10 - The Gratifying Nature of Shraddha

Garuda said:

1. After sapiņdikarana1 has been done and the annual rites performed, the deceased may obtain godhood, manhood or birdhood as the case may be. 

1. Sapindikarana-A rite of establishing kinship by offering libations of water, rice-ball etc. to the manes. This relationship extends from the seventh or the eleventh to the thirteenth or the fourteenth degree, Cf, M.S. 5.60. According to certain smrutikáras it is performed at the end of a year after the death of a relative but now usually performed on the twelfth day as part of the funeral obsequies. 

2. But they eat different types of food. How can Shraddha satiate them? The Shraddha food is eaten by the brahmanas or given as oblation into the fire. 

3. The pinda is given by the good as well as the bad relative. How can the ghost discriminate? Why should the shraddha be performed on a particular day? 

The Lord said:

4. O bird, hear, shraddha is gratifying to ghosts. There is no restriction on a person if he becomes a deity or a man or an animal according to the actions of his previous life. 

5-7. If he becomes a deity, the shraddha food turns into nectar; an article of enjoyment if he becomes a gandharva; a grass if he becomes an animal; an air if he becomes a nāga; fruit in case of a bird; meat in case of a demon; blood in case of a ghost; grain in case of a man and an article of enjoyment in case of a child. 

Garuda said:

8. How kavya1 and havya2 given by men reach pitruloka and devaloka and who takes them there? 

1. Kavya-an oblation of food to deceased ancestors.

2. Havya--an offering to the gods or oblation in general, 

9. How can a shraddha gratify the dead? Can oil in a blown-out lamp light the wick? 

10. Tell me, O Lord! How does the deceased enjoy the fruits of the deeds such as rites of obsequy performed by his son? 

The lord said:

11. The validity of tradition, O lord, is more powerful than the validity of direct perception. The Shruti declares that the food served to the brahmanas in the Shraddha turns into nectar, etc. for the departed souls. 

12. By their names and gotras the manes receive the offerings made by the relatives. The mantras carry the same when they are recited with devotion and faith. 

13. How the articles reach the manes should not be doubted, o bird. I tell you how the articles of gift can reach the manes. 

14-15. The Agnishvatta pitrus (the manes who are cremated in fire) remain in charge of the departed. When food is offered to the departed souls in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate time and place, as prescribed in the Shastras, they carry the same to the manes in their path. 

16. Even though they assume different species and reach different worlds, with different names and gotras, they receive the offering made in their favour by their kins. 

17. The three pindas given on Darbha or spread over the earth, by the nearest relative of the deceased, with his sacred thread worne over the left shoulder, gratify the manes even in their ghost hood. 

18-19. Those who have been pious on the earth in all ways do not go to the torture-place. These as well as others who have assumed multifarious forms and those who are born in low species obtain whatever food they eat in those species. 

20. Just as when the cow is lost in the herd of cattle, the calf searches for her and ultimately finds her, so the shraddha food searches the deceased person, though he is set on journey (or has, assumed a different form). 

21-22, The manes consume the shraddha victuals in the company of Vishvedevas, Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, ancestors, Shraddha devas. When gratified they gratify the deceased person. 

23. Just as a pregnant woman gratifies herself and her foetus by satiating her desire, so also the deities gratify themselves and the manes by partaking the shraddhas. 

24. They feel elated at the approach of shraddha time. Thus, thinking in their mind, they reach the shraddha-place with the spread of imagination. 

25. Staying in the horizen they eat with the brahmanas. In their aerial form they eat with pleasure. 

26. Whosoever be the brahmana invited for the feast, they enter his body, eat and return to their abode. 

27-30. If the performer of Shraddha (such as the son of the deceased) has invited a single brahmana for shraddha, the father stays in his stomach, the grandfather on his left side, the great-grandfather on the right and the consumer of pinda at the back. During the period of shraddha Yama releases even the ghosts and the manes staying in hell who being hungry run to the world of mortals to receive the offering made by their relatives. They repent for their misdeeds while they desire to be served with the milk-rice mixed with honey by their sons and grandsons. Therefore, the descendent should gratify them with the milk-rice. 

Garuda said:

31. O Lord, now tell me, has any one seen the manes descending from the other world and partaking shraddha on this earth? 

The lord said:

32. Hear, O Garuda, I shall tell you how once Sita saw in the body of a brahmana the manes, the father-in-law, grand-father-in-law and the great-grand-father-in-law. 

33-34. At the behest of his father, Rama went to the forest. When he reached Pushkara, the holy centre, together with his consort Sita he performed shraddha with the ripe fruits Sita collected from the trees.

35-36. When the sun reached the middle of the sky the sages who had been invited by Rama presented themselves. When Sita saw the sages, she was extremely delighted. 

37. By the instructions of Rama she served them with food. Then, all of a sudden, she got away from among the brahmanas. 

38-40. Covering herself behind the bushes she hid herself. Then having learnt that Sita had gone all alone, Rama was anxious and lost in thought. He wondered why she had gone away so soon without feasting the brahmanas. He thought to himself. May be she felt shy. I shall search for her. Thinking this way or that he himself feasted the brahmanas.

41. When the brahmanas went away Sita returned. Then Rama spoke to her: "Why did you leave when the sages camo here to the forest. Let me know the reason of your abrupt departure. 

42. Then addressed by the lord, Sita stood with her face cast dawn. With tears flowing down from her eyes she spoke thus to her lord. 

