Who performs Pind Daan for ancestors who died unmarried or childless?

When a person dies without direct male descendants, the scriptures provide a clear hierarchical order of who should perform the Pind Daan and Shraddha rituals. The Garuda Purana specifies this sequence: Wife (if married but childless), Real Brother (Sahodar Bhai), Nephew (Brother”s son / Bhatija), Father, Mother, Daughter-in-law, Sister, Sister”s son (Bhanja), Sapindas (close blood relatives in the lineage), and finally Sodakas (more distant relatives). The Markandeya Purana adds that if a person dies with absolutely no eligible relatives, the King or state becomes responsible — the King must use the deceased”s wealth to ensure the complete last rites and Pind Daan are performed by caste-brethren. This hierarchy exists because Hindu scripture recognizes that every soul requires these ancestral rites for peaceful transition to Pitrulok and prevention of becoming a preta (restless ghost). No soul is left abandoned — the responsibility simply shifts down the line of relatives. Prayag Pandits regularly performs Pind Daan for unmarried and childless deceased persons on behalf of nephews, nieces, and distant relatives who wish to fulfil this dharmic duty.