स एकदाष्टकाश्राद्धे इक्ष्वाकु: सुतमादिशत् । मांसमानीयतां मेध्यं विकुक्षे गच्छ मा चिरम् ॥ ६ ॥
sa ekadastaka-sraddhe iksvakuh sutam adisat mamsam aniyatam medhyam vikukse gaccha ma ciram
- sah
- that king (Maharaja Iksvaku)
- ekada
- once upon a time
- astaka-sraddhe
- during January, February and March, when offerings are made to the forefathers
- iksvakuh
- King Iksvaku
- sutam
- to his son
- adisat
- ordered
- mamsam
- flesh
- aniyatam
- bring here
- medhyam
- pure (obtained by hunting)
- vikukse
- O Vikuksi
- gaccha
- immediately go
- ma ciram
- without delay.
During the months of January, February and March, oblations offered to the forefathers are called astaka-sraddha. The sraddha ceremony is held during the dark fortnight of the month. When Maharaja Iksvaku was performing his oblations in this ceremony, he ordered his son Vikuksi to go immediately to the forest to bring some pure flesh.