Pitri Tarpana Manual

Om Sri MahaaGanapathaye Namah Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah Om Rishibhyo Namah

Date of current version: 2008 August 11

External rituals are meant to create the internal visualization needed to affect desirable internal changes in the long run. For example, one offers a full coconut into fire as poornaahuti (complete offering) at the end of a homam (fire ritual). This is symbolic of surrendering one's head or ego (sense of I-ness) to god and burning it in the fire of wisdom and becoming free from ego. As one keeps engaging in this act again and again, the visualization becomes stronger and stronger and ego is slowly reduced.

One important ritual of Hinduism is tarpana. Tarpana means "satisfying" or "satiating". One acknowledges the debt one has to devas (gods), rishis (sages) and pitris (ancestral manes) and tries to satisfy them using this ritual. Just as gods are invoked in fire in a homam, pitris are invoked in water in this ritual, then held in the palm and released in a specific way conducive to freeing them.

One owes a lot to one's parents and ancestors. In modern scientific terms, one owes all of one's genetic characteristics to one's parents and ancestors. Each ancestor is actually present in the person as a genetic characteristic. In karmik terms, one inherits some karmas of one's parents and ancestors and each ancestor is actually present in the person as a kaarmik predisposition. The latter approach obviously extends to multiple lives and some karmik predisposition is inherited from the ancestors from a past life too, though they may not be related to one in this life.

By thinking of the deceased ancestors with gratitude and trying to give them an emancipation, one is actually trying to free oneself from various kaarmic predispositions that one has as a result of the rina (karmik debt) with several people. One can view this as an external event of satisfying and emancipating an external entity (a pitri). Alternately, one can view this as an internal event of satisfying and releasing an internal kaarmik predisposition. Ultimately, it is the latter. However, one needs to externalize first and perform external rituals, while thinking of what it means internally. This builds up one's visualization and slowly brings about internal changes and eventually the desired internal change itself. One with living parents also can perform pitri tarpanas for departed ancestors of this life and previous lives.

Two external spiritual sadhanas are particularly powerful, useful and recommended for every person desirous of fast spiritual progress:

Tarpana can be performed on any day. In fact, it can be performed everyday also. If that is not possible, one can consider performing it every week or every fortnight or at least every month. One can perform this anywhere, but ideally not in the living area of one's house where people may sleep. It is fine to do it the front yard or back yard or balcony or terrace of one's house. Amavasya (new Moon) day or eclipse day or a Vyatipata yoga day and sankranthi (solar ingress) day or pitri paksha are very good times for performing tarpana. At those times, tarpana can be performed inside one's house also.

There are some restrictions. Tarpana with water containing sesame seeds (which is needed for pitris) should not be performed:

1. on a Sunday that has saptami tithi (7^th day of the lunar fortnight),
2. on a Friday that has a nanda tithi (1^st, 6^th and 11^th tithis of the lunar fortnights),
3. on a Sunday with Moon in Bharani, Krittika or Magha nakshatra, and,
4. on one's birthday.

On these days, tarpanas not requiring water with sesame seed can be performed, but not the ones requiring water with sesame seeds.

One needs the following materials:

1. Water pot made ideally of gold, silver, copper, bronze, brass or panchalohas (five metals). It should ideally not be made of iron, steel or clay. However, it is better to make compromises when you have no suitable pot, than skipping the ritual altogether.
2. Some akshatas made by mixing uncooked plain white (or brown) rice grains with turmeric powder and a drop of ghee (clarified butter) or an oil. In the absence of turmeric powder, just plain rice grains can be used as akshatas. In the absence of rice grains, use a grain that is locally popular and available.
3. Black sesame seeds. Try your best to get them. If you cannot get them, use white or brown sesame seeds as a substitute. If you cannot get any of them, use akshatas (see (2) above) instead of sesame seeds.
4. Darbhas or kushas, a sacred grass. Each darbha has a sharp edge and a base. You need to hold three of them in your right palm, while holding and leaving water. If you do not have darbha, use a locally available grass. If that cannot be done, just ignore darbhas in all directions and proceed without them.
5. A ring made of darbha, known as pavitram, is to be worn on the right hand ring finger during the ritual. If that is not available, it is acceptable to wear any ring made of any gemstone or gold or silver. So wear some ring on the right hand ring finger. If that is not possible, proceed without it.