who should perform sraaadham

 

All the sons have to perform Sraddham, individually. The sons can perform it jointly only if there is no partition and there is sharing of kitchen or hearth. It is not correct to presume that the younger brothers can join the elder brother for conducting Sraddham. Even if two brothers are living in the same house in different portions cooking separately, they have to perform Sraddham independently. There is a slender and unsubstantiated loukeeka view that if the mother is alive and the father gone, all the sons can gather at the mother’s place and do Sraddham. When a son dies, the duty of performing Sraddham abates with him, but his son of the deceased, will be invoking the paternal grandfather in Rudra roopa, the second generation, while performing Sraddham for his own father. During Sapindeekaranam, the great great grandfather will be bidden adieu with honour as Vriddha pitaamaha.

The logic behind Sraddham

The logic behind Sraddham

A preceptor or a forefather, when he dies and his sapindeekaranam is done reaches the Vasu state.. when his next generation dies he reaches the rudra state and when the next generation also dies he raches the aditya state.. Just think that these three states are just abodes or contact points for the respective pithru.. The pithru may occupy or would have reached different staes like moksha or life in another body according to the Karmas, but the belief is that the offerings from the living sons grandsons and great grandsons by way of Sraadham are reaching these transmission towers at Vasu Rudra and Aditya lokas, and from there by Divine will the offerings transformed in the manner best suited for the pitru at his or her present janma or status is carried to the respective being.. and it is not preposterous to assume that each such being may be receiving the share of offerings from their progenies of various janmaas, all consolidated this way.. So we are actually sending our offerings to some mailboxes from where they are faithfully sorted through agni, aryama, swadhaa, swaahaa etc supervised by Lord Vishnu and correctly delievered to the addressee in his present form.

This interpretation, though simplified, is held as valid by elders and texts in so many words,, and can easily explain the whole gamut of offers to the pithrus through this logic.... The pithrulokam acts only as a transponder..

You may feed poor, or laugh at the ceremonies and dismiss them as meaningless.. everyone has the choice to do whatever he likes, especially if he is a brahmin, but that is beside the religion.. Feeding a million people even cannot substitute a Sraadham invoking the three generations of Pithrus..

Vasu, Rudra and Aditya status for the same pitru may vary according to the performer. For example, if my mother is alive, the status for my paternal grandmother is Vasu.. My periyappa and periyammai both are no more,, So when my Anna.. periyappas son performs sradham the same grandmother is in the rudra status... For amavasya, we offer tarpanam to maternal grandparents and two generation on the paternal line earlier to them..So I offer tarpanam to my maternal grandpaents in the Vasu status, and my maternal uncles who are up by one generation too offer tarpanam to the same persons in Vasu status And the time in earth is pathetically tiny compared to the divine worlds even according to shastras.. So reckoning time through earth standards is not possible in these matters..

the Deekshiteeyam and other texts are applicable to all the three--- Brahmana, Kshatriya and Vaishya.. Most of the texts are like that.. Perhaps, the remaining were not a defined sect and they did not have occasion to adopt those texts.. There is no specific prohibition anywhere that it should not apply to all.. And various sects have amended and adapted their own rules.. within the fold of the same religion..

The offering goes even to the reborn being which carries the original lineage.. The offerings is made even if that departed life has attained moksha.. Whether a jeeva which has attained moksha requires any more offering is beside the point. We offer coconuts and vazhappazham to God,, and God does not really require it . We still offer it.. The transformed physical being in any form receives the offering.. I have said this already..

Sanatana Dharma encourges us to ask questions...? Yes, only to a certain level.. Definitely not to the extent of defeating its own tenets..Even in the science of logic contained in Sankhya and Nyaya Vaiseshika systems, all questions and challenges can be limited only to certain basic fundamental principes.. A frog cannot wear a snake's skin..

I am not personally irritated at all.. I am as rational and trained in modern things as anyone.. This issue is always a bone of contention in any Vidvat Sadas or any forum. Some pramanams are accepted..

Often I make posts completely unrelated to religious matters.. There I never mix religion..

I have made tax assessment all through my life... I cannot rely on Apastambha sootra or manusmriti for that.. There the Indian Incometax Act alone applies..

