Hare Krishna to all devotees,
I am having a question that if a introvert person dies, and he didn't have any son, wife, parents, relatives, neither anyone knows about him much in general society, what will be his journey after death? Since we read that rule is that son has to perform rites for saving father's soul from hell, but in this case, no one is there for that person, So actually it bewilders me that Laws are Laws, If you don't have son to perform rites, you will be tortured by yamdutas. It's not flexible thing that you will be saved or like that. No one knows him even in society so no one will be there to pray, fast or even chant for him. So he just have to suffer there, Isn't this system somewhat illogical? That our afterlife depends on so many external factors like having a son necessary for rites, otherwise suffer. Even though that person didn't did much sins, and also did little devotion to krsna, still I don't think God will bother with the shastric rules and interfere with yamdutas job of beating that person... Why he would break rules for any insignificant soul? So i get thought that maybe it's necessary to have a family, son and maintaining good relations in society especially devotees, because our afterlife may depend on them and their prayers/mercy. (unless you are a very advanced devotee or sanyasi who has personal protection from krsna)
Kindly give your views.
Thank you.
Replies
Nondevotee is mostly on his own, his karma defines his future. But there are also people who pray for all living beings, esp. those suffering the most, due to karuna toward them.
"did little devotion to krsna"
If it was a conscious bhakti, he's a beginner devotee.
"Why he would break rules for any insignificant soul?"
That's between Krisna and that person. We can't judge it.
"So i get thought that maybe it's necessary to have a family, son and maintaining good relations in society especially devotees"
Family may or may not help. But devotee friends can help anyone who has no one else to help.
Hari Hari
ys J.
Thank you for kindly giving to the point replies for all statements. I got clarity now.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna
If you don't have son to perform rites, you will be tortured by yamdutas.
Yamadutas only torture sinful people, not childless people. If a person has not committed sins, yamadutas have no jurisdiction over such people.
That our afterlife depends on so many external factors like having a son necessary for rites, otherwise suffer.
Afterlife depends mainly on how a person has conducted himself during the lifetime. Think of afterlife as life in prison. A person in prison gets comforted if his family members visit him, bring him some food etc. So all the rituals at death and after death are to comfort the deceased. They are to be performed out of gratitude. But the most important aspect of afterlife is how a person has lived their life.
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa
jantur dehopapattaye
striyāḥ praviṣṭa udaraṁ
puṁso retaḥ-kaṇāśrayaḥ
The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body. ( SB 3.31.1)
If a person has not committed sins then he will not suffer after death. But such a life is rare. Hence family members compulsarily perform rituals. Even if a person has not performed sins, the shraddha rituals still benefit the dead person. But the essence of shraddha is that the person is given prasad of Lord Vishnu. This prasad relieves them from suffering. But those who have perform regular devotional service like chanting Krsna's transcendenal names, hearing Krsna's pastimes, hearing bhagavad Gita, accepting Krsna's prasad etc and have not perfomed major sins, they need not be too concerned about torture by yamadutas or next life.
kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes. ( BG 9.31)
Lord Sri Krsna assures that His devotees are protected.
So i get thought that maybe it's necessary to have a family, son and maintaining good relations in society especially devotees, because our afterlife may depend on them and their prayers/mercy.
This is a good undestanding. But the primary way in which a person is saved is by rendering devotional service to Sri Krsna. Family, son, social relations etc are secondary. Devotees prayers are very valuable.
Hare Krsna
Okay sir i got the essence now. Thank you very much for taking time to reply this.
Hare Krishna
pranam