Shraardham

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Sun, 18 Jun 2000, T Swaminarayan wrote:

> Dear Jaldharji,
>
> Surely,isn't there a difference between Pitrs and Gods? Or is it that
> you are here giving the status of Gods to Pitrs?
>

There are differences yes, but some similarities too.  Both are divine
beings.  Both depend upon the yajaman for their sustenance.  Both have
achieved their status through karma and upon the exhaustion of the punya
earned from that karma will again descend into rebirth.

> Agreed, the souls do not need food and that the bodies of the departed
> only have to be fed .Let us accept that the soul is Paramatman (which
> it is) but we have to connect the soul with the body of the Pitr,the
> jeevatman to whom you are offering the pinda,as otherwise, the Pitr
> cannot be fed atall ! In fact , that body of that Pitr is already
> desytroyed IN FULL and converted into a part of the Prakriti.
>

The view of our sages as to what constitutes a "body" is much more
expansive than flesh and bones.  The physical body is only the outermost
layer (kosha), there are other more subtle ones.  If body is defined as
any kind of shell obscuring the atma then as long as there is an
identification with a name and form there s a body of some sort.  Thus
from the viewpoint of being deluded or being able to achive Jnana, the
Devas, Asuras, Pitrs, Gandharvas etc. are in the same predicament as we
are.  Only the degree is different.


--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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