Forefathers for twenty-one generations are liberated.

[Guest guest]

> Dear Maharaja,

> Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All

> glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

> I humbly request you to kindly let me know the following:

>

> In the Srimad Bhagavatam-Seventh Canto-Chapter 10 entitled "Prahlada, the

> Best Among Exalted Devotees" Srila Prabhupada states in the summary that

> in the family of a pure devotee the forefathers for twenty-one generations

> are liberated.

>

> How do we understand this since one's forefathers may be in any species of

> life according to their Karma and in any of the fourteen planetary systems

> like Pitrloka,etc. Will they be liberated after completing their duration

> of life or how.

>

> Also is it the same for any devotee who goes back to Godhead, will his

> forefathers for 21 generations be liberated.

>

> HARIBOL/Haresh.

 

 

1.Question submitted by Hari Haresh das: In SB 7.10 ("Prahlad: The Best of

My Exalted Devotees) Srila Prabhupada in the summary states that in the

family of a pure devotee, the forefathers for twenty-seven generations are

liberated. How do we understand this, as our forefathers may be in any

species of life according to their karma in any of the fourteen planetary

systems like Pitr loka etc? Will they be liberated after completing their

duration of their life? Also is it the same for any devotee who goes back to

Godhead? Will his forefathers for twenty-one generations be liberated?

 

Response by HH JPS: So in chapter 10, verse 18 where Narasimha Deva explains

Prahlad, "O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with

twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family,

the entire dynasty has been purified." Srila Prabhupada in the purport says

the word, trih-saptabhih means seven multiplied by three. In one's family

one can count back four or five generations--to one's great-grandfather or

even one's great-grandfather's father--but since the Lord mentions

twenty-one forefathers, this indicates that the benediction expands to other

families also. Before the present family in which one has taken birth, one

must have been born in other families. Thus when a Vaisnava takes birth in a

family, by the grace of the Lord he purifies not only that family but also

the families of his previous births. Trih-saptabhih normally it says that

thirteen generations are liberated; seven before and seven after. For that

is the common thing. So the seven forefathers and the seven generations. But

in the case of Prahlad it was Trih-saptabhih, previous three births and the

seven generations of which of those three births were also liberated. As far

as this question do not be worried about where those people are whether they

have to finish out their bug birth or their pitra loka births-Krishna will

organize all that. The point is that they are going to be liberated.

 

Your well wisher always,

 

 

 

Jayapataka Swami

 

 

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