|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Question ‒ Some Tantrik people,  bring the ghosts-spirits under their control and they make them do their house chores, field work etc.  Is making them do this work alright or is it improper ?  

Answer ‒  To bring an beings under your subordination and to make them dependent, is improper.   Yes,  just as when you pay wages to men and then make them work,  in the same way,  by giving the ghosts-spirits their nourishment, making them pleased and making them work is not wrong.   But those aspirants who are engaged in spiritual practices, they should not do such things.    Only those people can do such work, that wish to remain deeply immersed in worldly life.   

Question ‒ How do ghosts -  spirits get their nourishment?  How do they become gratified ?  

Answer ‒ Bodies of ghost-spirits have a predominance of air;  therefore smelling sweet fragrances etc. they get nourishment, and they become very pleased.   They will also get nourishment when you regard someone as an medium,  eg.  feeding some brahmin or your sister, daughter, niece  some wonderful  sweets.   

A child who was about 10-12 years old,  died by drowning in water,  and he became a spirit.   He used to often come into his sister and shared his sorrow and suffering. One day he came to his sister and said that he was very hungry.   Then his family members,  fed a Brahmin in his name.  When the Brahmin began to eat then as his mouth moved while chewing food,  at the same time the sister in the other room began to make facial expressions as if chewing.   When the Brahmin completed his meal,  then the spirit spoke from the girls mouth,  I am gratified !    Therefore if a pure devout Brahmin is fed, in the name of the spirit,  then that food reaches the embodied soul in the spirit.   

There is a pond !  near by,  the river is flowing,  and the spirits sees the water but they cannot drink from it,  they remain thirsty ! After a bath in the pond, if in the name of a spirit, with the feeling -  that may the spirits receive the water’ ‘अज्ञात नामवाले प्रेतात्माओंको जल मिल जाय’ ‒ if the wet clothes are drained in that spot, then the spirits drink that water. Any remaining water if poured over a thorny bush or “Aak”  plant,   then the spirit also drinks that water and feels satiated.  

When Tulasidasji Maharaj used to go to the lavatory, then daily  he used to pour over a thorny bush any remaining unused water.   A spirit was  living in that bush,  and it used to drink the water that was poured.  One day that spirit appeared in front of Tulasidasji,  and said,   I used to be very thirsty and desperate to drink something.  With your offering of water,  now I feel gratified.    Whatever you wish to ask of me,  you may do so.  I grant it to you.   

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Question ‒ Those Tantriks who become the instrument in capturing the ghost-spirits are helping them in suffering through the consequences of their past actions,  then why do they incur sins by doing so ?  

Answer ‒ It is the fruit of past actions of those ghosts and spirits that the Tantrik’s trap and seal,  or bury in the ground, but those who trap and seal them,  for them these are new sinful deeds,  whose punishment will have to be born in the future.   Just as someone kills an animal,  then the animal is dying due to his nearing death as destined.   No one can ever kill him,  without his death approaching.   But the one killing is incurring new sins;  because he is killing due to greed, desires and selfishness.  When good deeds done out of desires,  also become the cause of bondage,  desires etc.,  then surely evil deeds done out of desire will be binding due to one’s sins.  

It means that it is not man’s duty to cause suffering to anyone,  to trouble them,  to kill them etc.  Rather it is undutiful.   Keeping desires in the center,  man becomes inclined towards undutiful acts,   (Gita 3 । 36).  Therefore man should give up desires,  selfishness, etc. and should continue to do things for everyone’s welfare.    

Question  Those ghosts-spirits that are enclosed in a bottle,  that are sealed inside,  how long will those ghosts-spirits remain trapped in there?

Answer ‒ There is a limit to the powers of mantras even,  there is a limit on the life-span.   When the life-span is over, then the power of the mantra comes to an ends,  or the life-span of the ghost-spirit remaining in the spirit world is over, at that time ghosts-spirits are released from there.   If there life-span is still remaining,  but unknowingly someone removes the seal,  if while digging the ground, the bottle breaks open, when the tree falls the bottle breaks, and the ghost-spirits are released from there,  then as per their nature, they once again begin to give pain to others.   

Question ‒  If someone removes the nail that is pinned to the tree, or breaks the bottle that is buried in the ground,  then will the ghost-spirit that was sealed inside,  grab hold of him or not?

