BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:41

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 1:41

 

sankaro narakayaiva

kula-ghnanam kulasya ca

patanti pitaro hy esam

lupta-pindodaka-kriyah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sankarah--such unwanted children; narakaya--make for hellish life;

eva--certainly; kula-ghnanam--for those who are killers of the family;

kulasya--for the family; ca--also; patanti--fall down;

pitarah--forefathers; hi--certainly; esam--of them; lupta--stopped;

pinda--of offerings of food; udaka--and water; kriyah--performances.

 

TRANSLATION

 

An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life both

for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. The

ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances

for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.

 

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 the Bhagavatam

(11.5.41):

 

devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam

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." Such obligations are automatically fulfilled by

performance of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.