How we can do pooja on Amavsya to please our pitras?

Question

How we can do pooja on Amavsya to please our pitras & get favor to get down the affect of pitradosha

Answer 1

How we can do pooja on Amavsya to please our pitras & get favor to get down the affect of pitradosha.

NOTE - Here I am discussing about Pitrupaksha and sarva-Pitri amavasya only , i.e. yearly Shradha

The dark fortnight ( Krishna Paksha) of the Aashwin month in the Hindu calendar is called Pitri Paksha or Mahaalaya Paksha

Pitru Paksha is the period of 15 days when Hindus pay homage to ancestors. It is also known as Mahalaya Paksha.

The last day of the Pitru Paksha is known as Sarvapitri Amavasya where if the death of any deceased person is not known then his/her Shradh can be performed on this day. Tarpan, Shradh, feeding the Brahmin and pind daan are performed in order to please the ancestors.

This is described in Shreemad Bhgvat Purana

कुर्यादापरपक्षियं मासि प्रौष्ठपदे द्विज: |
श्राद्भं पित्रोर्यथावित्तं तद्वन्धुनां च वित्तवान् ||SB 7.14.19||

kuryād apara-pakṣīyaṁ māsi prauṣṭha-pade dvijaḥ śrāddhaṁ pitror yathā-vittaṁ tad-bandhūnāṁ ca vittavān

A brāhmaṇa who is sufficiently rich must offer oblations to the forefathers during the dark-moon fortnight in the latter part of the month of Bhādra. Similarly, he should offer oblations to the relatives of the forefathers during the mahālayā ceremonies in the month of Āśvina.SB 7.14.19

The procedure involves and the objective , Purpose and importance of Shradha is greatly discussed in Garuda Purana -– Preta Kanda – Chapter 10 –Discussion between Krishna and Garuda on Shradha. (श्रीकृष्णगरुड संवादे श्राद्धस्य तृप्तिदत्वनिरूपणं).

Feeding the Brahmin– It is an important part to complete the Shradh ritual. Offer food to the crows before food is offered to priests.

Tarpan– It is the offering of the water when mixed with white flours, kusha grass, barley and black sesame

Pind daan– It is the offering made to the ancestors in the form of honey, sugar, ghee, cow’s milk and rice bolls with seasum seeds .

नामगोत्रं पितृणाम वै प्रापकं हव्यकव्य यो: |
श्राद्धस्य मन्त्रास्तद्वत्तु प्रापाकाश्चैव भक्तित: ||GP II. 10.12||

By their names and gotras the manes receive the offering made by the relatives. The mantras carry same when they are recited with devotion and faith.

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निमन्त्रितास्तु ये विप्रा: श्राद्भपुर्वादिने खग |
प्रविश्य पितरस्तेषु भुक्त्या यन्ति स्वमालयम् ||GP II .10.26||

Whosoever the Brahmana invited for the feast , they enter his body , eat and return to their abode.

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अपसव्यं क्षितौ दर्भे दत्ता: पिण्डास्त्रयस्तु वै |
यन्ति तास्तं र्पयन्तेवं प्रेतस्थानस्तितान्पितृन् ||GP II .10.19||

The three pindas given on Darbha or spread over the earth by the nearest relative of the with sacred thread worn over the left shoulder , gratify the manes even in their ghosthood.

Here in the same chapter Shree Krisha tells us why one should perform Shradha regularly on Sarva-Pitri Amavasya day ,without fail.

तस्माच्छाद्भं प्रयत्नेन अमायां कर्तुमर्हति |
यदि श्राद्भं प्रकुर्वन्ति पुत्राद्यास्य बान्धवा: ||54||
उद्भता ये गयाश्राद्धे ब्रह्मलोकंच तै सह ||
भजन्ते क्षुप्तिपासा वा न तेषां जायते क्वचित ||55||

Therefore , one should carefully perform shradha on the Amavasya day. If son or relatives perform shardha at Gaya , they uplift their ancestors from lower regions and themselves enjoy Brahmaloka together with the manes. They never suffer from thrust and hunger.

• Ancestors gets satisfied by the food offerings and bless the performer with satisfaction.They never suffer from thrust and hunger and believed to cure the Pitru Dosha

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Procedure of the Shradh rituals

• The procedure of ritual requires the eldest member of the family, particularly the eldest son of a family.

• Bathing and being clean

• Wear a ring made of kush grass. Kush grass is a symbol of kindness and is used to invoke ancestors.

• Offering balls made from barley flour, sesame seeds and rice as a part of Pind Daan.

• Take a blessings of Lord Vishnu by offering grass known as darbha grass. Offer the food, especially prepared for Shradha to Crows.

• Offer food to priests.

• Read holy books like Ganga Avataram, the tales of Nachiketa, Agni Purana and Garuda Purana.

Answer 2

amAvasya tarpanam is an important and useful rite for the manes (ancestors). Regular performing of this ritual is for pacifying the pitrs. One also gets rid of doshas like pitra and related doshas.

For performing this, you would need to know some of the mantras in sanskrit. Either you can learn them from a learned priest or you can ask a priest to visit your place for performing Tarpanam.

Usually, it is performed by only those whose father is not alive.

Some of the important steps of tarpanam procedure are :

Achamanam

Ganapati Dhyaanam

Praanaayaama

Sankalpam

MAIN TARPANAM

Avaahanam

Asanam for Pitru and Matru Vargam

Pitru Varga TarpaNam (Oblation to father's 3 generations & their wives)x 3 times

Matru Varga TarpaNam (Oblation to ancestors of maternal grand father's 3 generations & their wives)

PradakshiNam

Abhivaadanam & Namaskaram

UdhwAsanam

prAcheenAveethi (put poonal/sacred thread on wrong side)

Sarva TarpaNam (General oblations)

These are the major steps to be followed during the amAvasya tarpanam. However, there is a scope of further briefing the ritual if one is not able to perform the detailed version.

Some of the blogs and websites are given below which has the complete procedure with instructions, mantras, and guidelines. Further, video tutorials are also available on Youtube.

Amavasya Tarpanam Process

Srivaishanava Tarpanam

Tarpanam Video