tarpanams

Tarpanams

Rik Tarpananam ( respectful offering of water and Tilam or gingely) is Tarpanam chanting detailed Vedic mantras ..

By Rik is meant a short invocation from Veda ( any Veda.. rig, yajur or Sama)

In our tarapnams, we offer tilam (gingely) and water to three generations of our parents in the paternal side, and three generations in the maternal side..

Father, Grand father, great grandfather, and their spouses, and maternal grandfather, maternal great granfather and maternal great great grandfather and their spouses..( this is called Ubhayavamsha piru tarapanam)

While performing tarpanams, we offer ellu or tilam to Vasu Rudra Aditya forms of our pitrus..

the first generation like father, mother, maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother etc as in the Vasu form,

the second generation paternal grandfather paternal grandmother, maternal great grandfather maternal grandmother, are in the rudra form

and

the third higher generation paternal great grandfather, paternal great grandmother ,, maternal great great grandfather and maternal great grand grand mother are in the aditya form..

If any of one generation of these is alive, then the pithru of next higher generation usually are substituted in their place.

For every offer of three tilatarpanams, some mention the gothram, roopam (vasu rudra aditya) name of the pithru and offer tarpanam.. three times with ellu and water..

If names are not known the designation alone is given.. or we can use KrishnaSharma nama...Gauree namnee, Lakshmee naamnee etc too for the pithrus..

While offering tarapanams for each Vasu, Rudra and Aditya roopa Pithrus, according to the rules, there are separate vedic mantras called Riks to be chanted..

So in toto in amavasys tarpanam, twelve riks will have to be chanted.. and it can consume some time..

Nowadays, as a shortcut, and many as per tradition do not chant riks but straightaway offer tarpanam on the koorcham made of dharba grass where the pitrus are invoked..

Some use separate koorchams for paternal side and maternal side..Some use the same koorcham.. for all the pithrus

Koorcham is a few strands of darbha with a knot in it..

The Tarpanam with Rik is where the performer chants the Riks or separate vedic mantras for Vasu Rudra Aditya pitrus and some perform it without chanting riks too.. the procedure of tarpanam for Rigvedis, Yajurvedis and Samavedis is the same, but certain mantrams and rituals very slightly for different Sakhas..

Ubhayavamshapitrutarpanams are performed on Amavasyas,Sankramanam, Grahanams etc.. Pitru tarpanams for paternal side only is done as a part of Sraaddham..

tarpanams can be done every day too.. In fact in brahmayajnam we do pitru tarpanam every day.. Such things are beside the point.. I was just trying to explain the standard and usual tarpanams we do at present..

Loosely the explanation is this. When one departs he attains a sort of equality with the divine beings and occupy the regions meant for them. Gods include basis rudras and adityas. And the pitrus are assigned status accodin g to their seniority. First generation are vasus second generation rudras and third generation adityas. This is the most simple way of putting it.

It was ponted out that followers of Ashvalayana Sutras do not use Riks during tarpanam. My reply to that is

I have no personal knowledge about ashvalayana sootram.. Being a follower of Krishna Yajurveda, Apastambha and sometimes Bodhayana Sutrams govern my rituals.. About other sutras, I have texts with me but there was not occasions to study in detail or practice such texts.. My knowledge there is peripheral..