Aayuh Putraan Yashah Swargam Keertim Pushtim
Balam Shriyam |
Pashun Sukham Dhanam Dhaanyam Praapnuyaat
PitraPujanaat ||
By worshipping and honoring one’s ancestors (Pitras), a person
attains long life, worthy children, fame, heavenly blessings,
prosperity, strength, wealth, happiness, and abundance of food and
resources.
According to Hindu traditions, Shradha is a sacred ritual performed in remembrance and honor of departed ancestors. It is considered both a spiritual duty and a family responsibility, especially for the male members of the family. This belief is one of the reasons why ancient Hindu society placed great importance on having a son. It is said that a son helps his ancestors attain peace and saves them from suffering after death. Because of this noble responsibility, the son is given a special place in Hindu culture.
Shradha is generally performed for deceased parents, grandparents, & great – grandparents. Through these rituals, prayers, and offerings, family members express gratitude to their ancestors and seek to provide them spiritual support, peace, and strength on their journey through the higher realms of existence.
Hindu philosophy teaches that life does not end with physical death. When the soul leaves the body, it continues its journey in another form of existence. The body may perish, but the soul is eternal and moves from one state to another. This unseen realm is believed to be far more subtle and powerful than the physical world. After death, the limitations associated with the physical body no longer exist, and the soul continues its existence as a form of spiritual energy. While ordinary human beings may not be able to perceive this realm, it is considered an important aspect of creation that influences life on Earth in many ways.
It is believed that various forms of spiritual and invisible energies affect every aspect of human life. These influences can impact happiness, health, success, relationships, and overall well-being. Many times people wonder why, despite having wealth, position, or comfort, they still feel unhappy or dissatisfied. A person may possess material abundance yet struggle with illness, mental stress, fears, or personal weaknesses.
This leads to an important question: can human beings gain greater control over their lives and direct them toward the goals they truly desire? Just as a person can steer a vehicle toward a chosen destination, many seek the ability to guide their lives with clarity and confidence. They also wish to understand who genuinely supports them, who holds negative feelings toward them, and how they can protect themselves from harmful influences & obstacles.
The scriptures explain that among all relationships, the SadGuru holds a unique and sacred position. A true Guru always wishes for the welfare and progress of disciples. He acts as a guide, mentor, and spiritual teacher who helps individuals walk the path of righteousness and wisdom. The Guru is often regarded as a representative of the Divine because he leads people from ignorance toward knowledge and spiritual growth. Through his guidance, disciples learn how to overcome difficulties and live meaningful lives. The scriptures further state that any sincere and selfless service offered to a genuine Guru never goes to waste. Such actions bring blessings, inner growth, and spiritual progress to the seeker.
After the Guru, the next source of goodwill and blessings comes from one’s family, especially the ancestors. Family members may have disagreements, differences of opinion, or conflicts during their earthly lives. However, it is believed that these worldly disputes lose their importance after death. Once the soul leaves the body, feelings of attachment, anger, and rivalry fade away. Just as every loving parent wishes for their children to achieve greater success and happiness than themselves, ancestors are believed to desire the well-being and prosperity of their descendants. They are said to bless family members and support their growth, success, and happiness whenever they are remembered with devotion and respect.
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that death is not the end of life. It compares the soul changing bodies to a person discarding old clothes and putting on new ones. In the same way, the soul leaves one body and continues its journey in another form. Various Hindu scriptures further explain that the souls of ancestors may remain connected to their families even many years after their physical death. Although ordinary people cannot see these souls, it is believed that the ancestors can observe their descendants and remain aware of their actions. When they are remembered with respect, prayers, and gratitude, they feel honored and satisfied.
For this reason, ancestor worship holds an important place in Hindu traditions. It is believed that when people perform Shradha and other rituals dedicated to their ancestors, they receive blessings that help remove obstacles from their lives. Their important tasks are completed more smoothly, and they experience greater success, peace, and prosperity. This is why people performing religious ceremonies, yajnas, and other sacred rituals traditionally invite and remember their ancestors. The Yajur Veda advises individuals to offer respect to their ancestors, invite their subtle presence into important events, and seek their blessings. Through their grace, one may receive success, good health, progress, happiness, fame, and overall well-being in life.
