PRAYER FOR DEPARTED SOULS ITS PURPOSE AND PRE-REQUISITES
By Sri Swami Krishnananda
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_32.html

(Forest University Lecture given on All-Soul's Day, 1952)
Our salutations, adorations and prostrations to all those who
have gone ahead of us, who have gained more experience and who are
before us as ideal beacon lights in life. Today we offer our
adorations to all those who are not visible to our physical eyes, but
who lived on this earth-plane and who now experience a different
state of consciousness. We offer our gratitude to all those who have
gone before us and shown us the path.

By the remembrance of all souls, we mean the remembrance of
everything that is created. It does not necessarily mean those who
exist in a Preta condition, in the astral body; but those who have
abandoned their physical body and who have taken another physical
body also receive our prayers. Those who exist in Swarga Loka receive
our prayers, those who live in Gandharva Loka, and all those who
experience pain and suffering also receive our prayers. Our prayers
reach up to Brahma Loka and the Surya Mandala, because our prayers
are the expressions of our soul-consciousness.

You know there are various kinds of human beings. Similarly,
there are various kinds of departed souls. There are some people who
feel that it is very difficult to understand how the efforts of a
person in this world can influence the conditions and experiences of
a person in the other world. This doubt arises on account of lack of
understanding and lack of knowledge. We must know that the Universe
is an organic whole. It is not a dead matter. It is vibrating with
energy, life and consciousness. The Universe is one whole. If
anything happens to any part of my body, the whole body feels it. So
is the case with everything in this universe. Every atom of this
universe is connected with every other atom in this universe. Planes
are only relative; they are not absolute values. They are valid only
to individuals. Hence an act or a thought or a feeling which is
originated at any particular part of the universe shall influence
others also with that degree of intensity with which it is generated.
If the prayer is intense, it will be felt there in a corresponding
degree of intensity.

The act of Sraddha is an example. When we offer foodstuffs or
other articles which are all used in the name of the departed soul,
we mean they should be received by the person "there". In this world
of materialism, people who have no belief in the higher values doubt
the validity of this act. How does a physical act in this world
influence a subtle body that is in another world?

This may be explained by a modern analogy. Take, for example,
telegraphic conveyance of money. If a person wants to send a money
order, he just pays the required amount to the Post Office in his own
town and wishes that this amount should be received by the person
concerned at some other distant place. Now, that same money is not
received by the other person. It is here itself. The Post Office in
the other town receives the intelligence of the sender's wish. Only
the feeling, the understanding, is conveyed, and that works wonders.
The intelligence causes a corresponding action to take place there.
The person receives the amount at that distant place.

The same is the case with Sraddha. The Pinda that is left here
is left here. It is the symbol of an internal feeling, of a bhava.
Sraddha is something more than mechanical action. It is an act of
prayer with bhava and feeling. We must not underrate our thoughts and
feelings. Our thoughts are omnipotent. Every thought will fructify,
today or tomorrow, in this form or another form. When we do charity
in the name of a departed soul, this intelligence is conveyed to him
through the planes of consciousness. The pitris receive there what we
give here, because we transmit an intelligence to those who are in
charge of the person concerned that such and such a thing should be
given to the person there. That great selfless act of sacrifice in
the name of the departed soul gives wonderful benefit to him. This is
possible on account of the unity of the universe, because of the
omnipotence of God, because He is the Sovereign of the universe,
because He is the dispenser of justice with His Supreme Wisdom.

Just as there are various kinds of men, there are various
kinds of departed souls; so various prayers of different intensities
are offered. Take the human beings alone. All human beings are not in
the same stage of evolution. We have "animal men" - those who have
human bodies but animal qualities. Then we have men superior to them,
ordinary men, who are not bad, but are not good either. That is the
second stage. Thirdly, we have good men; they are virtuous. Superior
to them we have saintly men; they are not merely good, they have
started to unfold the divine consciousness. Lastly we have divine men
or Godmen. These various kinds of people reach different conditions
and have different experiences when they leave the physical body. Of
course, those who are Self-realised are not in need of our prayers.
They themselves are very powerful. Their Self-experience and
Knowledge are so powerful, so great and so valuable, that they will
help themselves. But all are not saints, all are not God-men. Those
who have not reached this stage require the help of others.


