The Spiritual Significance of Shraaddha or Pitru Paksha

[sakaash]

The Spiritual Significance of Shraaddha or Pitru Paksha

- B.K.Yogesh Chander Kumar

Every year, a number of festivals, rituals, fasts etc., are observed in the great nation Bharat with a lot of devotion, zeal and enthusiasm. If understood in right spiritual perspective, they can make our life worthy. However, in the name of tradition, people keep observing/celebrating them without knowing the real significance of them. One of such rituals, which show our respect and emotions towards our ancestors, is ‘Shraaddha’. Shraaddha means repaying the debt of ancestors. It is also known as Pitru Paksha.

Pitru paksha is a 15lunar days' period when Hindus pay homage to ancestors, especially through offerings of food. According to South Indian Amavasyant calender, it falls in the lunar month of   Bhadrapada beginning with the full moon day or the day after full moon day. According to the North Indian Purnimant calender, this period falls in the lunar month of Ashwin beginning with the full moon day or the next day of full moon day.

It is just nomenclature of lunar months which differs and both North Indians and South Indians perform shraaddha ritual on same days.
  

These are observed by the family members of a deceased person in which they call on Brahmins at their homes and offer them food. It is believed that when Brahmins are offered food, it automatically reaches the ancestor for whom this ritual is observed.

However, one must have observed that these days, in people of all religions and faiths there has been mass degradation of the whole world in terms of basic values and virtues such as Peace, Truth, and Purity etc. The discipline, dedication devotion towards God, deities etc. which used to be seen in the past is absent now. This is due to increasing selfishness, money-mindedness, jealousy etc. in human beings which is caused by degradation of original values and virtues. 

In earlier times, people’s lives used to be more religious, virtuous and exemplary. Thus, all festivals and rituals were observed in selfless and more devotional manner rather than just a matter of formality. That is why during Shraaddhas, Brahmins used to invoke the ancestor souls which would then  accept the food from their previous births’ family members. Moreover, through their spiritual or yogic power, Brahmins could give the message of the ancestor souls to his or her family members that in his or her present birth that he or she was happy or fine. But now, the so-called revered Brahmins too have also been subjected to five vices. Some of them even eat intoxicant foods and run after money. This is common with almost everyone today. Thus, various rituals which they perform are now performed with the primary motive of getting money. Hence, these days very few of them have the power to invoke ancestor souls during Shraaddhas. Therefore, it is clear that this ritual too has now become just wastage of money, time and energy. However, from the point of view of family members of the ancestors, it still involves sentiments, respect and regards to the latter to some extent. If we ponder over this very fact as well as that all human beings have been influenced by vices; a lot of money which is being spent in blind faith can be saved.

So, now one must be curious to know as how to repay the debt of one’s ancestors. It must be noticed here that it is present time when the whole world is under the influence of Maya, i.e. five vices. This is the time of extreme irreligiousness, lawlessness, corruption; in other words, it is the doomsday. Thus, this is the only time when God descends from His Supreme Abode, i.e. Paramdham or Incorporeal World on the earth to bestow Godly knowledge.  He gives the knowledge of 1) Soul, 2) Supreme Soul, 3) beginning, middle and end of the World Cycle, 4) Karma Philosophy etc. He is incorporeal, the most beloved being, immune from the cycle of birth and death, ocean of all virtues and powers and World Benefactor. His name is God Shiva, which means a Benefactor.

In the present confluence age of Kaliyuga and Satyuga, He teaches us Rajyoga through His corporeal medium Brahma to transform us from being ordinary men/women to Shri Lakshmi and Shri Narayan and this old vicious world into Golden Age of Peace, Prosperity and Purity.

He also reveals to us the mystery of all major festivals and rituals. As this old world is soon going to be replaced by the New World, He advises us to become detached from it and forge all relations with Him and remember Him realising the self as Soul, which is our original identity. So, this is our Marjeeva birth (dying alive) as we have to die alive here from this old world, our own body, bodily relations, matter, splendours etc. and remember one God Shiva only. This is the real significance of Shraaddhas.

At this very crucial time, these Godly versions safeguard us from vices and adorn us with divine virtues, while Godly remembrance burns them. Therefore, if we transform ourselves now, the world will be transformed. Hence, this will be the real Shraaddha of self as well as of the whole world, through the observance of which we’ll become worthy and be able to redeem the debt of our ancestors.

   

      World Servant
  BapDada & MadhubanNiwasis