QUES ANSW DIVINE2-2022-18 Dearfriends,
Theseare information compiled as QA by me in 1998’s-2004’s and stored in mycomputer. They are posted by learnt members. SomeQA are based on concepts. Theseconcepts vary between people. BEING COMPILATION THERE MAYBE ERRORS. Sincerely, R. Gopalakrishnan, 78,dated 18-02-2022 Q1Why a portion of the offerings first made to Agni during sraadha? A1 If a portion of the offerings be first made tothe deity of fire at a sraddha, Rakshasas of regenerate origin cannot then do any injury to such a sraddha. Beholding the deity offire at a Sraddha Rakshasas fly away from it. Q2What are the regulations regarding women who can be associated with sraadha? A2 A woman who has become impure in consequence ofthe advent of her season, or one whose ears havebeen cut off, should not be allowed to remain where a Sraddha isbeing performed. Nor should a woman (for cooking the rice to beoffered in the Sraddha) bebrought from a Gotra other than that of the person who is performing theSraddha. My note- Nowadays samegothra principle is not followed bymany. Q3Why are three rice-balls offered separately at a Shraddha? Unto whom should thefirst of those rice-balls be offered? Unto whom should the second one beoffered? And whose has it been said is the third or remaining one? A3 The first rice-ball should be considered as thrown into the waters. The second ballshould be given to one of the wives to eat. The third ball should be cast intothe blazing fire. Having heard from the holy Vyasa what the end is ofthe three rice-balls offered at the Shraddha, as explained by the Pitristhemselves in reply to the question of the celestial messenger, I shall explain the same tothee. Do thou hear, O monarch, what the conclusions arewith respect to the ordinances about the Shraddha. Listen with rapt attention,O Bharata, to me as I explain what the end is of the three rice-balls. That rice-ball which goes into water is regarded asgratifying the deity of the moon. That deity, thus gratified, O thou of great intelligence, gratifies inreturn the other deities and the Pitris also with them. It has been laid down that the second rice-ball shouldbe eaten by the spouse (of the man that performs the Shraddha). The Pitris who are very desirousof progeny, confer children on the woman of the house. Listen now tome as I tell thee what becomes of the rice-ball that is cast into the blazingfire. With that ball putin fire the Pitris are gratified and as theresult thereof they grant the fruition of all wishes unto the person offeringit. I have thustold thee everything about the end of the three rice-balls offered at theShraddha and consigned to the three (viz., water, the spouse, and the fire). Q4 When the Jiva undergoestransmigration and takes another birth after leaving this physical body, is itnecessary that we should perform Sraaddha ceremony for him? He is no more inthe heavens. To whom will the oblations reach?” ? A4 Somepeople entertain this doubt, In theninth chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna has made it very clear that thosevirtuous persons who perform sacrifices for the attainment of heaven attain tothose worlds of enjoyments. “They having enjoyed that spacious world ofSvargas, their merit (Punya) exhausted, enter the world of the mortals; thusfollowing the Dharma of the triad, desiring objects of desires, they attain tothe state of going and returning.” This establishes the theory of attainment of heaven after death,and rebirth in the mortal world after the exhaustion of virtuous acts. The enjoyments in heavenand peace of the soul are enhanced by the performance of Sraaddha ceremony. The suffering in worlds other than heavenaccording to the merits of one’s own actions is mitigated by the performance ofSraaddha ceremony by his sons. So in both cases the performance of Sraaddha is a great help.The Pitris remain in heaven (Pitriloka, Chandraloka) for a very long period. According to the theory of transmigration, even if the individual is totake another birth immediately after his death, the performance of Sraaddha adds to his happiness in hisnew birth. So it isthe imperative duty of everybody to perform Sraaddha ceremony for his parentsand forefathers. Sraaddha ceremony should be performed with great Sraddha(faith) as long as you live. Faith is the main support for religion. “Sraddhavan labhate jnanam...the manof faith attains knowledge and thereby immortality and eternal peace” is thedeclaration of the Gita. My note- I have included this QA, since many Brahmins go by this principle. But it is an individual opinion and srardha itself is a concept. There areBrahmins who discontinue srardha afterGaya srardha telling