| Saṁskāras | Questions and answers

Can we do sevā if a close family member dies or is born?

Questioner: Devotee

Date: 2022-12-02

Jayapatākā Swami: You see in Guruvayūr the head priest or Nambhūthirī is not told if his close relative has passed away.

So he is not affected.

The questions is: if you are affected, if you are lamenting, then it is not good to go before the Deities.

If you are not affected,

then the aśauca period is considered to be less.

I mean like for the brāhmaṇas something like 11 days and śudras 30 days or something.

Vaiṣṇavas are considered to be detached, considered to be on the brahmanical platform.

That you can see your consciousness, how you feel.

I was just wondering that how does the soul may actually can surpass after the death how to help the soul to get back to Kṛṣna?

Questioner: Anonymous

Date: 2022-07-23

Jayapatākā Swami: How does it help? Well, the, that’s just like a special mercy given.

The whatever connection is there between the subtle body and the soul and the previous body,

remains of the previous body that it was in, when it was put into the Ganges so that any, its freed from so many karmas.

It’s just a special facility given.

Just like the son offers worship to the deceased father by offering prasāda of Viṣṇu.

In case the father or mother are in some hellish condition due to their mistakes,

but because the child is offering them viṣṇu-prasāda, say they are stuck somewhere as a ghost,

they get kṛṣṇa-prasāda, then that elevates them out of that hellish condition.

So putting their ashes in the Ganges also has an effect like that.

Person may not have been able to die in the holy dhāma, but then somehow it’s like that.

After the fact, that type of effect is brought in.

That the person, individual person concerned himself can’t do.

That means that the off spring or some well-wisher has to do that.

So that gives an opportunity for a loved one to try to do something to spiritually help a deceased person after they are already gone from that body.

It’s too late for that person to do anything.

They are already on to the next position.

Yes?

Category: [Saṁskāras / Antima-saṁskāras]