On Mahalaya Amavasya, the new moon day at the start of Dussehra, Hindus observe a day to show gratitude to their ancestors. During the waning phase of the moon in the months of September-October, Hindus observe Mahalaya Paksha, a fortnight dedicated to honoring their ancestors. The New Moon or Dark Fortnight during this phase is called Mahalaya Amavasya. During Mahalaya Paksha, Hindus perform special rituals to appease their departed ancestors. These rituals are important for all ancestors, regardless of when they died. But what is the importance of doing this ritual? Scientists suggest that human beings have lived on this planet for more than 20 million years. Every individual has hundreds of generations of people living on this planet. The way we are, the way we do things, and everything else have come from many generations that have lived before us.
Pitru Paksha is a Legacy of Generations
There was a time when only animals existed on Earth and everything was about reproduction, sleeping, eating, survival, and dying. Animals eventually started evolving and standing on their own. The brains of the animals began to grow, and with that, they became more adept at things. Soon they started standing up, and the animals started doing many things. Once the animals evolved to become human beings, one of the most significant things was the use of tools. With that basic ability, it later assisted in the development of new technologies. The most significant day was when an ape picked a bone to fight instead of using its hands, and that is when the intelligence to use tools had a great impact on life. That was the start of human life on the planet.
Human beings with the intent to live a better life than animals came up with many things. From simple things like discovering fire to inventing wheels and many other things, the legacy has been imparted from one generation to another. So who you are today is due to the things that your ancestors have given you.
Significance of Pitru Paksha
There is a belief among people that during the fortnight of the Mahalaya Paksha, the energies of the departed exist in the earth’s atmosphere. The belief is that the ancestors come down from Pitru Loka to Earth to get offerings from the descendants. If you do rituals and prayers during this fortnight, you gain good credit. On Mahalaya Amavasya, or Sarvapitri Amavasya, which is a remembrance day that is universal for all Hindus, people can show their gratitude to their ancestors by doing Mahalaya Tarpanam.
The meaning of Mahalaya means a great (Maha) place (Alaya) and the Ama means together Vasya means to reside, and Amavasya means residing together. It is that great auspicious period when all the departed ancestors come to the planet to get offerings and prayers from their families. Even if you are unable to do the Shraddh on the day of the ancestor’s death, perform it on this day, and you can appease their soul. Thus, it is called Sarvapitra Moksha Amavasya.
The fortnight of Mahalaya Paksha is an important and auspicious time for all spiritual practises. On this day, the moon and the sun put a combined gravitational force on the planet Earth. Because of this, it pulls the energies of all the people upward, and that leads to greater awareness.
Hindus believe that even those who have passed on without progeny can benefit from prayers and offerings on Mahalaya Amavasya. There is a belief that those who do not donate food or do charity will not receive comfort in Potri Loka. Even those souls can benefit when Tarpanam is offered in their name. Those dead whose dates of death are not known or whose annual Shraddh or ceremony is not regularly performed get appeased when prayers are held on Mahalaya Amavasya.
The significance of this day is that if any loved one dies in an accident, by suicide, or in a violent manner, remembering that person on this day is ideal. That way, you can worship and appease them by offering prayers with gratitude and love. By doing prayers, and offerings and performing Shraddh on this special day, you can give them Sadgati (forward momentum) and also give peace to their souls. That ensures harmony and peace within the family. If there is any bad luck or mental or physical ailments, you may get relief after performing this ritual.
Pitri Paksha is the time to remember the contributions of the ancestors. People have taken things for granted, but without the previous generations, there would be no us. So instead of taking that for granted, you should express gratitude by paying homage to the dead. During this time in India, new crops bear yield, so the first produce is given as an offering to the ancestors before the country celebrates other festivals like Navratri and Diwali.
