"Are there none in your family, treading the good path, who, having gone to Gaya, will offer us rice-balls, with devotion?"

116-119. The son who thus performs the rites for the other world, O Tarkshya, is happy and becomes liberated, like the son of Kaus'ika.

The seven sons of Bharadwaja, having experienced a series of births, were liberated by the favour of the forefathers, O Tarkshya, although they killed a cow.

The seven hunters in the country of Das'arnas; the deer on the mountain of Kalinjira; the Chakravaka birds in S'aradvipa: and the swans in the Manasa lake

Were born as Brahmins learned in the Vedas, on the field of the Kurus, and all these sons of the twice-born attained liberation through devotion to the forefathers.

120. Therefore a man should make every effort in devotion to the forefathers, for by devotion to the forefathers he becomes happy either in this or the other world.

121. Thus I have told you, O Tarksya, all the ceremonies, concerning the deceased, giving merit to and satisfying the desires of the son, and giving liberation to the forefathers.

122. Any man who is poor, but hears this account, even he, absolved from sins, obtains the fruit of gifts.

123-126. He who performs, according to the rite, the S'raddha offerings described by me, and also hears the Garuda Purana,--listen to the fruit for him:--

The father gives good sons; the grandfather, wealth of cows and his becomes the giver of riches.

The great-great-grandfather gives foods in abundance: all these, gratified by the S'raddha, granting the son's desires,

Go on the way of righteousness to the mansion of the King of Justice, and there they remain, highly respected, in the assembly of Righteousness.

127. Suta said: Having heard the result of the after-death gifts and their mighty greatness, thus declared by the Blessed Visnu, Garuda went into raptures.

Footnotes

^114:1 The grandfather, his father and grandfather are considered as corresponding to Vasu, Rudra and Aditya. Rudra is S'iva.

^115:1 Cousins up to the seventh, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.

^115:2 Cousins up to the fourteenth, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.

^115:3 Cousins up to the forty-second, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.

^118:1 Consisting of rice, darbha grass, and flowers, with water.

^118:2 See "Daily Practice of the Hindus" for an account of achamana.

^120:120-48 .

^120:1 A benediction which the recipient makes when he has had enough.

^120:2 The consort of S'iva.

^120:3 Ganes'a.

^121:1 A high class of superhuman beings.

^125:1 If other ceremonies have been badly done they may not be re-performed; but this may.