Sunday, September 24, 2017

Who can perform Shraddha

Hindu Dharma that does not give any cause for excuse for not performing shraddha due to the absence of a particular person!
Son (including the one whose threading ceremony has not been done), daughter, grandson, great grandson, wife, daughter’s son (if he is one of the heirs), real brother, nephew, cousin’s son, father, mother, daughter-in-law, son of elder and younger sisters, maternal uncle, anyone in the seven generations and from the same lineage (sapinda), anyone after the seven generations and belonging to the same family domain (samanodak), disciple, priests (upadhyay), friend, son-in-law of the deceased person can perform Shraddha in that order.
In case of a joint family, the eldest and earning male person should perform Shraddha. In case of the unit family, everyone should perform shraddha independently.
Hindu Dharma has made arrangement so that for each and every dead person the shraddha can be performed so as to give momentum to that person to progress to a higher sub-plane. Holy text Dharma Sindhu mentions that, ‘If a particular dead person does not have any relative or a close person, then it is the duty of the king to perform Shraddha for that person’.
Performance of Shraddha by women: 
As mentioned above that the daughter, wife, mother and daughter-in-law of the deceased person have the authority to perform Shraddha. In spite of this, in the current era, the priests who conduct Shraddha deny their consent for women to perform Shraddha. This could be because in the earlier days the thread ceremony was performed for females, and in current era, this practice has been discontinued in all classes. Therefore, in accordance to that, even performing of Shraddha has been disallowed for females. In emergency conditions, however, if no one is available for performing Shraddha, then it is better for it to be performed by women instead of not performing it at all.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Significance of Shraddha Ritual performed by Son

Objectives of performing Shraddha:
Providing momentum to the deceased ancestors present in the Pitru region so that they can progress to a higher sub-plane of existence, through the means of Shraddha.
Satisfying wishes and desires of the souls of the deceased ancestors from ones’ family who are trapped in the negative regions due to unfulfilled desires and providing momentum for their further progress.
Importance and need of performing Shraddha:
Repaying the debt to ancestors is as important as repaying the debt to God, Sages and the society. It is the duty of descendants to respect their ancestors, make donations in their name and to undertake activities that will please them. Performing Shraddha is a part of obeying Dharma, as per science of Dharma.
Ancestors’ soul becomes satisfied only after receiving pinda and water from their son. In relation to this, following is a verse in the holy text Mahabharat that describes ‘who qualifies to be called as son’ 
पुन्नाम्नो नरकाद्यस्मात्पितरं त्रायते सुत:
तस्मात्पुत्र इति प्रोक्त: स्वयमेव स्वयंभुवा ।। – Mahabharat 1.74.39
Meaning : The son protects his ancestors’ souls from the Hell named ‘Puta’. Therefore Lord Brahma himself has named him as ‘Putra’.
As per the above verse, to enable the deceased ancestors to progress to a higher sub-plane, every son should perform ritual of Shraddha. It is amply clear in the verse that the one who is believed to be a son, he should perform these duties.
 देवपितृकार्याभ्यां प्रमदितव्यम – Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11
Meaning : One should not commit mistakes in any task performed towards God or ancestors’ souls. One should not avoid these rituals.
Following verse, regarding people who do not perform Shraddha, in the holy text Gita is insightful
पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिन्डोदकक्रिया – Shrimadbhagwatgita 1.42
Meaning : Due to the nonperformance of rituals like pinda shraddha and offering water to deceased ancestors etc. the ancestors of such people (who do not perform Shraddha) have to reside in the Hell region. This results in stagnation and no progress of the descendants.
श्राद्धात् परतरं नान्यत् श्रेयस्करम् उदाहृतम् – Sage Sumantu
Meaning : Nothing is as superior as the ritual of Shraddha. Therefore, a person having a pure intellect to discriminate between right and wrong should never abstain from performing Shraddha.
Activities related to deceased ancestors are more important than those related to God – Brahmavaivarta Puran. Therefore every sacred ceremony begins with Nandi Shraddha.
One who performs the ritual of Shraddha diligently and in accordance with ones financial state, he satisfies everyone right from Deity Brahma to the insignificant blade of grass. No one in the family of the person performing Shraddha remains unhappy. – Brahma Puran
At the time of death if a person feels, ‘Shraddha is meaningless and nobody should perform Shraddha for me after my death’ and later because of Shraddha having not been performed, after his death, he experiences that, ‘I am trapped’, then at that time he would not be in a state to convey this feeling to anyone. He could become unhappy because of his wish remaining unfulfilled. Taking this point into consideration, it is absolutely necessary to perform Shraddha for every deceased person.
By performing ritual of Shraddha for a deceased person, the give-and-take account that exists with that person gets fulfilled.
Benefits of performing Shraddha:
The ritual of Shraddha is a sacrificial fire performed for deceased ancestors and it is sacred. The benefits derived after performing the ritual of Shraddha are mentioned in Smrutichandrika and other holy texts.
If the ritual of Shraddha is performed on the day of an eclipse, the host derives benefit similar to the one obtained after donating a piece of land to someone.
Reference : Sanatan’s Holy text ‘Shraddha (importance and scientific explanation)’

