Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.8.1
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyHonoring Departed Relatives Together
“Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thereafter the Pāṇḍavas, desiring to deliver water to the dead relatives who had desired it, went to the Ganges with Draupadī. The ladies walked in front.”
What the purport teaches
- The Pāṇḍavas went to the Ganges with Draupadī to offer water to their departed relatives. The ladies walked at the front of the procession.
- The purport describes the custom of bathing in a sacred river after a death in the family. Each family member offers a potful of Ganges water for the departed soul.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa, being a cousin of the Pāṇḍavas, was also among the family members. The Pāṇḍavas followed these customs more than five thousand years ago.
Try this today
Take a quiet moment today to remember a departed relative respectfully.
Ask yourself
How can you show thoughtful respect for your family’s departed relatives?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.