PRAYER FOR DEPARTED SOULS

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OM

GURUR BRAHMA GURUR VISNU GURUR DEVO MAHESHVARAH

GURURH SAKSHAT PARAM BRAHM TASMAI SRI GURVE NAMAH

OM NAMAH SIVAYA

OM NAMAH SIVANANDAYA

 

Blessed Self,

 

I am sure by now you must have heard about the tragic events that took

place in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. Thousands of

people are undergoing untold suffering. Let us all offer the Sri Maha

Mrityunjaya Mantra to the Lord for the peace of all those who have

been affected.

 

Om tryambakam yajamahe

sugandhim pushtivardhanam

uurvarukamiva bandhanaan

mrityor mukshiya maamritaat.

 

MEANING

 

We worship the three-eyed One (Lord Siva) Who is fragrant and Who

nourishes well all beings; may He liberate us from death for the sake

of immortality even as the cucumber is severed from its bondage (to

the creeper).

 

An audio version of this chant by Sri Swami Satchidanandaji is at:

http://www.yogaville.org/mantras.html

 

 

PRAYER FOR DEPARTED SOULS

ITS PURPOSE AND PRE-REQUISITES

by

Swami Krishnananda

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_32.html

 

 

 

PRAYER FOR DEPARTED SOULS

ITS PURPOSE AND PRE-REQUISITES

(Forest University Lecture given on All-Soul's Day, 1952)

Our salutations, adorations and prostrations to all those who

have gone ahead of us, who have gained more experience and who are

before us as ideal beacon lights in life. Today we offer our

adorations to all those who are not visible to our physical eyes, but

who lived on this earth-plane and who now experience a different

state of consciousness. We offer our gratitude to all those who have

gone before us and shown us the path.

 

By the remembrance of all souls, we mean the remembrance of

everything that is created. It does not necessarily mean those who

exist in a Preta condition, in the astral body; but those who have

abandoned their physical body and who have taken another physical

body also receive our prayers. Those who exist in Swarga Loka receive

our prayers, those who live in Gandharva Loka, and all those who

experience pain and suffering also receive our prayers. Our prayers

reach up to Brahma Loka and the Surya Mandala, because our prayers

are the expressions of our soul-consciousness.

 

You know there are various kinds of human beings. Similarly,

there are various kinds of departed souls. There are some people who

feel that it is very difficult to understand how the efforts of a

person in this world can influence the conditions and experiences of

a person in the other world. This doubt arises on account of lack of

understanding and lack of knowledge. We must know that the Universe

is an organic whole. It is not a dead matter. It is vibrating with

energy, life and consciousness. The Universe is one whole. If

anything happens to any part of my body, the whole body feels it. So

is the case with everything in this universe. Every atom of this

universe is connected with every other atom in this universe. Planes

are only relative; they are not absolute values. They are valid only

to individuals. Hence an act or a thought or a feeling which is

originated at any particular part of the universe shall influence

others also with that degree of intensity with which it is generated.

If the prayer is intense, it will be felt there in a corresponding

degree of intensity.

 

The act of Sraddha is an example. When we offer foodstuffs or

other articles which are all used in the name of the departed soul,

we mean they should be received by the person "there". In this world

of materialism, people who have no belief in the higher values doubt

the validity of this act. How does a physical act in this world

influence a subtle body that is in another world?

 

This may be explained by a modern analogy. Take, for example,

telegraphic conveyance of money. If a person wants to send a money

order, he just pays the required amount to the Post Office in his own

town and wishes that this amount should be received by the person

concerned at some other distant place. Now, that same money is not

received by the other person. It is here itself. The Post Office in

the other town receives the intelligence of the sender's wish. Only

the feeling, the understanding, is conveyed, and that works wonders.

The intelligence causes a corresponding action to take place there.

The person receives the amount at that distant place.

 

The same is the case with Sraddha. The Pinda that is left here

is left here. It is the symbol of an internal feeling, of a bhava.

Sraddha is something more than mechanical action. It is an act of

prayer with bhava and feeling. We must not underrate our thoughts and

feelings. Our thoughts are omnipotent. Every thought will fructify,

today or tomorrow, in this form or another form. When we do charity

in the name of a departed soul, this intelligence is conveyed to him

through the planes of consciousness. The pitris receive there what we

give here, because we transmit an intelligence to those who are in

charge of the person concerned that such and such a thing should be

given to the person there. That great selfless act of sacrifice in

the name of the departed soul gives wonderful benefit to him. This is

possible on account of the unity of the universe, because of the

omnipotence of God, because He is the Sovereign of the universe,

because He is the dispenser of justice with His Supreme Wisdom.

 

Just as there are various kinds of men, there are various

kinds of departed souls; so various prayers of different intensities

are offered. Take the human beings alone. All human beings are not in

the same stage of evolution. We have "animal men" - those who have

human bodies but animal qualities. Then we have men superior to them,

ordinary men, who are not bad, but are not good either. That is the

second stage. Thirdly, we have good men; they are virtuous. Superior

to them we have saintly men; they are not merely good, they have

started to unfold the divine consciousness. Lastly we have divine men

or Godmen. These various kinds of people reach different conditions

and have different experiences when they leave the physical body. Of

course, those who are Self-realised are not in need of our prayers.

They themselves are very powerful. Their Self-experience and

Knowledge are so powerful, so great and so valuable, that they will

help themselves. But all are not saints, all are not God-men. Those

who have not reached this stage require the help of others.

