Good Question. Actually, this must be known to people because if we don’t perform Pitru devata aradhana, we don’t get the anugraha of the devatas.
WHAT IS PITRU PAKSHA?
Pitru Paksha comes when Surya enters the Kanya rashi. It lasts till Surya enters Vrishchika rashi. Surya first enters Kanya Rashi; after that, he enters Tula Rashi, and after that, Vrishchika Rashi. This is the duration of the Pitru Paksha as per the Puranas. It even says that, at this time, Yama Dharmaraja releases all the Pitrus from Yamaloka. There, in Yamaloka, there is a loka named Pitruloka, where the Pitrus stay. So, during this period, Pitruloka is empty, and all the Pitrus come to their respective homes to check whether their descendants or family give them food through shraadhha karmas or not.
So, this is a golden period to worship the Pitrus. If you couldn’t perform Pitru kaarya in the Pitru Paksha, you can perform it in the Navaratri or Deepavali too. And if, at this time also, you don’t worship our Pitrus and perform the Pitru kaarya, then they will curse you and go away. This Pitru Karma, or shraaddha, is to be done by the men whose parents are deceased. But the others can contribute to the Pitru Kaarya by helping them in doing the shraaddha.
WHAT IS THE SPECIALITY OF PITRU PAKSHA?
During the Shraadhha karmas (on the day when the father/mother passed away), we just remember our father, father’s father, and father’s father’s father, or mother, mother’s mother, and mother’s mother’s mother, depending on the day. But in Pitru Paksha, we do the shraadhha karma for all of these members from the maternal and paternal sides.
Not only this, but, for example, you sat under a tree on a hot, scorchingly sunny day. You took the help of the tree, so you are indebted to the tree. You came somewhere and drank water. You are indebted to that place. You got help from someone; you are indebted to them. In your house, a maid or servant comes and cleans the house. But just paying a salary to them doesn’t clear the debt. You are still indebted to that person. Not only in this birth, but even in our previous births, we have taken many things from many people. So, we express our thankfulness towards them. So, in this Pitru Paksha, you are providing food to all of them through the shraadhha karma.
WHO ARE PITRU DEVATAS?
Actually, there are two types of Pitru devatas, known as Chira and Achira Pitru devatas.
- Achira Pitrus: These Achira Pitrus are basically our ancestors. Assume there is a person named X. His father, his father’s father, and like that are Achira Pitrus. Upon death, these ancestors attain the Pitru loka. Why are they known as Achira Pitrus? Because, let’s take that example again. A person named X. His father, upon death, reaches Pitruloka. There, he is in the Pitru position. X’s grandfather is in the Pitamaha position, whereas X’s great-grandfather is in the Prapitamaha position.
After X’s death, he also reaches Pitru Loka. There, now when X’s son (say Y) is doing the shraaddha of X, then X is in the Pitru Sthaana, X’s father goes in the Pitamaha Sthaana, and X’s grandfather goes in the Prapitamaha Sthaana. But here, X’s great-grandfather is removed from the Pitru list. So, in this way, these ancestors don’t remain in the Pitru sthaana forever; therefore, they are known as Achira Pitrus. Then why are they named as Pitrus? They are named as Pitrus because they protect us in one way or another. - Chira Pitru Devatas: In the Harivamsha, there is a story wherein Lord Brahma creates devatas and assigns them their task, and asks them to worship Bhagavan and do their tasks. Now, these devatas were in their abodes, enjoying and living a life of luxury. Enraged by this disobedience of the devatas, Lord Brahma cursed the devatas to become dull and dumb. The devatas were now worried and had realized their mistake. Hence, they approached Brahma and asked for forgiveness and asked for what they should do as a prayashchitta.
Lord Brahma asked them to ask their sons about the same. The devatas asked their sons about the prayashchitta. Their sons told them about the prayaschitta but called their fathers, ‘My dear son!’ like this. This made the devatas feel insulted, and they approached Lord Brahma and told him that their sons were calling them, ‘My dear son!’ Lord Brahma smiled at this and said, “What they called you is correct!”
Lord Brahma further said, “The one who gives birth to you doesn't need to be your pitru; yes, they are pitrus, but the person who gives you gyaana is also in pitru sthaana. Your sons told you the prayashchitta and hence gave you the knowledge; hence they are in the pitru sthaana. And from today, you all will be worshipping them as Pitru devatas.” From then, the Pitru devata aradhana started.
There are actually 7 Pitru devatas, namely Vairaja, Barhishada, Agnishwatta, Sukaala, Aangirasa, Susvada, and Somapa. Why are there 7 types of Pitrus? Because not only humans but also devatas, demons, naagas, gandharvas, etc. also do Pitru devata aradhana. Even among humans, there are Pitru devatas based on the varnashrama, like there is a different Pitru devata for Brahmins, a different one for Kshatriyas, a different one for Vaishyas, and a different one for Shudras. For example, for Brahmins, the Pitru devata is Sukaala. For Shudras, the Pitru devata is Somapa.