Basic Information on Shraddha

Meaning and Origin of Shraddh
Pitra Paksha as per Hindu Panchang is observed from the 1st Tithi of the Ashwin Maas and continues till New Moon day (Amavasya) also known as Sarvapitri Amavysya or Mahalaya Amavysya. This entire phase of 15 days is also known as Pitri Pokho, Sola Shraddha, Kanagat, Jitiya or Apara Paksha. During this period, the Shraddha or Tarpan of the ancestors is performed on the Tithi on which they met eternity. 
Why is Shraddh performed?
According to Hindu mythology, after death soul has to wander in the various worlds. Pitra Paksha is an occasion to pacify the departed ancestors by performing Shraddha. It is a ritual to repay debts to the ancestors. Hindu scriptures like the Agni Puran, Garuda Puran, Vayu Puran etc. explain the significance of “Shraddha” in great details.
Meaning of Shraddh
Shraddha, originally a Sanskrit word, is combination of two words "Sat" meaning truth and "Adhar" meaning basis. So it means anything or any act that is performed with all sincerity and faith. It is said, “Shraddhyaa Kriyate Yaa Saa”: Shraddh is the ritual accomplished to satiate one’s ancestors. This ritual expresses one’s unconditional reverence towards the ancestors.
Origin of Shraddh
As per Hindu sacred texts, Rishi Atri - among the 10 sons of Lord Brahma was the first one to decipher the rituals of Shraddha as devised by Lord Brahma to his son Nimi Rishi. Grieved by Sudden death of his Son, Nimi Rishi being guided by Narad Muni started invoking his ancestors who soon appeared before him and said, “Nimi, your son has already taken the place amongst Pitra Devas. Since you have performed the act of feeding and worshiping the soul of your departed son, it is same as if you had performed Pitri Yajna”. Since that time the Shraddh is accounted as important ritual of the Sanatan Dharma.
Types of Shraddh
Prominently the texts mention 12 kinds of Shraddh. These are Nitya, Neimitik, Kaamya, Vriddhi, Sapindan, Paarvann, Goshtth, Shurdhyarth, Karmaang, Deivik, Oupcharik and Saanvatsarik Shraddh.
Exceptions in Performing Shraddh
The Shraddh of the ancestors is performed on the Lunar tithi on which they passed away. But there are certain exceptions to this: 
Pratipada Shraddh is also considered suitable to perform Shraddha for maternal grandfather and grandmother (known as Nana-Nani). 
The fourth day or Chautha Bharani and the fifth day or Bharani Panchmi is allotted for people who died in the previous year.
Panchami Shraddh is also considered suitable to perform Shraddh for family members who died unmarried
Avidha Navami is also considered suitable to perform Shraddh for married women who died before their husbands. Also known as Matrinavami it is considered suitable to perform Shraddh of one’s Mother. 
Dwadashi Shraddh is also suitable to perform Shraddh for those who had taken renunciation before death.
Trayodashi Shraddh is suitable to perform Shraddh for dead children. 
Ghata Chaturdashi is for people who died a sudden and violent death. 
The Mahalaya or Sarvpitri Amavasya is for all the ancestors and forefathers.

