Rituals to ancestors & food to crows! What if an ancestor had got moksha?
Actual Question from two devotees:
(i) Rashmi Jawahire:
Hello Prabhuji,koti koti pranam.My name is Rashmi Jawahire, I have read all ur articles. l am a great fan of yours, your articles are life changing sir. Thank you very much sir for spreading such spiritual knowledge which is must. My question is that after death a retual is followed by Hindus of crow touching the pind..it is said that crow on the behalf of that atma touch the pind, if crow touches, it is said that all desires of that dead person is fulfilled, and if not than his desires or wishes are not completed…Sir is this true. Plzz ignore my mistakes sir ..Thank u.
(ii) Sarvajivesvari Madhavi Devi Dasi asked like this:
“Hare krishna prabhuji if crows eat that means the eating of ur mother but how? If ur mother got Liberation how can she satisfy by eating crows?? ★Can u pls tell the basic rules like offering food or going to temple which should be done by the devotees after the death of any family member?? ★if the devotee get liberation then why should do rituals for year after year??”
REPLY:
What you have written is the practice followed in India about the Rituals to ancestors & food to crows.
Actually, when a person dies, the following turns of events happen:
(1) He resides with Sukshma body in our house for 12 days. On the 12 th day, he starts his journey to Yamaloka.
(What are the Sutak Rituals for deceased persons? READ HERE!)
(2) He reaches Yama Loka after one earth year.
(3) After enquiries, he spends a certain period in heaven and/ or hell according to his past karma.
(4) After that short period, he is kept in the Pitru Loka with a temporary body for certain years till he gets a suitable body to take birth again according to his past karma. It may take even 100 earth years to get a new body. For some souls, they will get early.
(5) During this period of living in Pitru loka (say for 1, 10, 20, 30, …..or even 100 years) they are allowed to visit earth on certain days as a short visit to see his kiths and kins.
(What are the rituals to ensure good status of my deceased father? READ HERE!)
Such days are: Once in a year during (i) Mahalaya Paksha Period that includes Mahalaya Amavasya and (ii) His thithi in which he died. During monthly Amavasya, he will expect our water and food from Pitru Loka itself.
(6) Our one earth year is equal to one day in Pitru Loka, heavens, hells, Indra Loka, Brahma loka, etc. Therefore, if we offer water for every Amavasya, it is equal to offering water to the ancestors for twelve times a day in Pitru loka.
Similarly, if we offer food during Mahalaya Amavasya and His thithi of death, ie, twice a year on earth, is equal to offering food two times a day in the pitru loka.
(7) Thus, they get their regular food (twice a day) and water (12 times a day) in Pitru loka.
(8) If we do not offer our ancestors water or food on those days, they will be starving there and get biksha from other souls. Their pains in pitru loka is believed to affect the generations on earth.
(9) This will reflect as Pitru Dosha in the horoscope of our children. It will reflect as Pitru dosha in our next birth also.
(TRIPAD DOSHA – COMPLETE DETAILS – REMEDIES! READ HERE!)
(10) Therefore, we should have a duty of offering water as THARPANA on every Amavasya and as Pinta on every annual death thithi and Mahalaya Amavasya. This is the main purpose of these Rituals to ancestors & food to crows.
Many devotees of Krishna have a view that Krishna devotees need not do such rituals for dead persons. But, all can’t avoid them. There are certain conditions for avoiding such rituals. UNTIL WE SUCCESSFULLY DESERT MATERIAL ATTACHMENTS, WE HAVE TO DO THESE RITUALS TO ANCESTORS & FOOD TO CROWS.
Crows are the representatives of our ancestors and they are the representatives of Shani Planet (Satturn) also.
When the crows touched the Pinta we offered on annual thithi or on Mahalaya Amavasya or during 12 days after death, that means, our ancestors have eaten directly since they will be here during those days.
When the crows eat our food, our ancestors feel as if they too have eaten.
If they eat, they will not get moksha, but, will not be punished much in hells and they may get immunity from hellish punishments. And, they may be rewarded with heavenly life for having cultivated his son to perform all the rituals for deceased parents.
(What is the need of hells since we forget our sins while after death? READ HERE!)
Moksha is possible only of we detach from material affairs. Not through mere rituals. Heavens can be attained and hells can be avoided because of rituals. Moksha is the end of our birth and death. Therefore, it requires total surrender of our attachments to Krishna.
WHAT IF THE DECEASED PERSON HAD ATTAINED MUKTI OR MOKSHA OR GOT REBIRTH?
We follow the rituals to ancestors & food to crows. Ok. But, where will the food go if the ancestors had got moksha?
Nothing is lost. If the ancestors are in the Pitru loka, the food that we offer to the crows will give satisfaction to the ancestors.
If the ancestors had got rebirth, the food that we offer to the crows will make their new life still happier and their negativity will come down in their new life.
(HOW CAN A SON LIBERATE HIS ANCESTORS FROM BIRTH & DEATH? READ HERE!)
In case the ancestors had attained salvation (Mukti) or Moksha (Going back to the Godhead), our Rituals to ancestors & food to crows will not go waste. Because when our ancestors get moksha, we too will get liberated from the material bondage because seven generations are also liberated as per the scriptures . So, we too will not have further births. Since we have stopped rebirth, why should we bother about where the food goes or where the annual rituals go? If we do not offer anything to the crows, we will make the ancestors sad if they had not attained moksha or mukti. But, if we offer food to the crows and do annual rituals, that will atleast make the crows and brahmanas satisfied. Though our ancestors are not there to receive the food, let the crows eat them and get satisfied. Instead of not offering at all, offering will make atleast the crows satisfied. Our scriptures say that we are indebted even to other living beings as we get many benefits from other living beings such as cows, bulls, etc. So, it is good to reciprocate by offering some food to the crows. Even the rangoli drawn outside our home using the rice flour is primarily meant to be eaten by the ants. Not just for attraction.
Thus, offering food to the crows or annual rituals will make our ancestors happy if they are at Pitru loka or had taken next birth. In case they had got moksha, the crows will get satisfied.
Hope you are clear about all the cases of the Rituals to ancestors & food to crows
(GHOSTS &PITARS (ANCESTORS/ FOREFATHERS) IN PITRU LOKA – DIFFERENCES! READ HERE!)