Article By Sarma Uncle - Worship of Departed

This article is authored by KBN Sarma uncle


Worship of the departed
1. Ancestor worship - an enjoined duty:
Every human being is born with three types of debts to be repaid, namely, the debt to God (that can be repaid by worshipping gods), the debt to sages and saints (that can be repaid by reverence and service to saints, sages and gurus) and the debt to one’s ancestors. The scripture, ‘Yajuraaranyaka’, elaborates on this aspect, giving a list of five forms of worship (yajnaas), called maha yajnaas, to be performed to get relieved of the debts he has to repay, as
“Panchavaa ethe maha yajnaahsatati sataayante…. Santishthante” (2-2-14)
There is a sloka too, which summarizes all the five mahaayajnaas.
“Adhyaapanam Brahma yajnah,
Pitru yajnasya tarpanam,
Homo Devah,
Balirbhoutah,
Nruyajnah atithi pujanam.”
According to these dicta, the duties of the householder (grihasta) include the performance of five ‘mahaa yajnaas’ as follows.
a. Adhyaapanam Brahma yajnah:-
Brahma yajna is the seer worship. Each day the householder expresses his debt to the ancient sages by studying, repeating and meditating upon at least some portions of the Vedic scriptures and by transmission of the scriptural teaching and cultural heritage
Learning in brahma-charya aasrama and teaching in grihastha aasrama, to maintain the guru-sishya parampara, are a ritual, known as Brahmayajna.
b. Pitru yajnasya tarpanam: -
The second yajna is the ancestor worship (Pitru Yajna). Offering libations of water (by a ‘tarpanam’) or setting aside of rice balls (pindas) constitute a remembrance of ancestors, during annual shraadhaas to worship the ancestors.
This is to repay the debt to ancestors who have provided us with the materialistic body to carry out the activities of the life, without which no action (karma) could be performed.
Also, parents, who give birth, take care, give education, provide amenities, help in settling and do many more things, deserve reimbursement by way of gratitude. In Hindu scriptures, it is clearly mentioned that this gratitude is expressed in the form of shraadha Karma and similar rituals.
c. Homo Devah: - (Deva Yajnah)
The third yajna is by offering oblations to devatas like Indra, Agni, varuna etc in homa, to express our gratitude to the natural forces and seek their blessings.
It is called Deva yajna (Deity worship). It is the worship of deities, who have provided air, water, food, shelter, clothing etc required for a living in this world.
d. Balirbhoutah: - Bhutayajna (or Vaisvadeva).
The fourth yajna is the worship of living beings by scattering grains, offering foods at the threshold for animals, birds, insects etc.
e. Nruyajnah atithi pujanam: - Respect for other humans in society.
The fifth yajna is nruyajna also called Manushya yajna (Guest worship), by which hospitality to guests, friends or even strangers and beggars is shown.
If these sacrifices, enjoined by the scripture, are duly performed, the purification of mind is effected and this helps to get true knowledge and attain self-realization.
Performing one’s prescribed duties is primary and basic in attaining the state of right knowledge. Adi Sankara emphasizes this aspect in his ‘Prasnothara ratna maalika’ in his famous statement
“Samyak Jnaanam ---, Kriyaa Sidham--”, meaning
“True knowledge is attained by performing karma alone. So, do properly Karma prescribed therein (rituals, at least the nitya karmas); by the performance of those karmas, worship the Lord, i.e. or practice “Karma Yoga”.
Thus, performing the ritual of shraadha by a householder (grihastha) becomes a part of Pitru-Yajna, the worship of the ancestral deities, to get relieved of the debt to his ancestors.
Shraadha is performed to worship three generations of Pitrus, namely the father, the grandfather and the great grandfather (or the mother, the grandmother and the great grand mother). No oblations are offered to other antecedent ancestors, because those souls would have lost touch with the current lineage. (Pitru devataas are supposed to have a different time scale. An eternal soul’s one day is equivalent to our one-year time.) That is why an anniversary (in our terms) is taken as one day for pithru karmas i.e. shraadhaas enabling the soul to have food once a day in its time scale.
