Pitru Paksha 2025: Significance and Importance of Donation

Pitru Paksha, also known as Shraddha Paksha, is a highly auspicious period in the Hindu calendar that is dedicated to paying homage to our ancestors. In 2025, Pitru Paksha will begin on September 7 and conclude on September 21, with the final day being Sarvapitri Amavasya. This fortnight of remembrance is not only about performing rituals like Shraddha, Pind Daan, and Tarpan but also about engaging in acts of charity and donation (daan), which hold deep spiritual importance.

Spiritual Significance of Pitru Paksha

To begin with, Pitru Paksha is believed to be the sacred time when the souls of ancestors visit Earth to bless their descendants. By performing Shraddha rituals and offering food, water, and prayers, families seek to satisfy the souls of their forefathers. Moreover, these practices are said to remove Pitru Rin, or ancestral debts, thereby ensuring peace, prosperity, and spiritual growth for future generations.

In addition, Pitru Paksha highlights the value of gratitude. As we honor those who came before us, we recognize that our very existence is rooted in their sacrifices and blessings. Consequently, remembering them during this period helps us strengthen family bonds and invite divine blessings into our lives.

Importance of Donation During Pitru Paksha

While rituals form the foundation of Pitru Paksha, donation is considered equally essential. According to scriptures, daan not only pleases the ancestors but also benefits the needy in society. Furthermore, charity during this time brings balance to karmic energies and ensures that the family remains protected from obstacles and misfortunes.

Recommended Donations

First of all, food donation holds supreme importance. Feeding Brahmins, the poor, cows, crows, and even dogs is believed to carry the offerings directly to one’s ancestors. Similarly, distributing grains, jaggery, salt, and black sesame seeds is regarded as highly meritorious.

In addition, offering clothing and daily necessities such as garments, utensils, and umbrellas during Pitru Paksha is believed to bring peace to departed souls and remove planetary afflictions (graha doshas).

Moreover, performing Tarpan with water mixed with sesame seeds and donating silver, rice, and sacred items ensures satisfaction of the ancestors and helps one overcome difficulties in life.

Pitru paksha food donation online

Pitru Paksha food donation

Benefits of Donation in Pitru Paksha

To emphasize, donations during this period are not merely material acts. They symbolize love, respect, and responsibility toward both ancestors and society. As a result, those who give generously during Shraddha Paksha receive blessings in the form of good health, prosperity, and overall harmony in family life.

Additionally, charitable acts during Pitru Paksha are believed to help ancestors attain peace and liberation (moksha). At the same time, descendants are freed from the burden of Pitru Dosha, which otherwise may cause hurdles in personal and professional life.

Tarpan (also spelled Tarpana) is a sacred Hindu ritual of offering water to divine beings, sages, and ancestors. The word “Tarpan” comes from the Sanskrit root trup, which means “to satisfy” or “to gratify.” The ritual is believed to satisfy the souls of the departed, help them on their spiritual journey, and in turn, bring blessings to the living.

It is particularly significant during Pitru Paksha, a 16-day period dedicated to honoring ancestors, but it can also be performed on other occasions like Amavasya (new moon days) and death anniversaries.

The Tarpan Method

The ritual is typically performed by a male descendant who does not have a living father. However, a simpler form can be performed by anyone. The core of the ritual involves offering water with specific materials while facing a particular direction and chanting mantras.

Here is a simplified, general guide to the method:

Purification and Preparation:
- Take a ritual bath to cleanse the body and mind. Wear clean clothes.
- Find a clean, quiet space, ideally near a river or a water body. If that’s not possible, a clean spot at home is sufficient.
- Sit on a mat, often made of darbha (kusha grass), which is believed to purify the space and act as a conductor of spiritual energy.
Setting the Intention (Sankalpa):
- Before you begin, hold a small amount of water in your right palm and state your intention for the ritual. This could be a simple prayer like, “I am performing this Tarpan to satisfy the gods, sages, and my ancestors. May all beings be pleased.”

How to do Pitru Pujan

Offerings to Different Entities: The hand position and direction vary depending on who you are making the offering to.
- Deva Tarpan (to Gods):
  - Direction: Face east.
  - Hand Position: The water is offered over the fingertips (known as Deva Tirtha).
  - Mantra: Chant “Om Sarve Devah Trpyantam” (May all the Devas be satisfied) or other specific mantras.
- Rishi Tarpan (to Sages):
  - Direction: Face north.
  - Hand Position: The water is offered from the side of the palm, at the base of the little finger (known as Rishi Tirtha).
  - Mantra: Recite mantras that invoke the sages.
- Pitru Tarpan (to Ancestors): This is the most significant part of the ritual.
  - Direction: Face south, the direction associated with ancestors.
  - Hand Position: This is very specific. The water, along with black sesame seeds, is offered through the space between the right thumb and index finger (known as Pitra Tirtha). This is crucial for the offering to reach the ancestors.
  - Mantra: Invoke your ancestors by name. For example, you would chant a mantra for your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. You may also make a general offering for all ancestors.
Conclusion:
- After the offerings, conclude with a prayer for peace and blessings.
- The collected water should be respectfully poured at the base of a tree or a plant, never down a common drain.

Puja Materials

The materials for Tarpan are generally simple and symbolic, each with a specific purpose.

Water: The central element of the offering, symbolising life, purity, and continuity. It’s often preferred to use water from a sacred river like the Ganga (Gangajal).
Black Sesame Seeds (Kala Til): An essential ingredient for Pitru Tarpan. These seeds are believed to have the power to absorb negativity and carry the essence of the offering directly to the ancestors.
Kusha Grass (Darbha): This sacred grass acts as a purifying element and a conductor for spiritual energy. It is used to sit on and also held in the hands during the ritual.
Barley (Jau): Also used in the offering, especially during Pitru Paksha.
A clean vessel (preferably copper): A pot or lota to hold the water and other materials. Copper is considered a sacred metal that purifies the water.
A larger tray or vessel: To collect the water as you pour it, keeping the puja space clean.
Rice (Akshat): Unbroken rice grains are sometimes used in the offerings.
Flowers: White flowers are often used as they symbolize purity and are commonly used in rituals for ancestors.