Answer ‒ On being released from there,  the ghost - spirit can grab hold of him;  therefore all should not do such work.  Those who are reliant on God, who have the support of God,  who have the support of Hanumanji if they release the ghost-spirit from the bottle,  then the ghost-spirit will not harm them,  rather beholding them,  the ghost-spirit will be reformed.    Saints - great souls have reformed many ghosts-spirits.  

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Just as creatures are thrown into boiling oil,  their body is torn to pieces,   in hell;   then too, these creatures do not die, until they have exhausted all the karmas that caused them going to hell. In the same way, when a man has to suffer the consequences of some evil deed, then at that time a ghost-spirit can enter him.  As long as one does not exhaust his sinful karmas, till then however much he tries, even on using “mantra-tantra”  (form of voodoo),  etc.  the ghost-evil spirit will not leave.   When one exhausts the sinful karmas (through suffering the consequences of their action), at that time the ghost-spirit comes out, through some medium.   It means that the ghost-spirits enter the person that has to suffer the consequences according to his fate,  and causes him pain and suffering.  

It has been seen that when any member of the family dies and becomes a mane, then when he returns, he comes into one person within the family, not an all.  From this it can be known, that the mane enters, whoever he is indebted to (i.e. bound by old debts).   The ghosts-spirits also enter only those are indebted to them in the past.  

Ghosts-spirits cannot kill someone who still has remaining life-span.   They can only kill him when his lifespan is over.   I have heard one point on this subject.   This is an incident that took place almost 100 years back in Rajasthan.  Some muslims were taking cows to the slaughter house.  The king came to know about this incident, so he sent policemen.  The policemen beat the muslims and released the cows.  One of the muslims died and became a “jinna” (genie) and he got after the king.   The king tried many different things, but the genie would not leave.  The genie said, I will take one man as “sacrifice” and then only leave from here.   Finally one Thakur said, that I am ready and willing to sacrifice myself.   The genie released the king and immediately killed the Thakur.  As per the wishes of the Thakur, his body was taken to his Guru.  When people took Thakur’s dead body and circled around the Guru (parikrama),  at that time another saint sitting next to the Guru, said that the body is leaving empty,  we must give something.  The Guru said,  we cannot do anything,  his lifespan is over.  Then after some thought,  both the saints gave Thakur twelve years of each of their lives as gift,  and brought him back to life.   It means that the king’ life was not over,  therefore genie was not able to kill him.  But Thakurji;s life span had come to an end,  therefore genie killed him.   

Question ‒ Those with “Mrgi disease” and those men who have been taken over by spirits, their behavior often appears very similar;  therefore, how are the two to be recognized as different  ?

Answer ‒ Those individuals with “Mrgi”  disease,  they feel faint, but those who are obstructed by spirits, they mostly do not feel faint, they continuously keep chit-chattering.  In individuals with “Mrgi disease” there is only one embodied soul,  but those individuals takenover by spirits, along with the embodied soul, there is also a spirit that is residing, that gives some sort of trouble and sorrow to the individual.   Individual with “Mrgi”  disease becomes alright with medicines,  but individual takeover by a spirit, do not become alright with medicines. 

 

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Question ‒ Where do ghosts-evil spirits live ?

Answer ‒ Ghosts-spirits often live in cemetery,  and specifically in the trees in the cemetery.  They live on the banks of a lake.  They cannot drink the water from the lake, but they feel good from  the cool breeze that blows over a lake and they get pleasure from it.   As the nature of a “pipal” tree is to give shelter and refuge to all who come there,  the ghosts-spirits also live under the shade of a pipal tree.   If someone makes a canopy or shelter in their name, then they live under there.  If some house is vacant for a long time,  then the ghosts-spirits begin to live there as well.   

Question ‒ When a Ghost-spirit grabs hold of any man, then through which gate does the ghost enter his body ?

Answer ‒ Ghost - spirits body has predominance of air;  therefore they can enter a human body through any of the gates.  They can enter through the eye, ear, mouth etc. through any of the sense organs.  However,    they frequently enter through the lower gates from where the urine-feces are released or through the breath.   

Question ‒ On entering the body,  where do the ghost-spirits live?   

Answer ‒ After entering the body,  the ghosts-spirits reside where there is the tendency of “ahamvrutti”  I-ness,  in other words,  in the inner-senses (mind-intellect-ego).   