The three generations who have departed are believed to be communicated through the Vasu, Rudra and Aditya devataas respectively. So, a departed father (or mother) is worshipped in Vasu rupa (form), departed grand father (or grand mother) in Rudra rupa and departed great grand father (or great grandmother) in Aditya rupa
Shraadha must be performed with faith, devotion and reverence. According to Hindu scriptures, a son who does not perform shraadha for his ancestors is an ungrateful son. The scriptures condemn such a person to a life of misery and poverty. So when a Hindu departs from this world, his descendents make ritualistic offerings as prescribed in the sacred texts so that the departed one makes further spiritual progress in other worlds also. Only after the shraadha is performed here, does the departed soul attain a position among the Pitrus or Divine Fathers in their blissful abode called Pitru-loka and join pitru ganas. Generally, it is considered the most desirable and efficacious when the shraadha is performed by a son. Ritual of shraadha should be performed, of the departed father (on the paternal side) and of the departed mother (on the maternal side). The obligation towards the departed souls is, thus, a part of one’s ordained duties, (or obligatory karma), the performance of which brings happiness not only to the departed soul, but also to him who performs it.
The final day of Pitru Paksha (the second half of the month ‘Bhaadrapada’) is the new moon day called ‘Mahaalaya Amaavaasya’. It is the day when oblations are offered to many ancestors. According to scriptures, there is a conjunction of the sun and the moon on this day and the sun enters the zodiac sign Virgo (Kanya). If the rite of shraadha is performed on one of the days in the fortnight of pitru paksha, then the subtle bodies of ancestors are considered to remain gratified for years.
At the time of death, even though the soul is separated from the body in this materialistic world, the soul is never dying. The soul experiences the results of the actions it performed along with its materialistic body. It is believed that the performance of shraadha will give a boost to the souls in the eternal world.
2. The creation of ‘Pitrus’:
The process of creation is briefly narrated in Narayanopanishad of Atharva Veda,
“Atha purushohavyi naaraayanookaamayata prajaassrujeyethi…..Naaraayane praleeyante”
The Lord Supreme manifests in the form of Hiranyagarbha and later as the Chaturmukha Brahma, the god of creation. In the process of creation, many who are vital to sustain the universe and the life in it, are born to Lord Brahma. Then, Rudra, Indra, nine Prajaapatis, twelve Adityaas, eleven Rudraas, eight Vasus, eight Dikpaalakaas, all Vedas, Ganas (Such as Amurtha, Aprakasa, Jyothishmanta etc.) fourteen Manus and others are created, who are known to form a group called Deva Ganas. Also, ten Visvee devaas are created. Sapta rishis (seven great sages) are created, to whom are born seven Pitru ganas. Pitru ganaas and Visvee devaas together are known to form a group called ‘Loka Pitrus’. They possess the power of going everywhere in Vaayu rupa (a form like air) and capable of knowing the past, present and future as well. Further, those who are born and dead and then enter Svarga (the heaven), are known to form a group called ‘Loukika Pitrus’.
The offerings made to them in their previous births would provide them strength to ascend to higher spiritual planes, ultimately to attain Brahma Loka. This is made functional through Vasu, Rudra and Aditya devataas who are Loka pitrus. Vasu, Rudra and Aditya devataas represent the Loukika pitrus during shraadha karma by entering the person in whom the Loukia pitrus are invoked. Thus, offerings given during ritual reach the invoked souls even if the pitru has taken his next birth as a human being or an animal etc., elsewhere.
Also, ten Visvee devaas, such as Pururava, Ardra, Soma, Pitrupeeta and others, born to Dharma Prajaapati (one of the nine Prajaapatis), are invoked during a shraadha karma. Visvee devaas, who have close contacts with Pitru ganaas, act as protectors of the ceremony (shraadha samrakshakas).
Thus, a group of Deva ganaas including Lord Brahma and all other gods, and another group of Visveedevaas are worshipped during the shraadha Kriya and those worshipped are believed to bestow peace, progress, prosperity and progeny to the doer of shraadha.
Thus ‘shraadha karma’ is primarily a worship of many gods, quite auspicious, not only to the person performing it, but also to the world at large.

