Sraddha is the best karma - Its importance,when &why

Courtesy: Sri.Venkatesh Murthy

First we have to understand what is Sraddha. पितॄनुद्दिश्य विप्रेभ्यो दत्तं श्राद्धमुदाहृतम् . Kindly understand that Giving to Brahmins thinking it is for Pitrus is Sraddha. Giving to Brahmins is the definition of Sraddha. You can do a Deva Puja alone. No outsider is required. But in Sraddha you have to give to Brahmins. If you do Sraddha alone it is useless. It will not please Pitrus.

How much to give to Brahmins?

जीवतोर् वाक्यकरणात् श्राद्धे भूरिप्रदानतः ।
गयायां पिण्डदानाच्च त्रिभिः पुत्रस्य पुत्रता ॥

When they are living he obeys parents' words and looks after them. When they are gone he performs rites and gives a lot or Generously to Brahmins in Sraddha. He offers Pindas in Gaya and other sacred places. From these three things he is worthy to be a son.

How much to give question is answered. He must give Generously. When you say Yatha Sakti it has become a dangerous word nowadays. People think यथाशक्ति means whatever you like. No. यथाशक्ति does not mean whatever you like. It means according to your capacity. If a Crore Pati कोट्याधिपति gives 10000 rupees in a yearly Sraddha is it यथाशक्ति? You may say yes. I say no. There is a flaw of using यथाशक्तिन्याय nowadays. 

अथ श्राद्धप्रशंसा चन्द्रिकायां कूर्मपुराणे -

Now the Kurma Purana praises Sraddha-

श्राद्धात्परतरं नास्ति श्रेयस्करमुदाहृतम् ।
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं कुर्याद्विचक्षणः ॥

Sraddha is the best Karma. There is no other Karma better than Sraddha.
So the wise person should do Sraddha with all effort.

ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यः शूद्रश्चापि विधानतः ।
स्वस्ववर्णोक्तमार्गेण श्राद्धं कुर्यादतंद्रितः॥
The four Varnas must do Sraddha not only Brahmins but also Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas and Sudras according to the Varna rules without becoming
tired.

You can see from above Slokas we have to put ALL effort and tirelessly do Sraddha. There can be no excuses. Why? Because Sraddha is the best Karma. If something is best for you should you not put ALL effort without giving excuses?

 

If you do Sraddha in another person's house that person's Pitrus will take away the Sraddha Phala but not your Pitrus.But if you pay rent or give Dravya Daana to the owner for one day and do the Sraddha it is alright. 
परकीये गृहे यस्तु स्व पितॄन् तर्पयेद्यदि ।
तद्भूमि स्वामिनस्तस्य हरन्ति पितरो बलात् ॥
तस्मात् क्रीत्वा महीं दत्त्वा स्वल्पामपि विचक्षणः ।
पिण्डः पितृभ्यो दत्तो वै तस्यां भवति शाश्वतः ॥

 The Minimum qualification for Sraddha Brahmana is Sandhyavandana and having good conduct and peaceful nature. He is NOT required to be Master of Vedas.  

The system of svayampAka is age old and is a substitute for serving of
regular  cooked food.  One cannot compel people to always stick to the
norms.  In my opinion the annual shraaddham has to be performed in the
regular way and the paksha shraaddham and maasika can be done in the
compromised manner (hiranya rUpeNa).  If too much imposition is made,
people will lose even the little shraddhaa and give up for ever the
shraaddha ceremony.  Already some people adopt the wrong practice of doing
Gaya shraaddha once and give up shraadddha completely after that. 

Let us not worry about what others will do.  Every person can work to correct himself and spread awareness.

I came across an aged person who had to perform three shraaddhams every
year and became completely tired of that and took sannyasa.

Doing three Sraddhas every year is not a burden.  It is not correct to avoid it.

 

Let us not blame people who, owing to various compulsions, compromise on
the shraaddha practice.  One does not know what is in store for oneself as
one grows old.

Yes.. If an aged person is unable to physically sit in Sraddha he can use compromises and short cuts. But not the able person. There is no problem if Yatha Sakti Nyaya is properly applied. The problem is people start abusing it and give excuses.

Such people must remember this.

मृताहं समतिक्रम्य चाण्डालः कोटिजन्मसु।
He becomes Chandala for a crore births if he does not do Sraddha.

If you do Pitru Karma then what? Pitrus will give everything including Moksha itself.

आयुः प्रजां धनं विद्यां स्वर्गं मोक्षं सुखानि च ।
प्रयच्छन्ति तथा राज्यं प्रीता नॄणां पितामहाः ॥ [१-२७०]

By Sraddha the ancestors become  pleased and give a man longevity,
progeny, wealth, knowledge, heaven,  liberation,  happiness and also
kingdom.