20 Jun 2013
[Shri Surya asked since the father, the departed soul, gave his property to his son, the charity done by the son also must affect the father, the departed soul. Hence, the ritual performed for the departed soul must also protect the departed soul. Given below is Shri Swami’s response.]
Parents Expect Property to Be Enjoyed by Children: It is true that in the ritual, the aim (Sankalpa) is revealed as that this ritual is done for the departed soul to attain the abode of God (Brahma loka) apart from the welfare of the self. But, on actual analysis, such effect is very little and can be considered almost nil. The departed soul gave his property to his son due to the blind strongest bond for his son (Putreshana). The aim of the father is that the given property should be enjoyed by his son, grandson etc., as a chain. The aim of the father is never that his son should do the charity. If such aim existed in his mind, he might have himself done it during his life time. After the transaction, the son becomes the sole proprietor of the property. The son has full options to do the charity or to enjoy the entire property without any charity. In such case, if the son does the charity, the total credit should go to his son only. Every deed has a specified result and the fruit of the deed is always connected to the doer only as per the ruling of God. The son, being a limited human being, has no power to meddle with the divine system at any place. It is said that the doer alone must reap the fruit of his deed even after crores of births (Kalpakoti Shatairapi…). The doer, a limited human being, may express his wish as the aim of the ritual. But, the aim need not be fulfilled if it is not sanctioned by God as per the norms of the divine mechanism of deeds (Karma Chakra) set by Him. The human being has no power to fulfill his aim and finally, the divine mechanism alone takes care of everything.
The father may insist the son to do the rituals as per the tradition. The reason for such instruction is not the charity to be done to a deserving person. The only reason is that every human being fears that it may become ghost (Pishacha) if the traditional rituals are not performed after his death. Such fear alone provokes the charity. Otherwise, none wishes to do the charity. Therefore, the charity insisted by the father based on the fear cannot protect him after death. Even the son does the charity in order to blindly protect the departed parents or for welfare of his family. Therefore, the charity becomes a waste even if it is done to deserving person due to impure aim of the deed. Moreover, added to this defect, another clear defect is added, which is the lack of deserving receiver. The present commercial priests do not at all deserve. Hence, the ritual is totally wasted. You call all your relatives without analyzing their defects and merits. Most of the relatives are undeserving like the commercial priests. Therefore, the total ritual becomes useless even though the son has good intention to do good charity. The deserving person is the life of the ritual. The deservingness of the human incarnation is highest, which is beyond our imagination. If you are lucky to get the God in human form, the generated power of the fruit is also wonderful that it protects not only the doer but also all the forefathers. But, such occasion is very rare. Therefore, do not be hasty in doing the ritual on a specified date only involving undeserving receivers. Such ritual generates negative results and it is better not to do such ritual.
Whenever the deserving receiver is available, perform the ritual irrespective of the specified dates because our ultimate aim is the positive result and not the negative result. If there is Sun-eclipse on the specified date, the ritual is postponed to a further date. For such small reason, if the postponement is allowed, why not for the biggest reason, which is the entire essence of the ritual? You hurriedly bring some bridegroom to your daughter, since the priest told that a particular day (Muhurtam) is best. You must first search the suitable bridegroom for your daughter and then only approach the priest for the auspicious day to perform the marriage.
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