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Why some karmAs are to be performed only in India?

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Raji Ram

Raji Ram

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This is a sensitive issue but I want to get the opinion of our forum members.

It is said that srAddham has to be performed ONLY in India and it will not have any effect if done overseas. This is the instruction

from one of our revered Gurus. The karthA has to land in India to do the rituals because India is the Karma Bhoomi.

In olden days, brahmins were living and working only in India and the rituals were done here. Now that they are spread world wide,

how is it possible to follow this custom? There are many temples and priests living overseas. So, why not perform the rituals abroad?

P.S: I shall give a few difficulties faced in my circle, when the discussion starts. :)

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Dear RR ji,

I have a question here.

I do not intend to be disrespectful to your Guru but my question is:

When Pitr Loka is not in India or for that matter..not on earth itself but in a different Loka..so why should Shraadha and Pitr Karyams be done only in India?
 
renuka said:
... When Pitr Loka is not in India or for that matter..not on earth itself but in a different Loka..so why should Shraadha and Pitr Karyams be done only in India?
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Dear Renu,

That is what I too wonder! If Pitr kAryam is done with due respect in any place on the earth, why will not it have its effect?

I think our members are keeping quiet because they want to be his obedient followers. :hail:
 
I am not a traditionalist.

Any karmas Done in my opinion is for YOUR satisfaction. I do not believe in Karma phala being ascribed to some other entity. So this Bhoomi (this universe) without geographic boundary is Karma Bhoomi.

So if it pleases you can perform any action any place, as long as it is legal in that place.
 

Dear R.R ji,

The mythological part is that Bhagiratha the great King having been found his ancestors in trouble for an entry into heaven sought advice from learned Rishis. He was informed that the bhoomi where they fell dead should be cleansed by the divine waters of Ganges which he made possible by his immense penance and also got a boon that whomsoever who's karma's are performed in this part of bhoomi where the Ganges is flowing could attain moksha...and even in India although we perform the karmas very regularly wherever we are, but all of us tends to do it in Kashi at least once in our life time because of this reason. May be that's one reason for such a belief that Karma's like Shraadha should be performed in India to have more effect. If you closely follow the sankalpa mantras, you will notice that....."kaliyuge prathame pade Jamboo dweepe Bharatha varshe Bharatha khande Mero ho..". Here Jamboo dweepa refers to the Asian sub continent Bharata varsha means the extended great Bharata of that times bharata khanda is the place ruled by Bharata the great king Mero ho dakshine paarshwe means southern part of Meru parvata (Himalayas). So the land referred here is definitely our own India... If someone performing the pooja/karyams else where, due modification is to be done in sankalpam mantras..

Since all Vedas and shastras says Achanchala Nishkapata Bhakti as the backbone of any prayer I don't find any reason for it to be not delivering the desired results if performed with due devotion..
 
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prasad1 said:
.... Any karmas Done in my opinion is for YOUR satisfaction. I do not believe in Karma phala being ascribed to some other entity. So this Bhoomi (this universe) without geographic boundary is Karma Bhoomi.

So if it pleases you can perform any action any place, as long as it is legal in that place.
Click to expand...
​I agree! :)
 
Dear Ganesh Sir,

Thanks for your reply. I have read that story and noted that the sankalpa mantrA denotes India.

Now, is it not necessary to change them according to the place where the karthA lives and allow him

to do the karmAs with reverence, in any country?
 
The first problem faced in my family circle:

My cousin living in South America lost his father and did the cremation with the limited facilities available there. The priest insisted

that the 13 day rituals should be performed only in India. With a bed ridden mom, he could not move out of S A for nearly four years.

Then he did the rituals after moving here with his mom. We were saddened to see that the karmA had to wait for such a long time. :(
 
Now, is it not necessary to change them according to the place where the karthA lives and allow him

to do the karmAs with reverence, in any country?
Click to expand...

If someone performing the pooja/karyams else where, due modification is to be done in sankalpam mantras..
Click to expand...
the reply to your query was already there....
 
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hi

mainly indian rivers are called HOLY RIVERS AND THEERTHAM....so any karma is in banks of theetha sthalam are more valid..

all karmas more valid in particular kshetra/ theertham...like gaya/kashi for pitr karma/pitr karyam...
 
Raji Ram said:
The first problem faced in my family circle:

My cousin living in South America lost his father and did the cremation with the limited facilities available there. The priest insisted

that the 13 day rituals should be performed only in India. With a bed ridden mom, he could not move out of S A for nearly four years.

Then he did the rituals after moving here with his mom. We were saddened to see that the karmA had to wait for such a long time. :(
Click to expand...

Very sad to know this..Hearing it for the first time that the 13 day karyam has been delayed for such a long time. Actually a normal TB house hold does not think it is proper to conduct anything else before the 13 day Karyam is over and the Punayaha Vaachanam is done. As such what you are saying is really a thing of great concern. I really don't exactly know how the last rites of Hindus are performed in that part of world. Assume the priest's suggestion must be because of the rules prevalent in western world which does not allow us to perform Homam etc.. Again, I think the disposal of residues of the rites like pitru pindam etc would be a head ache, I suppose as they normally don't allow you to dispose off them in the water bodies.. Well the 13 day karyams involves a lot of Daanam etc from where do you find the recipients for it? ( Priests themselves do not accept many daanams like ellu, uppu etc..!!)
 
