Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s2.10

c10.s2.10

On the strength of quotations made from various Purāṇas and Vaiṣṇava texts, the author shows that neither the Vedas nor the Dharma śāstras, Āgamas, Purāṇas, Smṛtis and local customs prescribe the worship of ancestors and inferior gods for the exclusive devotees of Kṛṣṇa, because of their liability to Sevā- and Nāma-Aparādhas. Though from very birth men have their duties to gods, ancestors, sages, men and animals, the pure and selfless devotees of Kṛṣṇa are not bound by these obligations, because service to Kṛṣṇa is superior to all other acts. Moreover, even by duly and meticulously performing their duties to gods and others, men cannot escape rebirths, but attain, for a certain definite period, the respective divine regions from which return is inevitable. Hence the devotees of Kṛṣṇa should serve their fathers when living, and after the latter's death, should offer only Mahāprasāda and Pādodaka to the deceased ancestors, as well as food and drink, procured easily, to all men, especially to the Vaiṣṇavas. This explains why it is not necessary for the Vaiṣṇava to observe the Smārta rites of Śrāddha, although the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa does not altogether prohibit regular offerings and libations to Yama and the Pitṛs, including Nāndī-śrāddha.