Ankit: Swamiji parnam, Shri Krishna Gita me kahte hai ki atma ko karm ke anusar gati milti hai , marne ke sare riste nate finish ho jate hai to phir shradh, pinddan, kyo karte hai?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this regard, I paste my articles below:-
Offerings to departed soul
According to Yajurveda mantra 40/15, the last religious deed is daah karma (cremation) i.e., when dead body has been placed on pyre and burnt thereafter only the ashes are to be thrown in a flowing water. After that no deed is left to be done. However, Vedas tell that one should perform Yajyen. So, for the departed soul, we can only perform Yajyen every year which gives pious result and which is even the best worship of God. Next birth is totally based on our good or bad deeds as is also stated in Rigveda mantra 10/135/1 to 6. We are free to do good or bad deeds but the result is awarded by God as per Yajurveda mantra 7/48.
There is no other way to provide any offerings such as water, til, food, etc. to the departed souls as per Vedas. You see soul is totally dependent. Soul eats with mouth, sees with eyes, listen with ears, etc., and when whole body of the departed soul has been burnt on pyre and soul has taken next birth according to deeds then how the water , til or food can be taken by the departed soul. As stated above, after cremation, no deed is left to be done.
So pitr pooja, etc. is not according to Vedas. However, amongst five Yajyen –a daily Yajyen named Balivaishvadev Yajyen is performed in married life by the family. In the said Yajyen, a small portion of prepared food is placed on paper and is placed in open space where any bird/animal takes the same easily.
Anna Daan/Shradh to departed soul
Vedas are eternal knowledge which emanate direct from God at the beginning of every universe. Being the knowledge direct from God, each statement of Ved mantra is also eternal truth.
Thirty-ninth chapter of Yajurved states about death. The soul when leaves the human body remains under control of a divine air named “Sutratma vayu”. Mantras tell that after wandering unconsciously for thirteen days in the space and planets like Sun, moon, etc., soul comes again on this earth inside the vegetation. Then either the soul enters the male living being’s body according to pious deeds and sins through pores or is duly mixed within vegetation and taken by a male person. Then the soul takes rebirth through parents.
This process is an eternal truth. However, if soul is religious and has done hard tapasya then the soul gets salvation. Only soul has to face the result of previous lives’ deeds through living being’s body. Since soul is alive whereas body is non-alive matter. So body does not face the result of deeds. When soul has gone out of body then how the soul will see, hear, taste, smell or touch or will be benefited of any pious deed etc.? therefore Vedas do not tell about the present system of shradh etc.
However, the pious deeds done to remember the departed soul by means of devotion or organising the holy Yajyen with Ved mantras, its result never goes in vain and the family is benefited.
Departed soul never meets again please. Even departed soul, when take rebirth, forgets every event of his previous life. As regards dreams Atharvaved states that dreams of departed soul are not good so it is in your interest and welfare that you do not see dreams.
MeiKam: Dear Guruji, Is that a must we take bath before doing holy name jaap, yoga and havan in morning? What’s the benefit of morning bath? Should we take a bath at night too? Thanks!
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. To go to washroom for daily activities brushing teeth and washing hands, mouth and feet etc., is essential if bath is not taken, it improves the health, makes good circulation of blood improves digestion etc., it is upto you and depends on circumstances.