3. The Departure of the Soul:
The path of the person after death is described in the ‘Maha Narayanopanishad”, (80, the last Anuvaka)
“Tasyaivam vidusho yajnasyaatma…. ityupanishad”,
According to it, a person who has lived a life of perfection and who dies in Uttaraayana attains over lordship of gods like Indra and then reaches identity or companionship with the sun. On the other hand he who dies during Dakshinaayana gets only greatness of the manes and then attains the identity or companionship with the moon. But he who has become a knower of Self wins further and attains the greatness of Brahman, the Supreme.
Similar statements are found in the Bhagavad-Gita,
“Yatra kaale tvanaa vrithim... Anyayaa vartate punah”. (8-23, 24, 25, 26)
“O Arjuna, now I shall describe the different paths departing by which, during death, the yogis do or do not come back. (8.23) Fire, light, daytime, the bright lunar fortnight, and the six months of the northern solstice of the sun --- departing by the path of these celestial controllers (Devas), yogis who know the Eternal Being (Brahma) attain Brahman (8.24). Smoke, night, the dark lunar fortnight, and the six months of southern solstice of the sun --- departing by these paths, the righteous person attains heaven and comes back to earth (8.25). The path of light (of spiritual practice and Self-knowledge) and the path of darkness (of materialism and ignorance) are thought to be the world’s two eternal paths. The former leads to salvation (Mukti) and the latter leads to rebirth.” (8.26)
It is believed that, at the time of death, the Jiva leaves the body. When the Jiva leaves the body, the following also leave:-a) The five senses of knowledge; (Jnaana Indriyas)b) The five senses of action; (Karma Indriyas)c) mind;d) Praana or principal vital air;e) Five gross elements(ether, air, fire, water and earth):-
It is common that the speech rests in mind. The mind thinks first and then the person speaks. So, at the time of death, it is the reverse. The power of speech stops first. He is able to think, but not able to speak. This is the first stage in the process of death. Similarly, the five senses of knowledge and the five senses of action rest in the mind. This means that his thinking function also stops. Then, he is said to become unconscious. He does not know what is happening around. But, life is still there. So, we say that the mind rests in the vital air praana. Next, the praana reaches the soul or Jiva. After this, the soul joins the five gross elements (panchabhutas), namely, ether, air, fire, water and earth, in a subtle form. Then, they all depart from the body.
We know that there are innumerable ‘naadis’ (nervous systems) in the body. Out of these, there is one special ‘naadi’, called ‘Sushumna naadi’.1) The Jiva, who is to attain moksha, passes through this special ‘naadi’.2) The Jiva, who passes through the other naadis going upwards, reaches svarga; and enjoys pleasures, in the company of ‘devas’.
When a person dies, the soul leaves the body; and depending upon the fruits of karma, the soul goes to svarga or takes on some other body or goes to ‘Paramapada’, the Ultimate Abode. When the soul goes to svarga or to some other body, all the ten senses also follow the soul. But when the soul goes to ‘Paramapada’, the senses are left behind. Suppose the individual soul or Jiva performs good and meritorious acts in this world. For the good and pious acts done in this world, and to enjoy their fruits in the other world, the Jiva, accompanied by senses and elements, as mentioned above, reaches the Heaven or Svarga. There, he (Jiva) gets a suitable body to enjoy the fruits of his good acts in the company of ‘devas’. When the fruits of his/her good acts (or the good Karma) get exhausted partly, he/she is born again in this world, along with the balance of karma in the form of ‘Vaasanaas’. The Jiva enters the clouds. Then, he/she again enters this world and falls on the earth along with the rain. There, he/she gets united with the paddy, grain etc, which is grown on the earth. The grain is eaten in the form of food by a male and then enters the womb of a female when a male and a female unite. Thus ‘Jiva’ is subsequently born in this world.
Those, who have done only bad things; and those who have not done any good things in their life, are repeatedly re-born in this world, as trees, animals, birds, and so on.

