I
will conclude this article by mentioning a final variation
to the sraddha process, which
is based on the ancient Pancaratra tradition whose influence can be readily seen in the
Mahabharata some of the Puranas.
A
follower of Visnu is enjoined to perform the
sraddha rites with the remnants
of food first offered to Visnu. The Padma-purana
enjoins that deities other than Visnu and the
fathers may be propitiated with food that has been
first offered to Visnu. In that same text Narada
says, "Following the ordinances of the Sattvata
School, the devotees first worshiped Visnu,
the God of gods, and with the remnants of such food
worshiped the fathers." In the Brahmanda-purana
it is enjoined that the father's remain gratified
for thousands of kalpas with rice cakes mixed
with sacred blossoms of tulasi, prepared
with the remnants of food offered with devotion to
Visnu. In the Skanda-purana,
Siva says, "Food should first be offered
to Visnu and then the very same food should
be distributed to the minor deities and the fathers."
In the Purusottama-khanda of
that same text, it is stated, "For avoiding defilement,
the remnants of food offered to Visnu should
be mixed with the rice cakes to be offered to the
fathers. Food is rendered pure when sprinkled with
the waters of the tulasi and when mixed
with the food offered to Visnu." In the
course of a conversation between Brahma and
Narada it has been made clear that the worship
of Visnu alone is capable of releasing the
fathers from the suffering of hell." It is even
stated that the performance of the sraddha
rite is useless in the age of Kali without first
worshipping Visnu.
This
series of quotations from various Puranas reflects
the Pancaratrika idea that through a person's
sole reliance on Visnu all things that a human
being would otherwise have to do alone could be accomplished
through the grace of God. The successful outcome of
the sraddha process was therefore,
not dependant on the power of the ritual, the expertise
of the priest, precise timing, and availability of
the articles, etc. but upon God alone. This approach
involved the 'handing over' of the fate of the soul
to God.
According
to this approach, food or water that is offered to
the pitrs is first offered to Visnu
and thereby transformed into visnu-prasada.
The word prasada means "mercy"
or "grace." Thus visnu-prasada
is God's grace. This prasada of Visnu
is then offered to the pitrs, who now
receive God's grace instead of mere food or water.
In this way, the grace of God has the power to elevate
and sustain the pitrs in a manner that
no human power can match. In the case of a homa
or havan, a ritual performed with fire, the
fire is used as the "delivery system" by
which Visnu is first offered food. This food
offering, which is now God's grace, is then offered
to the pitrs through the fire. It is
thus Agnideva, the fire God, who acts as the link
between this world and the world of the pitrs.
Psychologically
this approach to the sraddha process
is very satisfying to grieving family members. The
invocation of God's grace to reach beyond human endeavor
is indeed powerful.
Copyright © Sanskrit
Religions Institute 2003.
All rights reserved.