So, when I say that Yama Dharmaraja releases the Pitrus from Pitruloka, he doesn’t release our ancestors, but these Pitru devatas, because after death, the Pitrus may go to Pitruloka. Or sometimes, they may be born somewhere else, or they may be in some different lokas. So, these Pitrudevatas (Chira Pitru devatas) come to us during this period and bless us. Their blessings are very important for the welfare of the family.
WHO ARE VASU, RUDRA AND ADITYA?
There are 8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, and 12 Adityas. These are all the devaganas, who act as postmen. Let’s again take the example of person X. X puts a pinda in his father’s name. At that time, these Vasus, Rudras, and Adityas deliver this pinda anna, and deliver that anna/aahara to our ancestors who may be born somewhere else, or maybe in Pitruloka, or maybe in any other loka. And they don’t deliver the anna as it is, but they convert it into food suitable for the ancestors, as per which birth they are, and where they are.
So, these Vasu, Rudra, and Adityas are also known as Pitrus. And importantly, Yama Dharmaraja, who takes care of all of these Pitrudevatas, is also known as Pitru. So, this is all about as to who all the Pitru devatas are.
WHY IS PITRU KAARYA KNOWN AS SHRAADHHA?
Pitru kaarya is known as Shraadhha because Pitru kaarya requires a lot of shraddha and strictness. In devata aradhana, if you commit any mistake, you will be forgiven, but in pitru kaarya, if you commit any mistakes, the pitrus will go away from there and won’t accept your pooja. For example, on the day of Shraaddha, one should not put rangoli. If the Pitrus see this, then they will go away from there. So, they are very strict about how seriously you are doing it.
The purpose behind this strictness is to test how much respect you offer to them and how serious you are regarding the pitru kaarya and worshipping them. That’s why this kriya is known as Shraadhha.
WHY AREN’T WOMEN ALLOWED TO DO PITRU KAARYA OR SHRAADHHA, AND ONLY MEN ARE ALLOWED?
This is because, as per the shaastras, women are already freed from the debt of the Pitrus after marriage. We basically do Pitru kaarya or shraadhha to pay the debt of the Pitrus for protecting us and helping us. So, when a girl is married, the girl’s father, during kanyaadaana, says, ‘I am doing this kanyaadaana by offering the vadhu, who has Lakshmi within her, to the vara, who has Narayana within him, to pay off the debt of the Pitrus and so that all my Pitrus (Achira Pitrus) reach Brahmaloka and I too reach Brahmaloka after death, and then live there for a long time (long time = the number of particles on the earth).’ So, with this vow, the girl’s father does the kanyaadaana.
So, because of this, the girl is freed from all the Pitru runa, and the shaastras don’t tell them to do any shraadhha karma, because they have paid off their runa. Thus, the girl child is a boon, because not only does she perform the uddhara of the pitrus of the lineage in which she is born, but also does the uddhara of the lineage in which she is married. Whereas, in the case of men, they are not freed from the Pitru runa, so they need to perform shraadhha karmas to pay off that runa. Therefore, the shaastras instruct men to do the shraadhha karma or the Pitru kaarya.
But the Pitru aradhana is not exempted for women. They need to help their husbands fully during the Pitru kaarya, like arranging deepas, cooking for the shraaddha, and that’s their part of Pitru aradhana. But that also should have strictness. On that day, they should not cook for the shraadhha like ordinary cooking, but they should do it in niyama, like not talking to anyone; food must be cooked in a chula; not a single hair should fall into the food. If any mistake happens, the Pitrus go away. That’s the amount of strictness to be observed during the shraadhha. If they follow this and do it with Bhakti, it is their part of Pitru aradhana. The Pitrus are very happy and then bless the whole family.
So, it is not about the right to do shraadhha, but about paying off the debt of the Pitrus, which women do while getting married (for her family) and by helping their husband (in the family where she is married). But for men, they need to do shraadhha till their last breath to pay off the Pitru runa.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T DO THE PITRU KAARYA?
If we don’t do Pitru kaarya, then no matter which spiritual yagya, homa, havana, pooja we do, we won’t receive the blessings of the devatas, or no devatas will come to our home. We can understand Pitru aradhana as the door to the blessings of the devatas. That’s why we do Naandi samaradhana before any shubha karya, to obtain the blessings of the Pitru devatas.
HOW SHOULD WE DO PITRU KAARYA?
So, for doing Pitru Kaarya, the main thing that is required is control over one’s senses. This is the main thing required. Secondly, one should not be in a hurry when doing the Pitru Kaarya. If you do hurry, then the Pitrus will go away. Third, one should not scold or be angry during the Pitru Kaarya or Shraadhha, because the Pitru devatas hate anger. One should be clean and well-maintained and shouldn’t keep the environment or oneself unclean when doing the shraadhha.