it is a phase. Their ground is a soul in Devaloka or heaven does not feel hunger. Srardha to a person who is in Devaloka is not clearin this answer. Q5 Do People who die without ason will suffer in the other worlds? A5 People who die without ason may suffer in the other worlds.But it is not ageneral rule. That is the reason why people adopt a son before their deathfor the due performance of Sraaddha ceremonies after their death.The Gita also supports this view. “Patantipitaro hyesham luptapindodakakriyah”: their forefathers fall (down tohell) deprived of the offerings of Pinda (rice-ball) and water. But, if aman is religious-minded and if he has discrimination and dispassion, belief inthe Sastras and the Vedas, if he has led a virtuous life till the end of hislife, if he has devoted his last days in devotional practices, Japa,meditation, study, etc., (evenif he has no son) he will not have a fall. Q6 Do luxury in sraadha isgood? A6 No.People of some communities in India spend money enormously and indiscriminatelyon Sraaddha ceremony forshow. This is mere wastage. Money should not be spent on luxury. It is adelusion to think that the Pitris will get more peace by spending more money. Moneydoes not count for the ease of the Pitris, but the intensity of Bhava, with which the Sraaddha isperformed, counts. On suchoccasions the poor and deserving persons are to be fed sumptuously. Theirnecessities of life should be attended to. Study of scriptures should be doneon such days. The performer of the Sraaddha ceremony should observe spiritualdiscipline like Japa, meditation, Mouna, etc. He shouldmaintain strict Brahmacharya. He should not spend his time in idle pursuits. Heshould pray to God for the whole day. Recitation of appropriate Vedic hymnsshould be done. The story of Nachiketas of the Upanishads should be studied.The performer attains immortality. My note- It isa fact like day light bhokthas and sasthrikals are interested in Luxury srardha. Asasthrikal will attend himself for such a srardha and sent his 3rdassistant for srardha in a normal brahmins’s home. Q7What are some regulations about funeral? A7 Asthe second half of the month is preferable to the first half, even so theafternoon is better for the performance of a funeral sacrifice than theforenoon. Let him notperform a funeral sacrifice at night, because the night is declared to belongto the Rakshasas, nor in the twilight, nor when the sun has just risen. At all rites in honour of the manes the word SWADHAis the highest benison. [Note: During Agni-Hotra or Havan ceremony, oblationsare offered to the gods with the word SWAHA but to the manes during funeral sacrifice,the word SWADHAmust be used.] The manesare always pleased with offerings made in open, naturally pure places, on thebanks of rivers, and in secluded spots. Mynote- If death occurs in a home near totemple such restriction is not seen. My father’s funeral was at 9PM being very close to temple. Q8What are the two classes of pitries?Do prajapathies too are pitries? A8 There are two classes of Pitris, viz., the Celestial Pitris whoare the lords of the Pitri Loka, and the Human Pitris who go there after death. Kasyapa and the otherPrajapatis are also Pitris, as they are the original progenitors. Pitri Loka or the Abode of the Pitris is alsocalled by the name Bhuvar Loka. Q9What is the importance of Mahalaya paksha Sraadha? A9 All those who had failed to do deeds of charityand Anna-Dana (gift of food) and were thus denied these comforts in the PitriLoka, benefited by these malayapaksha ceremonies. Those deceased whose date of death is not known andwhose annual Sraddha cannot be done, they also get these oblations of PitriPaksha. Souls whoselife was cut off by violent accidental or unnatural death and to whom,therefore, offerings cannot reach in the ordinary course, to them, too, thePtripaksha offerings reach directly. All these the boon of Lord Yama made possible from the time the greatKarna performed the Asvayuja-Paksha rites. The Hindu Itihasas (histories) say, that on the MahalayaAmavasya, there is a conjunction of the sun and the moon and that the sunenters the sign Virgo (Kanya). On this day, the departed manes, i.e., ourancestors, leave their abode in the world of Yama and come down to the world ofmortals and occupy the houses of their descendants. The fortnight preceding the new moon is speciallyconsecrated for the propitiation of such departed spirits. The ceremoniesperformed in honour of the manes or ancestors during each day of this fortnightare considered to be equal to those performed at Gaya. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/338142521.2271337.1645193746163%40mail.yahoo.com.
