[Advaita-l] MAHALAYA - PITRU PAKSHA

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Members,                          Mahalaya Paksha or PITRUPaksha has already started on September 14th for this immediatelyafter Ananta Chaturdasi/ Vamana Jayanthi. Many people performs Shraddha Karma’sduring that period on their respective tidhis or on the final day i.e MahalayAmavasya. Since It is coming in the month of Bhadrapada Maas, ancesstors getssatisfied much if some one performs Tarpana/ Shraddha Karma’s during thisperiod.
If father is alive andlost their mother, they can perform the Tarpana/ Shraddha on Navami if not ontheir respective tidhi’s. If both the parents were lost, then one must do theirworshipping during this period of 15 days , If not all the days, one shouldperform the rites on the final day i. e AMAVASYA (28/9/19).

 

STORY:

The Greatest Donor of theEarth, The suta putra, Warrior of the Maha Bharatha war , Karna went to Swargamafter his death in the battle field. Before he was teaching the heaven, he felthungry & thirsty and in between he finds a tree so that he can tear a fruitfrom the tree, but surprisingly, it turned into a GOLD ball. He took littlewater from the near by pond into his hand, it also turned into Gold.

The same story repeatedfor him after he entered into heaven.

 He felt so guilty why itis happening like this and thought that what was his mistake in the mind.Suddenly, Akasavani or Asarira vani spoke like this:

KARNA: You are ever thegreatest donor of the earth and there is no doubt for this and no one also succeedyou in the donation. You have given everything you possess in your life withoutkeeping the hand bone. You have donated Gold, silver, money coins, but you didnot offer FOOD (RICE/WATER) To any one so that their BHUK was removed. That isthe reason for you that you are facing the current trouble. So immediately heworshipped his father sun god and requested indra for a solution. Indra advised Karna to go to Bhu Lok andperform the Tarpana/offered food to the needy and did anna  santarpana to all on the very first day of Padyamiand retuned back to heaven on Amavasya

After the offering of Food to relatives, elders & needy, hishungry was immediately removed and it took 15 days to reach the heaven, henceit is called Pitru Paksha and final day is called mahalaya Amavasya  i.e Day of offering of Food to Ancestors.
 Learned are requested to  contribute on this thread of any reference/examples/ procedures of Rites.
Sri Guru Padaravindarpana MastKameswara