Relaxations in rituals... a Hindu perspective..

 Someone asked

Do you endorse that the religious rites and practices can be changed in line with the time and situation?
For eg. One cannot perform a Sradha in cities the same way it was performed say 50 years back.


My view on it

In religious practices there are many inter connected issues.

The vedic mantrams that are recited,   the timings, the essential shaucha etc., which are normally specifically  connected to  the individual personally  and not relatable to   the application of material resources that he can muster should be followed without any relaxation. Arghyam we offer d at sandhya etc., are such practices.

Of course the rishis and gurus prescribe certain relaxations when great aapad (danger, calamity) strikes..We need not actually search for nor prescribe  rules there.  Such rules  are already given.

And when collection, collation and application of wealth and garnering the assistance of others are involved the rishis always console us that we should do our best with utmost sincerity. Sambuavdbhih aachaarai sambhavdbhih upachaarai sambhavataa niyamena sambhavataa shaktyaa etc. (संभवद्भि आचारैः संभवद्भिः उपचारैः संभवता नियमेन संभवता शक्त्या..) 

But we should have the sense of proportion while deciding what is possible in reality. The mother of a baby while on a bus or train  travel may feed the infant with bottle milk or whatever is available under  the circumstances. But if she decides to feed the baby with junk even when she and the child are sitting comfortably at home then that idea is not welcome.

To sum up if we are making the optimally minimum relaxations because of our helplessness such action  is not wrong. But finding silly reasons or not so compelling or convincing  reasons and changing the rituals on that basis is wrong.

There is an example in Ramayanam. When Rama, who had adjourned to forest,  learnt about the death of his father Dasharatha from his younger brother Bharatha,   he, along with Laksmana observed the rituals with fruits or grains and other materials available in the forest. The anthyeshti for an emperor was not expected to be done like that if Rama had been living  in his palace at Ayodhya.

Such incidents should set examples and guide us

But one thing.
Relaxations should be for genuine reasons.
We should not invent excuses.