Shloka 18
Gārhasthya-dharma: Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī-saṃvāda
Householder Duties and Daily Offerings
जिस दिन पितरोंका श्राद्ध करनेकी इच्छा हो, उस दिन पहले श्राद्धकी क्रिया पूरी करे। उसके बाद पितरोंका तर्पण करके विधिपूर्वक बलिवैश्वदेव-कर्म करे। तदनन्तर ब्राह्मणोंको सत्कारपूर्वक भोजन करावे ।।
vayudeva uvaca | yasmin dine pitr̥ṇāṁ śrāddhaṁ kartum icchā bhavet tasmin dine pūrvaṁ śrāddhakriyāṁ samāpya | tataḥ pitr̥tarpanaṁ kṛtvā vidhivat balivaiśvadevakarma kuryāt | tadanantaraṁ brāhmaṇān satkārapūrvakaṁ bhojayet || tato'nnena viśeṣeṇa bhojayed atithīn api | arcāpūrva mahārāja tataḥ prīṇāti mānavān ||
Vāyu sprach: „An dem Tag, an dem man das śrāddha für die Ahnen zu vollziehen wünscht, soll man zuerst die śrāddha-Riten vollständig zu Ende führen. Danach, nachdem man den Pitṛs tarpaṇa dargebracht hat, vollziehe man ordnungsgemäß die bali- und Vaiśvadeva-Opfer. Dann speise man die Brāhmaṇas mit Ehren. Daraufhin soll man, mit besonderer Sorgfalt und guter Speise, auch die Gäste bewirten; eingeleitet durch ehrerbietige Verehrung, o großer König—so bringt man die Menschen zur Zufriedenheit.“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches an ordered household dharma: complete the śrāddha first, then offer tarpaṇa to the ancestors, perform bali-vaiśvadeva as prescribed, and finally honor and feed Brāhmaṇas and guests. Proper sequence and respectful hospitality are presented as ethically pleasing and socially beneficial.
Vāyudeva instructs a king on correct conduct for a day of ancestral rites. He outlines the ritual sequence and emphasizes that after fulfilling obligations to the Pitṛs and the deities, one should extend honor through feeding to Brāhmaṇas and also to arriving guests.