Honoring Ancestors During Pitru Paksha: The Power of Mahalaya Tarpan and Shradh
Pitru Paksha is the time when we turn our mind towards our Pitrs, our ancestors. These 15 days come every year in Bhadrapada month Krishna Paksha. From the day after Ganapati Visarjan till Mahalaya Amavasya, we perform rituals like Shradh, Tarpan, Pind Daan, Til Daan, and chanting of Pitru Sukta. This period is not just custom. It is given by our rishis, it is written in shastras. If we ignore it, then Pitrs feel restless, family faces Pitru Dosha. If we do it with shraddha, then Pitrs bless us, our family becomes peaceful, our work starts happening. What is Pitru Paksha Pitru Paksha means “fortnight of ancestors.” These are 15 days when it is said that Pitrs come down near to earth. They expect their children, grandchildren, family to remember them, give them water, food, pind. In Garuda Purana, Vishnu Bhagwan told that when Shradh is done, food reaches Pitrs in subtle form. In Mahabharata, Bhishma Pitamah told Yudhishthira that Shradh done properly uplifts ten generations of ancesto...