Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 89

MBh 9 89.1

भीष्म उवाच यमस्तु यानि श्राद्धानि प्रोवाच शशविन्दवे। तानि मे शृणु काम्यानि नक्षत्रेषु पृथक् पृथक्॥

bhīṣma uvāca yamastu yāni śrāddhāni provāca śaśavindave| tāni me śṛṇu kāmyāni nakṣatreṣu pṛthak pṛthak||

Bhishma said Hear me, O Yudhishthira, as I tell you what those optional Shraddhas are that should be performed under the different constellations and that were first spoken of by Yama of king Shashabindu.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.2

श्राद्धं यः कृत्तिकायोगे कुर्वीत सततं नरः। अग्नीनाधाय सापत्यो यजेत विगतज्वरः॥

śrāddhaṃ yaḥ kṛttikāyoge kurvīta satataṃ naraḥ| agnīnādhāya sāpatyo yajeta vigatajvaraḥ||

That man who always perforins the Shraddha under the constellation Krittika, is considered as performing a sacrifice after establishing the sacred fire. Such a person, freed from fever, goes to Heaven with his children.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.3

अपत्यकामो रोहिण्यां तेजस्कामो मृगोत्तमे। क्रूरकर्मा ददच्छ्राद्धमार्द्रायां मानवो भवेत्॥

apatyakāmo rohiṇyāṃ tejaskāmo mṛgottame| krūrakarmā dadacchrāddhamārdrāyāṃ mānavo bhavet||

He who is desirous of children should perform the Shraddha under the constellation Rohini, while he who is desirous of power should do it under the constellation Mrigashiras. By performing the Shraddha under the constellation Ardra, a man becomes the doer of terrific deeds.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.4

धनकामो भवेन्मर्त्यः कुर्वञ्छ्राद्धं पुनर्वसौ। पुष्टिकामोऽथ पुष्येण श्राद्धमीहेत मानवः॥

dhanakāmo bhavenmartyaḥ kurvañchrāddhaṃ punarvasau| puṣṭikāmo'tha puṣyeṇa śrāddhamīheta mānavaḥ||

A man, by performing the Shraddha under Punarvasu, makes much gain by agriculture. The man who is desirous of growth and advancement should perform the Shraddha under Pushya.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.5

आश्लेषायां ददच्छ्राद्धं धीरान् पुत्रान् प्रजायते। ज्ञातीनां तु भवेच्छ्रेष्ठो मघासु श्राद्धमावपन्॥

āśleṣāyāṃ dadacchrāddhaṃ dhīrān putrān prajāyate| jñātīnāṃ tu bhavecchreṣṭho maghāsu śrāddhamāvapan||

By doing it under the constellation Ashlesha one begets heroic children. By doing it under the Maghas onc gains superiority over kinsmen.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.6

फल्गुनीषु ददच्छ्राद्धं सुभगः श्राद्धदो भवेत्। अपत्यभागुत्तरासु हस्तेन फलभाग् भवेत्॥

phalgunīṣu dadacchrāddhaṃ subhagaḥ śrāddhado bhavet| apatyabhāguttarāsu hastena phalabhāg bhavet||

By doing it under the (prior) Phalgunis, one gains good fortune. By doing the Shraddha under the later Phalgunas one gets many children; while by performing it under Hasta, one gets the fruition of his wishes.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.7

चित्रायां तु ददच्छ्राद्धं लभेद् रूपवतः सुतान्। स्वातियोगे पितॄनर्च्य वाणिज्यमुपजीवति॥

citrāyāṃ tu dadacchrāddhaṃ labhed rūpavataḥ sutān| svātiyoge pitṝnarcya vāṇijyamupajīvati||

By performing it under the constellation Chitra one gets beautiful children. By doing it under the constellation Svati, one makes much profit by trade.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.8

बहुपुत्रो विशाखासु पुत्रमीहन् भवेन्नरः। अनुराधासु कुर्वाणो राजचक्र प्रवर्तयेत्॥

bahuputro viśākhāsu putramīhan bhavennaraḥ| anurādhāsu kurvāṇo rājacakra pravartayet||

