TEXT 41
sankaro narakayaiva
kula-ghnanam kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy esam
lupta-pindodaka-kriyah
kula-ghnanam kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy esam
lupta-pindodaka-kriyah
SYNONYMS
sankarah--such unwanted children; narakaya--for hellish life; eva--certainly; kula-ghnanam--of those who are killers of
the family; kulasya--of the family; ca--also; patanti--fall down; pitarah--forefathers; hi--certainly; esam--of them; lupta--stopped; pinda--offerings; udaka--water; kriyah--performances.
TRANSLATION
When there is increase of
unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for
those who destroy the family tradition. In such corrupt families, there is no
offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors.
PURPORT
According to the rules and
regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food
and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by
worship of Visnu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Visnu can
deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes the forefathers may be
suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them
cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle
bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasadam food are offered to forefathers by descendants,
the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life.
Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not
in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in
the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by
performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds and thousands of
forefathers from all kinds of misery. It is stated in theBhagavatam:
devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam
na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam
"Anyone
who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation,
giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the path in all
seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, sages,
general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers." (Bhag.11.5.41)
Such obligations are automatically fulfilled by performance of devotional
service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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