‘I-ness’ (aham) is of two kinds ‒ (1) Ahankaar and (२) Ahamvrutti.  “Ahankaar”  is in an embodied soul (jeevatma) and “Ahamvrutti”  resided in the inner-faculties.   Ghosts-spirits etc. enter the human body through their breath etc. and residing in the “Ahamvrutti,”  they make use of the senses organs.   

Question ‒ Can more than one ghost-spirit reside in a body ?  

Answer ‒ Yes,  more than one ghost-spirit can reside in a body.  More than one ghost-spirit can enter in someone’s body.  When the person speaks, then various different sounds are heard.  

Question ‒ After entering the human body,  do the ghost-spirits constantly stay in that body ?

Answer ‒ Ghost-spirit frequently come and go.  They continue to encircle and be close to the person.  And like the wind when the motion is very swift,  then they even go far away.   There are some ghosts-spirits that stay with the person constantly and all the time.  

Ghosts-spirits are not free to enter anyone’s body and to give sorrow to anyone they choose.  They cannot do as they please.   They act in accordance to the instructions of whosoever governs them.  In other words,  they enter a person’s body, and give them trouble, only when instructed by the one governing them.    If their master does not give them permission, then they cannot enter any person, at any time.  Just as,  when one goes to heaven as a result of  his virtuous deeds.  If they get into a relationship with someone on earth (abode of death),  then they have to obey the orders of the ruler of that person.   They cannot even talk to anyone on their own,  i.e. independently.  In the same way,  there is governance and ruler in the ghost-spirit world,  and the ghosts-spirits perform all actions in accordance to the commands of their ruler.  

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Question ‒ Those who repeat the Divine Name of the Lord (Naam Japa),  who do self-study etc,  can they also become ghosts and spirits after death ?    

Answer ‒ Mostly,  such men do not become ghosts-spirits.    But,  instead of repeating the Divine Name,  they who are more interested (infatuated,  attached) in worldly objects, in those who are serving them, in those who are agreeable to them,  and at the final moment they who are not established in their spiritual practice,  and remember worldly things,  those that are serving them,  then they can become ghosts-spirits upon death.   Such ghost-spirits do not trouble any one.  They do not cause pain to anyone.   

The end result of one’s deeds and actions  is very profound ‒‘गहना कर्मणो गतिः’ (४ । १७) “gahana karmano gatih”  (Gita 4/17).   Therefore due to there being some proportion of sins-virtues, sentiments etc.  one gets a birth as a ghost-spirit.  God himself has said, that what is action and what is inaction -  on this subject many scholars become enthralled.  (Gita 4 । 16).

Question ‒ Those who die in a mishap (accident, disaster etc), or those who commit suicide,  do they frequently become ghosts-spirits ?

Answer ‒ In an illness, “I have to die”  this caution, this awareness remains within;  therefore, a sick person becomes disenchanted with the world,  and can become engaged in God.   But during a mishap,  when a man suddenly dies and at which time the mind has various desires and wishes,  and due to various thoughts in his mind,  and if at that time the thought is bad, and there is no thought of God, then that man becomes a ghost-spirit.  At the time of the mishap, due the thoughts being directed towards the killer,  and due to only thinking of him, for this reason to, the one who dies in a mishap becomes a ghost-spirit.   But he who has become disenchanted by the world, and has turned towards and become engaged in the path of Divinity, even  if such a man suddenly dies due to a mishap, then too he will not become a ghost-spirit.  It means that it is only due to there being attraction,  infatuation, desires,  sense of mine-ness etc. in the inner-senses,  that man goes through degradation.  He whose inner-senses do not have any worldly attraction etc,  which ever country, place, time his body dies, it will not become a ghost-spirit;  because he does not have the ingredients that will take him into the world of ghost-spirits.  

He who out of anger,  or out of extreme sorrow,  commits suicide, he faces a misfortune,  in other words he becomes a ghost-spirit.   He who commits suicide, is a great sinner,  because human body has been attained for God Realization;  therefore by not realizing God, and by your own hands taking your own life and losing this human body is a grave sin, it is an offense,  it is bad conduct.   How can a person with bad conduct attain a good state and condition ? Therefore man should never let thoughts of suicide enter the mind.  

