Anonymous: What is Shradh function?
Swami Ram Swarup: In Vedas, Shradh function is not celebrated.
SHRADH
At the time of death, the soul comes out of the body and when a person is dead, his body is burnt on pyre. When soul resides in human body, person uses his mouth to eat, ear to listen, eye to see, hand to work, legs to move etc. Now the body has been burnt and the soul remains alone. Alone soul can do nothing but remains in the stage of Sushupt i.e., like in coma. Then after thirteen days, the soul takes rebirth. So how the dead person would eat the food which is made for him during Shradh. So Shradh is not mentioned in Vedas. Vedic meaning of Shradh is to serve the alive parents and elders by providing them with food, bedding and necessary goods etc., faithfully and lovingly.
Soul is alive, the purest, away from sins etc. but illusion covers the soul due to which soul forgets his original form and hence remains in sorrows, problems etc.
MeiKam: Dear Guruji, Regarding the classification of animals on the basis of their food habits, there are four widely known categories: Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores and Frugivores. However, there’s an endless debate when it comes to the human species. According to your preaching, human beings are vegetarian as per the order of God. Then human beings should be categorized as Herbivores or Frugivores? Thank you very much!
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you all, beti. Human-beings may be categorized as herbivores.
