Shraddha and Punarjanma: Understanding the Apparent Contradiction - Karma, Rebirth and Shraddha: How Does the Offering Reach the Ancestor?
Hinduism teaches the theory of karma and punarjanma.
According to this, a person who dies in this world is born again, either in
this world or in some other abode of existence. Where he is born depends on his
karma, that is, his actions. This cycle continues until he attains moksha, or
freedom from rebirth, through spiritual wisdom.
Now a doubt comes naturally. In the shraddha rite, the
descendant offers pindas, or rice-balls, to his departed father, grandfather
and great-grandfather. If the ancestor has already taken another birth, what
certainty is there that the essence of the offering reaches him and gives him
sustenance? This question is not new. It has been discussed and debated even in
the smritis and allied works.
The Main Answer of the Scriptures
Shraddha unfolds as a journey of two directions. Initially, the sacred rite provides the emotional confirmation that the soul has departed its earthly vessel. Beyond that, it is a gesture of enduring compassion—a way for the living to offer spiritual sustenance and a helping hand, ensuring the departed soul finds safety and peace wherever their path may lead.
A person who was once with us in bodily form is no longer physically present with us. They have now embarked on a journey without us. Shraddha is our way of expressing that we care, offering our prayers, and sending our strength and love to them in which ever state of being they are in.
The first and principal reply is that the shastras are the
final authority on matters which are beyond the reach of the sense organs. We
cannot see with our eyes where the ancestor is now, nor can we test it in a
laboratory. So one has to trust the scriptures and do as they direct, in the
same way a person trusts a doctor's prescription without knowing the chemistry
of each medicine.
How the Offering Reaches: The Role of the Pitru Devatas
According to the scriptures, the offerings are received by
special classes of deities called Vasus, Rudras and Adityas. They are the
guardians of the pitrus, the ancestors. These deities transmit the essence of
the offering to the concerned person in a form that suits his present level of
existence. So:
- If the
ancestor is in heaven, the essence reaches him as a form of enjoyment
suitable there.
- If he
is in hell, it reaches as relief suitable for that condition.
- If he
is born as a human being or any other life form, it reaches as a form of strength or good
fortune.
- If he
is born in a subhuman body, it reaches in a form that the body can use,
such as nourishment.
A common example given is money transfer. A father sends
money to his son through a bank. The son may be in India, America or Japan, and
he receives it in the local currency. The sender need not know what the
currency is. The bank does the conversion. In the same way, the Vasus, Rudras
and Adityas do the conversion for the ancestor.
Debatable Points and Their Answers
- Doubt:
Rice-balls are physical, but the ancestor may have no physical body. How
can he eat?
Answer: What reaches him is the subtle essence, not the rice as such. The deities change it into the form that his existence can accept. - Doubt:
If karma decides everything, can the descendant's action change the
ancestor's condition?
Answer: The shraddha does not cancel the ancestor's karma. It gives him support and comfort during his journey. The ancestor's own karma remains his own. - Doubt:
What if the ancestor has already attained moksha?
Answer: A liberated soul has no need of anything, so nothing is lost. The shraddha is never wasted, because the pitru devatas are pleased by it and the descendant's duty is fulfilled. - Doubt:
Is there any proof?
Answer: Direct proof is not available, as with all matters of the other world. The proof is the shastra, and the tradition followed by generations of learned and pious people.
Benefit to the Descendant
The scriptures also say that the same deities may reward the
living descendants who have performed the shraddha, in a suitable manner. This
may be in the form of long life, good progeny, prosperity and peace of mind. So
the rite is not only for the ancestor, but also for the family.
The Deeper Philosophy
Shraddha comes from the word shraddha, meaning faith and
sincerity. What matters most is the feeling with which it is done. Hindu
teaching places the debt to the ancestors, called pitru rina, as one of the
three basic debts of a person, along with the debt to the gods and the debt to
the sages. Performing shraddha is a way to repay this debt. It reminds a person
that he did not come into the world by himself. His body, name and family came
through many generations.
Relevance in Modern Times
Even today, shraddha has great value. It keeps the family together, as relatives gather on the same day. It teaches children gratitude and respect for elders. It gives the bereaved a fixed and meaningful way to remember and grieve. It also encourages charity, because feeding Brahmanas and the poor is part of the rite. Many people feel mental peace after performing it, which is a real benefit whatever one's view on the after-life.
The theory of karma and rebirth and the practice of shraddha do not contradict each other. Both belong to the same system, and the pitru devatas are the link between them. One who has faith in the shastras will find the answer sufficient, and one who is still questioning can at least see the social and emotional good that the rite does.