One should perform the Pitru kaarya during the Kutapa kaala. Ku means ‘intense’ and taapa means heat. When the sun is producing maximum heat, which is when the sun is present on our head at 90 degrees above the land, then one should perform the Pitru kaarya. If one doesn’t have anything- no money, no material, no saamagri for shraaddha- and the shraadhha day has arrived, he needs to feed the cow grass in the Kutapa Kaala, thinking in his mind, “May my Pitrus be pleased by this.” And their Pitrus would be pleased and would bless them, because he kept in mind the day of shraadhha and was serious about the same.
If anyone cannot even do this, and is very poor, then he can just go in the Kutapa kaala (afternoon), and then raise their hands and say honestly, “I don’t have anything and am poor. Hence, O My Pitrus, please be pleased with me and bless me.” That’s it, and the Pitrus would be pleased with you. The main thing they want from you is the desperation and the willingness to do something for them, for their pleasure. But if someone has the materials to do shraadhha and time too, they should perform the shraaddha fully as per the shaastras. He shouldn’t go and raise his hands and ask the Pitrus to be pleased.
The main thing for all these three cases is that you must fast till the Kutapa kaala. Now, some people don’t know anything, or if the men in the house are not doing the Pitru kaarya even after explaining its importance, then how can women do Pitru aradhana? In that case, they can go and feed grass to the cow, do Bhajana, and offer food to the devotees of Bhagavan, Brahmins, poor and needy people, or priests in the Kutapa kaala, with the vision of their Pitrus to get pleased and bless them and their family. By this, the Pitrus are pleased. After the Pitru kaarya, one should accept food, and this is for all the jaatis, as per the shaastras.
IF SOMEONE DOESN’T PERFORM PITRU KAARYA, THEN WILL THEY GET THE CURSE OF THE PITRUS?
Let’s again take the example of X. Suppose X is not performing shraaddha, and if his son Y also doesn’t perform shraadhha after X’s death, then the Pitru’s curse will be there and the future generations may suffer, but if Y realizes that what his father X did was wrong and does the Pitru kaarya after X’s death, then his family would be freed from the curse. But here one thing is important: Pitrus are strict, but are not cruel. They just want your commitment, desperation, and willingness to do the Pitru kaarya.
If you are ready to correct yourself and do the Pitru kaarya with devotion, then they will forgive you. They are very merciful. There is a story in the Harivamsha which comes. There was a Pitru by the name Barhishada (as I discussed above). There are two further types of Pitru devatas, who are Amoorta Pitru devatas and Samoorta Pitru ganas. Out of the 7 Pitru devatas, 3 Pitru devatas are Amoorta, and 4 are Samoorta. Amoorta Pitru devata means the Pitru devata has a very minute form, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, whereas Samoorta Pitru devatas are the devatas that have a form and we can see them.
So, this Barhishada had a daughter. She hadn’t seen her father at all, because he has a very subtle form. So, once she saw Uparichara Vasu, who was riding on a chariot with an apsara. On seeing Uparichara Vasu, this girl thought that her father might look like that. As this thought came to her mind, she lost her yogashakti. Since she was the daughter of the Pitru devata, she possessed yogashakti, which she lost now due to this thought. That’s why she was falling. She asked, “Why am I falling like this?” At this, an aakaashavaani happened: “You thought someone else was your father; that’s why you fell like this.” Immediately, Barhishada appeared there and said, “My dear daughter, you have committed a mistake due to which you would be born as the daughter of the Uparichara Vasu, and Svayam Bhagavan would be incarnating as your son.”
She was born as the daughter of Uparichara Vasu. This Vasu had gone hunting, where he was remembering his wife, and there itself he ejaculated, and his veerya was swallowed by a fish, which was hunted by Daasharaja, the fisherman. He cut that fish and found a baby inside. He accepted the baby as his daughter, and she was known as Satyavati, and Lord Vishnu incarnated as her son, Vedavyasa. So, here we must note that Pitrus are strict, but if you accept your mistake and correct it, then they even bless you. Here, she got a golden opportunity to become the mother of Lord Vedavyasa.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF DOING PITRU KAARYA IN TEERTHA KSHETRAS LIKE KASHI, GAYAA, MAATRU GAYAA, BADARINATH DHAM, ETC.?
Doing Pitru kaarya in Teertha kshetras is important because that kshetra is very pious and has the living presence of the divine. So, what happens is, if you go to teertha kshetras, the pitru devatas also come behind us to check if we do something for them. That’s why one should carry black sesame and darbha (a type of grass used in yagya, shraaddha, tarpana, etc.), so if they go to some teertha kshetra and encounter a pious river like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, etc., or any punya tirtha, like in Tirupati, there is Kapila Tirtha, etc., then we can do the Pitru tarpana or, if possible, do pinda daana, due to which the Pitrus are satisfied.
