Sräddha is prasädam

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Hare Krishna,

 

PAMHO, AGTSP

 

Below is significance of Sraddha-patra from Caitnaya Caritamrat and Caitnaya

Bhagavata

 

Kindly use font type 'Balarama' 'Sca Goudy' or 'Palaka' to read the text below.

 

Your servant in mission of Srila Prabhupada

nanda gopal dasa

 

CC: Antya 3.222

 

TEXT 222

tumi khäile haya koöi-brähmaëa-bhojana"

eta bali, çräddha-pätra karäilä bhojana

TRANSLATION

"Feeding you is equal to feeding ten million brähmaëas," Advaita Äcärya said.

"Therefore, accept this çräddha-pätra." Thus Advaita Äcärya made him eat.

PURPORT

Çräddha is prasädam offered to the forefathers at a certain date of the year or

month. The çräddha-pätra, or plate offered to the forefathers, is then offered

to the best of the brähmaëas in society. Instead of offering the çräddha-pätra

to any other brähmaëa, Advaita Äcärya offered it to Haridäsa Öhäkura,

considering him greater than any of the foremost brähmaëas. This act by Çré

Advaita Äcärya proves that Haridäsa Öhäkura was always situated in a

transcendental position and was therefore always greater than even the most

exalted brähmaëa, for he was situated above the mode of goodness of the

material world. Referring to the Bhakti-sandarbha, text 177, Çréla

Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura quotes the following statements from the

Garuòa Puräëa in this connection:

brähmaëänäà sahasrebhyaù satra-yäjé viçiñyate

satra-yäji-sahasrebhyaù sarva-vedänta-päragaù

sarva-vedänta-vit-koöyä viñëu-bhakto viçiñyate

vaiñëavänäà sahasrebhya ekänty eko viçiñyate

"A brähmaëa qualified to offer sacrifices is better than an ordinary brähmaëa,

and better than such a brähmaëa is one who has studied all the Vedic

scriptures. Among many such brähmaëas, one who is a devotee of Lord Viñëu is

the best, and among many such Vaiñëavas, one who fully engages in the service

of the Lord is the best."

bhaktir añöa-vidhä hy eñä yasmin mlecche 'pi vartate

sa viprendro muni-çreñöhaù sa jïäné sa ca paëòitaù

tasmai deyaà tato grähyaà sa ca püjyo yathä hariù

"There are many different kinds of devotees, but even a Vaiñëava coming from a

family of mlecchas or yavanas is understood to be a learned scholar, complete

in knowledge, if he knows the Vaiñëava philosophy. He should therefore be given

charity, for such a Vaiñëava is as worshipable as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead."

na me 'bhaktaç catur-vedé mad-bhaktaù çva-pacaù priyaù

tasmai deyaà tato grähyaà sa ca püjyo yathä hy aham

Lord Kåñëa says, "Even if a nondevotee comes from a brähmaëa family and is

expert in studying the Vedas, he is not very dear to Me, whereas even if a

sincere devotee comes from a low family of meat-eaters, he is very dear to Me.

Such a sincere pure devotee should be given charity, for he is as worshipable

as I."

 

 

CB: Adi 15:10

 

TEXT 110

tabe çeñe sarva-äpta-gaëera sahite

vasilena nändémukha-karmädi karite

Thereafter He sat with His family members to perform the Nandimukha ceremony.

The word nändémukha-karma is a combination of nändé-"glorification" or "good

fortune" and mukha-"principle" or nändé-"auspicious" and mukha-"beginning."

This ceremony is an elaboration of çräddha, or offerings to the forefathers.

The offerings are made to one's (1) father, paternal grandfather, paternal

great grandfather, maternal grandfather, maternal great grandfather, and

maternal great great grandfather, as well as one's (2) mother, maternal

grandmother, maternal great grandmother, maternal great great grandmother,

paternal grandmother, and paternal great grandmother. When one offers oblations

for their satisfaction, it is called Nandimukha-karma. It also refers to the

beginning of an auspicious ceremony or an extended çräddha ceremony. A compiler

of the småtis has stated: "One should properly offer oblations to the

forefathers through the rituals called Nandimukha. A householder should worship

the forefathers through the ritual called Nandimukha on auspicious days such as

the occasion of the marriage of ones or daughters, the formal entry into a

newly built house, the name-giving ceremony of a child, the hair-cutting

ceremony, the garbadhana ceremony, and the ceremony of seeing the face of one's

son for the first time.

Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, the author of Vaiñëava småtis, has written in his

Sat-kriyä-sära-dépikä: "Vaiñëavas should not perform this ceremony out of fear

of committing offenses against the holy names. In order to satisfy one's

forefathers one should remember Lord Viñëu, worship the spiritual master, and

give cloth and foodstuffs in charity to the Vaiñëavas and brähmaëas according

to one's ability. In this way one's forefathers will be satisfied."