I just stated things clearly from an impassionate mindset.. Frankly no religion ever encourages eternal probe and cross examination touching its foundation.. The belief that every religion is catholic.. etc.. even if it Sanatana Dharma, it is only a recently held assumption.. It it not entirely so..

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.)

We cannot make rules for ourselves..

while on pithru karyams, an interesting episode described in Harivamshamahaapuranam comes to mind..

Bheshama Pitamaha was conducting the Sradham of his father Shantanu.. The pindam or the or the morsel of cooked rice has to be offered according to scriptures by placing it on the ground..

भूमौ दत्तेन पिण्डेन bhoomau dattena pindena ...

Shantanu was impressed by the sacrifice of Bhishma while he was alive and also by the meticulousness with which his son was conducting the Shraadham..

So while Bheeshma was about to place the pindam on the ground as per vedic rules, a right hand with golden bangles was seen protruding, and asking that the pindam should be personally handed over..

From the shape of the hand and the golden bangle Bheeshmapitamaha could see that King Shantanu was just showing his hand to receive the pindam offered..

With due respect for his father, Bheeshma declined to place the pindam on the outstretched hand and placed the same on the ground..

His idea was that love for the father should not stand in the way of directions by the Vedas and scriptures..

The pithrus with Visvedevas and Lord Vishnu the protector of the Sradham are present and it was a yajna witness by Swdhaa..

The pindam has to be placed on earth paying respects to Swadhaa, the devi of Aryama and and it was she who had to convey it to the deities in the Pithruloka..

The eternal laws should never be flouted..

Shantanu realized that what his son Bhishma did was right and was immensely pleased..

And it was for his adherence to this Sraddha dharma that Shantnu blessed Bheeshma with the boon that Bheeshma would live as long as he wished and that he could select the time of his death..

The rigorous rules of Sraaddha are given in detail in Garuda Puranam, Harivamsam, Agni puranam, and even in Mahabharatham..

We cannot make rules for ourselves..

================

The great Scholar Kshemendra, in his Charucharya.. a compilation of one hundred slokas by way of instructions in the dharmic way of life says

श्राद्धम् श्रद्धान्वितं कुर्याच्छास्त्रोक्तेनैव वर्त्मना।

भुवि पिण्डं ददौ विद्वान् भीष्मः पाणौ न शन्तनोः॥५

क्षेमेन्द्रकविप्रणीते चारुचर्यायाम्॥

śrāddham śraddhānvitaṁ kuryācchāstroktenaiva vartmanā|

bhuvi piṇḍaṁ dadau vidvān bhīṣmaḥ pāṇau na śantanoḥ||5

kṣemendrakavipraṇīte cārucaryāayām||

The Shraadham should be performed with all attention, devotion and meticulous care. And the procedure to be followed should be exactly as per the dictats of the Shastras.. No deviation is permitted.

The great scholar and seer Bheeshma pitamaha offered the Pindam on the surface of earth and did not give it to Shantanu in his hands even when Shantanu extended his palms to receive the pindam from Bheeshma.

=====================

Can we offer Vengaya(onion) Saambar and Potato hot curry as naivedyam to God? I do not think so..

We never venture to do so..

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗿𝘂𝘀

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗿𝘂𝘀

We have to understand (I mean in our HIndu traditions) that when a person dies and his Sapindeekaranam is effected he attains a slot in the pitruloka as Vasu..

Immediately his father gets promoted to Rudra staus and his father in turn gets Aditya staus.

And the Vriddha Prapitamaha is released from the Pinda staus and he and his earlier two generations are now in the Lepa status.

The womanfolk join their mother in laws in the same pattern, according to our beliefs and traditions

In Pinda status the pitrus get the balls of rice or grain whichare offered as pindam and the Lepa pitrus are getting only the remnants of pindam which stick to the hand of the one who does the pitrukaryam.

Again the Vasu Rudra and Aditya positions are just slots assigned to the pitrus and not the spirits themselves.

The pitrus may assume other lives but the offerings sent to the slots or posts through Swadhaa Swaahaa and Mahavishnu reach these slots get recycled into materials suitable for the Pitrus in their present lives and status and get safely delivered to them.

Such offerings from various lives all get delivered in the present address as if redirected.

The three generations rule is just a convention. There are some Pitrupoojas where even ten or twentyone generations are invoked

And Shraddham is a vedic ritual and that can offer temporary relief to the pitrus.

