RE: Pitru Paksha

[Guest guest]

>>"Swamiji says that anyone that wanted to pay homage to their

ancestors

during this Pitri paksh could

 

"1) Chant one mala of Gayatri maala

and/or

2) Chant one mala of MahaMrtyunjay mala

 

each day, and lovingly offer the benefits to their ancestory/lineage.

 

 

 

Swamiji says to do this mala of Gayatri/MahaMrtyunjay for all the 15

days and then do a lot more(maybe a 1000) on the 15th day - which is

Mahalaya Amavasya.

 

JAI MAA

Nanda"<<

 

Dear Nanda,

Thanks so much for this! Thanks, Swamiji. At the local temple,

Mahalaya Amavasya will be the Hanuman Abishek...now I am planning to

spend a while there doing this japa on the 15th day...thank you SO

much!!!! (I'll be thinking of you, Swamiji!!).

best regards,

sadhvi

[Guest guest]

>>"The dark half of the Ashwin (September-October) is observe as

Pitra Paksha throughout the Hindu world.

 

Shradha is offered to the dead and departed ancestors of the family.

On each day of the fortnight, oblations of water and pindas or balls

of rice and meal are offered to the dead relatives by the surviving

relatives.

 

A Shraddha is not a funeral ceremony but a supplement to such a

ceremony. It is an act of reverential homage to a dead person

performed by relatives, and is supposed to supply the dead with

strengthening nutriment after the performance of the previous

funeral ceremonies has endowed the ethered bodies. It is believed

that until Shraddha has been performed the deceased relative is a

preta or a restless, wandering ghost and has no real body. Only

after the Shraddha, he attains a position among the Petris or Divine

Father in their blissful abode called pitri-loka. It is trditionally

believed that a Shraddha is most desirable and efficacious when done

by a son."<<<

 

Here's some information about Pitru Paksha. The rites are pretty

elaborate for Hindus, I think. Once, I was at a Temple where we did

the ritual: the pindas, the tarpana, etc. But what I did was much

simpler, using the tarpana from Cosmic Puja (pp.327-330) and

offerings of kum kum rice and water. Usually Pitru Paksha occurs

sometime in late Sept. before Navaratri. I believe the usual period

is 2 weeks or 15 days? It's a good time to remember ancestors. It's

pretty easy to make the pindas. Maybe it would be a good practice

every year for those of us who have lost parents or loved ones. I do

the "Swamiji suggested version" now every year and try to do it

where my parent's ashes were immersed.

Someone else here might have better information about

this "holiday" (kind of weird to call it a holiday).

best,

sadhvi

 

The eldest son or some other elder male member of the family

performs Shraddha in honour of the dead and offers oblations. Part

of the food-offering is also given to the cows and the crows.

Brahmins are fed and given dakshina, for it is believed that

whatever is given to the Brahmins also reaches the departed souls.

Khir, a sweet milk and rice preparation, is especially prepared and

offered to the pitris on this occasion. On the last day of the

fortnight,i.e. on the Amavasya oblations are offered to all those

departed.

[Guest guest]

of reverential homage to a dead person performed by relatives, and is

supposed to supply the dead with strengthening nutriment after the

performance of the previous funeral ceremonies has endowed the

ethered bodies. It is believed that until Shraddha has been performed

the deceased relative is a preta or a restless, wandering ghost and

has no real body. Only after the Shraddha, he attains a position

among the Petris or Divine Father in their blissful abode called

pitri-loka. It is trditionally believed that a Shraddha is most

desirable and efficacious when done by a son."<<<Here's some

information about Pitru Paksha. The rites are pretty elaborate for

Hindus, I think. Once, I was at a Temple where we did the ritual: the

pindas, the tarpana, etc. But what I did was much simpler, using the

tarpana from Cosmic Puja (pp.327-330) and offerings of kum kum rice

and water. Usually Pitru Paksha occurs sometime in late

Sept. before Navaratri. I believe the usual period is 2 weeks or 15

days? It's a good time to remember ancestors. It's pretty easy to

make the pindas. Maybe it would be a good practice every year for

those of us who have lost parents or loved ones. I do the "Swamiji

suggested version" now every year and try to do it where my parent's

ashes were immersed. Someone else here might have better information

about this "holiday" (kind of weird to call it a holiday).

best,sadhviThe eldest son or some other elder male member of the

family performs Shraddha in honour of the dead and offers oblations.

Part of the food-offering is also given to the cows and the crows.

Brahmins are fed and given dakshina, for it is believed that whatever

is given to the Brahmins also reaches the departed souls. Khir, a

sweet milk and rice preparation, is especially prepared and offered

to the pitris on this occasion. On the last day of the

fortnight,i.e. on the Amavasya oblations are offered to all thosedeparted.

