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There is a famous saying – “We reap what we sow”. This also applies to the karma of our ancestors in Hinduism. It is believed that performing Shradh or Pitru Paksha avoids their Karmic debts to pass on to the next generation. Pitru Paksha Shradh also helps calm their souls. Like every year, people are eager to strictly follow the dates of Shradh as it is an important duration.
The Pitru Paksha activities are performed for 16 days briefly. Every day is dedicated to a particular Tithi or ritual. As the Pitru Paksha Shradh 2023 duration is around the corner, we welcome you to read the important Shradh dates of the year along with significant rituals and benefits.
When is Pitru Paksha or Shradh 2023?
In the year 2023, the start date for Pitru Paksh or Shradh is 29th September, Friday, and it will mark its end on the 14th of October, Saturday. Different Pitru Paksh Shradh is performed between this interval.
Shraadh Dates 2023
- Day 1: Purnima Shradh Date 2023 – 29th September 2023 (Friday)
- Day 2: Pratipada Shradh Date 2023 – 29th September 2023 (Friday)
- Day 3: Dwitiya Shradh or Dooj Shradh Date 2023 – 30th September 2023 (Saturday)
- Day 4: Tritiya Shradh Date 2023 – 1st October 2023 (Sunday)
- Day 5: Chaturthi Shradh and Maha Bharani Shradh Date 2023 – 2nd October 2023 (Monday)
- Day 6: Panchami Shradh Date 2023 – 3rd October 2023 (Tuesday)
- Day 7: Shashti Shradh Date 2023 – 4th October 2023 (Wednesday)
- Day 8: Saptami Shradh Date 2023 – 5th October 2023 (Thursday)
- Day 9: Ashtami Shradh Date 2023 – 6th October 2023 (Friday)
- Day 10: Navami Shradh Date 2023 – 7th October 2023 (Saturday)
- Day 11: Dashmi Shradh Date 2023 – 8th October 2023 (Sunday)
- Day 12: Ekadashi Shradh Date 2023 – 9th October 2023 (Monday)
- Day 13: Dwadashi Shradh or Magha Shradh Date 2023 – 11th October 2023 (Wednesday)
- Day 14: Trayodashi Shradh Date 2023 – 12th October 2023 (Thursday)
- Day 15: Chaturdashi Shradh Date 2023 – 13th October 2023 (Friday)
- Day 16: Sarva Pitru Amavasya or Amavasya Shradh Date 2023 – 14th October 2023 (Saturday)
Pitru Paksha or Shradh Meaning
The word “Pitru Paksha” is derived from the Sanskrit language, where “Pitru” means ancestors or forefathers, and “Paksha” means period. It is a duration when people do food offerings in the name of their ancestors every year. It is one of the most important periods in the Hindu religion.
People believe that worshipping ancestors or forefathers can bring us blessings of God. It is an auspicious activity to ask the divine’s favour as performing Pitru paksha shradh appeases the Hindu God. However, the main reason for performing this ritual is to request God to forgive the sins or the past mistakes of the ancestors.
Also Read: Dhanteras 2023: Welcome Blessings From Laxmi, Kuber And Yama!
Significance Of Pitru Paksha
Pitru Paksha, or Shradh, has had a lot of significance in Hinduism for ages. Let us shed more light on this point below.
- Pitru Paksha Shradh is performed to make sure that our ancestors receive heaven and become one with God.
- Tarpan, or rituals of Shradh, brings peace to the departed souls.
- During Pitru Paksha, it is said that the ancestors visit Earth. That is why all the activities are done to bring calm to their souls and also get their blessings.
- It is believed that a world exists between the Earth and heaven called Pitrilok. Here, ancestors of three generations reside.
- When someone dies from the next generation, one of the three ancestors moves to heaven to leave a place for the deceased soul.
- Lord Yama, the God of Death, looks after the Pitrilok. Therefore, Shraadh rites are a time to impress him as well.
- Performing Pitru Paksha ensures happiness in the rebirth of the ancestors.
- Apart from this, Pitru Paksh or Shradh is an important time for People who have Pitru Dosh in their horoscope.
