The vishve devaas.

The vishve devaas.

In the pirtushraddhams conducted by brahmins, for every function, when we invoke the pitrus, they are invoked in the company of Vishve Devas..

The hierarchy of piturs we invoke can vary from three generations to seven generations.. and the pitrus may include many other personages like uncles,grand uncles, cousins, etc and their wives.. in shraaddhas like mahalayam.

And some sects among brahmins have the obligation to perform the annual Sharddham for the maternal Grandparents and their elders too.. (simultaneously with paternal lineage)

Of course that is not a practice among iyers except that we do Darsha Sharddam for maternal grandfather and grandmother and their earlier two generations.. during the Amavasya, Samkranmana, and Grahana Tarpanams..

The Pitrus can come to this world only in the company of Visve Devas.. they are ten in number..

They were born to Daksha prjapati and one of his wives Vishvaa.. the are all gods.. or devas.. In pitru karyams they have to be offered puja first before offering respects to the pitrus..

When two brahmanas are invoked as bhokthas, the elder in age would be treated as visve deva and the younger as the pitru.. The visve deva will be offered akshatha and flowers, and the pitrus will be offered tulasi and til or gingely..

The names of the ten Visve devas are given in this smriti vakyam

क्रतुर्दक्षः वसुः सत्यः कामः कालस्तथैव च

धुरिश्च रोचनश्चैव तथा चैव पुरूरवाः

आर्द्रवश्च दशैते तु विश्वे देवाः प्रकीर्तिताः।

इष्टिश्राद्धे क्रतुर्दक्षः सत्यो नान्दीमुखे वसुः।

नैमित्तिके कालकामौ काम्ये तु धुरिलोचन।

पुरूरवा आर्द्रवश्च पार्वणे समुदाहृताः

kraturdakṣaḥ vasuḥ satyaḥ kāmaḥ kālastathaiva ca

dhuriśca rocanaścaiva tathā caiva purūravāḥ

ārdravaśca daśaite tu viśve devāḥ prakīrtitāḥ|

iṣṭiśrāddhe kraturdakṣaḥ satyo nāndīmukhe vasuḥ|

naimittike kālakāmau kāmye tu dhurilocanaū|

purūravā ārdravaśca pārvaṇe samudāhṛtāḥ

The ten vishve devas are in five pairs

The first pair is Kratu and Daksha

The second pair is Vasu and Satya

The third pair is Kama and kala ( Kama is mentioned as Kamuka in some places)

The fourth pair is Dhuri and Rochana ( or Lochana)

and

The fifth pair is Puroorava and Ardrava.

The Visve Devas accompany the Pitrus when they are invoked in Ishtis. are Kratu and Daksha

Ishti.. is a yajna which a person conducts if it is pleasing to him.. Some authorities hold the view that the Sradha prior to Nishekam.. the process of causing the pregnancy.., Somayaga, Seemanthonnayanam, Pumsavanam, . these shraddhams are called Karmanga Shraddham too..

The Visve Devas accompanying the pitrus for Naandeemukha Shradha are Vasu and Satya.. The nandi shradhas are also called Vridhi Sradhas.. We do it at the time of Birth of a Son, the Upanayanam, Marriage.. and so on.. There is overlapping of Nandi and Ishti .. in definition by some rishis.. The vishve devas to be invoked then should be according to the respective Sootras..

The Visve Deavas invoked during the Naimittika Sradha are kaal a and Kama or kamuka..

Naimittikam means due to some particular happening.. Death is such a happening.. And Kala and Kamuka are the Visvedevas for Sapindeekarana Sradham.

But Naimittikam can occur due to some good happenings too.. Like new crop, new house, new well or water source and start of certain fresh yajnams too

The visve devas accompanyingh the pitrus during the Annal Sradhaas.. Parvana Sradhaas,, we are doing that every year and all of us are familiar with the details of this type of Shardham which alone we usually call Sradham at home.. are Puroorava and Ardrava

And finally if we are performing some Kamya Yajna.. Yajnas ine expectation of wealth, progency, victory and so on , then too we perform pitru shradham in the beginning This is called Kamya Sradha.. The best period for kamya karma is when the Sun enters the Kanya Rasi..

The Visve Devas accompanying the pitrus during these Kamya Sradhas.. are Dhuri and Rochana (Lochana)

( This is a very very abridged extract.. culled out from varous texts.. Of course, the systems vary north of Dandakaranya and the South.. This subject would cover dozens of texts and hundreds of pages of printed material.. This is only a laymans information.)