Prayers and types of the Shraddha Ritual

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Contents

• 1. The prayers offered during shraddha

º 1.1 The prayers offered at the end of the shraddha ritual
•
• 2. Regulations associated with performing shraddha when obstacles of purity-impurity are faced
• 3. The effects of the shraddha ritual
• 4. Types of shraddha performed in Pitrupaksha
º 4.1 Importance of Bharani shraddha
º 4.2 Importance of Avidhawa Navami
º 4.3 Importance of Trayodashi and Chaturdashi of Pitrupaksha
º 4.4 Importance of Sarvapitri Amavasya
•

1. The prayers offered during shraddha

'उदीरतामवर उतॕ‌ परास

उनॕ‍मधॕ‍यमा: पितर सोमॕ‍यास: ।
असॕं य ईयॕरवृका ऋतजॕञा: ते
नोऽवनॕ‍तॕ पितरो हवेषॕ ।।'
- ऋगॕ‍वेद, मंडल १०, सूकॕ‍त १५,
ऋचा १

Meaning: Let the ancestors residing on Earth attain an evolved region. Let the ancestors who are in heaven,
that is, at a higher plane of existence, never degrade. Let the ones who are at a medium plane of existence,
attain a higher plane. Let the ancestors who symbolise the Truth protect us.

Also, prayer is offered to the ancestors for the continuation of the lineage, ‘O Pitru-deities, give birth to a son
like Ashwini Kumar, who is beautiful, healthy and who can fulfil the wishes of Deities, ancestors and all
humans.

1.1 The prayers offered at the end of the shraddha ritual

A. 'गोतॕरं नो वरॕधतामॕ‌ ।'

Meaning: Let our lineage (gotra) grow. To this the brahmins bestow blessings, ‘Let your lineage grow.”

B. 'वीरं मे दतॕत पितर: ।'

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Meaning: O ancestors, give me a valiant son.

Another prayer is, 'Since the time of the origin of the Universe to date, whoever was born in the lineage of my
mother and father and all the servants from these two lineages and my past births, those supported by me,
those serving me, friends, disciple, pets, the plants and trees planted and cut by me, the close relatives,
those who incurred favours from me and those who bestowed favours on me, get the food offered by me.

It is evident from this prayer that the Hindu Dharma teaches us to express gratitude not only to our own but
also towards our benefactors, other beings and trees and plants.

2. Regulations associated with performing shraddha when

obstacles of

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If there is impurity due to birth or death in the family on the day of the shraddha, then after its completion
consume panchgavya, change the Holy thread and do shraddha. Alternatively, perform shraddha on the first
no moon day after the impurity is over.

•
After commencing the ritual of shraddha if impurity due to birth or death occurs in the family but outside the
house, then do not follow the regulations of impurity till the completion of the shraddha. If it happens in the
house, then stop the shraddha and only after the observance of impurity is completed, do the shraddha
again.

•
If the wife of the one who performs the shraddha has menses, then Mahayala can be done any time after
those five days. When the lady performing the shraddha has menses then no regulations need to be
followed.

•
If the shraddha falls on Ekadashi, then the person performing the shraddha should merely smell the meal of
the shraddha and offer it to a cow or one should perform Hiranya-shraddha.

Hiranya-shraddha is a shraddha done merely by offering donation (dakshina) without offering meal.

•
During eclipse, take a bath and do shraddha even if there is impurity.

Here two points become evident. One is that every ritual has been considered subtly from a worldly
perspective in Sanatan Hindu Dharma. The second is that women can also perform shraddha.

3. The effects of the shraddha ritual

For the subtle body (linga deha), the interval from the time of death to the next birth is similar to that of a
foetus in the womb. Due to the mantras of the shraddha, the blessings of the brahmins, the good wishes of
the relatives and pinda-dan etc. the deceased ancestors acquire a protective sheath and get the momentum
to progress.