Pitru Dosh in a Horoscope
Before moving straight towards Pitru Paksha Shradh rituals and do’s & don’ts, it is essential to know what Pitru Dosh is. Anyone who has Pitru Dosh in their horoscope must know that Shradh or Pitru Paksha is an auspicious time to get rid of it. Pitru Dosh is a debt of our ancestors’s karma, which is said to impact the next generation negatively. This is believed to bring problems and hurdles to the life of the living generation. During this time, even the planets are displaced from their suitable houses.
Remedies for Pitru Dosh
Pitru Dosh can be a topic of concern and, hence, must be eliminated. Following are some of the remedies for removing Pitru Dosh apart from performing Shradh.
- Offer food to the needy – dogs, birds and the poor.
- Pay respect and spend time with elderly people.
- Donate to hospitals or to physically challenged people, especially during New Moon or Amavasya. Also, lighting a candle and feeding the Brahmins would add to the auspiciousness.
- Feed the cow and water the Banyan tree.
- Respect your wife or husband.
Pitru Paksh Rituals
It’s time to address how to perform Pitru Paksha Rituals. Let us understand them step-wise.
- The Pitru Paksh rituals are distributed for 16 lunar days. A specific Shraadh ritual is performed on each day.
- The eldest son of the family performs the Pitru pooja at home.
- The member performing the ritual has to wake up early in the morning and take a bath.
- The one performing has to be bare-chested and compulsorily wear a dhoti.
- After this, the person has to wear a ring made of Darbha grass. Mantras are then chanted in a belief to have the ancestors’ souls seated in the ring.
- During this, Lord Vishnu and Lord Yama (the Death God) are worshipped.
- Pind daan or Tarpan is then performed where cooked rice, ghee-applied barley balls and black sesame seed are offered to the sun’s hand. Water is then poured over it.
- Then comes the final step, where the cooked food is served to crows and dogs, as they are considered to carry the souls of ancestors during the time.
Also Read: Nag Panchami 2023: Meaning, Significance And Rituals!
Pitru Paksha Benefits
People stay careful for the 16 long days to receive Pitru Paksha benefits. Believers make sure that everything is done in a proper manner to obtain the following benefits.
- It helps in eliminating Pitru Dosh in a horoscope. This also allows planets to come back to the right positions and houses.
- It also ensures that ancestors’ souls are satisfied and they can happily start their journey to heaven.
- If you successfully contribute to this duration, the karmic debts or the punishment of the past generations are also eliminated.
- It also maintains peace and the overall well-being of the living generation as well.
Pitru Paksha Do’s and Don’ts
During Pitra Pooja or Shradh, the following are the do’s and don’ts to be kept in mind. But to get more specific, you must consult a Pandit. This allows our ancestors to move to heaven peacefully.
- Do not purchase any new items during the 16 days of Pitru Paksha.
- Any auspicious activity apart from the Shraadh rituals must be avoided.
- Avoid non-vegetarian food items.
- The person performing the ritual must not cut his nails. Also, he should not have a haircut or shave his beard during that time.
- If possible, don’t wear slippers for 16 days at home. The Pitru or ancestors may feel disrespected if the eldest son wears chappals.
- The one performing the ritual should strictly follow Brahmacharya – a balanced diet, less talking, being polite, and avoiding any kind of love affair.
- Do not eat Gram, lentils, cumin, black salt, gourd and cucumber, and mustard greens.
- Use the door of your own house for Pind daan. Your ancestors’ souls benefit only within the boundaries of your home.
Conclusion
Shradh 2023, or Pitru Paksha, is an important duration for the Hindu People. The 16 days are believed to be a perfect time for asking favours for one’s own well-being and also requesting God to forgive the past mistakes of the ancestors’ souls. To know how to make your Shradh or Pitru Paksha better, connect to our astrologers at InstaAstro.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When is Shradh 2023?
2. What is 15 days of Shradh?
3. What should not be consumed in Shradh?
4. What time is unsuitable for performing Shradh?
5. Can daughters do Shradh?
6. How to do Pitru Paksha puja at home?
Also Read: Bahula Chaturthi 2023: Story Behind the Auspicious Cow Worship!
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