Just a week after the Ganesha Chaturthi, the Pitra paksha has started as per the hindi calendar. This period of 15 days is associated with our ancestors. This period is meant for us to remember them and all they have done for us. This is the period to pay our homage to them before starting the journey of a whole new year of festivals. A similar concept exists in people across USA, however it has lost its meaning and is today reduced to a scary fancy dress show - Halloween.
I have often wondered the meaning and the reasoning behind the fortnight dedicated to our forefathers. The curiosity piqued as this period is considered inauspicious and starting something new is not advised. I often wondered why shouldn't my forefathers be happy for me if I try to do something new? Its only later I realized that everyone is busy in praying to their ancestors and trying to strengthen their bonds for this life and afterlife, that starting something new is pushed off until later. This fortnight is kind of reserved for the living to tie their bonds with the forefathers and others who have deceased and have still not reached their destination - heaven or hell.
The story of Karna in Mahabharata did not end with his death at the hands of Arjuna. In the continuation of the story, Karna, upon his death, rose directly to the heaven. On his arrival into the heaven, Karna was greeted with great food made of jewels and gold. Karna asked Indra for the real food. He was told that all his life he had donated only gold or jewels. But Karna never donated food or homage to his ancestors. Hence he shall only get the jewels and gold for food. Since Karna was unaware of the rituals and his ancestors, he was granted a 15 days on the earth to make amends. It is said that the 15 days given to Karna are today known as the Pitra Paksha.
The hindu thought is cyclical in nature and emphasizes the Newton's third law of motion in many more ways than even Newton would have described. Per Newton's law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The karmic theory in hinduism says that your life is a result of your deeds in the past lives and even in the present life. Thus extending on the story of Karna, he got food to eat, when he provided for his ancestors and many others who were in need. The hindu thought has evolved over the ages and the periods of time. However, the centrality of the thought has remained the same. As per the Hindu thought, the souls of the preceding generations remain in a realm between the earth and the heaven known as the Pitra Loka. When the a soul from the next generation enters this realm, an older generation soul moves unto either the heaven or descends on the earth again based on their deeds. This movement is also based on the rites performed by the living for the dead. If the living pay their homages well and provide for the dead during the fortnight period as Karna, their ancestors gain their passage to heaven rather than returning back to the earth or being stuck in the Pitra Loka forever. Mostly the rites are performed by the sons of the family. The rites are also explained to the living as their debt to the ancestors for everything they left for the living to enjoy. This is why the male child is highly sought after in man hindu families. The Garuda Purana which is read only on the death of someone, speaks "there is no salvation for a man without a son". Though the ever changing Hindu thought about the male child was more prominent in the time period when the wars were fought and many died. To propagate the human race, the offsprings were needed. And, to increase the importance of the offspring, it is said that once a child is born, the ancestors who would have passed on that day have found their reprieve.
In my last post on the homage to the ancestors, I spoke about how the pind is prepared for the pind daan. In the Markandeya Purana, it is said that if the ancestors are content with the Shraddha rites performed for them, they shall bestow health, wealth, knowledge, longevity and salvation on the performer.
The shraddha is performed only at noon, usually on the bank of a river or lake or at one's own house. Families may also make a pilgrimage to places like Varanasi and Gaya to perform Shraddha. The shraddha is performed on the specific lunar day during the Pitru Paksha, when the ancestor—usually a parent or paternal grandparent—died. There are exceptions to the lunar day rule; special days are allotted for people who died in a particular manner or had a certain status in life.
Though the rites of the Shraadha are usually performed by the eldest son in the family, the rites on the Sarvapitri amavasya can be performed by the daughters as well. Not only this describes the inclusion of the females in the Hindu thoughts, but also explains that the ancestral debt is equally shared between the sons and the daughters. However, since the females are associated with the ones who give the birth to the next generation, are considered to have paid their image through bearing the child.
