Praying for a Departed Soul in Hinduism
In Hinduism, praying for a departed soul is a significant spiritual practice that honors the soul's journey to the afterlife and ensures its peaceful transition. This process includes rituals (pujas), prayers, mantras, and offerings that express love, respect, and concern for the deceased. Prayers and rituals help in purifying the soul, ensuring liberation (moksha), or a good rebirth.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to performing simple prayers, mantras, and pujas for a departed soul.
Simple Puja Steps for a Departed Soul
Purification:
- Cleanse the area: Wash the altar or puja area. You can sprinkle Ganga water (or clean water) around the place to purify it.
- Personal purification: Take a bath and wear clean, simple clothes (preferably white).
Setup the Altar:
- Light a lamp (diya) with ghee or sesame oil.
- Light incense sticks (agarbatti) as a form of fragrance offering to the divine and the ancestors (Pitru).
- Place a photo or a symbolic item representing the departed soul on the altar.
- You may keep offerings of fruits, flowers (white or yellow), and water. Additionally, cooked rice with black sesame seeds is often used as an offering to ancestors.
Invocation (Dhyanam): Invoke Lord Yama (God of death), Lord Shiva (Mrityunjaya), and the ancestors (Pitru) to guide and bless the departed soul.
Invocation Mantra for Ancestors (Pitru):
ॐ पितृभ्यः स्वधायिभ्यः स्वधा नमः ॥ Om Pitribhyaḥ Svadhāyibhyaḥ Svadhā Namaḥ ॥- Meaning: I offer my salutations to the ancestors who dwell in peace.
Offering Water (Tarpanam):
- Take water mixed with black sesame seeds in your right hand, and while reciting mantras, offer it to the ground or a sacred plant (like Tulsi or Banyan).
Mantra for Water Offering (Tarpanam):
ॐ श्री पितृभ्यः स्वधायिभ्यः स्वधा नमः Om Shree Pitribhyaḥ Svadhāyibhyaḥ Svadhā NamaḥMantras for Departed Soul: Chanting mantras invokes divine intervention and blessings for the departed soul. You can chant the following:
Mrityunjaya Mantra (for peaceful journey and protection from suffering):
ॐ त्र्यंबकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्। उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥ Om Tryambakaṃ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṃ Puṣṭi-vardhanam। Urvārukam-iva Bandhanān Mṛtyor-mukṣīya Mā-mṛtāt॥- Meaning: We worship the three-eyed One (Lord Shiva), who nourishes all beings. May He liberate us from the bondage of death and grant us immortality.
Yama Gayatri Mantra (for guidance of Yama, God of Death):
ॐ सूर्याय पूर्वरूपाय, मृत्यवे पश्चिमरूपाय। उग्नाय उत्ताररूपाय, मृत्युंजयाय दक्षिणरूपाय। ॐ यमाय नमः॥ Om Sūryāya Pūrvā-rūpāya, Mṛtyave Paścima-rūpāya। Ugnāya Uttāra-rūpāya, Mṛtyuñjayāya Dakṣiṇa-rūpāya। Om Yamāya Namaḥ॥Prayer to Goddess Kalaratri (for protection and peace to the soul):
ॐ देवी कालरात्र्यै नमः। Om Devī Kālarātryai Namaḥ।- Meaning: I offer salutations to Goddess Kalaratri, the one who represents the darkness of time and death.
Mantra to Goddess Shmashana Kali (for releasing karmic bonds):
ॐ काली महाकालि श्मशानवासिनि स्वाहा। Om Kāli Mahākāli Śmaśāna-vāsini Svāhā।- Meaning: I bow to the great Goddess Kali, the one who resides in cremation grounds, who helps in releasing attachments and freeing the soul.
Final Prayer: Conclude with a heartfelt prayer for the soul's peace and moksha:
ओम् शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ॥Offering the Food (Naivedya): Place the food offering in front of the altar or the photo of the departed soul, and after a few minutes, distribute it to family members or donate it to the needy.
Aarti: End the puja by performing aarti with the lamp, moving it in a clockwise direction while chanting:
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे। Om Jai Jagadīśa Hare।
Clothes and Color of Clothes to Wear
Traditionally, white is the preferred color to wear during prayers for a departed soul in Hinduism. White represents purity, simplicity, and detachment. It reflects the mood of peace and spiritual purity. Men and women can wear simple white garments such as kurtas, saris, or dhotis.
Ideal Gods and Goddesses to Worship for the Departed
Lord Yama (God of Death): Yama is the primary deity associated with the afterlife. Prayers to Yama ensure the soul's peaceful journey through the realms of the dead.
Lord Shiva (Mrityunjaya): Shiva, particularly in his form as Mrityunjaya (the conqueror of death), is invoked to protect the soul from suffering and to grant moksha.
Pitru (Ancestors): Offering prayers to the Pitru (departed ancestors) brings peace to the soul and ensures the blessings of the family lineage.
Goddess Kalaratri and Goddess Kali: Both forms of the divine mother represent the destructive and transformative power of time and death. They assist in the release of the soul from karmic cycles.
Rare Facts and Relevant Information
Pitru Paksha: There is a special 15-day period known as Pitru Paksha in the Hindu calendar, usually in the month of Bhadrapada (September-October), dedicated to the departed souls. It is considered auspicious to perform shradh (ritual offerings) and tarpan during this time.
Feeding Crows: In Hindu tradition, crows are believed to represent the ancestors. Feeding crows as part of the ritual (offering rice, sweets, or pinda) is said to please the departed souls.
Gaya Shradh: Performing shradh rituals at Gaya, a holy place in Bihar, is believed to grant salvation to the departed soul. It's a revered pilgrimage site for ancestral worship.
Pind Daan: In addition to simple rituals at home, performing Pind Daan (offering rice balls to the soul) is considered one of the most effective ways to honor the departed and help their soul attain moksha.
Performing prayers and rituals for a departed soul in Hinduism is a compassionate and spiritually significant act. The simple rituals of lighting a lamp, offering water and food, and chanting specific mantras provide solace to both the departed and the grieving. Invoking deities like Lord Shiva, Yama, and Goddess Kali ensures that the soul is guided, protected, and ultimately finds peace.