If a serious calamity or misfortune is faced by a man,  if a serious illness (disease) befalls on him, he thinks that if I die,  then all my troubles and difficulties will come to an end.   However,  on committing suicide, the agony and suffering pertaining to one’s deeds,  do not end, and man will have to suffer through the consequences of his actions.   By committing suicide, he is incurring new sins,  and its fruit will be birth in lower wombs, becoming ghost-spirit, and suffering for thousands of years.    

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Those who live in God’s temple; those who recite Gita, Ramayan, Bhagwat etc.;  those who do “aarti” (prayer and ceremony of worship of God);   those who singing the Lord’s praises,  those who pray to the Lord, those who repeat the Lord’s Divine Name,  and along with all these things, they also cheat other people,  steal the utensil of offerings to God and steal God’s clothes and jewelry, those who use God as a means to earn money, they become ghost-spirits upon death, due to their offenses.    They enter any body but do not give them trouble.  Due to having the nature of praying to God, worshiping with ceremony (aarti), singing the praises of Lord - prayer, etc. in their previous birth,  such ghosts-spirits repeat the Lord’s name,  they keep “goumukhi” (pouch used to carry the holy beads mala) in their hands,  go to the temples, do “pradakshina” (circumambulating in a clockwise direction  around a holy shrine),  sing the Lord’s praises and prayers etc.   However, they cannot do these things without entering a human body.  In Vrindavan in Bankein Bihariji’s temple, there was a young child that used to visit often. He did not know sanskrit, but he used to stand in front of Bihariji, and in a loud voice recite various verses in Sanskrit praising the Lord.  While reciting the verses,  his voice would not sound like a young child,  rather it sounded like a grown-up man.   The reason being that a spirit used to enter him,  and sing the Lord’s praises, but it used to not cause any suffering to the child.  After bearing the fruit of any offences to God,  by God’s grace,  such ghosts-spirits progress, and they are released from the spirit world.   

Among men, those who have sinned a lot,  who have bad conduct and qualities, who do violent acts, those who cannot stay put in a satsang, or cannot listen to God’s divine tales, or chant the Lord’s name,  rather they leave satsang and such divine activities.  Due to such atrocities and sinful acts,  they go to lower forms of births  such as ghosts - spirits, and cannot come close to where God’s divine name is being recited, or where God’s divine tales and glories are being sung  or where satsang is taking place.  Those who oppose and protest against God’s Divine Name, Divine tales and chanting of Lord’s Name,  Satsang etc,  those who criticize and condemn these,  they cannot come close to katha-kirtan, satsang etc,  on becoming ghost-spirit.   Even if they do come close to where kirtan, katha, satsang is taking place,  then a burning sensation takes place in their entire bodies.   

If the pujaris do not have importance of worldly things on their mind,  and only have importance of God (Thakurji),  if they have the sentiments of “prasad”  in all the offered articles to God,  and they become ecstatic on receiving offered items to God and consider themselves to be most fortunate, that they have received God’s things, that they have receive a prasad from God -  in this manner ‒ if God’s relationship is predominant in the material things,  then even on accepting the offered items,  they do not incur an offense, a sin.   Due to the importance of God in the inner-senses,  they can never become ghosts-spirits.   However,  those whose inner-sense have an importance of material things,  have a desire for things,  have a sense of mine-ness towards them,  have lust for things,  they even on living in holy places,  and temples,  upon death, due to lust for material things, etc.  they become ghosts-spirits.    From a ritualistic perspective they have done puja, aarti etc.  due to which they live in that particular holy place.  In this manner they get the fruit of both,   offence to the Lord (birth in ghost-spirit world) and the fruit of all their God related activities (living in holy places).

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

Question ‒  Upon death, which men become ghosts - spirits?

Answer ‒ Those men whose food and drinking habits are impure,  whose conduct is bad,  who are engaged in bad activities and behavior, whose nature is to give sorrow to others,  those who only insist on their own points of view,  such men become evil ghosts and spirits upon death.    Whoever they enter,  they make them suffer a lot,  and even on “mantra” japa  etc.  they do not easily leave.   

Those men whose nature is mild, who do not give sorrow to others;   but who are possessive and attached to worldly things, wife, son, wealth, land, etc.,  such men become mild-tempered ghosts-spirits.   Whoever they enter, they do not make them suffer,  and they even reveal the path to one’s progress.   

