Shradh 2017 – Pitru Paksha Calendar Date Significance
In India, Hindus will perform Pitru Paksha from 5th September 2017. This day falls during the second paksha of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada and day after Anant Chaturdashi or Ganesh Visarjan. On this day people pay homage to their ancestors through their food offerings. This year it falls on 5th September and end by 19th September 2017.
It is believed that if they perform this kind of rituals on this special day the souls of three generation will reside in heaven with peace. Only for the last three generations in pitru loka are given this Shraddha rites.
This whole Shardh prakriya has some story behind it. It is said that Karna after his death was ordered gold as food. When he questioned Indra regarding this he is answered that as he did not perform any SHardh to his ancestors now he is getting gold as food. For this karna replied that he didn’t know his ancestors than to perform all these and give food and water for them.
Pitru Paksha Significance:
The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is regarded as compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven. In this context, the scripture Garuda Purana says, “there is no salvation for a man without a son”. The scriptures preach that a householder should propitiate ancestors (Pitris), along with the gods (devas), ghosts (bhutas) and guests. The scripture Markandeya Purana says that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performer.
The performance of Sarvapitri amavasya rites can also compensate a forgotten or neglected annual Shraddha ceremony, which should ideally coincide with the death anniversary of the deceased. According to Sharma, the ceremony is central to the concept of lineages. Shraddha involves oblations to three preceding generations—by reciting their names—as well as to the mythical lineage ancestor (gotra). A person thus gets to know the names of six generations (three preceding generation, his own and two succeeding generations—his sons and grandsons) in his life, reaffirming lineage ties. Anthropologist Usha Menon of Drexel University presents a similar idea—that Pitru Paksha emphasises the fact that the ancestors and the current generation and their next unborn generation are connected by blood ties. The current generation repays their debt to the ancestors in the Pitru Paksha. This debt is considered of utmost importance along with a person’s debt to his gurus and his parents.
Pitru Paksha Shradh 2017 Dates:
After this Karna is sent back to earth to perform Shradh to his ancestors and donate food and water for 15 days which is considered as Pitru Paksha. Let us see the Pitru paksha calendar below.
05th September – Purnima Shraddha
06th September – Pratipada Shraddha
07th September – Dwitiya Shraddha
08th September – Tritiya Shraddha
09th September – Chaturthi Shraddha
10th September – Maha Bharani, Panchami Shraddha
11th September – Shashthi Shraddha
12th September – Saptami Shraddha
13th September – Ashtami Shraddha
14th September – Navami Shraddha
15th September – Dashami Shraddha
16th September – Ekadashi Shraddha
17th September – Dwadashi Shraddha, Trayodashi Shraddha
18th September – Magha Shraddha, Chaturdashi Shraddha
19th September – Sarva Pitru Amavasya
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