Pitru Paksha 2023 - Shradh Start Date, Significance and Importance

Book Pitru Paksha Puja

Pitru Paksha is that time in the HIndu calendar when the Hindus pay their respect to their ancestors. They simultaneously offer their gratitude to their gods so that the gods and ancestors will bless their living relatives and their souls rest in peace.

Hindus are of the belief drawing inspiration from the Srimadbhagvat Gita that soul has no destruction and it is not dead neither reborn. There is nothing in the world that can spell ruin on the soul and it recycles through bodies thereby ensuring the immortality.

The soul however has a purpose that is liberation and salvation. When we are performing Sradh of a deceased person it means that we are helping the soul to depart and dissolve into the creator.

There is Tarpan that is performed during the Sradh which means paying homage to the ancestors. In the Pitru paksha, food is offered and surprisingly this ritual is deemed inauspicious among the Hindus.

When the Sradhha or Tarpan is performed, the rice that is offered is called death rice and the paksha falls in the 2nd paksha of Hindu When the Sradhha or Tarpan is performed, the rice that is offered is called death rice and the paksha falls in the 2nd paksha of Hindu lunar month in Bhadrapada or September which comes at the heels of Ganesh Festival.

The History and Origin of Pitrupaksha 2023

It is widely believed in Hinduism that the souls of the three preceding ancestors hover in the pitru-loka and as soon as the next generation dies, the soul of the previous generation sets sail for heaven and becomes one with god, so sradhha offerings are given.

The three generations that stay in the pitru-loka are the contenders of Sradhh. hindu epics have it, in the beginning of Pitru Paksha, The Sun enters the zodiac sign of Libra In this time the spirits leave pitru-loka and reside in their descendant's home for a month until the Sun enters the next zodiac-which is Scorpio or Vrishchika. During the dark fortnight, Hindus offer rice and water to appease the ancestors in the first half.

What is the History behind Pitru Paksha?

The name of the legendary donor Karna is not alien to us. When he breathed his last in the epic Mahabharata war, his soul departed to heaven and he was offered gold and jewels as food.

This prompted Karna to walk up to god Indra to ask for real food as he was hungry, to which Indra replied that he has donated gold all his life but he never offered food to his ancestors.

To turn back the situation, Karna was permitted to go back to Earth for a 15 day period so that he could donate food as he was hungry, to which Indra replied that he has donated gold all his life but he never offered food to his ancestors.

To turn back the situation, Karna was permitted to go back to Earth for a 15 day period so that he could donate food and water to their memory which eases his own stay in the heaven. Ever since then, this period was known to the people as Pitru Paksha.

Why Pitru Paksha is a Compulsion among the Hindus?

This is regarded as the highest compulsion among the Hindus that the soul of the ancestors go to heaven. As per the ancient scripture Gaduda Purana, 'There is no salvation of a man without a son' which is why Indian households wait for a son with bated breath. The scripture suggests that the man of the house should appease the ancestors or Pitri in line with the Gods or devas and ghosts or bhutas and guests.

Also Read: Why the Crow is Given Too Much Importance During Shradh Paksha?

Shradh Paksha 2023 Days with Dates

PUJAS AND RITUALS ASSOCIATED WITH PITRU PAKSHA

Pitra Dosh Puja | Shradh Puja | Sarva Pitru Amavasya Shradh | Pitra Dosh Puja For Soul Liberation

Significance and importance of Pitru Paksha 2023

The Pitru Paksha period holds deep spiritual meaning in Hindu customs as a time to honor departed ancestors and support their onward journey. As scriptures elucidate, souls of the last three generations dwell in Pitru Loka under Yama's realm after death, moving between realms based on their karma. When the Sun enters Libra, these souls can visit earth for a month until the full moon in Scorpio, when Shradh rituals appease them.

Shradh offerings provide impetus for ancestors to progress, removing attachments and dissatisfaction that might impede their subtle bodies. Without such offerings, ancestors can get trapped in lower realms and cause distress to descendants. Hence, Shradh enables us to repay their debt through selfless service. Displaying photos, keeping money in temples, or preserving remains, though well-intentioned, further entangles them.

Pitru Paksha is the ideal occasion to seek blessings from visiting ancestors that can profoundly improve our lives with health, knowledge and peace. This is especially beneficial for those facing Pitru Dosha obstacles that Shradh can mitigate. By wholeheartedly carrying out the selfless Shradh rituals, we obtain ancestors' grace, enrich our own spirits, and uphold important traditions that sustain familial bonds beyond the veil of death.

What is Pitra Dosh in Kundali?

Pitra Dosh implies one's ancestors remain unfulfilled or harbour discontentment that manifests as obstacles for descendants per Vedic tenets. Causes include insufficient offerings to departed souls, unnatural deaths, or lack of post-death rituals. Consequently, ancestors get trapped in lower realms instead of evolving spiritually.

Astrologically, combinations of Sun and Rahu in the birth chart signal Pitra Dosh. The unrestrained ancestors seek release through descendants’ affairs, causing setbacks like financial loss, chronic illness or persistent bad luck. Hence, mitigating Pitra Dosh is critical.

Ritualistic remedies like Pitra Dosh Nivaran puja pacify ancestors receive their due while enabling their onward journey. Such selfless service honours our debt to forefathers for our existence and upbringing. It also reminds us to depart gracefully when our time comes. Freeing ancestors spiritually thus uplifts our shared destinies.

Regularly performing Tarpan, Pind Daan, donating to priests liberates trapped ancestors. We rectify sins of past generations through these offerings. Thereby we heal ancestral bonds, resolving grievances that previously manifested as karmic impediments via Pitra Dosh in horoscopes.

Signs and symptoms of Pitru Dosh:

Pitru Dosh arises when ancestors remain unfulfilled, and its ill-effects manifest in descendants' lives in myriad ways until the grievance is addressed:

• Recurrent pregnancy loss, illness or disorders in children indicating ancestral discontentment.
• Lack of male progeny to continue the lineage denoting unresolved ancestor issues.
• Inability to find marital matches despite efforts implies ancestors' blessings are lacking.
• Pervasive scarcity, misfortune and repeated downturns that have no discernible cause can signal Pitru Dosh.
• Unexplained strife at home or work that persists cyclically may be due to unrestful ancestors.
• Inability to repay debts or make financial progress despite hard work can indicate Pitru Dosh.
• Absence of harmony and peace at home/work with inexplicable malaise in the atmosphere points to Pitru Dosh.
• Personal growth and development stalled for unclear reasons could mean ancestors need appeasing.
• Marital woes and inability to wed at proper time or find right partner hints at ancestral displeasure.
• Recurrent health problems surrounding family members imply ancestors require pacification.

Book Pitru Paksha Puja

Pitru Paksha Dosha:

You are likely to face many miseries in life because of Pitru dosha. This starts from affecting your birthchart itself because you didn't know how to pacify your ancestors.

When you are afflicted with Pitru dosha, you are likely to face unnecessary clashes in your house, problems related to your offspring, and all these miseries are called 'Pitru dosha' jointly. You will be engulfed by deep sorrows if you are in the receiving end of this dosha and there is only tarpan that can liquidate the malefcic effects of this dosha.

You can also read: 

What is Shradh & How one should Proceed During this Period?
Why should Every Son Perform Ritual of Shradh?