PITRU - PAKSHA cont...

PITRU - PAKSHA

September 30 – October 15, 2012

Pitru Paksha is one of the Vedic traditions which is designated as an especially powerful time to honor our ancestors.

Pitru Paksh is the occasion to repay debt to our departed ancestors by satisfying their souls by performing rituals. There is a notion in the Hindu society that the dead ones would alive amongst us and to keep their souls obliged a ritual called “Shraddh” is performed. It is believed that Yamaraja, the Lord of death allows the souls to come down to the earth and receive offers from their descendants. This practice is made to the dead termed as “pitras” as per Hindu religion. Pitra Paksha is performed from the 1st day of the Ashwin month and goes up to the following New Moon (Amavasya) day. Each of these 15 days is dedicated to the Shradh of those ancestors who had met eternity on that particular day. The last day of this period, the new moon day, is considered as the most important day in the year for performing these rituals.

In Pitru Paksha, we offer our gratitude to the souls who have brought grace, wisdom, protection, and love to our lives. We can honor our ancestors by making a donation to a not-for-profit organization, and by dedicating spiritual practices on the ancestors' behalf. These practices include meditation, chanting, prayer and mantra repetition.

Science behind Shradh karma is Liberation of Ancestors and Blessings for Successors.

Human body is made up of five Koshas –

1. Annamaya Kosha (body),

2. Pranmaya kosha (heart),

3. Manomaya Kosha (Mind)

4. Gyanmaya Kosha (wisdom and knowledge),

5. Anandmaya Kosha (blessings).

These five koshas are intertwined into one another so as to help us transcend the cycle of life and death and attain liberation or merging with the Supreme.

This is the natural cycle, which indicates that a being mainly faces two types of Gatis after death. One is Liberation and second is being trapped in a continuous cycle of life and death.

Happiness and sadness both are state of mind. Both virtuous and vicious get liberation from their subtle body after bearing the fruits of their karmas (good or bad) and when their desires are gratified. It is evident that by performing Shradh karma in Shradh paksha for the peace of ancestor’s souls in this birth, deceased ancestors get liberation from their bad deeds or sins. That is the reason, those who are physically present in this world; perform shradh karma for their dead ancestors during Pitra Paksha.

In fact by doing Shradh karma the successors or children are more benefitted than the ancestors, because it is a ritual to repay debt to our deceased ancestors by gratifying their spirits and it is their religious responsibility also in order to make free their ancestors from their sins.

Here is a video on “Pitra Mukti”, in which Baba ji teaches us how we can pray for the libration of our ancestors.