202
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 15]
having taken birth in such a family. Therefore, offerings should be given to My devotee, and whatever My devotee has offered Me should be accepted.” Following this principle, one should invite a first-class  brāhmaṇa  or  Vaiṣṇava —a realized soul—and feed him while observing the  śrāddha  ceremony to offer oblations to one’s forefathers.
TEXT 4
देशकालोचितश्रद्धाद्रव्यपात्रार्हणानि च । सम्यग् भवन्ति नैतानि विस्तरात् स्वजनार्पणात् ॥४॥
deśa-kālocita-śraddhā- dravya-pātrārhaṇāni ca samyag bhavanti naitāni vistarāt sva-janārpaṇāt
deśa —place;  kāla —time;  ucita —proper;  śraddhā —respect;  dravya —ingredients;  pātra —a suitable person;  arhaṇāni —paraphernalia for worship;  ca —and;  samyak —proper;  bhavanti —are;  na —not;  etāni —all these;  vistarāt —due to expansion;  sva-jana-arpaṇāt —or due to inviting relatives.
TRANSLATION
If one arranges to feed many  brāhmaṇas  or relatives during the  śrāddha  ceremony, there will be discrepancies in the time, place, respectability and ingredients, the person to be worshiped, and the method of offering worship.
PURPORT
Nārada Muni has prohibited unnecessarily gorgeous arrangements to feed relatives or  brāhmaṇas  during the  śrāddha  ceremony. Those who are materially opulent spend lavishly during this ceremony. Indians spend especially lavishly on three occasions—at the birth of a child, at marriage and while observing the  śrāddha  ceremony—but the  śāstras  prohibit the excessive expenditures involved in inviting many  brāhmaṇas  and relatives, especially during the  śrāddha  ceremony.