Pitru Paksha 2023: A Compassionate Guide to Observing Shradh
Pitru Paksha, also known as Shradh or Mahalaya Paksha, is a sacred period in the Hindu calendar dedicated to paying homage to our ancestors. It is believed that the three generations of deceased ancestors live in an in-between realm called Pitrilok and during Pitru Paksha, they are freed by the god of death тАУ Yamaraj or Yama, to visit their relatives and family members and accept gifts, food and water.
Pitru Paksha, every year, is observed for fifteen days when people visit the river Ganges or banks of other rivers and offer food, water and gifts to their deceased ancestors through priests and Brahmins. It is considered an extremely auspicious time of the year. Auspicious rituals such as Shradh, Pind Daan and Tarpan are performed during this time of the year.
In 2023, these 15 days of reverence will take place from September 29 to October 14.
Here are a few dos and don’ts that we should keep in mind.. During this time, it is believed that the spirits of our departed loved ones visit the mortal realm, and it becomes our duty to offer our respect and prayers.
Here are the dos and don’ts of observing Pitru Paksha 2023 in a compassionate way.
Dos:
1. Perform Pinda Dana: One of the most significant rituals during Pitru Paksha is Pinda Dana. It involves offering rice balls mixed with sesame seeds and ghee to the departed souls. This act is believed to provide peace and salvation to the ancestors’ souls.
2. Cleanliness Matters: Keep your surroundings and yourself clean during this period. It is essential to maintain purity and respect for the rituals. Observing cleanliness is an act of devotion.
3. Offer Tarpan: Offering tarpan is another crucial ritual. It involves pouring water mixed with black sesame seeds, barley, and rice into a cupped hand to remember and honor your ancestors. It is typically done in a river or a sacred body of water.
4. Charity and Feeding the Needy: Performing acts of charity and feeding the less fortunate during Pitru Paksha is highly recommended. It is believed that these virtuous deeds benefit the souls of your ancestors.
5. Recite Mantras and Prayers: Chanting mantras and prayers from the Rigveda or other sacred texts can bring peace to your ancestors’ souls. Seek the guidance of a knowledgeable priest for the appropriate mantras.
Don’ts:
1. Avoid Non-Vegetarian Food: During Pitru Paksha, it is customary to abstain from non-vegetarian food, as it is considered inauspicious. Opt for vegetarian meals to maintain the sanctity of the period.
2. Refrain from Celebratory Events: It is best to avoid weddings, celebrations, and joyous occasions during these 15 days. Instead, focus on paying respects to your ancestors.
3. Limit New Ventures: It is not advisable to start new ventures or make significant life changes during Pitru Paksha. This period is dedicated to reflection and remembrance.
4. Respect Food Offerings: If you receive food offerings from others during this time, accept them with humility and gratitude. Do not waste any offerings, as they are made with a sacred intention.
5. Be Mindful of Your Behavior: Maintain a respectful and solemn demeanor during Pitru Paksha. Avoid unnecessary arguments, conflicts, and negative emotions.
Sacred Mantras should chant during the Pitra Paksha
During Pitru Paksha, reciting specific mantras can be a meaningful way to honor and offer prayers to your ancestors. One of the most commonly recited mantras during this period is the Mahalaya Tarpanam mantra. Here is the Mahalaya Tarpanam mantra in Sanskrit along with its English transliteration:
Ye kechit karmakritam prahuryekechij janatamritah.
Pape deepe yadakurwanti deepam tesham sukham tamah.
This mantra emphasizes the importance of performing righteous deeds and offering light (deepam) to those ancestors who have departed. It is believed that by reciting this mantra and offering tarpan (water oblation) while remembering your ancestors, you can help bring peace and salvation to their souls.
Pitra Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Pitra Mantra is a sacred mantra dedicated to honoring one’s ancestors. It’s recited during rituals and ceremonies like Pitru Paksha to seek blessings and peace for the souls of departed ancestors. Here is the Gayatri Pitra Mantra in Sanskrit along with its English transliteration:
Om Devatabhyah Pitrubhyashcha Mahayogibhyah Eva Cha.
