Thereupon the dwellers of heaven returned and said to the sons:—"Our doubts have been snapped by Brahmā and so we shall be loving towards each other (33). Since ye, being conversant with religious merit, have conferred upon us knowledge, you are our fathers. Tell us what do you seek and what boons may we confer upon you (34). What you have said will forsooth prove true and not be otherwise. Since you have addressed us as sons undoubtedly you will be our fathers (35). The Rakshasas, Dānavas and Nāgas will be entitled to the fruits of an action which a man will perform without propitiating the Pitris with the performance of Srāddhas[32] (36). Being propitiated by Srāddhas the Pitris will propitiate the eternal. Moon. And being propitiated by you, they will continue flourishing every day (37). Being propitiated by Srāddha the Moon will afford delight to all the worlds consisting of oceans, mountains, forests and all creatures both mobile and immobile (38). The Pitris will always confer nourishment and progeny upon those men, who desirous of nourishment, will perform Srāddhas (39). Being propitiated with oblations afforded at Srāddhas, the Pitris with the Omnipresent Grand-Father will advance the prosperity of those who will offer three Pindas uttering their names and Gotras at the time of Srāddha (40). This order was formerly announced by Parameshthi Brahmā. Let his words prove true to-day, O gods, and we are now respectively fathers and sons".

Sanatkumar said:—Those Pitris are the gods and the gods are the gods, and they are respectively each other's fathers (42).

[28]A sage whose passions are completely under subjection.
[29]For the negligence of not worshipping the true object of adoration.
[30]The doubt, referred to, is why they were addressed by their sons, as sons.
[31]Brahmavadins means conversant with the knowledge of Brāhmana. The sentence is elliptical, the full import is: ye are all conversant with the knowledge of Brāhmana but not gifted with Yoga powers.
[32]It is for this reason the usual practice amongst the Hindus is that they perform the Srāddha of their ancestral manes before the commencement of any ceremony.

CHAPTER XVIII. AN ACCOUNT OF PITRIS.

Markandeya said:—Hear from me everything from the very beginning, O son of Ganga, of my doubts which I again referred to that reverend eternal deity Sanatkumar the foremost of immortals after having been addressed by that effulgent god of gods (1-2). What is the number of those ancestral manes and in what region are they stationed? And where do live the leading gods who derive nourishment from Soma (juice)? (3)

Sanatkumar said:—O foremost of those who perform sacrifices, it is laid down in Scriptures, that there are seven ancestral manes who all live in heaven. Of them four are with forms and three without them (4). O you having asceticism for your wealth, hear, I will describe at length their region, creation, prowess and greatness (5). Of them the most excellent three assumed the form of Dharma (virtue). Hear, I shall describe their names and regions (6). The regions, where the effulgent and formless ancestral manes, the sons of Prajāpati live, are (designated as) eternal (7). O foremost of the twice-born, the region of Virāja is known by the name of Vairāja. The celestials adore them with ceremonies laid down in Scriptures (8). These Brahmavādins, when they deviate from the paths of Yoga come down to Sanatana (eternal) regions and after the expiration of a thousand yugas they take their birth (9). Then obtaining again the recollection of the most excellent Sānkhya Yoga and securing the consummate development of their powers they again attain to that Yoga state which it is so hard to acquire (10). O my child, they are the Pitris who enhance the ascetic powers of the Yogins and they, by their Yoga, propitiated Soma in the days of yore (11). Therefore Srāddhas should be performed particularly for the Yogins. This is the first creation of the high-souled drinkers of Soma (12). Their mind-begotten daughter Mena was the first wife of the mountain chief Himalaya. Her son was called Maināka (13). His son was the effulgent great mountain Krauncha. This best of mountains was white and abounded in various sorts of jewels (14). The mountain-king begat on Mena three daughters, namely, Aparna, Ekaparnā—and the third was Ekapatāla (15). Having carried on hard austerities, which even the Gods and Dānavas cannot practise with difficulty, those three daughters disturbed all the worlds consisting of mobile and immobile creatures (16). Ekaparnā used to live upon one leaf only and Ekapātala used to live upon one Patala flower only (17). And when Aparnā divorced from food began to carry on hard austerities, her mother, stricken with sorrow, consequent upon her motherly affection, prevented her, saying "U. Ma." (18). Thus addressed by her mother, that fair goddess, carrying on hard penances, became celebrated in the three worlds by the name of Uma (19). She also became celebrated by the name of Yogadharmin.[33] O Bhargava, this world consisting of three maidens shall (for ever) exist (20). All the three were endued with yoga energy and bodies[34] perfected by hard austerities. They were all conversant with the knowledge of Brahman and had controlled their carnal desires (21). The beautiful Umā was the eldest and foremost of them. Gifted with great yoga powers she approached the Great Deity Siva (22). Ekaparnā was given away as a wife unto the high-souled, intelligent and the great Yogin and preceptor, the black Devala (23). Know Ekapātala as the wife of Jaigishavya. Those two noble maidens approached those two preceptors of yoga (24). The celestials offer watery oblations for all those regions of Somayagins[35] that are called Somapadā and where dwell the sons and ancestral manes of the Patriarch Marichi (25). They all pass by the name of Agnisvatta and are gifted with immeasurable energy. They have a mind-born daughter by name Achhodā who travels underneath[36] (26). From that (river) has sprung a lake by the name of Achhoda. She had never seen her ancestral manes before (27). That one of beautiful smiles (thou) saw her bodiless ancestral manes. She was begotten of their mind and did not know her. For this misfortune that beautiful damsel was greatly ashamed. Beholding the ancestral mane Vasu, the illustrious son of Ayu by the name of Amāvasu, who was passing through the etherial region in a car along with the Apsarā Adrikā, she thought of him[37] (first) (28–30). On account of her this frailty, that she thought of another and not her own father, that one capable of assuming forms of her will lost her Yoga power and fell down (31). When she fell down from the celestial region she behold three cars of the size of Esarenu and espied in them her ancestral manes (32). They looked exceedingly subtle, indistinct and like fire offered into clarified butter. While she was in distress and falling down with her head downwards she exclaimed "Save me" (33). The ancestral manes stationed on the cars said to their girl who was in the etherial region "do not fear." Then with purely words she began to propitiate the ancestral manes (34). The ancestral manes then said to that girl who was divested of all her merits on account of this transgression:—"O thou of pure smiles, for thy own folly, thou hast been divested of all thy merits (35). The celestials attain, in heaven, to the fruits of their actions which they perform with their bodies in this world (36). (Sometimes)[38] the celestials, by their (mere) determination attain to the fruits of their actions but mankind reap them only when they repair to the next world. Therefore, O daughter, by practising hard austerities in this world thou shalt reap the fruits thereof in the next (37)."