VAJRAYANA LIFE-CYCLE RITES- Sraddha
On the Kartik full moon, if one offers pil)ga, this is called dharma pil)ga. If
this is done, the dead one will get these 4 results - artha, dharma, kama,
mo/cya.^72
During [the months:] Kartik, Sraval)a, Baisakh, Magha, in these 4 periods one
also does sraddha. These days are good for doingpiM'a dana: on Kiirtikpunhi,^73
Miigh full moon, Sraval)a during the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight, or
Baisakh trtiya. One has to do pil)ga sraddha on these days. If done on these
days, the dead one will without doubt get countless merit.
If sraddha is not done on the day of death, or if sraddha is done on another
day, it will be useless and the clan will be undermined.
If someone is not free from the impurity of death or if a woman is menstruat-
ing, she should not do sraddha for it will be useless.
After 12 pm and up to 3 pm do the sraddha pil)ga. After sunset, sraddha is
prohibited.
While doing sraddha, put rhino meat inside the pil)ga. If a small piece is kept
and the pif)ga is offered, due to the reaction of the rhino meat the dead one will
get lots of meat and be very satisfied always.^74
To make pif)gas, one should use the best food-jaki, baji,^75 rice flour barley
wheat flour, etc. But not com flour or millet flour, as these are proscribed.
Having made ghee, honey, milk, curd, etc. together with meat of various
kinds, and having prepared flowers, incense, lamps, perfumes, and food offer-
ings: in whoever's name this is [be offered], in that one's name one offers pil)ga.
To do sraddha, one sits on a kusa grass mat and offers libation vessels etc.; in
just this way, generations from long ago until the present time have offered the
main pif)gas.
After that, one puts out a vi kala fpif)ga] and for any sraddha, one makes this
vikala. If one doesn't put out vikala fpif)ga], then even if one performs an infi-
nite number of sraddhas, they will all be fruitless.
Having been born into our lineage, there is no one who does not have an
older or younger brother, or sons; and again, persons who have been set in a
mother's womb and been miscarried; or older and younger brothers who have
been deformed in many forms, or younger and older sisters who have lived in
the world in this state: all these who have received the libations on the earth
should be satisfied. Those dwelling in the wrong path and lacking in [good]
sal'flskaras, to all these deformed ones (vikalas), we should give pif)gas.
When doing pif)ga dana, you should not put them in an iron pot, [clay]
pottery, or wooden vessels; if someone does this, the recipient will go away
without taking it and feel disappointed.
During the a$(ami vrata, if you offer multi-colored flowers, - white jasmine,
fragrant flowers, etc., it will only satisfy those in the devaloka. For the offerings
to reach pitrloka, it is not fitting to offer these. If they are offered, the beings
there will not be satisfied.