Namah Swadhayai Swahayai Nityameva Namo Namah.
This mantra expresses deep respect and reverence for both the divine and ancestral energies. It acknowledges the importance of offering homage to the devatas, pitrus (ancestors), and great yogis while invoking the blessings of Swadha (the divine energy of offerings) and Swaha (the divine energy of sacrifice).
Chanting this mantra with sincerity during rituals, especially during Pitru Paksha, can be a meaningful way to connect with these spiritual energies and seek their blessings.
In Conclusion:
Pitru Paksha is a time of reflection, remembrance, and respect for our ancestors. By following these dos and don’ts, you can observe this sacred period with devotion and compassion. Remember that the essence of Pitru Paksha lies in honoring the departed souls and seeking their blessings for a harmonious life.
As you observe Pitru Paksha 2023, may your actions bring solace to your ancestors’ souls and pave the way for their eternal peace.
The Ganpati Atharvashirsha is a sacred Hindu scripture that praises Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity known as the remover of obstacles. Here’s a brief overview of its history and importance:
History:
1. Origin: The Ganpati Atharvashirsha is part of the Atharvaveda, one of the four Vedas of ancient Indian scriptures. It is considered a late addition to the Vedic texts, likely composed around the 16th century.
2. Authorship:The authorship of the Atharvashirsha is traditionally attributed to the sage Atharva, though its actual author is not definitively known.
Importance:
1. Devotional Significance: The Ganpati Atharvashirsha is highly revered in Hinduism as a powerful mantra and hymn dedicated to Lord Ganesha. It is chanted by devotees to seek blessings, wisdom, and the removal of obstacles in life.
2. Obstacle Removal:Lord Ganesha is venerated as the deity who can eliminate impediments and challenges from one’s path. Chanting the Atharvashirsha is believed to invoke His blessings for overcoming difficulties.
3. Spiritual Insights:The scripture contains philosophical and spiritual insights about the nature of Ganesha. It describes Him as the supreme reality, the source of creation, and the embodiment of the ultimate truth (Brahman).
4. Versatility: The Ganpati Atharvashirsha is versatile and can be chanted as a standalone prayer or incorporated into various rituals and ceremonies, particularly during Ganesh Chaturthi, a prominent Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
5. Protection and Auspiciousness:Chanting or reciting this text is believed to provide protection and bring auspiciousness to the devotee’s life.
In summary, the Ganpati Atharvashirsha is a sacred text that holds immense significance in Hinduism, particularly in the worship of Lord Ganesha. It is cherished for its power to remove obstacles and bestow blessings upon those who recite it with devotion.
English Translation:
Aum, I offer a salutation to that one, to Ganapati. You are, verily, the prime principle. You are verily the unswerving (direct or straight) creator and the upholder. You are verily the unswerving destroyer. You are verily this assuredly absolute Brahman. You are verily the eternal self.
Transliteration:
ava tvaс╣Г m─Бmред ava vakt─Бramред
ava ┼Ыrot─Бramред
ava d─Бt─Бramред
ava dh─Бt─Бramред
av─Бn┼лc─Бnamava ┼Ыiс╣гyamред
ava pa┼Ыc─Бtt─Бtред
ava purast─Бtред avottar─Бtt─Бtред
ava dakс╣гiс╣З─Бtt─Бtред
ava cordhv─Бtt─Бtред
av─Бdhar─Бtt─Бtред
sarvato m─Бс╣Г p─Бhi p─Бhi samant─Бtрее3рее
English Translation:
Protect me, protect the speaker, protect the listener, protect the giver, protect the sustainer, protect the teacher, protect the disciple. Protect from the back, protect from the front, protect from the north, protect from the south, protect from above, protect from below. Protect me from all the sides.
