Fortnight of forefathers

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Raji P. Shrivastava [1]

The peerless warrior Karna gave away gold to those who approached him at the end of his daily obeisance to the Sun God. This earned him the sobriquet of daanveer or generous but wasn’t enough to grant salvation to his ancestors, or so the Mahabharata tells us.
Karna ascended to heaven after dying a hero’s death in battle and was housed in opulence but got no food. When he asked why, he was told that this was because his ancestors had not yet attained salvation, for Karna had neglected to donate food in their memory. Karna pleaded that he, being a foundling, had no clue to his ancestry, and that too was revealed to him only a few days before the war (in which he died) by his mother Kunti. Indra, who presided over heaven, saw the point and permitted him to return to earth for a period of 16 lunar days to perform rites in the memory of his dead ancestors and donate food liberally. This period is observed today as Shraddh Paksha, or Pitr Paksha — the fortnight of the spirits.
The fortnight begins with the full moon day immediately succeeding Ganesh Chaturthi and ends on the new moon day called Mahalaya Amavasya. During this fortnight, the devout perform rites in the memory of their departed ancestors on the exact tithi of their death.
Mahalaya Amavasya is considered very significant and also referred to as the Sarva Pitri Amavasya or “new moon for all spirits”. It is a universal opportunity to perform rites in the memory of our ancestors if one has forgotten to perform the annual shraddh or if one does not know the names or the tithis of ancestors. Pind daan, tarpanam and anna daan are some customary rituals. Mahalaya Shraddh bestows upon the family the merit that would ordinarily accrue only on the performance of a Gaya Shraddh or commemorative rites at the holy city of Gaya.
Donating food is regarded as the most virtuous way to attain salvation. Hence Hindus mark the Shraddh Paksha by donating rice, fruit or cooked meals to the poor and to priests. This keeps the ancestors happy and they in turn bless the family of the householder with longevity, peace of mind and prosperity. A run of misfortunes is often attributed to the malevolent effect of pitr-dosh or the fury of dissatisfied spirits.
If the sombre Shraddh mood ensures that auspicious ceremonies like marriages and the acquisition of luxuries are deferred for a fortnight, the festive phase of fasting and feasting is just round the corner. Mahalaya heralds the Durga Puja and the nine auspicious nights of the Mother Goddess.

Raji P. Shrivastava can be reached at raji_1992@yahoo.co.in [2]