Hands

Betal put forward another puzzle to Vikram. A woman called Leelavati married a thief. After marriage the man decided to quit stealing. However, when they had a son, the man found he had no money to support his family and went back to stealing. After his death, Leelavati married a businessman.

The businessman loved his family and raised the child well. Just when the boy took charge of the business, his parents died.

While performing their last rites in the river, three hands came out claiming the offering. The boy recognised his mother's voice and offered prayers to her, but he couldn't make out which pair of hand was his father's. At this point he recalled his mother once mentioning his real father.

Betal stopped the story here and asked which father was finally given the offering.

"The businessman," replied Vikram. "Because he had showered his love and reared the child, while the thief had only given him birth." Again, Betal flew away.

https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Vikram

mocomi

http://mocomi.com/?s=ancestor

Five

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ancestors
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Five+Ancestors

revantasarabhai

http://revantasarabhai.com

prajaktaraj

http://prajaktaraj.com/

elephants

"The (eight) elephants standing in the eight quarters said, 'On the auspicious eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Karttika when the constellation Aslesha is in the ascendant, one should make gifts of treacle and rice. Casting aside wrath, and living on regulated diet, one should make these offerings at a Sraddha, uttering these mantras the while--Let Valadeva and other Nagas possessed of great strength, let other mighty snakes of huge bodies that are indestructible and eternal, and let all the other great snakes that have taken their birth in their race, make Vali offerings to me for the enhancement of my strength and energy. Verily, let my strength be as great as that of the blessed Narayana when he raised the submerged Earth!--Uttering these mantras, one should make Vali offerings upon an ant-hill. When the maker of day retires to his chambers in the west, upon the ant-hill selected should offerings be made of raw sugar and rice. The ant-hill should previously be scattered with Gajendra flowers, Offerings should also be made of blue cloths and fragrant unguents. If offerings are made in this way, those beings that live in the nether regions, bearing the weight of the upper regions upon their heads or shoulders, become well-pleased and gratified. As regards ourselves, we also do not feel the labour of upholding the Earth, in consequence of such offerings being made to us. Afflicted with the burden we bear, even this is what we think (beneficial for men), without the slightest regard for selfish concerns. Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, by observing this rule for a full year, fasting on each occasion, acquire great merits from such gifts. We think that the making of such Vali offerings on the ant-hill is really fraught with very superior merits. By making such offerings, one is regarded as doing the duties of hospitality for a hundred years to all the mighty elephants that exist in the three worlds.' Hearing these words of the mighty elephants, the deities and the Pitris and the highly blessed Rishis, all applauded Renuka."

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b097.htm

Sree

"Sree said,

'That sinful house,

1. in which eating and drinking vessels and seats and beds lie scattered, and 
2. in which women are beaten, 

the deities and Pitris leave in disgust. Verily, without accepting the offerings made unto them by the owners of such houses, the deities and the Pitris fly away from such a sinful habitation.'

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b092.htm

Viswamitra

"Viswamitra said,

'Listen to a high mystery that is unknown to the generality of men and that is connected with religion. He who

1. offers the Pitris rice boiled in sugared milk, 
2. sitting with face directed to the south at noontide in the shade caused by an elephant's body, 
3. in the month of Bhadrapada, 
4. under the constellation Magha, acquires great merits. 

Listen to what those merits are. The man who makes such an offering to the Pitris under such circumstances, is regarded as performing a great Sraddha each year for thirteen years in succession.'

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b091.htm

Rice

1. That rice-ball which goes into water is regarded as gratifying the deity of the moon. That deity, thus gratified, O thou of great intelligence, gratifies in return the other deities and the Pitris also with them. 
2. It has been laid down that the second rice-ball should be eaten by the spouse (of the man that performs the Sraddha). The Pitris, who are ever desirous of progeny, confer children on the woman of the house. 
3. Listen now to me as I tell thee what becomes of the rice-ball that is cast into the blazing fire. With that ball the Pitris are gratified and as the result thereof they grant the fruition of all wishes unto the person offering it.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b090.htm

Days

1. By adoring the Pitris on the first day of the lighted fortnight, one obtains in one's abode beautiful spouses capable of producing many children all possessed of desirable accomplishments. 
2. By performing the Sraddha on the second day of the lighted fortnight one gets many daughters. 
3. By performing it on the third day, one acquires many steeds. 
4. By performing it on the fourth day, one gets a large herd of smaller animals (such as goats and sheep) in one's house. 
5. They, O king, who perform the Sraddha on the fifth day, get many sons. 
6. Those men who perform the Sraddha on the sixth day acquire great splendour. 
7. By performing it on the seventh day, O monarch, one acquires great fame. 
8. By performing it on the eighth day one makes great profits in trade. 
9. By performing it on the ninth day one acquires many animals of uncloven hoofs. 
10. By performing it on the tenth day one acquires much wealth in kine. 
11. By performing it on the eleventh day one becomes the possessor of much wealth in clothes and utensils (of brass and other metals). Such a man also obtains many sons all of whom become endued with Brahma splendour. 
12. By performing the Sraddha on the twelfth day one always beholds, if one desires, diverse kinds of beautiful articles made of silver and gold. 
13. By performing the Sraddha on the thirteenth day one attains to eminence over one's kinsmen. 
14. Without doubt, all the young men in the family of him who performs the Sraddha on the fourteenth day meet with death. Such a man becomes entangled in war, 

By performing the Sraddha on the day of the new moon, one obtains the fruition of every wish. In the dark fortnight, all the days commencing with the tenth (and ending with that of the new moon), leaving only the fourteenth day out, are laudable days for the performance of the Sraddha. Other days of that fortnight are not so. Then, again, as the dark fortnight is better than the lighted one, so the afternoon of the day is better than the forenoon in the matter of the Sraddha.'"

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b052.htm
https://www.drikpanchang.com/vrats/shraddhadates.html