 

 

 

Soul's Journey after Death

Our Puranas and Itihasas say that the soul after death passes

through different experiences. It is said that an ordinary person in

whom there is a mixture of good and evil, when he dies, is taken to

Yama-Loka in the beginning. If his evil traits preponderate, he will

be taken to Yama-Loka. Scriptures further say that an ordinary person

does not remember his past experiences. He is in a state of swoon the

moment he casts off the physical body. Our prayers give him

consciousness. They give him fresh energy and solace. Because he is

not a virtuous man, he is suffering; our acts of sacrifice shall be

beneficial to him. Even when the person goes to Yama-Loka he will be

helped there by our acts of sacrifice. But a person who has read the

Vedas, who has led a virtuous life, remembers his past experiences;

others do not. In the latter case, the Puranas say that a Danda

called the Yama-Danda is kept on the head of such a person so that he

may remember his past life. It is described as a burning iron rod. At

once, he remembers all his past life on earth. Then the Dispenser of

Justice puts the question: "You have done so many evil deeds. What do

you intend to do about them?" Then, it is said, the soul gives the

reply: "I have got my relatives. They are capable of doing what is

good for me. They will perform all the expiations on my behalf, and

then I shall free myself from all these experiences of pain." Then it

is said that the soul is sent back to the earth. It takes about 12

days. That is why we perform the ceremony on the eleventh and twelfth

days here. The soul is brought back to the earth and it is made to

watch what is happening there. Before that time the body should be

buried or burnt. Because attachment to the body is so much that the

very perception of the corpse will create a desire in the soul to

enter it once again; but those who are in charge of it will not allow

this - and this would be a condition of great suffering. And, so, on

the 11th and 12th days we should offer prayers, perform Havanas, do

charity etc.

 

Generally, we perform a Yagna for the peace of the soul and

for the satisfaction of all those who are in charge of the soul.

Otherwise, it will not be able to experience the things that are sent

from here. First of all, a certain Bali (an offering of boiled rice,

etc.) is offered, which is for the satisfaction of Yama. It is said

that this act will satisfy Yama and He will free it from bondage. It

is necessary that the soul should be purged of the evil deeds it has

done. So Bhagavata-Saptaha, and such sacrifices and Yagnas are

performed. Then we are told that the soul is released from Yama-Loka

and it goes to Rudra-Loka and there it becomes one of the Ganas of

Rudra-Loka. In order that it may be released from that place, we have

to perform the Rudra Yagna. Then Rudra releases it from the state of

Gana and it shines in a lustrous body and goes to Brahma-Loka. It is

initiated into the divine mysteries by Brahma Himself and it attains

Moksha.

 

So gradually the soul which is not very virtuous, which has

not done any good deeds on earth is also enabled to reach the higher

planes of consciousness through our acts of prayers and sacrifice.

 

 

 

Weep Not for the Dead

In this connection we must remember that the pains which are

experienced by the departed souls are intensified by the sufferings

and the grief expressed by those who are on earth. The scriptures

emphatically say that, after the death of a person, no teardrop of

grief should fall to the ground from anybody's eyes. It does not in

any way help the departed soul. On the other hand, even a soul which

is about to enter heaven will be brought back if his people are

crying here. No one should, therefore, weep or cry; but everyone must

pray for the peace of the departed soul. The person who has left the

body can be given whatever he needs from here. Study of scriptures is

a great help, offering of prayers, performing havanas and doing

charitable deeds, and even contemplation on God for his sake - all

these are of great use. When a person meditates on God, for the sake

of the peace of the departed soul, it is said that it will be enabled

even to attain Moksha. The knowledge of the Guru is powerful enough

to enter the heart of the disciple to dispel his ignorance; even so

is the relation between the person existing here and the departed

soul. For the sake of the departed soul we can meditate. It is

possible to send our powerful currents of concentration and

meditation to enable it to reach higher states of consciousness. For

this sake, we must bear in mind that we are part and parcel of the

universe, even as the departed souls are; and there is not much

difference between the person who exists in a physical body and one

who exists in an astral or some other kind of body.

 

 

 

Glory of Prayer for All Souls

 

Our prayers are capable of producing an effect immediately.

Our prayers are expressions of soul-consciousness. The prayers should

be absolutely selfless. It is necessary that the idea of personal

relationship should be removed when such prayers are offered. When

such relationship is kept up, the prayer becomes slightly tinged with

selfishness and loses its value. We must offer prayers for all souls

with an impartial attitude. Only then will it be extremely powerful

and bring the desired result. We offer prayers not because we want

anything in return for the prayers, but because we wish to radiate

peace in the universe. When collective Sadhana is done, when all

people sit together and pray for the sake of the departed souls, it

brings peace to everyone in this world, even the person who has

departed and taken birth again - in fact, all living people will be

benefited. Everyone's life will become peaceful and everyone will

lead a happy life, on account of our charitable acts. It is really

praying for the peace of the whole universe. So, this offering of

prayers on this sacred All-Souls' Day is our attempt to bring peace

to the universe and to realise in our practical life the oneness that

is at the background of all phenomena. We are all one, whether we are

in the physical body or astral body; each should be grateful to the

other; each should pray for the other; each should wish the good and

happiness of the other, so that the whole universe will be a heaven

of peace, a resting place of divine consciousness.

 

 

Pranam

 

OM