He who has immense pride of his knowledge etc.,  who remains intoxicated in that pride; who due to that pride,  puts others down, who insult and condemn others,  who think others are nothing, rather useless, such men become ‘Brahmarakshas’  (genies) after death.  They enter into anyone, they grab hold of anyone,  and without their own will, they will not leave them.    No tantra-mantra,  sort of voodoo practices will work on them.   If others use a “mantra”  on them, then they themselves repeat the same mantra.  

There is a true story.   There was a very learned man in south India called Moroji Pant.  He had great pride of his knowledge.  He used to regard no one as knowledgeable as himself, and he used to put everyone else down.   One day,  in the afternoon,  he was was leaving his house to go to the river banks for a bath.   On the way,   there were two “brahmarakshash” (Genie)  sitting on a tree.   They were talking to each other.   One genie said -  we two are sitting on two branches of this tree,  but this third branch is vacant;  who will come on this branch to sit?  The other genie said ‒ this man who is walking below, he will come and sit here, because he has great pride of his knowledge.   Moroji Pant,  heard the conversation among the two genies. He immediately stopped there,  and began to think.   Oh!  it is only due to pride in my knowledge that I have to become a Genie !  He became fearful of his misfortune, his bad condition, and within his mind, he took refuge in Saint Jnaneshwarji,  mentally saying,  I have taken refuge in you,  besides you there is no one else who will save me from this misfortune.    After thinking so,  he started to walk towards Alandi,  where Saint Jnaneshwarji had taken Samadhi.  His entire life he stayed there,  he never returned home.  On taking refuge in a saint,  the pride of his knowledge went away, and by the grace of the saint,  he too became a saint !  

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

If some man thinks that right now let me commit sins,  adultery,  tyranny, later as I approach closer to death I will recite the Lord’s name,  remember the Lord, then such thinking is entirely improper.  Because,  the kind of actions that a man undertakes all his life,  the kind of thoughts that arise in his mind,  in the end undoubtedly that alone comes in front of him.   Therefore a man of bad conduct,  will remember his bad conduct, and as a fruit of his sinful deeds, he will surely be born in lower wombs, he will become a ghost-spirit.  

If some man lives in Kashi, Mathura, Vrindavan,  Ayodhya and various holy places and thinks that by living in this holy place,  upon death,  I will with certainty attain salvation,  I can definitely not have misfortune, so thinking if he engages in actions such as sins, bad conduct, adultery,  lies-cheating,  stealing-robbery etc. then upon death,  he will surely have dreadful misfortune.  At the final breath,  due to some reason or the other, he will have to leave the holy place,  or even on dying in the holy place,  he becomes a ghost-spirit due to his sinful deeds.  

Question ‒  What must man do to not get a birth in the spirit world ?  

Answer ‒  Human body has only been attained for God Realization.  Therefore man should not get trapped in worldly sense pleasures and hoarding,  and must take refuge in God;  by doing so, he will be saved from degradation,  from birth in the ghost-spirit world.  

Question ‒ What is the difference between ghost-spirit and manes ?

Answer ‒ As such all ghosts, spirits, fiends, manes etc.  are called  “devayoni”*,  but in them too there are various differences.   Bodies of ghost-spirits have a predominance of air;  therefore they cannot be seen by everyone.   Yes,  if they themselves wish to let their form be seen by  someone, then they can show themselves.  They have no choice but to eat filth-urine and various impure things.   They cannot eat pure food-water;  but if someone offers pure things in their name, then they can eat those things.   The bodies of ghosts-spirit have a bad odor.   

Manes are considered to be higher than the ghosts-spirits.   Manes mostly maintain a relationship with their own family, and they protect and provide aid to them.     They help by sharing with the family members secret of business-trading etc.  They give them good advice.  If members of the household wish to split up and get their appropriate share,  then they make that happen etc.  Manes eat warm “kheer”  made of cow milk,  they drink the cool waters of “Ganga”,  they partake in pure foods.   Some manes also cause pain and suffering to the family members.  They trouble them, due to  the difference in their nature.   

Just as in man there remains differences among the four “varnas”, the higher -  lower, differences in their nature, in the same way in the manes, ghosts, spirits, fiends etc.  there remains a difference in “varna,”  “jaati” etc.  