But why are these Pitru devatas following us? Because we are indebted to them so much that we need to spend our whole lives doing Pitru Tarpana and paying off the pitru runa by expressing our thankfulness to the Pitrus via Tarpana. Tarpana means to satisfy the pitru devatas. We use black sesame and water for Tarpana. Black sesame comes from the sweat of Lord Varaha, plus it wards off negative or evil spirits and helps us complete the Pitru kaarya without any obstacles.
Even some people say that if we do shraadhha in this kshetra, we don’t have to do the shraadhha again, because the Pitrus attain Moksha. But the thing to understand here is that we are not doing shraadhha just for their sadgati, but also for paying off the Pitru runa that we have. We have that runa until we have this body, because it is given by our parents only. So, one shouldn’t leave the shraadhha karmas.
DO THE ANCESTORS (ACHIRA PITRUS) WHO DIED COME TO OUR HOME WHEN WE DO THE SHRAADHHA AND KEEP THE PINDA IN THEIR NAME??
Generally, no. It is not the ancestors who are coming. Because they were born somewhere else; how can they come here? So, they can’t. The Pitrudevatas (Chira Pitrudevatas) come. But in some cases, even the ancestors come, in case they have yogashakti, or they are some great personality. There are two stories. One is from the Harivamsha. When Bhishma Pitamaha was doing Shraadhha of his father, King Shantanu, while keeping the pinda of his name, a hand emerged from the earth. Bhishma thought, " Who was he? The voice came, “I am your father, Shantanu. Give me the Pinda.”
But then Bhishma thought that giving the pinda directly in his hand is opposite to the shaastras, and hence kept the pinda on the darbha grass. King Shantanu was happy and said, “I wanted to test you; that’s why I came here. You followed the shaastras. And hence I bless you to be ichhamarani (whenever Bhishma wishes, he can die).
The second story is from the Padma Purana. In the forest, SriRama was performing the shraaddha of King Dasharatha. Sitadevi had cooked the food and was serving the Brahmins sitting in the line. Suddenly, she saw a Brahmin and ran inside. Rama asked, “O Seeta! Why did you run inside like this?” She said, “I actually saw my father-in-law, King Dasharatha, in one of the Brahmins; that’s why I felt shy and ran inside. In the palace, I used to wear ornaments and be in front of him, but now, in this vanavasi dress, which is not even attractive, I cannot approach him; that’s why I came back here.”
So, these are some rare cases where Pitrus or the ancestors may come if they are high-souled personalities or possess yogic power, to test us. Or else, the Pitrudevatas only come because our ancestors don’t have much power to come back to us. After all, they are born somewhere else. And again, as I discussed, the Vasu, Rudra, and Adityas deliver the anna or pinda to the ancestors wherever they are, in the form that suits them, according to what food suits them. For example, again, if X’s father, after leaving the body, becomes a devata, then the Vasu, Rudra, and Aditya just don’t dump the pinda to them. But they convert it into the food that suits them and then deliver it to them.
WHY ARE DARBHA AND BLACK SESAME SUITABLE AND USED MORE IN PITRU KAARYA OR SHRAADHHA?
The reason is very clear. During Pitru Kaarya, there is a chance of evil energies or evil spirits attacking us. So, to prevent that evil spirit from destroying our shraadhha karma, we use black sesame and darbha. Because of that, the evil energies don’t come near us.
WHY DO WE MAKE PINDA IN THE SHAPE OF A BALL?? WHY NOT ANY OTHER SHAPE?
The reason for this is also simple. The pinda represents the body of the ancestors. In Pinda Pradaana, we put the Pinda in the name of the father, father’s father, father’s father’s father (even for the mother, it's the same). So, this Pinda also represents their body, along with the food for them. There is even a story from the Mahabharata regarding this. Lord Varaha had killed Hiranyaksha. At that time, it was afternoon. Now, His tusks were covered with mud, since He lifted the earth which was slipping down. So, Lord Varaha removed that mud, made mud balls, and threw them in the south direction.
The south direction is the direction of the Pitru devatas. So, that’s why the Pitrudevatas said, “O Supreme Bhagavan SriVarahadeva! Since you killed this evil demon Hiranyaksha in the afternoon time, which is Kutapa Kaala, this time would be our favorite to us. And since you threw the mud balls in the south direction, which is our direction, may we be worshipped by putting pindas like this.” So, this is the reason why we put Pinda in the shape of a ball.
So, let’s keep this much for now. Otherwise, it would be a big Purana.
Hope this helps!
Jay SriRam!
ShriKrishnarpanamastu!