English Translation:
You are the very nature of the words. You are the nature of consciousness. You are the nature of bliss. You are the nature of the Brahman. You are none other than the Real existence-consciousness-bliss. You are the one without the second (the only one). You are the visible Brahman. You are the nature of spiritual knowledge (and) you are science.
English Translation:
All this world is manifested from you. All this world is sustained by you. This entire world dissolves in you. This entire world reverts back to you. You are the earth, water, wind, fire, and space. You are the four types of speech (par─Б, pa┼Ыyant─л, madhyam─Б, vaikhar─л).
English Translation:
You transcend three attributes (sattva, rajas and tamas). You transcend three states of the body (waking, dreaming and sleeping). You transcend the three bodies (gross, subtle and causal). You are beyond the three periods of time (Past, present and future) . You are the eternal one who abides as the foundation. You are the trinity of power (will power, power of action and power of knowledge). You are the one of whom the ascetics meditate upon. You are Brahma, you are Vishnu, you are Rudra, you are Indra, you are Fire, you are the Wind, you are the Sun, you are the Moon. You are effulgence as the earth, the mid-region, and space above.
English Translation:
Pronouncing the syllabus рдЧ (ga) in the beginning and other syllables thereafter, the sibilant is marked with half-moon transcending, mature with stars. Thus is your form. The рдЧ (ga) is the prior form, рдЕ (a) is the later form, sibilant is the final form, the dot is the supreme form. The sound is the connecting link, the hymn is the connection. (this makes the “реР рдЧрдБ” ) тАШGak─БraтАЩ (рдЧреН) is the first part. тАШAk─БraтАЩ (рдЕ) is the middle part. And the Anusv─Бra (nasal sound) is the last part and the тАШbinduтАЩ (dot) is the latter form of pronunciation. These all joined together as the sound of the mantra (реР рдЧрдБ). This, verily, is the wisdom of Gaс╣Зe┼Ыa. Gaс╣Зaka is the seer, G─Бyatr─л is the metre, Gaс╣Зapati is the deity. Aum, obeisance to Gaс╣Зapat─л as тАШgamтАЩ. My reverential salutations to Gaс╣Зapati.
English Translation:
(The visible form of Gaс╣Зapat─л is as follows) his face has a single tusk; he has four hands; (and) with two hands, he is holding noose (p─Б┼Ыa) and goad (aс╣Еku┼Ыa), with his third hand he is holding a tusk (rada), and with fourth hand he is showing the gesture of boon-giving (varada-mudr─Б); his flag is having the emblem of a rat (m┼лс╣гaka). His form is having a beautiful reddish glow, with a large belly (lambodara) and with large ears like fans (┼Ы┼лrpakarс╣Зa); he is wearing red garments. His Form is anointed with red fragrant paste, and he is worshipped with red flowers. He is the one who is compassionate towards his devotees, he has descended for the cause of the universe. He manifested at the beginning of the universe. He is beyond the manifested nature of the manifested world. He who meditates on him in this way everyday is the best Yogi among the Yogis.
English Translation:
Salutations to the Lord of all human beings, salutations to the Lord of all soldiers, salutations to the Lord of all sages, salutations to you, the one with a large belly and a single tusk, salutations to the son of Lord ┼Ъiva who is the remover of all obstacles and the bestower of boons.
English Translation:
The leader, god, and chief of the gaс╣Зas. The embodiment, adornment, and master of the guс╣Зas, and one who is beyond the guс╣Зas. The one with one tusk, and a curved trunk, the son of Gaur─л (P─Бrvati), we meditate upon you.
English translation:
You are beyond the three qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas), beyond the three conditions (awake, sleepful, dreaming),
beyond the three states of time (past present and future), and beyond the three bodies (physical, astral and causal).
English translation:
The leader of the Ganas, you are the wisdom of the wise and uppermost in glory.
You are the foremost king of prayers (Brahmanaspati).
Please come to us and be present in the seat of this sacred altar (to charge our prayers with your wisdom),
we offer our sacrificial oblations to you.