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What is Pitru Paksh? (Shradh)
•16 Days in Hindu calender to honour and seek blessings of the departed elderly souls(Pitru) is known as Shradh Paksha.
•Falling in the month of Ashwin maas(September-October), It is beleived that during this time the souls of our departed ancestors visits their descendants.
•During these 16 days there are many important rituals which Hindus perform for the well being of their ancestors afterlife.
•It is also considered to be the most important time for helping the needy and receiving their bleesings for a good life.
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Let's see what are the rituals and how you can perform them.....
List of Dates for Pitru Paksha (Shradh) in 2023
Friday, September 29, 2023: Purnima Shradh
Friday, September 29, 2023: Pratipada Shradh
Saturday, September 30, 2023: Dwitiya Shradh or Dooj Shradh
Sunday, October 1, 2023: Tritiya Shradh
Monday, October 2, 2023: Chaturthi Shradh and Maha Bharani Shradh
Tuesday, October 3, 2023: Panchami Shradh
Wednesday, October 4, 2023: Shashti Shradh
Thursday, October 5, 2023: Saptami Shradh
Friday, October 6, 2023: Ashtami Shradh
Saturday, October 7, 2023: Navami Shradh
Sunday, October 8, 2023: Dashmi Shradh
Monday, October 9, 2023: Ekadashi Shradh
Tuesday, October 11, 2023: Dwadashi Shradh or Magha Shradh
Wednesday, October 12, 2023: Trayodashi Shradh
Thursday, October 13, 2023: Chaturdashi Shradh
Friday, October 14, 2023: Sarva Pitru Amavasya or Amavasya Shradh
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Significance of Pitru Paksh(Shradh) 2023
The word “Pitru” means ancestors, and “Paksha” means fortnight.
Pitru Paksh is regarded as the time to show gratitude to our ancestors and pray for their efforts and sacrifices made to nurture the further generations.
According to our Dharmashastra, ancestors play a significant role in one's life by guiding and blessing them in the pathway of life.
By performing or participating in puja one can seek blessings of their ancestor for a Happy and a Prosperous life ahead.
By performing good deeds during this period one can attract the blessings of their ancestors.
The ritual is done to relieve the ancestors from the vicious cycle of birth and death and also help them in getting liberated from worldly desires that keep troubling their souls.
A person, who has Pitru Dosha (the curse of his ancestors) in his horoscope, must perform the Shradh and Tarpan whole-heartedly and ask for forgiveness from the dead.
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Pujas to perform in Pitru Paksh(Shradh) 2023
Pitru Paksh or Shradh Paksh is period during which Hindus all across the world perform various pujas to seek blessings of their ancestors and also perform the act of charity for the needy.
Some of the pujas that can be performed by the Devotees during this period are as follows-
1)Til Tarpan
Til Tarpan is performed by remembering the name of the ancestors
With the chanting of Vedic Mantras , Milk, water and black sesame seeds are offered ancestors to get their blessings.
Sesame seeds particularly constitute the food for ancestors.
Offering of water to deities should be done using the fingertips, while offering of water to Sages should be done from the base of the little finger and the third finger and that to the deceased ancestors’ souls should be done through the mid of the thumb and the first finger of the hand.
Performing the puja in Kashi gives salvation to ancestors and they bless the generations with fortune and good luck.
From 29 september 2023 to 14 October 2023 Til Tarpan, Teerth Shradh and other pujas are done to get blessings of the ancestors.
2)Tripindi Shradh
Tripindi Shradh is also known as Pind Daan.
If anyone from the family from the last three generations have passed away in the young age or old age then those souls cause problems for their living generations.
If for 3 continuous years, the ritual is not performed, departed souls get angry and causes problem for their own generations.
By using the kala til or black sesame seeds, people invoke their dead ancestors who wander in the Pitru Loka, a zone between earth and heaven. People offer black sesame seeds with water to the Pitrus while chanting specific mantras.
According to the priests, these mantras (sounds) have certain energies that, in turn, activate the black sesame seeds to start attracting the dead relatives to earth for accepting the Pind Daan.
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Pitru Paksh(Shradh) Vidhi
Puja rituals include Aasan Shuddhi, Shareer Shuddhi, Pavtrikaran, Ganga Ahvahan, Shikha Bandhan, Swastivachan, Shanti Paath , Sankalp, Dev Tarpan, Rishi Tarpan, Pitra Tarpan, Pind Daan, Panch grass rituals etc.
During Sharadh rituals, the eldest family member or son takes a bath in the holy water, gets dressed up with new clothes, and wears a ring made of Kush grass (a symbol used to invoke souls)..
The dressed-up family member invites ancestors for Pind Daan and offers rice balls with goat’s milk, honey, and sugar.
Lord Vishnu and Yama is worshipped.
The ritual is further followed by Tarpan, in which water and flour are mixed with black sesame seeds, barely Kush and all of these are offered to the ancestor’s soul.
In the end, the food cooked especially for the Shraadh is then offered to a crow (considered as Yama), cow and a dog. After the crow has eaten the food, it is believed that Yama or the spirits of ancestors have accepted the offering. After this, the Brahmin who performs the puja is offered food.
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Story Behind Pitru Paksh(Shradh)
Ancient happenings related to Shradh Paksh:-
1) Bhagwan Varah:-
One is related to Lord Varah – third incarnation of Lord Vishnu introduced Shraddh on the earth. Lord Varah had created three pindas from his molar tooth and placed it on kusha – grass, these 3 Pindas resembles as the father, grandfather and great grandfather.
2) Bhagwan Bramha:-
Other legend is associated with Lord Brahma, Rishi Atri and his son Rishi Nimi. After the death of son, Rishi Nimi invoked his ancestors for protection under the guidance of Narad Muni. He fed Brahmins with thought of his deceased son. Later on during meditation he found that due to this activity his son got the respectable position in Pitru Lok.
3) Daanvir Karna(Mahabharat):-
Another one is related with Karna – well known donor and elder brother of Pandava. After the death of Karna, his soul transcended to heaven, where he was offered gold and jewels as food and not the eatable food. Thus Karna asked Indra about the reason for serving gold as food. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold and everything except the food to his ancestors during Shraddha.
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Pitru Puja(Shradh Puja) Mantra
" ॐ पितृगणाय विद्महे जगत धारिणी धीमहि तन्नो पितृो प्रचोदयात्.
ॐ देवताभ्य: पितृभ्यश्च महायोगिभ्य एव च। नम: स्वाहायै स्वधायै नित्यमेव नमो नम:.
ॐ आद्य-भूताय विद्महे सर्व-सेव्याय धीमहि "
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Nice Information