Bali means ‘oblation’ ‘sacrificial offering’ to Gods.
This Bali , generic terms, is Vegetarian.
There have been practices of animal sacrifice in Hinduism earlier.
One of the main causes for the rise of Buddhism is the animal sacrifice indulged in indiscriminately.
Shankaracharya set this process right by quoting relevant Vedic texts and did away with this practice.
Bali to Gods is generally to appease Him/Her.
Bali is different from Naivedya where the food is offered to God by way of Thanksgiving and to remove the impurities in Food.
Bali is offered to Gods in Temples at the Balipeeta, near the Dwajasthamba, Flagpole in the temple to the Devatas that are in the temple and the Bali is not meant for the principal Deity, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Subrahmanya and Devi.
Village deities are offered the Bali, not the principal deities of Hinduism.
Apart from this there are,
Preta Bali,
Bootha Bali,
Paisacha Bali and Narayana Bali.
Preta Bali is offered after one’s death to the dead body as a token of thanks for accommodating the Soul temporarily to enjoy its fruits of action.
Bootha Bali is offered to the Five Elements, Earth, Water,Fire, Air and Ether for combining themselves into forming a Human Body as a gesture of gratitude.
Till the basic Karmas for the dead are completed the dead are believed to be in Paisacha Loka as Paisachas,roughly translated Ghosts, en route to Pitru Loka.
On the eleventh/twelfth day of the death, the Paisacha Bali is offered to Paisachas.
One more important Bali is The Narayana Bali.
This is performed for those who die of unnatural causes,like accidents, suicide.
No formal Rites are to be performed for these deaths.
The Narayana Bali rites is performed in all cases of abnormal death which is defined as follows: death by fasting, one who is killed by animals, death by arson, death by a curse, death by cholera or any disease or great ailment, who commit suicide, fall from a mountain, tree or any height, who hang themselves to death, who are drowned in a tank, river or ocean, death by muggers or robbers, by snake bite, struck by lightning, murder and persons who are great sinners – for such persons O Garuda, the rite of Narayana Bali should be performed.” (Garuda Purana Preta kanda chapter 40 verses 4-12)
All these deaths are known as bad deaths where no rite of Aurdhvadehika (funerals rites) or pinda-daan is performed. The deceased sons should perform the Narayana Bali Puja, O bird. By that the relatives of the deceased are purified. This is stated by Yama. There are no other means. Except for the Narayana Bali, there is no rite for their purification.
(Garuda Purana Preta kanda chapter 4 verses 110- 116)
If the Narayana Bali is to be performed for the atonement of bad death, it should be done on the eleventh day. (Garuda Purana Preta kanda chapter 5 verse 39)
“Then the Rites for the release of the ghost should be performed with Vishnu in view. The Preta (the deceased) is then mystically discharged. (Garuda Purana Preta kanda chapter 40 verses 63-64). So what Lord Vishnu is saying here is once the prayers are completed the deceased who was a ghost (spirit/preta) is now released…
Lord Vishnu further states this in the Garuda Purana to Shree Garuda: – “Until the funeral rites are properly performed the dead man, ever hungry, roams about day and night in the form of airy matter. “ (Garuda Purana Preta Kanda Chapter 13 verse 23)
Having incurred sins they seek redemption in their progeny. Being bodiless as well as suffering from hunger and thirst they roam about here and there. They bolt doors on their ancestors, put obstacles in the way of the forefathers. Like thieves, they snatch the manes food in their way before it reaches them. They return home stay on the roof, and watch the activities of their kins. They cause disease and grief to their relatives. Having assumed the body of tertian {fever}, they cause disease due to cold or wind like headaches or cholera. The ghosts torment his family people through the enemy. (Garuda Purana – Preta Kanda, Chapter 20 Verse 5-37).
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