Understanding the Meaning of Pitru Paksha
Why we should honor our ancestors from September 29 to October 14, 2023
According to the Vedic tradition, Pitru (Pitri) Paksha falls from September 29 to October 14 this year. Also known as Mahalaya Paksha and the “Fortnight of the Ancestors,” this event is a 16–lunar day period when the ancestors (pitrs) are honored through special offerings and ceremonies. The ancestors include family, friends, teachers, and all members of society. In my opinion, our departed animal companions can also be honored on this day. Pitru Paksha is rooted in the Rig Veda and described in the Puranas of the Vedic tradition. Although this worship is said to include only the three past generations of ancestors, I feel that this is limited. I believe that we can honor any ancestors during this event.
“Family Roots,” painting by Анастасия Водясова
The ancient Rishis of Vedic culture understood that in the Northern Hemisphere this time of year is incredibly sacred. They were highly evolved masters of the greatest mysteries of life and death and charted the yearly calendar in observance of these mysteries. The Rishis set aside this period to honor the ancestors in alignment with the inner and outer electromagnetic changes that take place in this season. During this time of year, Mother Earth is shifting and beginning to turn inward, and our own energy systems are moving that way and going deeper within. The Rishis understood that revering one's ancestors is necessary to maintain harmony within our own nature as well as among all of humanity. This tradition remains very much alive today in modern Hindu culture.
The autumn season is the most natural time for contemplating death. In much of Western culture, death can be terribly dreaded and sanitized. But the highest truth given to us in many of the world’s spiritual traditions is that death is not “the end.” Rather, it is liberation. According to the Dalai Lama, “Awareness of death is the very bedrock of the path. Until you have developed this awareness, all other practices are obstructed.”
In the great Vedic tradition, Pitru Paksha is a time for honoring all our dear departed ones. It is also a time to go deeper and practice what the Dalai Lama has instructed.
During Pitru Paksha, death rites are performed on certain days according to specific rules. These are called shraddha or tarpan. For instance, today is Ashtami Shraddha (on the eighth lunar day/tithi after the last Full Moon during Pitru Paksha), when the deceased ancestors are paid homage with food, water, and special prayers. It is one of the most important shraddhas performed during the entire Pitru Paksha.
Hail to those who have passed through the veil
From Life to Death, to Earth from Breath.
Hail to those who suffered to gift me with blood,
Hail to those who survived to gift me with body,
Hail to those whose songs gift me with inspiration.
Hail to those whom I knew and loved in life,
Whose memory I carry with me like a word of comfort,
Hail to those who left this land long ago,
Whose names I honor like a word of hope,
Or if I know not their names, whose lives I honor still.
I live and love because you lived and loved,
I speak and struggle because you spoke and struggled,
You live in me, as I will live in those who come after me.
Grant me the patience, O my beloved Dead,
To see the long view, and remember that what I do
Affects a million million souls I will never know.Rite To Ancestors by Galina Krasskova, from Northern Tradition for the Solitary Practitioner: A Book of Prayer, Devotional Practice, and the Nine Worlds of Spirit
Thank you for this information. You know so much! I’ll be practicing this... many thanks.
that last line of the prayer!