Chapter 40 of 51 · Uma Samhita · Overall chapter 354 of 464
The Power of Ancestors
Prompted by Shounaka's question about shraddha ceremonies, Suta relays a chain of transmission running through Bhishma, who recounts how his own father Shantanu once tested his ritual precision regarding where to place a funeral pinda - and then relates, from Sanatkumara's own account, how the devas themselves became the mythological 'sons' of the ancestors after a curse-and-redemption cycle involving Brahma.
Vyasa said
Hearing of the excellent line that began with Shraddhadeva Surya, Shounaka, best of sages, affectionately asked Suta.
Shounaka said
Suta, may you live for ever, Vyasa's disciple, I bow to you. You have made us hear a supremely divine, greatly purifying account and told how Shraddhadeva Surya extended the line. But I have a doubt: how did Aditya Vivasvat become Shraddhadeva? Please dispel it, and tell of the greatness and fruits of shraddha, by which ancestors are pleased and the performer benefits. I wish to hear of the excellent creation of the ancestors; wise one, please be kind and tell me especially of this.
Suta replied
Shounaka, I will lovingly tell you all about the creation of ancestors. Markandeya told this to Bhishma when asked, and Sanatkumara had sung it to wise Markandeya. I will tell the truth of it, which gives everything desired as fruit. When Bhishma, supreme among upholders of dharma, lay on his bed of arrows, Yudhishthira asked him about this and he answered; listen.
Yudhishthira asked
When men desire nourishment, how can they gain it? I wish to hear. What must be done so that one does not suffer?
Suta continued
The knower of dharma heard Yudhishthira's question and, while everyone listened, Bhishma lovingly answered.
Bhishma said
Yudhishthira, men who cheerfully perform shraddhas gain the ancestors' favours and please all of them by shraddha. With the father, grandfather and great-grandfather in mind, men who want fruits must always perform shraddhas. Yudhishthira, three pindas must always be offered to the father, grandfather and great-grandfather. When that is done the ancestors give dharma to those who want dharma, offspring to those who want offspring and nourishment to those who want nourishment.
Yudhishthira said
Some ancestors are in heaven and others in hell, and beings are said to be controlled by the fruits of their karma. When a shraddha is performed, how does it reach the ancestors? How can those in hell get the fruits? I have heard that the gods in heaven also worship the ancestors. I wish to hear this in detail; please tell me.
Bhishma answered
Scorcher of enemies, in earlier times, when my father left for the other world, he sang of it and I heard it from him. At the time of the shraddha I was ready with a pinda for my father. My father told me to break the ground with my hand and place it there. I judged that this was not the rule as the kalpa texts lay it down, and so, having thought about it, I placed the pinda on kusha grass. At this my father was pleased and spoke sweetly: best of the Bharata line, faultless one, you have pleased me. You know dharma and are learned, a true son. Supreme among men, I have been saved by you. I wanted to test you. If a king follows dharma and sets a standard, subjects always follow the standard he sets. Listen to the eternal dharma of the Vedas, son: you followed the standard set by Vedic dharma, so I am very pleased and, delighted, will give you an excellent boon. Since it is extremely hard to get in the three worlds, accept it: death will have no power over you, you will live as long as you wish, and only with your permission will death show its power again. What else do you want? I will give you an excellent boon; best of the Bharata line, tell me what is in your mind. So addressed, I folded my hands and honoured him and said that if he was pleased I had succeeded in my aim, but I wished to ask a question and he should answer it himself. Told to ask, since he would give whatever I wished, I asked, and the king gave me his answer.
Shantanu replied
Son, listen. I will answer your question correctly. I heard everything about the rite for ancestors from Markandeya. What you ask me is exactly what I asked the great sage, and Markandeya, who knows dharma, answered. Markandeya said: king, listen. Once I saw a large vimana advancing over a mountain in the sky. I saw in it, lying down, a being the size of a thumb, bright as blazing coal, very energetic, enchanting all over, as if one fire had been set on another. I bowed my head to the lord and asked how I could possibly know him. The one with dharma in his self answered: sage, you have not done the austerities by which you could know me, Brahma's son. Know that I am Sanatkumara. What can I do for you? Brahma's other sons are younger than I. I have seven unassailable brothers who have founded lineages. We keep the mendicants' dharma and restrain ourselves. Ever since I was born I have been famous as Kumara, and that is why I am called Sanatkumara. Wanting to see me you devotedly did austerities, fortunate one, and so you have seen me. What do you want me to do? When he said this I answered: lord, listen; please tell me the truth about the original creation of the ancestors. Addressed by me he said: listen to all of it exactly as it is, son. I will tell you of the creation of the ancestors, which brings everything auspicious. Sanatkumara continued: earlier Brahma created the gods and told them to worship him. Wanting fruits, they ignored fruits and worshipped themselves instead. Brahma cursed them: you will be foolish and lose your senses. So they knew nothing and lost their senses. All bowed to the grandfather and begged his favour. When they spoke so he told them to undertake expiation: ask your sons and you will gain knowledge. Having lost their senses, they wished to ask their energetic sons, and the heaven-dwellers wished to do expiation and get their senses back. Faultless one, they became attached to their sons, but the sons had gone away. The cursed gods wanted their sons. They went to the creator and said they wanted their sons, but the sons had left. He told them: you had doubts about Brahma. Immortals, listen: you are not knowers of brahman, which is why I spoke to you of your sons, who have excellent knowledge. Whatever they think should be followed, not otherwise. Let the gods worship the ancestors and the ancestors the heaven-dwellers. If they are very affectionate to each other they will gain all the fruits they desire. Tiger among sages, by Brahma's happy words their doubts were dispelled and they were delighted with each other. The gods said to them: since you have called us sons you will become ancestors, without doubt. A person who does rites at a shraddha for the ancestors and offers soma at it gains the worlds. Men who wish to nourish everything, oceans, mountains, forests and moving and unmoving things, perform shraddhas. A man who names his name and gotra and offers three pindas at a shraddha pleases the ancestors, who give him nourishment. Wherever father, grandfather and great-grandfather may be, they are always satisfied by what is given at a shraddha. These words are true. Whether heaven-dwellers or ancestors, we are in turn fathers and sons of each other. So, following dharma, the gods became the ancestors' sons, and they and the ancestors became famous on earth as following each other.
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.