पितृलोक र श्राद्ध | HG Madhuvisa Das | SB 4.18.17-18

Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Madhuvisa Das on 26th July 2024 at ISKCON Budhanilkantha Kathmandu Nepal

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 : The Creation of the Fourth Order - Chapter 18 : Pṛthu Mahārāja Milks the Earth Planet

ŚB 4.18.17
गन्धर्वाप्सरसोऽधुक्षन् पात्रे पद्ममये पय: ।
वत्सं विश्वावसुं कृत्वा गान्धर्वं मधु सौभगम् ॥ १७ ॥
gandharvāpsaraso ’dhukṣan
pātre padmamaye payaḥ
vatsaṁ viśvāvasuṁ kṛtvā
gāndharvaṁ madhu saubhagam

Synonyms
gandharva — inhabitants of the Gandharva planet; apsarasaḥ — the inhabitants of the Apsarā planet; adhukṣan — milked out; pātre — in a pot; padma-maye — made of a lotus; payaḥ — milk; vatsam — calf; viśvāvasum — of the name Viśvāvasu; kṛtvā — making; gāndharvam — songs; madhu — sweet; saubhagam — beauty.

Translation
The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka and Apsaroloka made Viśvāvasu into a calf, and they drew the milk into a lotus-flower pot. The milk took the shape of sweet musical art and beauty.

ŚB 4.18.18
वत्सेन पितरोऽर्यम्णा कव्यं क्षीरमधुक्षत ।
आमपात्रे महाभागा: श्रद्धया श्राद्धदेवता: ॥ १८ ॥
vatsena pitaro ’ryamṇā
kavyaṁ kṣīram adhukṣata
āma-pātre mahā-bhāgāḥ
śraddhayā śrāddha-devatāḥ

Synonyms
vatsena — by the calf; pitaraḥ — the inhabitants of Pitṛloka; aryamṇā — by the god of Pitṛloka, Aryamā; kavyam — offerings of food to ancestors; kṣīram — milk; adhukṣata — took out; āma-pātre — into an unbaked earthen pot; mahā-bhāgāḥ — the greatly fortunate; śraddhayā — with great faith; śrāddha-devatāḥ — the demigods presiding over śrāddha ceremonies in honor of deceased relatives.

Translation
The fortunate inhabitants of Pitṛloka, who preside over the funeral ceremonies, made Aryamā into a calf. With great faith they milked kavya, food offered to the ancestors, into an unbaked earthen pot.

Purport
In Bhagavad-gītā (9.25) it is said, pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. Those who are interested in family welfare are called pitṛ-vratāḥ. There is a planet called Pitṛloka, and the predominating deity of that planet is called Aryamā. He is somewhat of a demigod, and by satisfying him one can help ghostly family members develop a gross body. Those who are very sinful and attached to their family, house, village or country do not receive a gross body made of material elements but remain in a subtle body, composed of mind, ego and intelligence. Those who live in such subtle bodies are called ghosts. This ghostly position is very painful because a ghost has intelligence, mind and ego and wants to enjoy material life, but because he doesn’t have a gross material body, he can only create disturbances for want of material satisfaction. It is the duty of family members, especially the son, to offer oblations to the demigod Aryamā or to Lord Viṣṇu. From time immemorial in India, the son of a dead man goes to Gayā and, at a Viṣṇu temple there, offers oblations for the benefit of his ghostly father. It is not that everyone’s father becomes a ghost, but the oblations of piṇḍa are offered to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu so that if a family member happens to become a ghost, he will be favored with a gross body. However, if one is habituated to taking the prasāda of Lord Viṣṇu, there is no chance of his becoming a ghost or anything lower than a human being. In Vedic civilization there is a performance called śrāddha by which food is offered with faith and devotion. If one offers oblations with faith and devotion — either to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu or to His representative in Pitṛloka, Aryamā — one’s forefathers will attain material bodies to enjoy whatever material enjoyment is due them. In other words, they do not have to become ghosts.