Text 41 ]]  Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukşetra 65
TEXT 4.1
सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्रानां कुलस्य च । 
    पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥४१॥
saṅkaro narakāyaiva  
 kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca  
 patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ  
 lupta-pindodaka-kriyāh
saṅkaraḥ —such unwanted children;  narakāya —for hellish life;  eva —certainly;  kula-ghnānām —of those who are killers of the family;  kulasya —of the family;  ca —also;  patanti —fall down;  pitaraḥ —forefathers;  hi —certainly;  eṣām —of them;  lupta —stopped;  piṇḍa —offerings;  udaka —water;  kriyāḥ —performance.
TRANSLATION
When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors.
PURPORT
According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by worship of Viṣṇu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Viṣṇu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of  prasādam  food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds