Sraddha श्राद्ध | Markandeya Purana

Sraddha श्राद्ध | Markandeya Purana - Gita Press Gorakhpur

The truth about Sraddha | Shraadh | श्राद्ध from Markandeya Purana by Gita Press Gorakhpur.

Markandeya Purana Hindi - Gita Press Gorakhpur

Markendeya Purana - Chapter 32 - Information about Shraddha

Madalasa spoke.

1 Next hear, my son, with faith this that I say,—what is to be avoided in order to please the pitras, or what conduces to their pleasure.

2-9 The pitras are satisfied with clarified butter and rice for a month. The paternal grandfathers receive satisfaction with fish meat for two months. Venison (flesh of a deer) should he known to satisfy the pitras for three months; and the flesh of hares nourishes the pitras for four months; bird's flesh satisfies them for five months; hog’s flesh for six months; goat’s flesh for seven months; and flesh of the black antelope for eight months; flesh of the ruru deer gives them satisfaction for nine months, without doubt; flesh of the gavya deer gives them satisfaction for ten months. Moreover sheep’s flesh satisfies the pitras for eleven months; and milk of cow or anything made of milk satisfies them a year.

Flesh of the rhinoceros, flesh of the red-goat, the dark tulsi plant, and honey, and flesh of the rhinoceros if and whatever else is given by members of their own family, and turmeric and soma juice, and sradda performed at Gaya without doubt yield the pitras end-less satisfaction.

The above matter present in Markandeya Purana has been spoken by a queen named Madalasa. These are her own views and hence not acceptable.These are not the words of God. This is the reason puranas hold a lower credibility when compared with the vedas and Bhagavad Gita. At Gitapress Gorakhpur, the translators omitted this text altogether as it would not fit with the ideology of their interpretation of Hinduism but that doesn't deny the presence of such matter in the purana. One needs to read these texts with prudence.

References: 

• Markandeya Purana - Adhyay 32 - Shraddha food instructions - Hindi
• Markandeya Purana - Chapter 32 - Food instructions - English

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