Sita said:

43-44. O lord, hear, I saw a wonder here. I saw your father in front of the brahmanas, dressed in royal costume. I saw two elderly folk doning the similar garb. 

45-46. On seeing your father, I moved away from his presence. Attired in bark and hide, how could I serve him with food? 

47. How could I offer him food in a vessel of grass in which even slaves would not eat? 

48. How could I, full of perspiration and dirt, go before him knowing that he had never seen me before in that miserable state. I felt shy and moved away from his presence, O Rama. 

49. On hearing these words of his beloved, Rama was surprised at heart, thinking that it was a miracle never witnessed before. 

50-51. Thus, I have told you how Sita saw the manes, Now, here in short is another account of Shraddha. On the day of Amavasya, the airy manes stand at the threshold of their decendants in order to receive shraddha. 

52-53. They remain there till Sun-set. When they do not receive shraddha they fall in despair and out of suffering heave long sighs and go back cursing the descendents. 

54-55. Therefore, one should carefully perform shraddha on the amavasya day. If sons or relatives perform shraddha at Gaya, they uplift their ancestors from lower regions and themselves enjoy brahmaloka together with the manes. They never suffer from thirst and hunger. 

56-58. Therefore, the wise should perform shraddha imperatively. If no other article of food is available even vegetable if offered with devotion would suffice. If shraddha is done in time the family would never perish. Age, sons, fame, heaven, glory, health, strength, splendour, cattle, happiness, wealth and grain - all these can be procured by worshipping the manes. The rites performed in favour of the manes are more beneficial than the rites performed for the deities. 

59-65. Gratification of the manes in proportion to that of the deities is more beneficial. Those who worship manes, deities, brahmanas and fire, in fact, worship me who am the soul of all beings. By performing shraddha according to the means and method, the man pleases the universe as far above as brahmaloka. Whatever food is spread over the earth by the performer, the same gratifies them, though they have become ghosts. Whatever water falls on the ground dripping from the bathing clothes of the performer the same gratifies them, though they may have become trees. Whatever scents fall on the ground the same gratifies them though they may have obtained deity hood. Those who are outside the caste groups, unfit for rites or averse to rites, consume water scattered after washing. 

66. Whatever water is revised in the day by the brahmanas and others, the same gratifies those who have become pishacha, worms and germs. 

67. Whatever pindas are left on the earth the same gratify those who have become men. 

68-69. Thus, when all this is being done by the twice-born, whatever water and food is left, good or bad, the same gratifies those who have opted for another caste, in case the shraddha is done properly. 

70. When men perform shraddha with ill-gotten wealth, the same gratifies chandalas and others of low species. 

71. Thus, O bird, whatever is given to the manes, by their relatives while doing shraddha, they receive the same and remain gratified with food, water and vegetable. 

72-73. Thus, I have told you all what you had asked me for. Now that you have queried me whether the soul obtains body immediately or after some time I shall tell you about the same in short, Body is obtained both immediately and late. 

74. How the soul gets a new body, hear from me. The soul without body is like a flame without fire. It is about a thumb in size1.

1. Purusha-According to Vedic Tradition, Purusha (the personal soul) 3 of the size of thumb: angushthamatrah Purushah-Ta. 10.38.1. 

75-77. After leaving the earthly body, the soul obtains an airy body. Like a caterpillar who lifts up the back feet only when the position of the front feet becomes firm the soul leaves the previous body only when the airy body is available to enjoy.

78. In that actionless body he moves in air only. Whatever body he has obtained, the same he himself leaves. 

79. He leaves the body just as the child leaves the womb. He may come out, stay and enjoy. 

80. The fools do not see him, only those who possess the vision of knowledge can see him in that state. 

81. O bird, this type of body the deceased can have out of the pinda (rice-ball) offered to him. 

82. Whatever pinda the sons or kins give him during the ten days, the same unites the Vayuja body with the pindaja body, 

83. If the pindaja body be not there, the Vayuja body suffers. Just as in his body a man has childhood, youth and old age, so also he obtains another body1, this you already know, O king of birds. 

1. Bh. Gita II. 13.

84. Just as men wear new clothes casting off old ones, so also the soul obtains another body leaving the old one2. 

2. Ibid., II. 22.

85. Neither the weapons cut it nor the fire burns it nor the water wets it nor the wind dries it.3 

3. Ibid., II. 23. 

86. Just now, I have told you that it obtains the airy body immediately. Now, hear about the body it obtains belatedly. 

87. After sometime, the Jiva when he reaches Yamaloka. obtains the pindaja body. 

88-89. As directed by Chitragupta, he suffers in hell. Having suffered tortures there, he is born in the low species as an animal, a bird, etc. There too, very full of attachment, he suffers from the result of good and bad actions, O king of birds. 

Garuda said:

90. O Treasure of pity, please tell me how even though full of sins, a Jiva may obtain you, after crossing the ocean of worldly existence. 

91. Please also tell me, o lord, how a man can avoid suffering? 

The lord said: 

92. Man obtains success being busy in the performance of assigned acts. Now, hear how he can get success while he is engaged in doing acts. 

93-96. By taking shelter in Vasudeva, possessing pure intellect, controlling the self with fortitude, discarding the objects of enjoyment and leaving attachment and envy, serving without expecting reward, controlling speech, body and mind, practising meditation and Yoga, taking recourse to detachment, leaving pride, force, desire, anger, thus calm and serene he attains brahma. After this, he has to do nothing, O son of Kashyapa.