To get moksha, one has to prefer only banks of ganges according to someone here-I suppose kashi or gaya.

That does not cover south india at all if he is correct.
 
GANESH65 said:
......... I really don't exactly know how the last rites of Hindus are performed in that part of world. Assume the priest's suggestion must be because of the rules prevalent in western world which does not allow us to perform Homam etc.. Again, I think the disposal of residues of the rites like pitru pindam etc would be a head ache, I suppose as they normally don't allow you to dispose off them in the water bodies.. Well the 13 day karyams involves a lot of Daanam etc from where do you find the recipients for it? ( Priests themselves do not accept many daanams like ellu, uppu etc..!!)
Click to expand...
Dear Ganesh Sir,

My cousin DID face lot of problems. Soon after his dad's death, he could book an electric crematorium a few miles away, used by Hindus.

He gave bath to the body, dressed it in new clothes and chanted Gayatri japam and Rama nAmA and lighted a big camphor for agni, at the

electric crematorium, since no priest was available on that day. Later on, he was advised to come over to India for the other rituals. So,

no celebrations in his family, till then! :sad:
 
Why do not indians think of all this before trying to settle abroad.

Rituals are bound to get diluted depending on local conditions.

When marriages can become overnight affairs instead of 5 days earlier, death ceremonies also should end on the day of death. There is a need for relook at these rituals.

I know how bad it becomes with electric crematorium with advance bookings and vadhyars playing hard to get.in places like delhi.Vaishnavite types hold people to

ransom.Many are doing away with 10th to 13th day rituals or finding alternatives.
 
It is the pressure from others members in the family, Krish Sir!
Left to himself, he would have skipped the rituals altogether! :peace:
 
Dear Krish Sir,

Some brahmins are approaching Arya SamAj for weddings and death rituals, since sAsthrigaLs fee is in lakhs! :(
 
When you need brain surgery we go to the best brain surgeon we find.
When we need spiritual or religious help we find the most unqualified person, and expect a miracle or advice.
A babaji like Asaram Bapu can take to hell, but can not help you.
Let us be rational and understand the meaning of our action.
Now a days you can do any kriya using SKYPE anywhere.
Or you can find an alternative way. When our actions are driven by guilt or ignorance we are very unhappy in the end.
 
krish44 said:
To get moksha, one has to prefer only banks of ganges according to someone here-I suppose kashi or gaya.

That does not cover south india at all if he is correct.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of the popular slogan in Tamil Nadu: 'vadakku vAzhgiRadhu; theRku thEygiRadhu!'
 
The second difficulty faced in my family:

One of my brothers in law lost his wife recently. He has one daughter and she could come only after two days, from the U S of A, after the

preliminary rituals of the first two days were done. She was on lose of pay and stayed for two weeks, till the rituals were over. She wanted

to take her father along with her, but The sAsthrigaL told her that all the karmAs should be done only in India. The karmAs up to 45 days

are must and other months could be done together, later on. So she had to come down all the way, on a very short leave of three days,
just to take her father with her. :ballchain:
 
The million $ Q is this:

Is it not high time that the present Guru of the same peeth modify the rules and make life easier for people, who are willing to be orthodox NRIs?
 
Why do we entrust to these titular heads? What authority they have?
They are not reformers they are doing their assigned jobs.
 
Ultimately, we want someone to give religious sanction to modify specified rituals.

If one is sensible , one would do away with what is not practical.But beliefs and rituals mostly have no rationality associated with it. Not many have the courage or wisdom

to walk off saying no to it.To whom should they go for changes in stipulated rituals

So they wait for someone in saffron heading a sect to dilute the rules .

These get more fanatical and feel important that someone is going to them . They would then talk about grave consequences of not performing these karmas and talk

about the misfortunes that would experience for defiance and throwing out the rituals. lol
 
We Non Brahmins out here do not have priests for funeral rites..the TB priests out here do not do funeral rites for a NB.

So all these while we depend on a person who is not a priest for funeral rites and its just recital of Tamil Sivapuranam and a host of totally unvedic funeral rites which is deemed more in superstition.

Many Non Brahmins here have taken the bold step to do away with such services and many conduct simple funerals by bathing the body..putting new clothes..lighting lamp and recital of prayers,bhajans,self recital of select Geeta shlokas and some select mantras and off to the electric crematorium

At least its much better than some superstitious rites done by a non priest.

But for the day 13th or day 16th prayer depending on caste of the NB the TB priests comes for that.
 
Most think that a befitting funeral as per the requirements of the sect of religion needs to be given .

Even if the deceased person before dying says do away with the rituals ,most do not respect their wishes.

I went to a relation [cousin] place couple of years back to meet wife of a person on the day of funeral of her husband

I got informed that his body had been donated to a hospital with an attached medical college for their use as they deem fit.

No organ donation though.

No rituals.

I thought -pretty neat.

NBs funeral processions of NB seniors accompanied by thara thappattai ,oppari groups, dancing along with kanneer anjali posters are common in chennai.

Brahmins only get into ritualistic cycles .
 
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