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

There is only our Lord who is present in man, devatas, manes, demons, ghosts-spirits,  animals and birds, etc.  and in all other creatures.  It is only our Lord in the form of all these creatures.  Understanding it to be so (with Bhagwad Buddhi), one must serve all, without any selfish interest,  then God will surely be attained.   

Both these aforesaid points mean that having selfish interest and not feeling the presence of God (bhagwad buddhi) in those being served,  is the root cause of birth and death cycle.   If we do not have a selfish motives and  have the feeling of the presence of God (bhagwad buddhi) in those being served, then that service will surely lead to God Realization.   

There is one exceptional point that if there is some self-interest remains in serving God then too that service (upasana) will lead to supreme good,  but  there must be exclusive feelings and dependence on only God.   God has called all the four devotees - “the seeker, of wealth (arthaathi), the afflicted (aarto), those who quest for knowledge (jigyaasu) and the wise (jnani, premi)." (Gita 7/18) as generous.  And He said that  “those who worship Me, attain Me only.”  (Gita 7/23;  9/25).   With whatever feelings man may become engaged in God,  then He will surely attain his supreme good   

The fruit of worship of Devatas has an end (perishes) (Gita 7/23).  Because the worshippers of Devatas go to heavenly and higher planes based on the power of their virtues, and when these  virtues are exhausted they once again return.  But God Realization is not with an end (Gita 8/16), because this “jeev”  (embodied soul) is an “ansh” (fraction) of Paramatma (God) (Gita 15/7).  Therefore when this “jeev”  realizes God, by  His grace, thereafter he does not return (Gita 8/21,  15/6).  The reason being,  God’s grace is eternal, constant, whereas the virtues of those going to heavens in temporary.  

TO BE KNOWN

Question ‒ God has said that those who serve and worship the ghosts-spirits,  become ghosts-spirits (Gita 9/25); why is it so ?

Answer ‒ In the inner-senses of those who worship ghosts-spirits, there is importance of ghost-spirits and the ghost-spirits are  their “Ishth” (Beloved ones);  therefore at the last moment of their life, they remember these spirits only and whatever is remembered at the last moment, according to that, he becomes a ghost-spirit.  (Gita 8/6) .

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

|| Shree Hari ||

Guard Yourself Against Misfortune

दुर्गतिसे बचो

continued......

(4) ‘Those who are votaries of manes, reach the manes’ ‒‘पितॄन्यान्ति पितृवताः’ (९ । २५)   ‘Pitrunyaanti pritruvataah’ (But if they worship the manes regarding it to be their duty without selfishness, then they can be liberated.  

(5) Those men of Rajasika temperament worship demigods,  and demons (Gita 17/4) and as a fruit of their actions, they attain the manes in other words, they go into the womb of manes. ٭ ।

(6) Those men who are of a Tamasika disposition, worship the spirits of the dead and ghosts (17 । 4) and they attain the ghosts and spirits,  i.e. they go into the womb of  spirits ‒ ‘भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या’ (९ । २५)  ‘Bhootaani yaanti bhootejyaa” †  

In Gita it is not prohibited to serve and worship man, devatas, manes, demons etc., if it is done without a selfish motive.  Rather immense glories have been sung with regards to serving with the feeling of welfare of all.    (Gita 5।25, 6।32, 12/4).  It means that, if dutiful acts, prayer-worship etc. are done without any selfish interest, as per the dictates of the holy text, and only for nourishing the Devatas,  for seeing to their progress, then, man does not get bound.  Rather he realizes God.  (Gita 3/11).    In the same way,  if one makes offerings (shraadha and tarpan) to the ancestors for their gratification, without any selfish interest, and understanding it to be the dictates of the scriptures,  then with that, God can be realized.   If it is done for the upliftment of the demons,  the ghost-spirits etc., to give them joy and peace, without selfish interest and as per the dictates of the scriptures, to do week long narration of Bhagwat, to give charity, to repeat the name of the Lord (Naam-Japa), to chant the holy name (kirtan), recitation of Gita - Ramayan etc. etc are done, then they will be redeemed.  They will get peace and happiness and the aspirant attains God Realization.  Regarding those Devatas, manes, demons, ghosts-spirits etc. as one’s “Ishth”,  and serving and worshiping them without a selfish motive is the main cause of bondage; birth and death, and decline.  

to be continued.... 

From Book in Hindi “Durgati se Bacho”  by Swami Ramsukhdasji