Thus, honoring ancestors is considered not only an act of gratitude but also a powerful means of preserving family harmony and attracting divine blessings.
Sadhana Procedure
This sadhana can be performed on any of the above mentioned fifteen days. However, it is recommended to perform this sadhana on all these days for best results. If done on all the days, one just need to perform the procedure once only. On the remaining days, one just needs to perform mantra chanting after lighting lamp and incense stick. One needs five Someshwar Rudraksha, fifteen Laghu Nariyal, snake made of silver & a Rudraksha rosary. One also needs rice grains, sesame seeds, saffron, white cloth, milk, ghee, honey and Tusli leaves.
Get up early on the very first day of PitraPaksha and take a bath. Get into fresh white clothes. Cover a wooden plank with a white cloth. Make five mounds with black sesame seeds and place one Someshwar Rudraksha on each of these mounds. Now encircle these Rudraksha with a black ink.
Now make fifteen mounds of rice in front of the sesame mounds and place one Laghu Nariyal on each of the mounds. Light a ghee lamp and place the silver snake below your mat. This safeguards a person from any evil spirits. Next offer some sindur onto the Rudraksha.
Next come out of your worship room and offer water to your ancestors, while facing East direction, from a copper pot. This is a message to the ancestor that their offspring is inviting them. Chant the following mantra while offering the water.
Om Lam Namah, Om Vam Namah, Om Ram Namah, Om Yam Namah
Now without looking anywhere around, directly go into your worship place and chant the below mantra 5 times. Offer small amount of sesame seed mixed with ghee onto the Someshwar Rudraksha while chanting the below mantra.
SwaShareeram Tejomayam Punyaatmakam PurushaarthaSadhanam,
PirareshwaraAraddhanYogam Dhyaatvaa Tasmin Shareerah,
Sarvaatmakam Sarvagyam SarvaShaktiSamanvitam Pitareshvaraamaya
Aanand Swarup Bhaavayeta.
Praying the above mantra with pious heart ensures that the ancestors come and reside at their place. Next request them to help you in every aspect of life. One should not be reluctant to ask for any type of favors because they are your ancestors. Next make a mark like crescent form of moon around the Laghu Nariyals. This sign is like Lakshman Rekha which permanently makes the ancestors stay in your home and bless you forever. Then worship the Laghu Nariyals by offering saffron, rice grains, Tulsi leaves.
Now take the Rudraksha rosary and chant five rounds of the mantra below with it. One must take care that this rosary must not have been used earlier to chant any other mantra. Care must also be taken to not to use this rosary to chant other mantra in future.
Mantra
।। ऊॅं सर्व पितृ प्रं प्रसन्नो भव ऊॅं ।।
||Om Sarva Pitra Pram Prasnno Bhava Om ||
This is a very powerful mantra. Chanting five rounds of the above mantra completes the sadhana procedure. If possible, the sadhak must try to perform this sadhana during the entire PitraPaksha duration. On the last day, tie all the sadhana articles in a black cloth and drop it in a river or pond.
In today’s world, some people do not believe that their ancestors come and accept these offerings. However, the reality is that whether they come in a form we can see or not is less important. What truly matters is that we remember them, honor their sacrifices, and acknowledge that our lives are built upon their efforts. Gratitude itself attracts blessings. A person who forgets their roots may grow for a while, but a person who honors their roots becomes strong for generations.
It is mandatory to obtain Guru Diksha from Revered Gurudev before performing any Sadhana or taking any other Diksha. Please contact Kailash Siddhashram, Jodhpur through Email , Whatsapp, Phone or Submit Request to obtain consecrated-energized and mantra-sanctified Sadhana material and further guidance,
