Comprehensive Guide to Worship Pitra Dev in Hinduism
Pitra Dev, or ancestors, hold significant importance in Hinduism. Honoring them is a way to show gratitude and respect for their blessings and legacy. This type of worship is typically done during Pitru Paksha, but can be done on other auspicious days as well, especially on Amavasya (New Moon). Here's a comprehensive guide on how to perform the Pitra Dev Puja in an eco-friendly and traditional way.
1. Importance of Pitra Dev Puja
Pitra Dev Puja is believed to:
- Bring blessings and prosperity from the ancestors.
- Help resolve issues related to Pitra Dosh, which affects family harmony.
- Encourage peace and liberation (moksha) of the ancestors’ souls.
- Remove obstacles in personal and professional life and bring harmony and success.
2. Time and Occasion for Pitra Dev Worship
- Pitru Paksha: The fortnight dedicated to ancestors, usually in September/October.
- Amavasya (New Moon): Considered a powerful day for ancestor worship.
- Mahalaya Amavasya: This is the last day of Pitru Paksha, considered highly auspicious for Shraddha rituals.
Ideal time for performing Pitra Dev Puja is during the morning hours, preferably between 9 AM to 12 PM, as mornings are considered sacred.
3. Cleanliness and Purity
- The place of worship must be thoroughly cleaned and sanctified.
- Take a bath before starting the puja and wear clean clothes.
- Ensure you maintain purity of mind and body, as devotion is essential.
4. Clothes to Wear
- Men can wear traditional white clothes like dhoti-kurta.
- Women should wear light-colored sarees, preferably in white, cream, or yellow.
- Avoid black and dark-colored clothes, as they are not considered auspicious for Pitra Dev puja.
5. Eco-Friendly Puja Items Required
To honor the environment, use traditional, natural, and eco-friendly puja products such as:
- Copper or brass kalash (water pot)
- Tulsi leaves (sacred basil)
- Rice grains (Akshat)
- Coconut (with water)
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Sesame seeds (black or white)
- Dhoop (incense sticks) made from natural ingredients
- Fresh flowers, especially marigold or white/yellow flowers
- Paan (betel leaves) and supari (betel nuts)
- Kusha grass (sacred grass)
- Eco-friendly earthen lamps
- Jaggery, milk, and honey for offerings
- Banana leaves for offering food and prasad.
Avoid synthetic, plastic, or chemically processed items in the puja.
6. Prasad Preparation
Simple, traditional food should be offered as Prasad:
- Kheer (sweet rice pudding with milk)
- Puris (fried flatbread)
- Pind: Rice balls made with ghee and sesame seeds.
- Seasonal fruits such as bananas, apples, or guava can be offered.
- Black sesame seeds mixed with jaggery and ghee can also be offered.
Avoid non-vegetarian food, onions, and garlic in the preparation of Prasad.
7. Simple Steps of Pitra Dev Puja
Purification: Clean the puja area with water and sprinkle Ganga Jal (holy water) to purify the space.
Sankalp: Take a vow to perform the puja with a pure heart. Hold water, rice grains, and flowers in your hand and make a mental resolve to honor your ancestors.
Kalash Sthapana: Place a kalash (copper or brass vessel filled with water) and cover it with a coconut and mango leaves or a betel leaf.
Invoke Pitra Dev: Light an earthen lamp and offer incense sticks to invoke the presence of Pitra Dev. Close your eyes and chant mantras to invite the ancestors to accept your offerings.
Offering Pind Daan:
- Prepare three pindas (balls) made from rice, black sesame seeds, and ghee.
- Offer these pindas on banana leaves or directly on the earth, facing south, which is the direction of the ancestors.
Tarpan: Offer water mixed with black sesame seeds and flowers in the name of your ancestors while reciting the following mantra:
Mantra:
"ॐ पितृभ्यः स्वधायिभ्यः स्वधायिब्यः।
नमः स्वधायिब्यः पितृभ्यः नमः॥"
(Om Pitrubhyah Swadhayibhyah Swadhayibhyah. Namah Swadhayibhyah Pitrubhyah Namah).Offering Bhog (Prasad): Place the prepared food on a banana leaf and offer it to your ancestors, praying for their peace and blessings. Offer tulsi leaves with the food.
Concluding the Puja: Conclude by offering flowers and lighting dhoop (incense) and chanting the Pitra Stotra or Gayatri Mantra.
8. Mantras for Pitra Dev Puja
Here are some commonly used mantras to invoke and honor the ancestors:
Pitra Gayatri Mantra:
"ॐ पितृ देवाय विद्महे जगत धारिण्ये धीमहि।
तन्नः पितरः प्रचोदयात्॥"Meaning: "We meditate on the divine form of our ancestors, who sustain the world. May they enlighten and bless us."
Pitra Shanti Mantra:
"ॐ पितृभ्यः स्वधायिभ्यः स्वधायिभ्यः।
नमः स्वधायिभ्यः पितृभ्यः नमः॥"
9. What to Do With Puja Leftover Items
Food leftovers: Distribute the Prasad to family and friends. You can also feed the poor or stray animals with leftover food.
Flowers and leaves: Bury the used flowers and leaves in your garden or a plant pot instead of throwing them in water bodies.
Water offerings: Pour the water from the kalash onto the roots of a sacred tree, like a peepal or tulsi plant, to nourish it.
Eco-friendly disposal: Ensure all other items, like incense sticks or earthen lamps, are biodegradable and dispose of them properly without harming the environment.
10. Benefits of Pitra Dev Worship
- Removal of Pitra Dosh: Pitra Dev Puja helps in reducing or eliminating the ill effects of Pitra Dosh.
- Blessings of ancestors: Ancestors' blessings bring prosperity, happiness, and peace in the family.
- Spiritual progress: It helps you in attaining peace, contentment, and mental clarity by connecting with your spiritual roots.
- Protection and success: The puja provides divine protection and removes obstacles in career and personal life.
By following these steps, you honor your ancestors with devotion and purity, while keeping your practices eco-friendly and aligned with traditional Hindu values.