with faith, become cleansed of all stains and no sin can touch them.  Such men always increase in righteousness and succeed in attaining to heaven.  Once on a time, a celestial messenger, coming to the court of Indra of his own accord, but remaining invisible, addressed the chief of the deities in these words, ’At the command of those two deities who are the foremost of all physicians, and who are endued with every desirable attribute, I have come to this place where I behold human beings and Pitris and the deities assembled together.  Why, indeed, is sexual congress interdicted for the man who performs a Sraddha and for him also who eats at a Sraddha (for the particular day)?  Why are three rice-balls offered separately at a Sraddha?  Unto whom should the first of those balls be offered?  Unto whom should the second one be offered?  And whose has it been said is the third or remaining one?  I desire to know all this.’  After the celestial messenger had said these words connected with righteousness and duty, the deities who were seated towards the east, the Pitris also, applauding that ranger of the sky, began as follows.’

“The Pitris said, ’Welcome art thou, and blessings upon thee!  Do thou listen, O best of all rangers of the sky!  The question thou hast asked is a high one and fraught with deep meaning.  The Pitris of that man who indulges in sexual congress on the day he performs a Sraddha, or eats at a Sraddha have to lie for the period of a whole month on his vital seed.  As regards the classification of the rice-balls offered at a Sraddha, we shall explain what should be done with them one after another.  The first rice-ball should be conceived as thrown into the waters.  The second ball should be given to one of the wives to eat.  The third ball should be cast into the blazing fire.  Even this is the ordinance that has been declared in respect of the Sraddha.  Even this is the ordinance that is followed in practice according to the rites of religion.  The Pitris of that man who act according to this ordinance become gratified with him and remain always cheerful.  The progeny of such a man increases and inexhaustible wealth always remains at his command.’

“The celestial messenger said, ’Thou hast explained the division of the rice-balls and their consignment one after another to the three (viz., water, the spouse, and the blazing fire), together with the reasons thereof.[541] Whom does that rice-tall which is consigned to the waters reach?  How does it, by being so consigned, gratify the deities and how does it rescue the Pitris?  The second ball is eaten by the spouse.  That has been laid down in ordinance.  How do the Pitris of that man (whose spouse eats the ball) become the eaters thereof?  The last ball goes into the blazing fire.  How does that ball succeed in finding its way to thee, or who is he unto whom it goes?  I desire to bear this,—­that is, what are the ends attained by the rice-balls offered at Sraddhas when thus disposed of by being cast into the water, given to the spouse, and thrown into the blazing fire!