202 Srimad-Bhagavatam [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 ac-
cepted.” Following this principle, one should invite a first-class
bréhmana or Vaisnava—a realized soul—and feed him while observing
the sraddha ceremony to offer oblations to one’s forefathers.
TEXT 4
VITA
aeaey mated athe Perey TATION 1G
desa-kdlocita-sraddha-
dravya-patrarhanani ca
samyag bhavanti naitani
vistardt sva-jandrpanat

desa—place; kala—time; ucita—proper; sraddhad—respect;
dravya—ingredients; pdtra—a suitable person; arhanani—parapher-
nalia for worship; ca—and; samyak—proper; bhavanti—are; na—not;
etani—all these; vistardt—due to expansion; sva-jana-arpanat—or due
to inviting relatives.

TRANSLATION

If one arranges to feed many brahmanas or relatives during the
sraddha ceremony, there will be discrepancies in the time, place,
respectability and ingredients, the person to be worshiped, and the
method of offering worship.

PURPORT

Narada Muni has prohibited unnecessarily gorgeous arrangements to
feed relatives or brdhmanas during the srdddha 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 srdddha ceremony—but the Sdstras
prohibit the excessive expenditures involved in inviting many
brahmanas and relatives, especially during the sradddha ceremony.
