Friday 12 October 2012

Free Vaastu Tips for Peace, Success and Prosperity


I have added some of the useful Vaastu tips at my website. You can visit the following page for reading such tips.

http://lalkitabastro.com/Vaastu.php


"Hari Om Tat Sat"
Acharya Vikas Malhotra
Astrologer, Numerologist and Spiritual Healer 
{MBA, LLB, FCS, MA (Public Admn), FIII, JYOTISH VISHARAD} 
                                             lalkitabastro.com

Saturday 6 October 2012

PITRA PAKSHA 2012 – Pitra Paksha significance, Importance of offering Shraddha to your ancestors



Introduction

Pitru Paksha/Pitr Paksha also known as Mahalaya Paksha or Shraaddh Paksha or Kanagat, is a period of fifteen days dedicated to dead ancestors and forefathers. It is the period in which we pay homage to our ancestors by remembering them and by offering food and other things to them. This period is also treated as an occasion to perform rites for the departed ancestors to keep their souls indebted for years. The word ‘Pitr Paksha’ comprises of two words ‘Pitr’ which means ancestors and the ‘Paksha’ which means phase of the moon. “Pitr” embraces God in all His aspects, the earliest sages, and our immediate ancestors to the third generation, and all our departed friends and relatives. This year Pitra Paksa period is between 30th September 2012 to 15th October 2012.

Legend behind Pitra Paksha

            In the above section, I have dealt with the importance of Pitra Paksha briefly. Now the question arises, why this period of 15 days is specifically referred as Pitra Paksha or what is the significance of Pitra Paksha. The answer to the question why specifically this period has been chosen lies in the ancient story relating to the Mahabharata hero, “Karna”. According to tradition, Karna could not get any food to eat when he went after his death to the higher regions, though he could get plenty of silver and gold there. This was because he had donated plenty of gold and silver but not food during his lifetime. Distressed much he prayed to Lord Yama, the god of death, and through his grace, returned to this earth during this paksha or the fortnight. He then gifted plenty of food to the hungry and reached back to his allotted higher plane. Hence Annadaana or giving food to the hungry has become the central part of the rituals during these days. Yama also ordained that offerings made on these days would benefit all departed souls whether they were related to the donor or not.

 Importance of offering Shraddha

Shraddha or homage to your ancestors should be done with full belief and faith. It refers to a series of ceremonies performed at various times of the year and during one's lifetime as homage and salutation to one's ancestors. These ceremonies can be defined, as offerings of food to one's pitras, by feeding Brahmins or even certain animals, like dogs, cats, crows and snakes.
On all fifteen days of Pitra Paksha, offerings are made to the departed manes, including those whose names or manner of death are not known. In these days tarpan, shraaddha and pinda daan are performed daily according to the procedures under the guidance of a priest. Although these rites are to be carried out daily in this fortnight, it is considered that to perform them on the last day i.e. on Mahalaya Amavasya or Sarva Pitru Amavasya is considered extremely important and highly sacred. Sarvapitri amavasya ("all fathers' new moon day") is intended for all ancestors, irrespective of the lunar day they died. It is the most important day of the Pitru Paksha. Those who have missed performing shraddha for any unavoidable reason can do so on this day. Those persons who do not know the tithi of death of their ancestors can also perform shraddha on Amavasya. In 2012, Mahalaya Amavasya or Sarva Pitru Amavasya is on 15th October 2012. It is called as Mahalaya because the word ‘Maha’ means great or big or large and ‘Laya’ means destruction. Mahalaya therefore means great destruction caused during the war between Deities and Demons wherein large number of Devathas and Rishis had died in the hands of Rakshasas during the period starting from Bhadrapada Bahula Paadyami to Amavasya. These Deities and Rishis are like our forefathers and it is befitting to worship such departed souls during this fortnight that coincides with Mahalaya. Hence, this fortnight has become very sacred and celestial for performing sacred rites to forefathers.

 

How to conduct Shraddha rituals

Food prepared on the day you are performing Shraddha must firstly be offered to any God in which you have belief because this food becomes sanctified food (Prashad) and only then must that prashad be offered to the ancestors. By performing it in this way the ancestors bless that family immensely since they are eating Lord prashad, which relieves them very quickly, from whatever bad situation they are in. The prashad must be offered in the daylight hours as it is believed that Yama releases our ancestors at sunrise and they must return to Pitr-Loka (the ancestor world) at sunset.
Method:
On a tray place a banana leaf. On the banana leaf place a tablespoon of all the food that was cooked. Go to your prayer place and offer the food first to God. Leave the food at the prayer place for about 10 minutes. Now take the tray with the food and go to a corner of your yard facing South in a clean place and offer the food together with a small cup of water or milk. Say “all my ancestors please partake in this prashad”. Then leave that food. You can later on offer this food to a priest or alternatively offer food to crows. It is believed that the pitras take the form of crows to eat the offerings made to them. One should do this for 15 days. On the last day (the 15th October before 14hr01) you can either perform a havan or donate charity (whichever suits you and can afford – like 3 three types of grains, fruits, vegetables…) to your family priest or a poor person. Please note that on the 11th October is Indira Ekadashi. On this day you must only offer your Pitr's Ekadashi (non-grain) food.

You can also prepare rice balls on the day you are performing Shraadha ceremony. Offer one rice ball to fire in havan kund and after conducting puja and havan, rest of the rice balls could be offered to crows and cows. I think what matters most is your devotion and sincerity. Whatever you do with sincerity and devotion is accepted by God and your ancestors. Focus more on remembering and paying homage to your ancestors with full devotion rather than indulging in just formality in conducting Shraadha to your ancestors.

"Hari Om Tat Sat"

Acharya Vikas Malhotra
Astrologer, Numerologist and Spiritual Healer
{MBA, LLB, FCS, MA (Public Admn), FIII, JYOTISH VISHARAD} 
 
lalkitabastro.com