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Spiritual experience - During Pitrupaksha experiencing proximity of the deceased ancestors, being
protected from them by chanting the Name of Lord Dattatreya and the deceased ancestors bestowing
blessings upon resolving to perform shraddha: For many years shraddha was not performed in our
house. During Pitrupaksha, I would see many human figures around me. They would try to touch me; but I
would chant ‘Sri Gurudev Datta’, that is, the Name of Lord Dattatreya. Hence, I was protected from them.
After watching the satsang series about Pitrupaksha, I learned that during this period the deceased ancestors
come close to us. After that our family decided to perform shraddha on Sarvapitri Amavasya. After the
shraddha ritual the ancestors blessed everyone in the family and left. - Master Advait Menon, Goa.

4. Types of shraddha performed in Pitrupaksha

4.1 Importance of Bharani shraddha

Performing shraddha on the chaturthi or panchami on the Bharani asterism in the Pitrupaksha has a special
importance. If possible doing the shraddha on the Bharani asterism in addition to the tithi of death of the
person helps the subtle body of the dead to be liberated from the form of being of the dead.

Reason underlying getting fruit equivalent to doing shraddha in Gaya by doing it on the Bharani
asterism: There is a subtle cover of desire-frequencies associated with the Absolute Earth and Water
Principles on the gross structure of the land of Gaya. This cover is contained in a triangular structure. Hence,
performing shraddha at this place is more beneficial for the deceased ancestors’ whose inferior level desires
have remained unsatisfied.

The Bharani asterism that falls in the Pitrupaksha is also made of a triangle of three stars. The Deity of this
triangle is Lord Yama. The Yama frequencies active in the Universe in higher proportion on this day are
associated with desire-energy. When performing shraddha on this tithi, the desire-frequencies on Earth
associated with this asterism are activated. Due to this, the place of shraddha becomes akin to that in Gaya.
In the ritual of shraddha performed on the Bharani asterism, the Yama frequencies are activated in higher
proportion. The deceased ancestors benefit from these frequencies.

4.2 Importance of Avidhawa Navami

The woman who dies before her husband is called ‘avidhawa’. Her shraddha is performed on the tithi of
Navami of Pitrupaksha. So this Navami is called ‘Avidhawa Navami’.

Method of performing the shraddha of a dead married woman on Avidhawa Navami: The shraddha of a
dead married woman should be performed on the Navami of the Pitrupaksha by the son or the husband. In
this shraddha married women are served a meal and ritualistically offered a coconut, sari and a blouse piece.
As long as the husband is alive, both the Avidhawa Navami and yearly shraddha should be performed.

4.3 Importance of Trayodashi and Chaturdashi of Pitrupaksha

On the tithi of Trayodashi, a ritual of Kakabali is performed for the dead children. On the day of the
Chaturdashi of Pitrupaksha, the shraddha of those who died in accidents is performed.

4.4 Importance of Sarvapitri Amavasya

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 The Amavasya that falls in the Pitrupaksha is the last tithi of Pitrupaksha. If it is not possible to perform
shraddha on any day of the entire year, it is very essential that a shraddha be performed for all the dead on
the tithi of Sarvapitri Amavasya. According to the Scriptures, the Amavasya of the Pitrupaksha is the most
appropriate tithi for the ritual of shraddha.

Spiritual experience - By performing shraddha on the Sarvapitri Amavasya, the financial difficulties
getting solved, the debts getting repaid and the obstacles in spiritual practice (sadhana) getting
solved: My father expired on 3rd December 1979. On the eleventh day after the death, I had a dream. In the
dream I saw a monk, Lord Datta and Maruti in the temple of Lord Dattatreya in our village. Thereafter for
about 18 years we did not perform shraddha etc. On listening to the guidance on shraddha by Sanatan
Sanstha, we performed the ritual of shraddha at our house on 11th October 2007 on the day of Sarvapitri
Amavasya. On the same afternoon, a monk came asking for a meal. This monk was exactly like the monk I
had seen in my dream 18 years back. After performing the ritual of shraddha, our financial problems reduced.
Due to this spiritual experience, I understood the importance of the ritual of shraddha and my faith in it
increased. - Mr. Anil Korgaokar, Maharashtra

It is clear that by performing shraddha the difficulties are solved. Due to this the person also benefits in his
after life. For this reason, shraddha has been recommended in the religious Scriptures. Instead of shraddha,
on this day some people offer food to the poor or money to a school as per their mind. By doing this no
spiritual benefit is gained.

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