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Bhagavad-gītā 1.41
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 41
- सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।
- पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥४१॥
- saṅkaro narakāyaiva
- kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca
- patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ
- lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ
saṅkaraḥsuch unwanted children — such unwanted children; narakāyamake for hellish life — make for hellish life; evacertainly — certainly; kulafor those who are killers of the family-ghnānāmfor those who are killers of the family — for those who are killers of the family; kulasyafor the family — for the family; caalso — also; patantifall down — fall down; pitaraḥforefathers — forefathers; hicertainly — certainly; eṣāmof them — of them; luptastopped — stopped; piṇḍaof offerings of food — of offerings of food; udakaand water — and water; kriyāḥperformances — performances.
An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.
According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by worship of Viṣṇu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Viṣṇu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasādam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery. It is stated in the Bhāgavatam (SB 11.5.41, Not yet available in the library. Try the live source.):
- devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇāṁ
- na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
- sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
- gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
"Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers." Such obligations are automatically fulfilled by performance of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.