[Advaita-l] Pitru Paksha Questions

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 10:49 AM, Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Namaste
>
> Question.
>
>
> Is this same method followed by Smartha tradition also?  If no what are
> differences? I have seen Tarpana but no Bhugnas used.
>
> Question.
>
> Is it compulsory to do Deva Tarpana and Rishi Tarpana before Pitru Tarpana?
> -
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
>


Even in Smarthas (Tamil people) there is a practice of having two bhugnas
for the two pitR varga-s.  It is an option, dependent on the family
practice.  In our family we have only one bhugna for both the varga-s.  Some
people have two.

PituR tarpana as a part of the daily brahmayajna comes after the deva/rishi
tarpanams.  During the occasional tarpana like mahalaya, amavasya, etc. the
pitru tarpana is a totally different ritual with mantras for the two pitR
varga-s.  This is preceded by the mAdhyAhnika and followed by the nitya
brahmayajna where again the pitr tarpana is a part.  Of course this pitR
tarpana is not for the specific two vargas of pitRs like father, grandfather
and great grand father and their wives (both sides) as in the amavasya
case.  It is a pitRu tarpana for pitRs in general: sarvAn pitRRuun...and
pitR gaNa-s.

I have heard and observed that the way the Tamils (smartha-s and
srivaishnavas) do the amavasya and other occasional tarpanas regularly is
not done by the Kannada people.  The latter perform the tarpana during the
puNya kAla-s (uttarayana and dakshinayana) twice a year and perhaps during
the mahalaya amavasya.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v


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>