Shraddha Rituals

Shraddha rituals consist of following main activities:
Vishwadeva Sthapana (विश्वेदेव स्थापना)
Pindadan (पिण्डदान)
Tarpan (तर्पण)
Feeding the Brahmin (ब्राह्मण भोज)
Pindadan is the offering of rice, cow’s milk, Ghee, sugar and honey in form of Pinda (rounded heap of the offering) to the ancestors. Pandadan should be done with whole-heartedness, devotion, sentiments and respect to the deceased soul to fulfil it.
Tarpan is the offering of the water mixed with black sesame (तिल), Barley (जौं), Kusha grass (कुशा) and white flours. It is believed that ancestors are appeased by the process of Tarpan.
Feeding the Brahmin is must to complete the Shraddha ritual. Offering to the crows are also made before food is offered to the Brahmin.
Pitru Paksha Period and Duration
Pitru Paksha is the period of fifteen lunar days when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, especially through food offerings. Each lunar month is divided into two equal Paksha which are known as Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha. Each Paksha consists of fifteen lunar days.
According to North Indian Purnimant Calendar, fifteen days period during Krishna Paksha of Ashwin month is known as Pitru Paksha. But according to South Indian Amavasyant Calendar, fifteen days period during Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month is known as Pitru Paksha. It is interesting to note that it is just nomenclature of lunar months which differs and both North Indians and South Indians perform Shraddha rituals on similar days.
Many sources include Bhadrapada Purnima which usually falls one day before Pitru Paksha into fifteen days period of Pitru Paksha. Bhadrapada Purnima which is also known as Proshthapadi Purnima is an auspicious day to perform Shraddha rituals but it is not part of Pitru Paksha. It should be noted that Mahalaya Shraddha for those who died on Purnima Tithi is done on Amavasya Shraddha Tithi during Pitru Paksha and not on Bhadrapada Purnima.
Pitru Paksha starts one or two days after Ganesh Visarjan. Pitru Paksha is also known as Mahalaya Paksha. The last day of Pitru Paksha is known as Sarvapitri Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya. This is the most significant day of Pitru Paksha. If the death date of the deceased person in the family is not known then his or her Shraddha can be performed on Sarvapitri Amavasya.
Why Shraddha is done?
According to Garuda Purana, after thirteen days of the death soul starts its journey for Yamapuri and it takes seventeen days to reach there.
The soul travels through Yamapuri for another eleven months and only in twelfth month it reaches to the court of Yamaraj. During the period of eleven months it has no access to the food and the water. It is believed that Pindadan and Tarpan done by the son and family members satisfy the hunger and the thirst of the soul during its journey till it reaches the court of the Yamaraj.
Hence Shraddha rituals are considered very important during first year of the death.

The Stages of Death

Sadhguru

Sadhguru looks at the various stages of death, and explores the significance of the various death rituals in the Indian way of life.

Questioner: I wanted to know, what is the importance of doing shraddh (rituals for the deceased)?

Sadhguru: In India, if someone close to you dies, you are supposed to sit and watch – no one leaves a dead body alone. If you keep the body for over two to three days, the hair will grow. If it was a man and he used to shave, you can see this from the facial hair. The nails will also grow. Therefore, in countries where they preserve the dead bodies for a longer time, the undertakers clip the nails and shave the beard. This is so because of the way life manifests. For the sake of understanding – there is fundamental life and physical life. Physical life energy, which is generally referred to as prana, has five basic manifestations. These are called samana, prana, udhana, apana, and vyana.

The Stages of Death

Within 21 to 24 minutes from the moment when a doctor would declare a person as dead, samana starts exiting. Samana is in charge of maintaining the temperature in the body. The first thing that happens after death is, the body starts cooling down. The traditional way of checking whether someone is dead or alive is to feel the nose – they would not check the eyeballs and other parameters. If the nose has gone cold, they concluded that he is dead.

Somewhere between 48 to 64 minutes after someone is considered as dead, prana exits. Between six and twelve hours after, udhana exits. There are tantric processes through which we could revive the body before udhana exits. Once udhana has exited, it is practically impossible to revive the body. Then, somewhere between eight to eighteen hours, apana exits. Subsequently, vyana, which is the preservative nature of prana, will start exiting and may continue to do so for up to 11 to 14 days if it is a normal death – that is if someone died of old age, because life became feeble. For that period of time, certain processes will continue in the body; there will still be some element of life. If someone died in an accident, when the life within was still vibrant – unless the body is totally crushed – the reverberations of this life will continue somewhere between 48 and 90 days.

During that time, there are things you can do for that life. Your experience of death is that someone is gone, but the experience of that being is that he or she has exited the body. Once they have exited the body, you have no business with them anymore. You cannot recognize them anymore, and if they came back, you would be terrified. If people you love died and would pop up again, there would be terror – not love, because your relationship is with their body or with their conscious mind and emotion. Once someone dies, those two aspects are left behind.

The mind is just a bunch of information that has natural tendencies which find expression in a certain way. When someone dies, there is no more discernment, no more intellect. If you put one drop of pleasantness into their mind, this pleasantness will multiply a million fold. If you put one drop of unpleasantness, that unpleasantness will multiply a million fold. It is a little like with children – they go out to play until they are exhausted and cannot go on anymore, because they do not have the necessary discernment as to when it is time to stop.

