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In this QnA discussion, we have a remedy for couples who lack a son to clear off their "ancestor debt - "

Manu Smriti:

9.127. He who has no son may make his daughter in the following manner an appointed daughter (putrika, saying to her husband), ’The (male) child, born of her, shall perform my funeral rites.

However, even so then, several couples still will lack any male progeny either in the form of their son or a son from their "appointed daughter", or any "other kind of son". In fact, I personally know of several of these kinds of specific couples (living and R.I.P), who are without any male progeny in any line of succession (from son or daughter), and neither did they "appoint" anyone as such for "after-life rituals".

Question -
So from scriptural perspective, what will happen to those couples (without any male in succession)?
Will they remain as pretas forever? Are these specific couples never freed from the Pitṛ Ṛṇa ? What are the scriptural "remedies" for such specific "sonless" cases?


Edit:

Although this QnA - Aputrasya gatir naasti svargo, naivaca..naivaca, does answer some of my questions to a good extent, however, as already discussed above:

The remedies offered in the answer like-
(A): Daughter or Daughter's son doing the rituals.
(B1): Doing a Jeevita Shraddha. This is highly ruled out, since this is extremely frowned upon, at least in my community.
(B2): Adoption is not an option too, atleast for the "specific couples", I talk about.
(B3): We don't have a "king" these days, as a last resort.

So the above list of "options" is ruled out for the specific couples, I want to discuss.

Further, "donating a bull" to avoid the preta yoni is a good remedy, however, what else besides it?

Thus, this question is not a duplicate.


So what happens, if the "sonless couples" doesn't follow even those "remedial guidelines" of Garuda Purāṇa, will they always be unclear of their Pitṛ Ṛṇa and roam as pretas ?

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  • Gita 2.42-44, Gita 3.30-31, Gita 6.40, Gita 8.22, 18.64-66. There are more. Take refuge in the Lord. Astvakra Samhita 1.11 - "A man who says he is bound remains bound, a man who says he is free becomes free. This popular saying is true 'As you think so you become'." If you think of ghosts, you shall become one. If you think of God, you will be free. Jun 5, 2021 at 5:07
  • @SwamiVishwananda Ji, so can every Hindu discard these "after-life" rituals and other forms of "samskaras" and just take refuge in the Lord, and be free of all the "ill-sin incurring" consequences, which all the other scriptures speak of?
    – Vivikta
    Jun 5, 2021 at 5:23
  • What answer do you want?
    – Adiyarkku
    Jun 5, 2021 at 10:57
  • Whatever is asked for the "specific case". I just want a scriptural answer to that @Archit
    – Vivikta
    Jun 5, 2021 at 11:32
  • So basically sonless couples who don’t want either their daughter, son in law, husband’s brothers, friends, Guru to perform, will they still be preta? Am I correct?
    – Adiyarkku
    Jun 5, 2021 at 12:00

1 Answer 1

1

There are other factors that can affect moksha

a)Bhishma Pitamaha’s moksha:Discussed in this answer

Pitr rna did not hinder Bhishma’s moksha.

b)Jaratkaru:

Refer this for the full incident

In the conversation with his ancestors,his ancestors themselves do not mention that Jaratkaru will not attain moksha,or become a pret .

They say that fathering a son will be of higher merit than his austerity.

So the incentive for Jaratkaru is not the possibility of being born in a lower yoni,but rather the salvation of his ancestors,and higher merit.

3)The Promise of Sri Krishna:

Bhagavad Gita,9.25

Sri Krishna’s promise does not have a condition that the devotee should not have Pitr shap,so there is some other factor,again.

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  • 1
    Bhishma still had "dedicated dhArmika-males" in the family line of succession in the form of Pandavas and the likes. Plus, he actually realized the true nature of Shri Krishna, which is a sure shot door to Moksha, not everyone can have that luxury though. The promise of Shri Krishna is valid. However, there's a difference between "ancestor worship" & "ancestor debt payoff".
    – Vivikta
    Jun 5, 2021 at 8:57
  • You can edit old answer and flag mods to delete instead of composing new answer
    – Adiyarkku
    Jun 5, 2021 at 11:59
  • @Vivikta But even if one didn’t pay off his Pitr rna,if you worships Sri Krishna,then said verse should be applicable to him as well right?
    – Amethyst
    Jun 5, 2021 at 15:50
  • @Vivikta - Bhishma went to Vasu loka. Not everyone attained Moksha.
    – mar
    Jun 5, 2021 at 18:27

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