Pitri Tarpana Question (Vishnu Sahasra Naama Homam..)

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Namaste Ram ji,

 

Shraaddham is an offering of balls of solid food for deceased ancestors on

special occasions.

 

Pitri tarpana is an offering of water for pitris (deceased ancestors who are

stuck with some desires) to satisfy them. Not so long ago, every Braahmana used

to perform a brief pitri tarpana everyday, as a part of daily rituals. This is

not without reason.

 

* * *

 

The thoughts of the minds around us do have a subtle impact on our mind. When

too many depressed, sad or frustrated people are around you, it will have a

negative effect on you. Similarly, when some peaceful and blissful people or

elevated souls are around you, it will have a positive effect on you. Thus,

thoughts in the minds around you does have an impact on you.

 

This is particularly true with respect to the minds of people who have

genetic/kaarmik links/debts with you. When minds of such people are in great

distress or great excitement, it has an impact on your mind.

 

If a deceased ancestor to whom you have a kaarmik debt has some strong desires

and unable to progress to a higher loka or be reborn, his thoughts and desires

will have an impact on your mind.

 

Thus, we invest our mental energy praying for their relief. While offering balls

of solid food (shraaddha) on special occasions, pray that the ancestor may get

an appropriate body again to fulfil remaining desires. While leaving water in

pitri tarpana, pray that the ancestor's desires may be satisfied and the

ancestor may be overcome the weaknesses. By praying for helping an ancestor, you

are indirectly helping yourself, by removing a powerful negative influence on

your mind and getting rid of some weaknesses.

 

Unfortunately, the extremely simple ritual of pitri tarpana is out of fashion

today. However, so many people will benefit tremendously if they do it atleast

once every month if not daily. Vimalananda says that he will pick pitri tarpana

if there is only one ritual he can perform.

 

* * *

 

Not long ago, every orthodox Braahmana used to perform a fire ritual and a water

ritual (tarpana) everyday. Rituals use external symbols to induce internal

changes. These two rituals are really important and useful rituals.

 

A small comparison of homam and tarpana is reproduced from

archives:

 

--------------------------

One word on Homam vs Tarpana. In homam, you are calling devatas and the medium

is fire. In tarpana, you are calling pitris and the medium is water. Both

sadhanas are applicable to all people irrespective of whether watery

signs/planets are strong or fiery signs/planets in their horoscope.

 

In homam, devatas come in fire and burn your blocking karmas to purify you. In

tarpana, pitris come in water and free you from vasanas (conditioning of the

mind) that were karmically inherited from them. If you have genes from (and rina

with) an ancestor who was lustful or angry or jealous and the consciousness of

the deceased ancestor is still having those thoughts, you will also suffer from

such thoughts due to the connection and may even commit some bad karmas because

of the weaknesses. You can free yourself from the rina by working on giving a

rebirth to that ancestor. If the ancestor's consciousness is attached to a new

body, the thoughts and cravings of that consciousness will not affect your

consciousness in the same way. Thus, tarpana aims to cut off a strong source of

bad karmas, while homam burns off previously committed bad karmas. Both are very

important sadhanas for spiritual progress.

 

Devatas are very subtle forms of consciousness. Their self-identification is to

what is known as soul and represented by Sun. They work on your individual soul

and free it from the karmas it carries. Pitris are grosser forms of

consciousness with strong attachments and desires. Their self-identification is

with what is known as mind and represented by Moon. You may note that Sun and

Moon are associated with Devas and Pitris in the hora chart of astrology. Fire

and water are the natural media for them respectively.

 

Devas and pitris have different ways of working and influencing us and helping

our spiritual progress. But both are relevant to all of us and have a role to

play in our spiritual evolution. Worshipping devas in fire and satisfying pitris

in water are very important.

--------------------------

 

Best regards,

Narasimha

 

Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam

Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana

Spirituality:

Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net

Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org

Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

 

 

, Ramakrishnan Krishnamurthy <ramki108

wrote:

>

> Dear Narasimha,

>

> Thanks for this valuable manual. Could you enlighten me on the difference

between Pitri Tarpana and Shraddham? I believe Shraddham is performed once a

year on the thithi of demise of one's father (to be performed by the eldest

son). There are some variants such as performing it during the Shraddha Paksham

instead of on the actual thithi, every year. Also, have heard of a Gaya

Shraddham, which is to be performed once in a lifetime, and which makes it

unnecessary to perform yearly Shraddham subsequently.

>

> Have tried to search for material on this but have not succeeded so far. At

least if you can provide information on some sources, it would be a great help.

>

> Thanks and regards,

> Ram

>

> --- On Fri, 12/6/09, Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr wrote:

>

> Namaste,

>

> Now a Vishnu sahasra naama homam manual is available. It contains a very short

procedure for Vishnu sahasra naama homam. It is very detailed and pretty much

anybody can follow it.

>

> Those who regularly chant Vishnu sahasra naama stotram should be able to

perform a homam if they spend an extra 10 minutes, after a little practice. For

those who are pressed for time and yet want to do a homam, a super-short

procedure involving one verse is also given.

>

> The manual is available in English language, with mantras given in

Sanskrit/Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada or Malayalam scripts.

>

> In addition to this manual, manuals for Mahaganapathi homam, Chandi homam,

Krishna homam, Shiva homam, Mahalakshmi homam, Sani homam and Kuja homam are

available. More will be coming later.

>

> Chanting Vishnu's 1000 names is very powerful in this age. It is the best

antidote for many problems, material and spiritual. Fire of a reasonable size

augments the effect. The philosophy of fire ritual is explained in the manual.

>

> This is a part of the effort to enable a community of sadhakas who worship

various deities in fire, as per the command of the divine Mother to my spiritual

master at Kalikambal temple in Chennai in March 2006.

>

> Please go to the homam website below to download the manuals. It is hoped that

spiritual sadhakas interested in homam will benefit from this and also help in

increasing collective dharma in this world with their contribution. Please feel

free to spread this link among interested people.

>

> Any philosophical or practical questions on homam or any spiritual sadhana can

be discussed on the .

>

> Best regards,

> Narasimha