After death, discernment is completely absent, even more than in a child. Then, whatever quality you put into the mind, it will multiply a million fold. This is what is being referred to as heaven and hell. If you go into a pleasant state of existence, it is called heaven. If you go into an unpleasant state of existence, it is called hell. These are not geographical locations – these are experiential realities that a life which has become disembodied is going through.

Death Rituals
How well or how ridiculously it is done today is a different matter, but there is a whole science of what to do at different steps. One of the first things people traditionally do if someone dies is, they will tie the big toes of the dead body together. This is very important because it will tighten up the muladhara in such a way that the body cannot be invaded by that life once again. A life that has not lived with the awareness that “this body is not me” will try to enter through any orifice of the body, particularly through the muladhara. The muladhara is where life generates, and it is always the last point of warmth when the body is cooling down.

The reason why traditionally, we always said that if someone dies, you must burn the body within an hour-and-a-half or a maximum of four hours is because life tries to get back. This is also important for the living. If someone very dear to you died, your mind may start playing tricks, thinking that maybe a miracle will happen, maybe God will come and bring them back. It has never happened to anyone, but still the mind plays up because of the emotions that you have for that particular person. Similarly, the life that has exited the body also believes that it can still get back into the body.

If you want to stop the drama, the first thing is to set fire to the body within one-and-a-half hours. Or to be sure the person is dead, they have stretched it to four hours. But the body should be taken away as quickly as possible. In agriculture communities, they used to bury, because they wanted their forefathers’ bodies, which are a piece of soil, to go back to the soil that had nourished them. Today, you buy your food from the store, and do not know where it comes from. Therefore, burial is not advisable anymore. In earlier times, when they buried in their own land, they always put salt and turmeric on the dead body so that it quickly dissipates into the soil. Cremation is good because it closes the chapter. You will see that when there is a death in the family, people will be crying and wailing, but the moment cremation happens, they will become quiet, because suddenly, the truth has sunk in that it is over. This does not only go for the living but also for the disembodied being who has just exited the body. As long as the body is there, he or she is also under the illusion that he can get back.

There are many rituals to see that you can somehow put a drop of sweetness into such a non-discerning mind so that this sweetness will multiply many fold and they will live comfortably in a kind of self-induced heaven. That is the idea behind the rituals – if they are done properly.

Runanubandha
I am sure most of you have heard of runanubandha, which indicates a physical relationship. Whenever you touch someone – either because of blood relationship or sexual relationships, or even if you just hold someone’s hand or exchange clothes – these two bodies will generate runanubandha, a certain commonality. When someone dies, traditionally, you are seeing how to completely obliterate the runanubandha. The idea of putting the ashes in the Ganga or in the ocean is to disperse them as widely as possible so that you do not develop runanubandha with one who has departed. For you to continue your life, you must properly break this runanubandha. Otherwise, as it happens in modern societies, it will affect your physical and mental structure. Children up to eight years of age are immune to these things – nature has given them that protection, but adolescents will suffer immensely when we do not take care of the dead properly, because the energies of disembodied beings are always there and the first ones that they go after are adolescents because they are the most vulnerable. You see in the world today how much upheaval people are going through during adolescence.

One of the reasons why adolescence is more of a struggle today than it was in previous generations is that we are not properly taking care of those who have departed and these runanubandhas are all over the place. It is like loose software everywhere, and it always affects adolescent life most.

Questioner: But what to do? How do you grind your emotions into powder and sprinkle it? I don’t think it is possible to cut off your emotions.

Sadhguru: Emotions are a different, secondary aspect to life. It is the physical sameness, the runanubandha with the dead that you want to eliminate, because this can cause sickness and mental derangement, among other things. Emotion by itself is not damaging. If you had a beautiful relationship with someone and now the person is no more, it is healthy to cherish the beauty of that relationship rather than suffer. But if the runanubandha is there, it weakens your body and your mental structure in such a way that instead of cherishing all the beautiful things that happened between two people, you are suffering, and not only that – it will lead to a certain derangement of life. To avoid that, we try to destroy the physical memory alone. It is not only that you cannot forget the emotional and psychological memory, you should not forget it either. Someone who meant so much to you – why should you forget them? You must cherish that relationship forever.


This article is based on an excerpt from the July 2014 issue of Forest Flower. Pay what you want and download. (set ‘0’ for free). Print subscriptions are also available.