You can call such relief as moksham if you want.

But real moksham can be gained only by the individual himself that too through jnana, karma or bhakti yoga.

That suject is too wide

Musings 6

There was a discussion elsewhere or Curse by departed forefathers on pithru shapam.. Some people where raising a question as to why the departed fathers and grandfathers and their great grandfathers who all love their children so much would curse them just for not offering some rice morself or gingely seeds and water in time.. 

In my view the curse does not come from the Pithrus, but the controller of the order and truth in life.. the Supreme being himself..

I give below my own post there

===========================================

We have to look at it in a diiferent way. The moment we are born to our parents we become debtors to our pithrus. 

The debt account is not managed by our affectionate fathers who will definitely condone and pardon everything.

But the account is handled by the eternal keeper of righteousness rtam and satyam. 

Call him Shankara or Narayana or Dharmaraja or Varuna or Chitragupta. 

The liability is arising from drawal of credit from universal dharma. 

Pithrus have no control over the balance, deposits or withdrawals. 

When there is default there can be interest penalty and even prosecution. 

This can add up to papam and shaapam from the controller of rtm..Narayana or others.. 

it is called pitrusapam not because it is the curse of pitrus but because the cause of the curse is failure on our part in respect of our duties to pitrus.

Note that if I injure my mother she may pardon me but the law of the land will not. 

Such punishments are given by the State not on the basis of complaint by affected party

domestic observances during Sraadhdha ceremony

 this link will  take you to a document where the usual ritualistis observance and rules of Pitru Karyams are described


https://kanfusion.blogspot.com/2014/05/rules-of-domestic-observances-during.html

read for yourself and dont send me curses.

पूरीषस्य च रोषस्य हिंसायाः तस्करस्य च
आद्याक्षराणि संगृह्य वेधाश्चक्रे पुरोहितं
pūrīṣasya ca roṣasya hiṁsāyāḥ taskarasya ca
ādyākṣarāṇi saṁgṛhya vedhāścakre purohitaṁ

പൂരിഷസ്യ ച  രോഷസ്യ ഹിംസായാ  തസ്കരസ്യ  ച
ആദ്യാക്ഷരാണി സംഗൃഹ്യ വേധാ ചക്രേ  പുരോഹിതം
how to trace the source....
this sloka would be reverberating in the minds of all who have had some experience with a priest for some pooja or pitru karma..
and may be the mindset of a priest transgresses the religious barriers also...
A priest is a priest whether he is a hindu, christian or muslim, parsee, or aadhivaasi or buddhist.
The simple meaning of the sloka is  that 
"taking the first word 'Pu' from puurisha (stinking excreta) 
 'R(o)' from rosha( uncontrallable anger), 
'hi' from himsa (tendency to hurt others by all means possible) 
and 
'tha' from thaskara ( the highwayman or looter or trained thief) 
the Creator Brahma made the word and form of purohita... the priest.

 May be this is said in a lighter vein, but  we cannot ignore our sufferings at the hands of this kind of demigods.  
May be he takes some sprinkling of water which may be called a bath 
but in his breakneck run for sharing the spoils be it a marriage or death, 
he has no time to clean himself 
(hence the aroma). 

 He is always angry because he is never satisfied with any amount of Dakshina or Tythe ....and for all other fellow humans he harbours only vilolent feelings  
and
 given a chance he will not shy away from beating out the guts out of you, 
and 
 by profession he is a wonderful personification of all the thieves either born or to be born...
see how a man of this species gives a list of all things under the sun for even a small cermony
( the list has more relevance to what the man  is not having in his house than to the ceremony at hand) 
and 
bundles away all unused things  and carries them with elan in his bike or Car, according to his seniority as a plunderer.

Apologies to the genuine sincere preceptors, but I feel sorry and distressed  thatmajority of the priests were/are so avariocious in every epoch  of time....
they caused mishaps in vedic and upanishadic episodes, 
 there were Rasputins, 
they presided over the precipitation of Revolution in France...
they brought out the best in seers Like Adi shankara because they had the temerity to put hassles even in the path of such a great man..
the way they harrassed Shankara when His mother passed away would stand eternal testimony to the sterling qualities of the priests