In Katha Upanishad, the conversation between Lord Yama and Nachiketa is highly enlightening to the seekers of ‘Knowledge’ (Jnaana). The answer, with analogies, given by Yama to the questions posed by Nachiketa about the life after death and existence of Atman is unique in its simplicity and depth.
Lord Yama answers,
“All Jeevas originate from the Supreme Reality, like sparks from a fire. They are pure to start with. The Jiva changes due to environment and circumstances, just like pure rain-water is contaminated coming down due to gravity. The Atman, though a passive passenger, gets involved, but still in its essence is pure. It is the contaminants which are carried by it, much as desires and actions contaminate the intellect and ego-enity.”

“Atman exists in us as the passenger. Our ego is the charioteer. The rein is the mental process and horses are our senses as well as motor organs. It is the ego which drives us either in right or wrong direction. The directions are ‘Sreya’ (good) and ‘Preya’ (pleasing). Most drive to the latter. Some, who direct the ego to the former, are fit candidates to know the Atman. Atman exists in the body and even without it. Usually people with an active conscience appreciate Atman and lead righteous life and opposite is true about people without conscience.”

“Garuda Puraana”, one of the ‘Eighteen Puranaas’ of Sage Veda Vyaasa, deals at a great length (in the second half), with the life after death.

Usually, the above (two) scriptures are recited during a period of ten days following the day of death of a person.
4. The cycle of births and deaths:
Hinduism believes in rebirth after death.
Lord Krishna, in the Bhagavad-Gita, reveals,
“Mrityuh sarva haraschaaham udbhavascha bhavishyataam”. (10-34)
“I am the all-devouring death and also the origin of future beings”
Creation and destruction are the two sides of the same reality. Creation begins with destruction and in creation there is already a seed of the destruction to come. The same is true in case of destruction. If the birth of an individual is creation, his death is destruction. It is through this repeated process of creation and destruction that the individual being evolves gradually in series and stages. According to Hinduism a soul reincarnates again and again on earth till it becomes perfect and reunites with its Source. During this process the soul enters many bodies, assumes many forms and passes through many births and deaths. This concept is summarily described in the following popular verses of the Bhagavad-Gita,
“Jaatasya hi dhruvo mrityuh, dhruvam janma mritasyacha.” (2-27)
meaning,
‘Death is certain for the born, and rebirth is inevitable for the dead’. Every mortal is bound to be reborn;
“Vaasaamsi jeernani…..navaani dehi” (2-22)
meaning,
"Just as a man discards worn out clothes and puts on new clothes, the soul casts off worn out bodies and enters new ones."
In Charpata Panjarikaa Stotram, (Bhaja Govindam), Adi Sankara cautions that suffering is a part of this endless cycle of births and deaths.
“Punarapi jananam….paahi murare”
Meaning of the sloka
“Birth unceasing, death unceasing! Ever to pass through a mother's womb, Hard to cross is the world's wide ocean Lord! Redeem me through thy mercy.”
The Jiva undergoes the cycle of innumerable births and deaths. It becomes bound to the mortal life and the laws of nature under the cover of Maaya (illusion). Death provides temporary relief, but exposes the individual Jiva to the risk of falling into greater depths of suffering.
Every individual soul possesses three bodies, namely, the gross, the subtle and causal (sthula. sukshma and kaarana sareeraas). When the soul leaves one body and enters another, all these three bodies undergo changes.
The actions of a man are responsible for the modification of the above three bodies and consequently, his nature.
At the end of each life, the physical body and the gross mind return to the elements of the earth. But the Jiva survives death. Depending upon the nature of the past deeds, and the number of subtle bodies it has developed, the Jiva either ascends to the heaven or descends to the hell. The Jiva stays in these worlds till it exhausts (many a time, partly), the fruits of its good or bad actions. Having learnt some new lessons, it then returns to the earth again to take another birth (by virtue of the balance of karma).
“Hinduism speaks of the existence of heavens above and hells below. The former are sun filled (Surya lokas), inhabited by gods and innumerable divine souls. The latter are dark worlds (Asurya lokas) and populated by all the dark and demonic forces. The individual souls go to these worlds according to their deeds. But they do not stay there permanently till the end of destruction. They go there, basically as a consequence of their actions, either to enjoy or to suffer. In either case, they learn the lesson and come back to earth to start a new earthly life all over again.”
“The Hindu concept of reincarnation is based upon the logical notion that life on earth did not emerge suddenly, but evolved gradually, involving great epochs of time and a vast multitude of beings. During this process the static consciousness of matter yielded place to the dynamic movement of life and consciousness. ‘Karma’ is the sculptor through out this grand drama. It is the correction mechanism, to carve out a deity out of an inert stone. The Jiva thus drifts, sailing in the boat of his own karma, in a sea of worldly illusion (samsaara saagarah), towards the shores of liberation, through trial and error, self effort, with the soul remaining as its silent, witnessing companion.”