The man who desires children, acquires the fruition of his desire by performing the Shraddha under the constellation Vishakha. By doing it under Anuradha, one becomes an Emperor.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.9

आधिपत्यं व्रजेन्मयो ज्येष्ठायामपवर्जयन्। नरः कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ ऋद्धो दमपुरःसरः॥

ādhipatyaṃ vrajenmayo jyeṣṭhāyāmapavarjayan| naraḥ kurukulaśreṣṭha ṛddho damapuraḥsaraḥ||

By making offerings in honour of the departed Manes Manes under the constellation Jeshthya, with devotion and humility, one acquires sovereignty, O foremost one of Kuru's race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.10

मूले त्वारोग्यमृच्छेत यशोऽऽषाढासु चोत्तमम्। उत्तरासु त्वषाढासु वीतशोककश्चरेन्महीम्॥

mūle tvārogyamṛccheta yaśo''ṣāḍhāsu cottamam| uttarāsu tvaṣāḍhāsu vītaśokakaścarenmahīm||

By doing the Shraddha under Mula, one gains health, and by doing it under the prior Ashada, one acquires excellent fame. By performing it under the later Ashada, one succeeds in travelling over the whole world, freed from every sorrow.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.11

श्राद्धं त्वभिजिता कुर्वन् भिषक्सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात्। श्रवणेषु ददच्छ्राद्धं प्रेत्य गच्छेत् स सद्गतिम्॥

śrāddhaṃ tvabhijitā kurvan bhiṣaksiddhimavāpnuyāt| śravaṇeṣu dadacchrāddhaṃ pretya gacchet sa sadgatim||

By doing it under the constellation Abhijit, one acquires great knowledge. By doing it under Shravana, one, after death, attains to a very high end.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.12

राज्यभागी धनिष्ठायां भवेत नियतं नरः। नक्षत्रे वारुणे कुर्वन् भिषक्सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात्॥

rājyabhāgī dhaniṣṭhāyāṃ bhaveta niyataṃ naraḥ| nakṣatre vāruṇe kurvan bhiṣaksiddhimavāpnuyāt||

The man who performs the Shraddha under the constellation Dhanistha becomes a king. By doing it under the constellation presided over by Varuna (viz., Shatavisha), one becomes a successful physician.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.13

पूर्वप्रोष्ठपदाः कुर्वन् बहून् विन्दत्यजाविकान्। उत्तरासु प्रकुर्वाणो विन्दते गाः सहस्रशः॥

pūrvaproṣṭhapadāḥ kurvan bahūn vindatyajāvikān| uttarāsu prakurvāṇo vindate gāḥ sahasraśaḥ||

By performing the Shraddha under the constellation of the prior Bhadrapada, one acquires many goats and sheep: while by doing it under the later Bhadrapada, one acquires thousands of kine.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.14

बहुकुप्यकृतं वित्तं विन्दते रेवतीं श्रितः। अश्विनीष्वश्वान् विन्देत भरणीष्वायुरुत्तमम्॥

bahukupyakṛtaṃ vittaṃ vindate revatīṃ śritaḥ| aśvinīṣvaśvān vindeta bharaṇīṣvāyuruttamam||

By performing the Shraddha under the constellation Revati, one acquires many utensils of white brass and copper. By doing it under Ashvini, one acquires many horses, while under Bharani, one live long.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 89.15

इमं श्राद्धविधिं श्रुत्वा शशबिन्दुस्तथाकरोत्। अक्लेशेनाजयच्चापि मही सोऽनुशशास ह॥

imaṃ śrāddhavidhiṃ śrutvā śaśabindustathākarot| akleśenājayaccāpi mahī so'nuśaśāsa ha||

Listening to these ordinances about the Shraddha king Shashabindu acted accordingly, and succeeded in easily conquering and ruling the whole Earth.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)