Soul's Journey after Death

Our Puranas and Itihasas say that the soul after death passes
through different experiences. It is said that an ordinary person in
whom there is a mixture of good and evil, when he dies, is taken to
Yama-Loka in the beginning. If his evil traits preponderate, he will
be taken to Yama-Loka. Scriptures further say that an ordinary person
does not remember his past experiences. He is in a state of swoon the
moment he casts off the physical body. Our prayers give him
consciousness. They give him fresh energy and solace. Because he is
not a virtuous man, he is suffering; our acts of sacrifice shall be
beneficial to him. Even when the person goes to Yama-Loka he will be
helped there by our acts of sacrifice. But a person who has read the
Vedas, who has led a virtuous life, remembers his past experiences;
others do not. In the latter case, the Puranas say that a Danda
called the Yama-Danda is kept on the head of such a person so that he
may remember his past life. It is described as a burning iron rod. At
once, he remembers all his past life on earth. Then the Dispenser of
Justice puts the question: "You have done so many evil deeds. What do
you intend to do about them?" Then, it is said, the soul gives the
reply: "I have got my relatives. They are capable of doing what is
good for me. They will perform all the expiations on my behalf, and
then I shall free myself from all these experiences of pain." Then it
is said that the soul is sent back to the earth. It takes about 12
days. That is why we perform the ceremony on the eleventh and twelfth
days here. The soul is brought back to the earth and it is made to
watch what is happening there. Before that time the body should be
buried or burnt. Because attachment to the body is so much that the
very perception of the corpse will create a desire in the soul to
enter it once again; but those who are in charge of it will not allow
this - and this would be a condition of great suffering. And, so, on
the 11th and 12th days we should offer prayers, perform Havanas, do
charity etc.

Generally, we perform a Yagna for the peace of the soul and
for the satisfaction of all those who are in charge of the soul.
Otherwise, it will not be able to experience the things that are sent
from here. First of all, a certain Bali (an offering of boiled rice,
etc.) is offered, which is for the satisfaction of Yama. It is said
that this act will satisfy Yama and He will free it from bondage. It
is necessary that the soul should be purged of the evil deeds it has
done. So Bhagavata-Saptaha, and such sacrifices and Yagnas are
performed. Then we are told that the soul is released from Yama-Loka
and it goes to Rudra-Loka and there it becomes one of the Ganas of
Rudra-Loka. In order that it may be released from that place, we have
to perform the Rudra Yagna. Then Rudra releases it from the state of
Gana and it shines in a lustrous body and goes to Brahma-Loka. It is
initiated into the divine mysteries by Brahma Himself and it attains
Moksha.

So gradually the soul which is not very virtuous, which has
not done any good deeds on earth is also enabled to reach the higher
planes of consciousness through our acts of prayers and sacrifice.


Weep Not for the Dead

In this connection we must remember that the pains which are
experienced by the departed souls are intensified by the sufferings
and the grief expressed by those who are on earth. The scriptures
emphatically say that, after the death of a person, no teardrop of
grief should fall to the ground from anybody's eyes. It does not in
any way help the departed soul. On the other hand, even a soul which
is about to enter heaven will be brought back if his people are
crying here. No one should, therefore, weep or cry; but everyone must
pray for the peace of the departed soul. The person who has left the
body can be given whatever he needs from here. Study of scriptures is
a great help, offering of prayers, performing havanas and doing
charitable deeds, and even contemplation on God for his sake - all
these are of great use. When a person meditates on God, for the sake
of the peace of the departed soul, it is said that it will be enabled
even to attain Moksha. The knowledge of the Guru is powerful enough
to enter the heart of the disciple to dispel his ignorance; even so
is the relation between the person existing here and the departed
soul. For the sake of the departed soul we can meditate. It is
possible to send our powerful currents of concentration and
meditation to enable it to reach higher states of consciousness. For
this sake, we must bear in mind that we are part and parcel of the
universe, even as the departed souls are; and there is not much
difference between the person who exists in a physical body and one
who exists in an astral or some other kind of body.


Glory of Prayer for All Souls

Our prayers are capable of producing an effect immediately.
Our prayers are expressions of soul-consciousness. The prayers should
be absolutely selfless. It is necessary that the idea of personal
relationship should be removed when such prayers are offered. When
such relationship is kept up, the prayer becomes slightly tinged with
selfishness and loses its value. We must offer prayers for all souls
with an impartial attitude. Only then will it be extremely powerful
and bring the desired result. We offer prayers not because we want
anything in return for the prayers, but because we wish to radiate
peace in the universe. When collective Sadhana is done, when all
people sit together and pray for the sake of the departed souls, it
brings peace to everyone in this world, even the person who has
departed and taken birth again - in fact, all living people will be
benefited. Everyone's life will become peaceful and everyone will
lead a happy life, on account of our charitable acts. It is really
praying for the peace of the whole universe. So, this offering of
prayers on this sacred All-Souls' Day is our attempt to bring peace
to the universe and to realise in our practical life the oneness that
is at the background of all phenomena. We are all one, whether we are
in the physical body or astral body; each should be grateful to the
other; each should pray for the other; each should wish the good and
happiness of the other, so that the whole universe will be a heaven
of peace, a resting place of divine consciousness.