With a free 1 GB, there's more in store with Mail.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/25/06 7:24:18 PM Mountain Standard Time, lightdweller writes:

BUT,

It is said that if one chants the Lalitha Sahasranama & or Vishnu

Sahasranama, and or worships the Salagrama Sila that there is no need

for those types of observances, as the ancestors will get all they

need thru these practices. How tru? any thoughts anyone?

Janardana Dasa

Namaste Janardana Dasa,

If you call someone in a rural area that does not have the technology

for a clear call, the message may not get through as well as the

call placed in established areas of clear communication. The message

will still get through, though not perhaps in the same intensity.

Understand this is not meant to be one is better than the other, that

depends on the presentation, its purpose, the presenter, and the

recipients.

With Love

Om Namah Sivaya

Kanda

[Guest guest]

>>"BUT,

 

It is said that if one chants the Lalitha Sahasranama & or Vishnu

Sahasranama, and or worships the Salagrama Sila that there is no need

for those types of observances, as the ancestors will get all they

need thru these practices. How tru? any thoughts anyone?

 

Janardana Dasa"<<

 

Dear Janardana Dasa,

Thank you for this information. It's clear that there are so many

different approaches to each obvervance and it can get more and more

and more complicated. For this reason, I am really grateful to have

Swamiji's clear-headed, cut-through-to-the-essential, advice. So many

times, even what is considered "right" varies from North India to

South India and even from Temple to Temple. For a Westerner, such as

myself, it is quite impossible to "understand with the mind"...so I do

try to remember Swamiji's advice about devotion being the key in every

practice. Thanks again for your post...(especially since I chant the

Lalitha Sahasranama regularly...lol!).

best regards to you,

sadhvi

[Guest guest]

cut-through-to-the-essential, advice. So many times, even what is

considered "right" varies from North India to South India and even

from Temple to Temple. For a Westerner, such as myself, it is quite

impossible to "understand with the mind"...so I do try to remember

Swamiji's advice about devotion being the key in every practice.

Thanks again for your post...(especially since I chant the Lalitha

Sahasranama regularly...lol!).best regards to you,sadhvi

With a free 1 GB, there's more in store with Mail.

[Guest guest]

namaste, and thank you for the explanation.

so, if there are no male elders, can females do this ceremony for their

relatives? what are pindas?

nityashakti wrote:

"The dark half of the Ashwin (September-October) is observe as

Pitra Paksha throughout the Hindu world. Shradha is offered to the

dead and departed ancestors of the family. On each day of the

fortnight, oblations of water and pindas or balls of rice and meal

are offered to the dead relatives by the surviving relatives. A

Shraddha is not a funeral ceremony but a supplement to such a

ceremony. It is an act of reverential homage to a dead person

performed by relatives, and is supposed to supply the dead with

strengthening nutriment after the performance of the previous funeral

ceremonies has endowed the ethered bodies. It is believed that until

Shraddha has been performed the deceased relative is a preta or a

restless, wandering ghost and has no real body. Only after the

Shraddha, he attains a position among the Petris or Divine Father in

their blissful abode called pitri-loka. It is trditionally believed

that a Shraddha is most desirable and efficacious when done by a

son."<<<

-- "Naan Amme Snehikkunnu" Be Love,

Egyirba

[Guest guest]

>>>"namaste, and thank you for the explanation.

 

so, if there are no male elders, can females do this ceremony for

their relatives? what are pindas?"<<

 

Namaste,

I don't know about the male/female question. The Temple I went to

(where we all did this ceremony together), had alternating rows of men

and women. WE all made the offerings of pindas (little balls of rice

flour, sesame, honey and ghee), water, flowers and other things. This

was a Temple where the devotees were mostly from Tamil Nadu or Chennai

and the ceremony is held every year at the very end of the 2 week

period. Since I was traveling and just happened to arrive on this day,

I did not ask if people had done other observances during the 2 week

period so I'm not sure. I guess my observation has been that these

things can get INCREDIBLY complicated...some people adhering to the

tradition that ONLY Brahmins and ONLY men can do these rituals. Other

traditions, especially Shakta traditions, feeling that women can also

do these rituals. But, again, since I am both a Westerner and a woman,

I imagine that I would not fit any of the usual categories...which is

why I am so happy to have Swamiji always reminding us of the bottom

line of devotion. It's God, after all, who is everything: ritual,

practice, devotion...all we can do is what our hearts seem to lead us

to...and follow the guidance that we are fortunate enough to find here.

best regards to you,

sadhvi