Pitru Paksha, otherwise called the fortnight of predecessors, is a critical period in Hindu custom, saw to respect and offer appreciation to left precursors. As per Vedic sacred texts, it is trusted that during this time, the spirits of the left visit the Earth and are in closeness to their relatives. Pitru Paksha gives an open door to families to offer a thanks, perform customs, and look for gifts for harmony, success, and profound development.
The customs during Pitru Paksha, especially the Shradh functions, are pointed toward guaranteeing the prosperity of the withdrew spirits and allowing them moksha, or freedom from the pattern of birth and passing. This blog digs into the different customs of Pitru Paksha, revealing insight into their significance, significance, and the means engaged with this old practice.
1. Grasping the Significance of Pitru Paksha: Pitru Paksha ordinarily falls during the Krishna Paksha (winding down period of the moon) in the long stretch of Ashwin (September-October). It is accepted that the precursors live in Pitru Loka, a profound domain, and during this time, they dive to Earth to acknowledge contributions from their relatives. Playing out these customs is viewed as an obligation of the living, recognizing the familial association and their effect on the prosperity of the current and people in the future.
The critical objective of Pitru Paksha customs is to give “Tarpan” (presenting of water) and “Pind Daan” (presenting of food) to the predecessors, permitting their spirits to achieve harmony and draw nearer to freedom. These customs likewise convey karmic importance, as they assist with killing the tribal obligations (Pitru Rin) that an individual is accepted to convey from birth.
2. Key Ceremonies of Pitru Paksha
Tarpan – The Water Offering: Tarpan is a ceremonial contribution of water blended in with dark sesame seeds and grain to the precursors. This act represents the food that relatives proposition to their progenitors in the hereafter. It is performed with profound love and appreciation, joined by petitions that the predecessors might accomplish harmony and be liberated from any misery.
The water is normally filled a consecrated vessel or a running stream, while mantras are recited to conjure the predecessors. The course of looking while at the same time performing Tarpan is additionally urgent, with the entertainer for the most part confronting the south, the heading related with the dead in Hindu practice.
Pind Daan – The Food Offering: Pind Daan is the most essential custom during Pitru Paksha, as it includes offering rice balls blended in with sesame seeds, grain, and ghee to the precursors. These rice balls, known as “pinds,” are accepted to address the actual body and its sustenance. The contribution of pinds is an emblematic method for giving food and food to the withdrew spirits.
Pind Daan is by and large performed at a sacred site like Gaya, Varanasi, Haridwar, or Prayagraj, however it should likewise be possible at home. Playing out this custom is remembered to assist precursors with achieving moksha and furthermore carry endowments to the family.
It is many times accepted that the spirits of predecessors are taken care of through the contributions, and when finished with genuineness, the living are liberated from familial obligations. This custom is typically led by the oldest child or a male individual from the family, yet in current times, ladies have likewise begun taking part in these sacrosanct rituals.
Taking care of the Brahmins and Poor people: One more fundamental piece of Pitru Paksha ceremonies is taking care of Brahmins and poor people. It is accepted that serving food to Brahmins and individuals deprived during this period carries enormous endowments to the family. Brahmins are welcome to the home or are served in a sanctuary or public spot. They are given food that incorporates kheer, puris, and other customary dishes, alongside dakshina (gift), as it is accepted that taking care of the Brahmins guarantees that the precursors get the contributions.
Notwithstanding Brahmins, taking care of poor people, offering food to cows, and birds is likewise viewed as an ethical demonstration during Pitru Paksha. These demonstrations of noble cause, known as “daan,” help in collecting great karma and satisfying the predecessors, guaranteeing their favors for the family’s success and prosperity.
Custom Fasting: During Pitru Paksha, numerous enthusiasts notice fasting as a characteristic of regard for their predecessors. The quick, known as “Shradh Upvas,” includes swearing off particular sorts of food like non-veggie lover dishes, garlic, and onions, while some might even quick completely for a day. The quick is by and large broken in the wake of offering food to the Brahmins or poor people.
The demonstration of fasting during Pitru Paksha isn’t just an actual discipline yet additionally a profound practice. It is accepted to purge the brain and body, making a feeling of dedication and separation from common longings. Fasting is viewed as a method for conjuring the finesse of the precursors and the gods, guaranteeing the general profound and material advancement of the family.
Proposing to Crows: In Hindu practice, crows are viewed as couriers of Yama, the divine force of death, and are accepted to address the progenitors. It is standard to offer food to crows during Pitru Paksha, as taking care of them is remembered to guarantee that the contributions arrive at the progenitors.
The food is typically put on a spotless surface outside, and assuming that the crows come and eat the food, it is taken as a sign that the precursors are happy with the contribution. On the off chance that the crows don’t acknowledge the food, it is viewed as an unpropitious sign, demonstrating that the customs might should be performed once more or that the predecessors are not yet settled.
Visiting Heavenly Spots: Journeys to blessed places like Gaya, Varanasi, or Prayagraj are viewed as incredibly propitious during Pitru Paksha. Gaya, specifically, is a noticeable objective for performing Pind Daan. It is accepted that playing out these ceremonies at Gaya guarantees freedom for the predecessors and awards them a spot in the higher profound domains.
Many individuals additionally visit streams like the Ganges or other heavenly water bodies to perform Shradh services, as these spots are supposed to be permeated with profound energy, making the customs more successful.
Customs of Pitru Paksha:
Dos:
Play out the Shradh customs with an unadulterated and gave heart.
Guarantee that the contributions are made in a spotless and sacrosanct climate.
Keep the endorsed guidelines for the afternoon, including fasting and good cause.
Offer food and water to creatures and birds, particularly cows and crows.
Don’ts:
Abstain from purchasing new garments or beginning new pursuits during Pitru Paksha.
Forgo drinking liquor, tobacco, or non-veggie lover food.
Abstain from trimming hair or nails during this period, as it is viewed as ominous.