I have often wondered the meaning and the reasoning behind the fortnight dedicated to our forefathers. The curiosity piqued as this period is considered inauspicious and starting something new is not advised. I often wondered why shouldn't my forefathers be happy for me if I try to do something new? Its only later I realized that everyone is busy in praying to their ancestors and trying to strengthen their bonds for this life and afterlife, that starting something new is pushed off until later. This fortnight is kind of reserved for the living to tie their bonds with the forefathers and others who have deceased and have still not reached their destination - heaven or hell.
The story of Karna in Mahabharata did not end with his death at the hands of Arjuna. In the continuation of the story, Karna, upon his death, rose directly to the heaven. On his arrival into the heaven, Karna was greeted with great food made of jewels and gold. Karna asked Indra for the real food. He was told that all his life he had donated only gold or jewels. But Karna never donated food or homage to his ancestors. Hence he shall only get the jewels and gold for food. Since Karna was unaware of the rituals and his ancestors, he was granted a 15 days on the earth to make amends. It is said that the 15 days given to Karna are today known as the Pitra Paksha.
The hindu thought is cyclical in nature and emphasizes the Newton's third law of motion in many more ways than even Newton would have described. Per Newton's law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The karmic theory in hinduism says that your life is a result of your deeds in the past lives and even in the present life. Thus extending on the story of Karna, he got food to eat, when he provided for his ancestors and many others who were in need. The hindu thought has evolved over the ages and the periods of time. However, the centrality of the thought has remained the same. As per the Hindu thought, the souls of the preceding generations remain in a realm between the earth and the heaven known as the Pitra Loka. When the a soul from the next generation enters this realm, an older generation soul moves unto either the heaven or descends on the earth again based on their deeds. This movement is also based on the rites performed by the living for the dead. If the living pay their homages well and provide for the dead during the fortnight period as Karna, their ancestors gain their passage to heaven rather than returning back to the earth or being stuck in the Pitra Loka forever. Mostly the rites are performed by the sons of the family. The rites are also explained to the living as their debt to the ancestors for everything they left for the living to enjoy. This is why the male child is highly sought after in man hindu families. The Garuda Purana which is read only on the death of someone, speaks "there is no salvation for a man without a son". Though the ever changing Hindu thought about the male child was more prominent in the time period when the wars were fought and many died. To propagate the human race, the offsprings were needed. And, to increase the importance of the offspring, it is said that once a child is born, the ancestors who would have passed on that day have found their reprieve.
In my last post on the homage to the ancestors, I spoke about how the pind is prepared for the pind daan. In the Markandeya Purana, it is said that if the ancestors are content with the Shraddha rites performed for them, they shall bestow health, wealth, knowledge, longevity and salvation on the performer.
The shraddha is performed only at noon, usually on the bank of a river or lake or at one's own house. Families may also make a pilgrimage to places like Varanasi and Gaya to perform Shraddha. The shraddha is performed on the specific lunar day during the Pitru Paksha, when the ancestor—usually a parent or paternal grandparent—died. There are exceptions to the lunar day rule; special days are allotted for people who died in a particular manner or had a certain status in life.
- Chautha Bharani and Bharani Panchami, the fourth and fifth lunar day respectively, are allocated for people deceased in the past year.
- Avidhava navami ("Unwidowed ninth"), the ninth lunar day, is for married women who died before their husband. Widowers invite Brahmin women as guests for their wife's shraddha.
- The twelfth lunar day is for children and ascetics who had renounced the worldly pleasures.
- The fourteenth day is known as Ghata chaturdashi or Ghayala chaturdashi, and is reserved for those people killed by arms, in war or suffered a violent death.
- The fifteenth day, Sarvapitri amavasya (all fathers' new moon day) is intended for all ancestors, irrespective of the lunar day they died. It is the most important day of the Pitru Paksha.
Though the rites of the Shraadha are usually performed by the eldest son in the family, the rites on the Sarvapitri amavasya can be performed by the daughters as well. Not only this describes the inclusion of the females in the Hindu thoughts, but also explains that the ancestral debt is equally shared between the sons and the daughters. However, since the females are associated with the ones who give the birth to the next generation, are considered to have paid their image through bearing the child.
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