IN Hinduism, there is a wheel of events, festivals or observances which help us to constantly engage in rightful, pious and non-violent activities. These special and most worthy observances assist us to keep conscious of the existence of God. They crave out ways for us to be able to remain close to God or to remember him. These observances are there as reminders of our duties and responsibilities, and how important life is to us. Further, they keep us on the path of realization. One of such event is the period of “Pitri Paksha”.
Pitri Paksha is a period of 14 days in which Hindus are given to reflect upon the contributions made by their ancestors to their lives. It is a time when Hindus pray to God on behalf of their ancestors and simultaneously, they pray for themselves.
The performance and observance of Pitri Paksha is not the only time when Hindus pray for their ancestors. Reflecting and praying for their ancestors is a considered a daily duty of every Hindu. Hindu scriptures prescribe and advocate five daily duties that every Hindu must exercise. They are called “Panch Maha Yajna”. The first is “Deva Yajna”- the worship of Gods; “Rishi Yajna”- the worship of sages and books of scriptures; “Pitri Yajna”- the reflection and adoration of ancestors; “Narah Yajna”- the caring and respecting of our fellow human beings; “Bhuta Yajna”- the caring of every other living being (animals).
The fulfillment of the above duties is all ways in which Hindus can be able to constantly remind themselves of God and getting closer to Him. By exercising these duties, a Hindu is able to live a life of gratitude. By performing Deva Yajna, he learns to be thankful to the Gods for nourishment; through the performance of Rishi Yajna, he becomes grateful to the Sages who have preserved and protected the scriptures through countless millenniums; Narah Yajna, helps him to share brotherly love and affection to the world in which he lives. By exercising Bhuta Yajna, he is able to develop a mind of equilibrium i.e. he also looks upon animals as the God’s creations. Then Pitri Yajna, which happens to be third, grants a Hindu the real sense of gratitude. He gets to know that his ancestors are the backbones for the moral values that have made him a true and respectable person.
We believe that our ancestors are our roots and as such, we can never forget them. They are said to be the source of morals values, discipline and true guidance. Their teachings have shaped and mould our lives. They have helped us to cultivate good habits, attitudes, spiritual conducts and aptitudes. Their teaching of true discipline and conducts were profound as well as impacting. Can the Hindus forget such values and the impact of their forefathers in their lives? It is for these reasons and more, that despite it is a daily duty of a Hindu to reflect upon the lives of their ancestors, we are given an additional period of time to do so. Therefore as a duty, Pitri Paksha helps Hindus to develop gratitude.
During the period of Pitri Paksha, Hindus normally offer libations, and conducts prayer sessions in honor of their ancestors. Presently as Hindus are in such period, I wish to advise, encourage, and appeal to them to not only offer libations or prayers , but try to walk the same path of their ancestors; the path of integrity, peace, brotherly love and harmony. By doing so, I strongly believe that the observance of Pitri Paksha will have greater meanings in our lives.