Rituals of religion, like the husk of a seed, preserve its life and make it germinate. Philosophy without religion becomes meaningless. Religion without rituals becomes insipid. The rituals of a religion, like the husk of a seed, preserves its life and make it germinate. It is only when the rituals are separated from the faith and assume an independent existence that they become mechanical and lifeless.

Human beings have not yet reached those heights where they can dispense with all sorts of symbols and rituals and devote themselves to purely abstract principles. Rituals give a concrete shape to the abstract spiritual ideals and add colour and zest to life,

Worship of God through symbols and images, offering oblations into specially consecrated sacrificial fires, the practice of meditation at sunrise, noon and sunset; these were some of the rituals obligatory on almost all the Hindus during the ancient days. Even to this day, these have been kept up, though in a modified form, and with lesser intensity.

A wisely planned and solemnly conducted ritual prepares the ground, creates the atmosphere, suggests the mood and predisposes the mind so that the spiritual aspirant may easily detach himself from the world and feel the mysterious presence of the Supreme power called God.

Shraadh is a ritualistic custom unique to the Hindu religion. Hindu scriptures which include the Vedas and the Puranas like the Agni Puran, Garud Puran, Vayu Puran, etc., explain the significance of ‘Shraadh’, for whom it should be performed, who performs it, when and how it should be done.

श्रद्धया पितृन्‌ उद्दिश्य विधिना क्रियते ततू श्राद्धम्‌ ।

Whatever you do with faith in the name of Pitras is called Shraadh.

देवकार्यादपि सदा पितृकाय॑ विशिश्यते। देवताभ्यो हि पूर्व पितृणामाप्यायनं वरम्‌।।

(हमाद्रिमें वायु तथा ब्रह्मवैवर्तका वचन)

Shraadh is mangal (auspicious). It is auspicious to do Pitra Kariya before Dev Kariya and Pitra is to be satisfied first.

श्राद्धात्‌ परतरं नान्यच्छेयस्करमुदाहतम्‌। तस्मात्‌ सर्वप्रयतेन्न श्राद्ध कुर्याद्‌ विचक्षण:।।

(हमाद्रिमें सुमन्तुकावचन)

There is nothing auspicious than a Shraadh, therefore always perform Shraadh.

एवं विधानतः श्राद्धं कुर्यात्‌ स्वविभवोचितम्‌ । आब्रह्मस्तम्बर्पन्तं जगत्‌ प्रीणाति मानवः।।

(ब्रह्मपुराण)

While are performing Shraadh you are not only satisfying Pitras, but you are satisfying everything in this universe from grass to Brahma Ji.

योज्नेन विधिना श्राद्धं कुर्याद्‌ वै शान्तमानसः। व्यपेकल्मषों नित्यं याति नावर्तते पुनः।।

(हमाद्रिमें कूर्मपुराण का वचन)

Whoever performs Shraadh with shraddha, he goes to Vishnu Dham and doesn’t take birth again.

To understand this, it should be borne in mind that when a person dies, his or her gross body (Sthula Sharira) is burnt. This being in fact the 'Antya Ishthi' (Antyeshthi) the last sacrifice offered in fire, but the soul cannot quit the gross body without a vehicle of some kind. This vehicle is the Linga-Sharira or subtle body, sometimes described as Angushtha-Matra (of the size of a thumb), invested in which the deceased person remains.

तत्क्षणात्‌ सोउथ गृहाति शारीरं चातिवाहिकम्‌। अड्गुषठपर्वमात्रं तु स्वप्राणैरेव निर्मितम्‌।।

(स्कन्द 1/2/50/62 द्ध)

He or she is then in the condition of a simple individual soul invested with a subtle body and is called a ‘Preta’, i.e., a departed spirit or ghost. Thus, an embodied soul (Jiva) who has departed from the physical body at death is called a Preta. He or she has no real body capable of enjoying or suffering anything, and is consequently in a restless, uncomfortable plight.

Moreover, while in this condition he or she is held to be an impure being, and all the relations of that Gotra who participate in his or her funeral rites are held to be impure (Ashoch or Honch) until the first Shraadh is performed. Furthermore, if a person dies and his funeral ceremonies are not done, and who are perhaps unaware of his or her death, and unable therefore to perform them, he or she becomes a ‘Pishach’, a foul wandering ghost, disposed to take revenge for its misery upon all living creatures by a variety of malignant acts.

श्राद्धं न कुरूते मोहात्‌ तस्य रक्त पिबन्ति ते।    ; ब्रह्मपुराणद्ध

पितरस्तस्य शापं दत्वा प्रयान्ति च।    ;नागरखण्डद्ध

The object then, of the Antyeshthi or funeral rites, which are carried out for twelve days after death, is not only to soothe or give shanti (peace) by libations of consecrated water to the troubled spirit, but to furnish the ‘Preta’ with an intermediate body, between the ‘Linga’ or subtle and the ‘Sthula’ or gross body, with a body, that is to say, which is capable of enjoying or suffering, and which is composed of gross particles, though not of the same kind as the earthly gross body. In this manner only can the Preta obtain Gati or progress onwards.