Elements (99).

Or the excellent worshipper may shorten the rite. He may thus, after meditating on the Devi, and inwardly reciting the Mantra and bowing to the Devi, go wherever he may desire (100).

In the worship of all Devatas, such as the Autumnal Festival and others, dhyana and puja should be performed according to the ordinances laid down in the Shastras relating to such worship (101).

According to the ordinances relating to the worship of the Primordial Kali, animal sacrifice and Homa should be performed, and the rite should be brought to an end by the honouring of Kaulikas and making of offerings (102).

The general rule is that Ganga, Vishnu, Shiva, Suryya, and Brahma should first be worshipped, and then the Deva the special object of worship (103).

The Kaulika is the most excellent Dharma, the Kaulika is the most excellent Deva, the Kaulika is the most excellent pilgrimage, therefore should the Kaula be always worshipped (104).

The three and a half kotis of Places of Pilgrimage, all the Devas beginning with Brahma Himself, reside in the body of the Kaula. What, therefore, is there which is not attained by worshipping him? The land in which the good and fully initiated Kaula resides is blessed and deserving of honour. It is most holy, and is coveted even by the Devas (105-106). Who can in this world understand the majesty of the fully initiated Sadhaka, who is Shiva Himself, and to whom there is nothing either holy or sinful? (107).

Such a Kaula, possessing merely the form of man, moves about this earth for the salvation of the entire world and the instruction of men in the conduct of life (108).

Shri Devi said:

Thou hast, O Lord! spoken of the greatness of the Soul of the fully initiated Kaula. Do Thou in Thy mercy speak to Me of the ordinances relating to such initiation (109).