Pitron ke Paksh Mein

We believe that if we are comfortably placed in our present life, our ancestors surely did good karma and we are reaping the benefits. A time period has been set aside for everything in Indian culture. Just as there are fixed dates in the Lunar calendar for festivals like Janmashtami, Diwali, Navratri ... there are fixed dates for offering gratitude to our ancestors. The Pitr-Paksh or the Shraadh period starts on Poornima 7 September, 2025. The first Shraadh is on Pratipada, 8 September, 2025. The time or date in the lunar month, when a person leaves the body, determines the day on which his Shraadh can be performed by his progeny in times to come.

Parents are the progenitors who give us the gift of the human body. It is said that human birth is a rare gem, it is not easy to get it. When a child is born he brings with him the invisible chain of past-life karma. The prayers of his progeny from the past life, can still pray for the peace of his soul. So it is important to perform Shraadh with Shraddha. No school shall teach this to our children. We have to teach by example.

It is said that one day in Pitr-Lok is equal to one year on the Earth. While in Pitr-Lok, our Pitrs (ancestors), come down to the earth to have a meal once in their day, which amounts to once in a year for us. The 15 day period that is allocated for Shraadh falls at this time. The day on which they are allowed to come on the earth and accept a meal from their progeny is designated and fixed. It is believed that if the progeny of the deceased, offer food to Brahmins and do Pitr-Tarpan, the ancestors go back satisfied.

The simplest way to do Shraadh-Tarpan is to put some milk, black til, jau and rice in a pot of water. You can add some flowers and kusha (grass) and offer it to the ancestors while facing towards the South. Offering it respectfully, while taking the name of the deceased, amounts to Shraadh Tarpan. The water should preferably fall on a Tulsi plant or near a Peepal tree or on the grass; not on the floor. No wastage! Anything that is offered in the memory of the ancestors with Shraddha or reverence, amounts to Shraadh. During Shraadh, food is also offered to cows, crows and dogs.

Praying for our ancestors is a small way of repaying the Pitri-rinn or the debt of life that we owe to them. No one can ever repay all that our parents have done for us. It is prescribed that we should do Shraadh for three generations upwards. So we should do Shraadh for our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. If one does not have time or if they do not know the dates, when their ancestors passed on, they can do Shraadh for all ancestors on the last day of the Pitr-Paksh. This day is called Sarva-Pitri-Amavasya; it falls on September 21, 2025. Interestingly, on this day one can do tarpan for anyone known or unknown to them. We believe that the souls for whom no one does Shraadh, remain in the cosmos in an unhappy and grieving state. But if somebody does Shraadh for them, they move on, to their onwards journey.

Whatever we offer to God is called Arpan. Whatever we offer to our ancestors is called Tarpan. Pitr Paksha being the time dedicated to ancestors, we do not do certain things in this period. These include performing weddings, buying new clothes, doing Mundan ceremony or starting anything new. Anything that is said to be an auspicious beginning, is not done during Shraadh.

It may not be improper to mention here that it is important to respect our parents and grandparents while they are alive. After they are gone, we can do Shraadh Tarpan for them, but if we have not treated them well during their lifetime, would we be able to do Shraadh Tarpan with respect?

Recently, someone narrated that he had gone to the old-age home in sector 15 Chandigarh, where he met an old lady who was known to him. He was quite surprised to see her there. She belonged to a well-known family of Chandigarh. He asked her, why she was there. She said, “Don’t ever tell anyone in the old age home or outside of it, who I am and that I am here.” This got the man even more enraged, and he said, “Why should the world not know that your son, who is known to be a philanthropist, put his own mother is in an old age home? The world should know of this! But she said, “Nahi, aisa karne se, mere bete ki chavi kharaab ho jaaegi.” (If that happens, the respect of my son in the eyes of the world, shall go down.) Such is the love of a mother … however shabbily, her son had treated her, she was still willing to give her all, for her son.

The best interpretation of the word ‘parent’ has been given by Shri Sathya Sai Baba. He said that ‘parent’ denotes pay-rent. Pay rent to your parents. After parents pass on, we get a share in their property, jewels, etc. But what can we give them? We can pay the rent of Respect, Empathy, Niceness and Time. Let us remember that after our parents are gone … our siblings are still there. They are the living embodiments of the flesh and blood of our parents. If we maintain good relations with them, that too shall make the departed souls of our parents and grandparents, happy.

Brahmins advise us to put kheer under a Banyan or Peepal tree during Shraadh. When we put kheer under a Peepal or Banyan tree, crows eat it along with the fruits of the Peepal and Banyan trees. The undigested seeds would get transferred to wherever the crow poops. This would result in propagation of the seeds of Peepal and Banyan. The only tree that emits oxygen even at night is Peepal. The medicinal properties of Banyan are endless. This was an intelligent way crafted by the Rishis, for the propagation of these valuable trees.

I recently saw a reel in which our Hon’ble President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, narrated a childhood memory of watching her father bring dried wood of trees from the jungles. Before chopping them and using them to light the fire at their hearth, he would bow and offer respect and ask for forgiveness from the dried wood. The President remembers asking her father why he was doing so. Her father replied, “All their life these trees have given us fresh air, greenery, flowers, foliage and fruits. Now they have become old. Even now, they are of use to us, as firewood! I am asking for forgiveness for cutting and burning them, because we have no other option for cooking our food!” Listening to this in the reel, gave me goosebumps. He was offering obeisance to the aged trees! That is Shraddha, real obeisance! Food for thought …

Published in The Daily Guardian on 8 September, 2025 https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2945/the-daily-guardian/4