Who Should Not Partake in a Death Feast?

Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Vrindavan. Private conversation with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. Seekers bring questions about their lives and practice, and Maharaj Ji provides guidance.

The Full Discourse

Pradeep Ji from Saharanpur asks Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji: Maharaj Ji, my question concerns the death feast. Eating from a death feast destroys both merit and life energy. So Maharaj Ji, does eating from a death feast incur offense? No, offense is a different matter. Offense happens when we make a mistake. That is not offense. Merit is diminished in those who are unqualified. No, merit is not diminished by eating from a death feast. Say, for example, someone is a sinful person and a death feast is given in their memory. Now you will also incur sin by eating from their feast.

No, it is not an offense. Offense is a different matter. You will incur sin from that. But if someone has been doing naam jap, if they are a Vaishnav, then your merit will increase. By receiving their feast, your merit will increase. And if such a person is just a worldly person, then neither sin nor merit is incurred. Are you following? This is no offense. An offense is like eating the flesh of a living being—that is an offense—or stealing someone's share and then consuming it—that falls under offense. That does not fall under offense. It means a death celebration. Just as we celebrate weddings.

A death celebration is observed in this way. So if it is a devotee's, then you should certainly go and partake. If it is a non-devotee's, a sinful person's, then you should abstain. And if it is family, then there is no harm in going and partaking. That is no offense. Larrika Sharma Ji. Radhe Radhe. Radhe-Radhe, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, my question is this: I know what I should do and what I should not do. What is right and what is wrong. Just as I know I should study on time and do my duties.

But my mind does not engage in these tasks. Instead, I prefer to look at my phone and play games. Please guide me. Do naam jap. The more you do naam jap, the more your spiritual strength will increase. Why are we unable to use our knowledge? Because we are weak. We know we should not do this. It is a sinful act. It is prohibited in society. It is prohibited in scripture. And our mind is drawn to it. We cannot stop it because we lack spiritual strength within us. We do not have the strength of devotion. The mind can be stopped by the strength of devotion.

Not by worldly strength. Spiritual strength is what stops the mind. So to stop wrong actions and lead to right conduct, we need the strength of devotion. So do naam jap. Do more naam jap, and avoid this drama of boyfriends and girlfriends going on today. You are young children—never make such mistakes. Do naam jap and quietly focus your mind on your studies, and do not watch dirty things on your phone. Obey your parents. These days children waste too much time. Someone will pose as your friend, trap you, and then lead you into wrong conduct.

Absolutely not. Stay away. When—I mean, when God makes you worthy and gets you married, then it is different. Until then, children must be very careful. You should not do any of these dirty things. Having a boyfriend, using intoxicants—all of this is very harmful. If dirty things come into young children's minds, then stay away from them, child. These are very serious dirty matters. Yes, Meenavakshi Ji. Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji. Shri Harivansh Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, whenever Shri Ji calls me to the Divine Abode, my mind is more caught up in the pain of returning from here than in the joy of coming to the sacred land of Vrindavan. And I cannot fully engage my mind in the role that God has given me. Maharaj, no—engage your mind in your role. And this sadness is a good thing. To leave the sacred abode, to leave God's name, to miss God's divine pastimes—there should be sadness in this. But your duty is also worship of God. Whatever home, family, husband, children, and relations have been given to you—

To serve them righteously. Do not abandon this worship of yours. Do it. If you abandon it, this happiness will also leave you. This happiness you feel when you come to Vrindavan will also depart, because it will become unrighteous. To nourish your family is righteousness. God has given you that duty. Serving your husband, children, and family while following God's command—that is your worship. Hold that worship dear and do naam jap.

This text is taken from the automatic captions of the video — there may be errors in the words. Please listen to the video for the authentic words.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)