An obsequial ceremony in which food and water are offered to diseased ancestors of the offerer, or to the pitris or manes collectively; these ceremonies are observed on occasions of rejoicing as well as of mourning and hence various Sraddhas are enumerated. [Wilson’s Glossary]

Sradda (s) is the obsequial ceremonies offered to deceased ancestors among Hindus. On failure of son, sapindans, on their failure Samanodaks the mother’s Sapindas, and mother’s Samanodakas, perform the Sraddha; the putrikaputra performs the Sradha of the maternal father. On failure of all, the widows perform the sraddha of their husbands without Vedic mantras. On their failure the king causes to be performed, from the wealth, left by the deceased, by men of his caste, all ceremonies beginning with cremation for the king is the Bandhava of all castes. [Markendeya Puran, quoted in P Ramanatha Aiyer’s The Law Lexicon]