Importance of Shradh

SHRADH IN VARANASI

Pitra paksh in varanasi

Shradhyan kriyate ya saa

Shradh in Varanasi is a ritual to satiate one’s ancestors and express unconditional reverence towards them.

Shradh in Varanasi is an act which is performed with utmost devotion to pay respect towards and serve the interest of dead parents and ancestors. The person who performs Shradh in Kashi with a pure devotion and peaceful mind is said to be free from all the woes of the material world.

Hence, every person must know the types and steps of Shradh and perform this ritual with the help of Pandit for Shradh in Varanasi in order to satisfy one’s parents and ancestors and also for their own well-being. There is no other ritual in Kashi and in other parts of the the world which is more sacred and purer than Shradh, so an intelligent being must try to perform Shradh in Kashi to help his ancestors to move on smoothly in other planes of existence after death, thereby boosting their spiritual journey. The person who performs different types of Shradh is bestowed with long life, health, wealth, prosperity, bright children, positive energy, and a son who can continue the family lineage and bring prosperity. Tirth Kshetra Purohit is the one-stop solution for all your religious activity requirements and here, you can get the best pandit for Shradh in Varanasi. We have been in the business for a very long time and we know how to provide the best Pandit for Shradh Puja in Varanasi.

WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE DOES NOT PERFORM SHRADH OF A DEAD PERSON?

Our scriptures talk about the demerits of non-performance of Shradh in Varanasi. Hence, one must understand the nature or steps of Shradh and always try to perform it with total devotion. It is understandable that a dead person cannot carry his gross body, sthula sarira, along with him in his journey afterlife, so how can he carry food or water along with him? Hence, whatever the kith and kin of his offer to him in the process of Shradh in Varanasi is received by him. Scriptures advise that after death, there must be a process of Pind Daan in Varanasi. Firstly, when the dead body is taken to the funeral pyre, 6 Pindas are offered in order to please the gods who are established in the earth and to avoid the obstacles created by the evil spirits and negative energies. Thereafter 10 pindas offered in Dashagatra for the dead have a subtle body, sukshma sariraThis is the beginning point of the new journey of the deceased. Along their journey, they need food and water (fine aspects of it) which is fulfilled by the Pind Daan offered on Uttamshodasi. The plight of the dead ones becomes worse if the relatives do not offer Pind Daan on those times. It is also important to note that the eligible person who does not offer Pind Daan in Varanasi also suffers a lot of difficulties.

Shradham na kurute mohat tasya raktam pibanti te
-Brahmapuran

In absence of receiving Pind Daan from their loved ones, the dead persons tend to drink the blood of their loved ones, even if they don’t want to.

Pitarasya shapam dattva prayanti cha
-Nagarkhand

The cursed family will then have to suffer a lot of hardships in their life. They will not be blessed with health, wealth, longevity, prosperity and a son in their family.

STEPS OF SHRADH

Generally, there are two main steps to Shradh in varanasi – Gaya Pind Daan  and Brahman Bhojan in Varanasi . After death, the deceased person goes to Devlok or Pitrulok as per the law of karma. Upon calling by the way of chanting mantras, they come to the place of Shradh from their respective Lokas and accept the food which is offered to the Brahmins. The Brahmins are the medium through which they receive food. Since the deceased possess subtle bodies, by consuming subtler and fine particles of food, their hunger is satiated.

How does the Pitars or ancestors receive Pind Daan offered by their relatives?

It is very natural to be curious to know as to how the Pitars or ancestors receive the offered Pind Daan in Varanasi which is in the form of rice, sesame seeds, etc. from their loved ones. According to the Law of Karma, after death jiva tends to stay in various planes or Lokas of existence. There are various forms devta, pitar, ghost, elephant, ant, tree, etc. according to their karmas or actions in previous lives. The question arises how can a small rice ball or Pinda satisfy an elephant and if an ant could eat the entire rice ball, Devtas only drink the divine nectar, how can they be satisfied with a small Pinda. Our Shastras has answer for all of the questions. There are the most revered pitars who live in pitruloka called Vishvedev and Agniswat. With the help of name and gotra of the deceased person, Vishvedev and Agniswat transfer the offerings of the Pind Daan to the respective jiva in a manner accepted by it. If it is in devayoni, it is sent in the form of heavenly nectar, if it is in Manav yoni or pashu yoni, it is sent in the form of anna and grass form. So, with this, the deceased receive satisfaction and bless the karta and his family with happiness and well-being.

When is the best time to perform Shradh in Varanasi?

The Shradh in varanasi has to be performed twice every year. Apart from that the best time to perform Shradh in Varanasi is on Amavasya, Vyatipat, Sankranti, etc. which are considered as sacred. The two occasions to perform Shradh every year without fail are:

1) Punya Tithi or the date of death according to moon calendar &

2) Pitrupaksha: the fortnight of ancestors starts from Bhadrapad Shukla Poornima till the Amavasya of the same month. Shukla paksha is the night of the pitars.  As written in manusmriti one day/night of pitars are equal to one month of human beings. There are two parts or pakshas of a month. Krishna paksha is said to be the working day and Shukla paksha is the sleeping night for pitars.

Who can perform Shradh?

Shradh can be performed by Son, Daughter, Grandson, Great Grandson, Daughter’s Son, Wife, Brother, Nephew, Father, Mother, Daughter-in-law, Sister, Sister’s Son or anyone in the 7 generations. We at Tirth Kshetra Purohits make sure that you perform the Shradh activities without any issues and we ensure that you are provided with the best Purohit for Shradh at Gaya

TYPES OF SHRADH

There are twelve types of Shradh according to Vishwamitra Smriti and Bhavishya Puran.

  • Nitya Shradh: Wherein sesame seeds, grains, water, milk, fruits, and vegetables are offered to the departed soul daily.
  • Neimitik Shradh: When food is offered to odd number (1, 3 or 5) of priests.
  • Kamya Shradh: Prayers and homage are made to departed soul with an aim of some wish being fulfilled.
  • Vriddhi Shradh: It is done for gaining prosperity and children.
  • Sapindan Shradh: Shradh in which Pinda Daan is offered to the departed soul is mixed with pindas offered to the ancestors.
  • Parvan Shradh: It is observed on Amavasya or on some special occasion.
  • Ghosti Shradh: This Shradh in Varanasi is done on a collective basis.
  • Shudhyarth Shradh: This is done after the Shuddi (after 10 days of death in a family) along with offering food to the Brahmans (Brahman Bhojan in Varanasi).
  • Karmang Shradh: Prayers are offered to the ancestors after a woman in the family gets pregnant or on occasion seemantonayan or punsavan samskaras are done in the family.
  • Daivik Shradh: This is conducted during Saptami or some special dates for the Gods. This Shradh is performed before going out on a pilgrimage for good luck.
  • Pustyarth Shradh: It is done for physical health, riddance from diseases and prosperity.
  • Smart Shradh (Samvatsrik): This is the foremost of all Shradhs. It is observed on the day when the person departed (punya tithi).

We at Tirth Kshetra Purohit make every effort to provide you the best Purohit for Shradh at Gaya, so that you can perform all the important activities, without facing any issues. We have been providing pandit services in Varanasi for generations and we provide the best purohit for Shradh at Gaya, they are experienced and they know exactly how to give the best Shradh services.