Maharishi Nārada continued,

“With money righteously earned, a householder should perform the 5 types of Yagnas viz., Deva-yagna (worship of Devatas), pitr-yagna (worship of fore-fathers), rishi-yagna (worship of saints) manushya-yagna (worship of other humans) and bhoota-yagna (worship of other living entities). He should sustain himself with the wealth that remains after the completion of these Yagnas.

The intelligent person who discards the feeling of ‘mine-ness’ towards material objects, obtains that level of Self-realization which is obtained only by great saints. The householder should, in accordance to his capacities, procure all the material required for the Yagna. Thereafter through Agnihotra and other rituals as stipulated in the sacred Kalpa sutra, he should worship the Supreme Lord who is the enjoyer of all Yagna-offerings. Although the Lord is pleased when worship is offered through the medium of homa fire, He is even more pleased when the Yagna called ‘offering food to Vedic scholars’ is performed! This is undoubtedly true!

He should worship Devatas, learned Vedic scholars, other human beings, birds and animals in accordance to their eligibilities, and offer to them materials in accordance to their needs. Serving living entities is equivalent of serving the Supreme Lord, who remains a witness to the body, senses and mind collectively”.

The Supreme Lord exists as the Self within this body. He is the witness. The Self has innumerable forms. It exists within everyone and everything. The sense organs are absolutely unconcerned about the internal organs of the body. When the internal organs are pierced, the sense-organs experience pain only to that extent to which the sensation of touch travels. Beyond that, they remain unconcerned. When the senses do not care for the internal organs, why should we worry excessively about the welfare of the sense organs? For this reason, the Lord who is seated within does not bother much about the sense organs.

A sick person focuses upon his pain night and day. Is he going to obtain any permanent relief by focussing upon that pain? In order to fund the operation costs and other treatment expenses, his children would have sold off their assets. After an expensive kidney or other organ transplant, just as he is to be discharged, he dies. Even if he survives and returns home, can he lead a happy life? He has to constantly take precautionary measures for maintaining the health of that kidney. From where will his children fund those costs? How can a son, who belongs to an ordinary middle-class family with low wages, support his ailing father? Even if the government provides subsidies, how long will they last? The son has to mortgage the house and all other assets solely for this purpose. In such cases, it is the son who is burdened with the disease, not the father. A wise father, who accepts that death is inevitable, will ask for just the bare minimum treatment. Thereafter he will leave it to God’s mercy. He will consider the plight of the son, who will be submerged under burdensome loans as more unbearable than the disease itself.

“A householder should, in accordance to his means, offer oblations to his deceased parents, maternal and paternal grandparents during the waning fortnight of Mahalaya paksha.” Offering oblations to fore-fathers is a must! A poor person who can’t afford the expenses of a death-ceremony should at least keep the photo of his fore-fathers and offer some them food as naivedya. He can alternatively give raw rice, vegetables and grains to a Brahmin such that the Brahmin can cook and eat. Where Brahmins are not available, he can feed a cow. Fore-fathers have to be remembered every year. It is a must.

“Death ceremony for forefathers should be performed on all the below mentioned days:

Karkaṭa sankranti, Makara sankranti, Mesha sankranti, Tula sankranti and on Sundays which coincides with new-moon, the days when the lunar day (tithi) begins after sunrise, days wherein the lunar day (tithi) disappears before sunrise on the next morning, solar and lunar eclipses, on days when Sravana star (nakshatra) or Dhaniṣṭha star is ruling, Akshaya truteeya, Akshaya navami (kartika shukla navami), the eighth day of the waning fortnight (Krishna asṭami) of Kartika, Marghaśira, Puṣhya and Phalguna months, on Magha shukla saptami, the Full moon which coincides with Makha star, the fourteenth day of the waxing fortnight (shukla chaturdaśi) or the Full moon day which coincide with the māsa nakshatra (the presiding star of the respective month) and on the twelfth day of the lunar fortnight (dwadasi) which coincides with Anuradha, Sravana, Uttara-phalguni, Uttara-bhadra, Uttara-shada, where one’s birth-star is Uttara-phalguni, Uttara-bhadra, Uttara-shada, the eleventh day (ekadaśi) which coincides with Sravana star”.

The above-mentioned days are those which bestow auspiciousness to humans. Hence on these days the human being should put in the required effort to perform meritorious deeds. Meritorious deeds are mandatory on these days, even if it is a strenuous effort. Our fore-fathers are responsible for our life on earth. Hence we should remember them. Vāmanaya namah