8 years, and have been doing this; especially because he was keen and particular and always did for his parents. For him it was the day, when parents want all children to come together and remember the time they spend together, and have that food.
With changing time, we continue doing that, it do give quality time for reflection, and as we do that also ponder:
Do we really need to dip in a Canal/Pond/river and perform Sraddha with wet cloths on or was this done because there were no pipes in the earlier days?
Do we really need to burn the wood and cook over the wood fire, with vessel kept on three stones? Was it something that was done during the earlier times as gas stove were not there and are we continuing to follow the rituals blindly? There was another Sraddham earlier last year, and the rice ball offering/Pinda was cooked in the cooker.
It is the mantras that are powerful, but the instructor, gives us only instructions, he do not recite any mantras, so is that the right thing to do?
Thankfully we live in a place where there are crows, what if there were no crows around? Remember Raghu Chetan telling about the story, on how an IT employee quit his job, and started domesticating crows, to take the crows to houses where Sraddha was being performed, and how finally one day the forest authorities came and took the Crow away.
Sraddha is a Sanskrit word which literally means anything or any act that is performed with all sincerity and absolute faith in it. In the Hindu religion, it is the ritual that one performs to pay homage to one's 'ancestors' (Pitṛs), especially to one's dead parents. Conceptually, it is a way for people to express heartfelt gratitude and thanks towards their parents and ancestors, for having helped them to be what they are and praying for their peace. It also can be thought of as a "day of remembrance".
In practice, the karta (normally male member) (1) invites Brahmanas (priests) that day, invokes in them the divinity of his/her parent, worships and feeds them (2) performs a homa (fire ritual), appeasing Agni and Soma - the deities who transmit the offerings to the ancestors, nourish and protect them and (3) offers balls of rice to the departed souls ("pinda pradaana", offered to the Pitṛs, the ancestral spirits). The karta extends hospitality to the priest and concludes the ceremony by giving "dakshina" (fees) to the Brahmanas. Crows are also revered in Hinduism and during Śrāddha the practice of offering food or pinda to crows is still in vogue.
The important and requisite components for the shraddha ritual are Darbha, Tulasi, black sesame, white rice, ghee, sandlewood, water.
1. Darba:
Darbha is a very important component in the shraddha ritual. Darbha generates radiance (Tej). When Darbha is used in the shraddha ritual, by the influence of the frequencies of Tej emitted by Darbha, the interference of raja-tama particles in each ritual of the shraddha is reduced. The deceased ancestors (Pitars) absorb the energy of a specific level from the ritual.
Darbha represents all the components of inferior or superior level. Hence, in the absence of any specific component, Darbha can be installed at that place. The inherent Tej particles in the Darbha attract the superior frequencies of the Deities and the inferior frequencies of the Pitars as per requirement and invite them at the venue of the shraddha. The inherent air associated with the Tej Principle in the Darbha is activated by the : with-resolve recitation of mantras of the shraddha. This activated Tej Principle is emitted by the Darbha. The negative energies are prohibited by the emitted Tej
Due to the ability of the Darbha to attract the Principles of superior Deities, it is used as the smallest particles of Divine Consciousness (pavitrak) in each ritual of worship.
2. Black sesame seeds
Using black sesame seeds in the shraddha means invoking the deceased ancestors (Pitars) trapped in the Martyaloka with the help of the raja-tama frequencies emitted from the black sesame seeds. The recitation of mantras in the shraddha has an effect on the black sesame seeds. The dormant raja-tama energy in black sesame seeds is awakened as a result of the sound energy generated by the recitation of mantra. This energy is emitted into the environment in the spiral form of raja-tama vibrations.
At that time, according to the invocation made in the shraddha, subtle bodies of particular Pitars are attracted towards these vibrations and enter Earth's environment. In this process, with help of the raja-tama frequencies emitted from the black sesame seeds, reaching the place of shraddha ritual becomes easier for the subtle bodies of Pitars.
Black sesame seeds are showered at the place of the shraddha. Due to the frequencies of Pitars getting attracted towards the black sesame seeds, the place of the shraddha becomes charged with the Pitar frequencies.
The Desire sheath present around the subtle bodies gets activated due to the frequencies emitted from the black sesame seeds and the Pitars get satiated by partaking their portion of shraddha in air form. In shraddha, water containing black sesame seeds charged with mantras (Tilodaka) has special spiritual importance.
3. The copper platter contains charged Tilodaka.
Money to be offered to the Brahmin (dakshina), leaf of Bhrungaraj, Sandalwood, flower and beetle nut are placed in it. The momentum of subtle Pitar frequencies increases due to the black sesame seeds in the Tilodaka. As a result, a whirlpool with attraction energy is generated. The subtle body is attracted towards this whirlpool. Thus, the subtle body attracted towards the whirlpool with attraction energy formed from the Pitar frequencies having momentum enters the Earth region. The change occurring at spiritual level during performance of ritual is a feature of spiritual practice of rites, rituals and observances performed at the physical level (Karmakand) prescribed by Hindu Dharma.
4. Akshat
After the host pays obeisance to the Dev-brahman and Pitru-brahman, the brahmins bless the host by showering unbroken rice (akshat) on him. Unbroken rice should be used as akshat. In the shraddha ritual barley is also used. White unbroken rice is used if barley is not available.
5. Maka (leaf of Bhrungaraj and Tulasi)
At the time of shraddha some of the Pitars coming to Earth are not satiated. Due to the unsatisfied desires of these Pitars, polluted air or speed of emission of subtle frequencies generated from tamasic object increases. Due to the speed of these frequencies, tamasic energy is generated. Movement of raja-tama particles gains momentum. To restrain this momentum, these two substances, maka, that is, leaf of Bhrungaraj and Tulasi are used.
6. Sandlewood
Sandalwood has a meaning and properties of making your mind calm. It is a sacred item that has been used in temples and shrines. This item can make you relax deeply and balance your feelings. By purifying your negative energy and make you feel more positive. It is good to use when you want a hope for the future.
We also apply ash and kajol after the Sraddha. Whatever be the reason, it is indeed worth to spend quality time at least yearly walking around and thinking of them , with our siblings.
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