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| "Shraadh"- day to remember those who left tears in our eyes | | | BALBIR RAM | 9/20/2011 9:24:41 PM |
| The word "Shraadh" is derived from Shraddha, which means faith or respect to someone who was once part of our family but unfortunately is no more alive, still lives in our heart and we feel his absence. After the death of a person, this Hindu ritual is celebrated every year, in his or her remembrance. While performing shraadh, usually a person is invited and offered food and gifts, considering the departed soul within that person. Remembering to departed soul isn't enough. We need to recall all those good values and qualities he or she used to have and need to integrate them all within. Shraadh is for both younger and elder ones.
We need to make our relations healthy and loving with parents, sons, daughters and with everybody - nobody knows who'll die first; so that after departure we could recall the happy moments. Offering food and gifts to someone is also not enough, how much happiness we and that departed soul have celebrated together is most important. According to the Hindu mythology, the next life of a jiva is essentially determined by its previous Samskaras. Shraadh, as such, is performed with the objective that a jiva may attain a better life in its next birth. It is a common knowledge that rupees can be transferred from here and delivered to other countries in their respective currencies. Similarly, the fruits of Shraadh are transferred to wherever and in whatever state the manes may be.The rituals of Shraddha are generally performed by an eldest son or an eldest male member of the family. He wears a Dhoti in the morning after taking bath. He also wears a ring of Kusha grass. The Shraddha ritual also involves "Pinda daan", which is an offering to the ancestors in the form of balls of cooked rice, barley and ghee. A grand meal is prepared which is offered to cow, dog, crow and insects. The Brahmins are fed and are offered alms. The whole family eats the food as Prasaad after this whole process is completed.
"The offerings of food, made in the course of Shraadh with faith, and with name and lineage clearly pronounced, are duly delivered to those manes in the manner and form as may be conducive to them." The best and the most auspicious period for performing Shraadh is the specified fortnight meant for Shraadh. One must perform Shraadh on the very same lunar day on which one's forefather happens to have left his body. They are satisfied with whatever their kinsmen offer with love and devotion, and in turn, they help their lineage.The process of Shraadh has a deeper philosophical and spiritual significance as well. Shraadh is performed so that the manes may be satiated with our offerings made with reverence and recitation of mantras, and in turn, bring good to us.
It is a universal saying and trusted too that "every action creates a reaction". If we talk nicely and politely to someone, with his welfare in mind, he or she, in turn, will talk to you with affection and your welfare in mind. If you get work done by others and turn away from them, then they will also ignore you in future. If someone has some physically handicapped or disobedient children who give a lot of trouble, it is said to be attributable to his not having satiated and worshipped the manes, or not having taken proper care of his parents. Thus, he or she is said to be getting in return what he has given.
One who performs Shraadh and makes offerings with reverential faith, is invariably benefited there from. The biggest advantage of performing Shraadh is that it reminds one of the fact that the jiva exists even after death. The second advantage is that it helps in the redistribution of wealth in society. The poor are fed. Feasts, otherwise organized, have Rajasic or Tamasic food items, whereas the food, offered on the occasion of Shraadh, promotes righteousness and inspires us to think of the other world, and also enhances our devotion towards God.
Lord Rama also performed Shraadh for his father Dasharatha. While performing Shraadh, one should pay special attention to three things - piety, control over anger and avoiding hastiness. The performance of Shraadh naturally inculcates the noble trait of gratefulness in its performer, and helps him along the path of salvation even after death. The performance of Shraadh satiates gods and the manes, and the one who performs it also experiences a sense of inner satisfaction. Our ancestors have done a great deal for our well being, and therefore, if we work for their salvation, it is sure to give us a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.
Aurangazeb had imprisoned his father Shahjahan and would give him a meager quantity of drinking water in a broken earthen pot. Shahjahan then wrote to his son, "Blessed are the Hindus who offer sweetmeats, puris, and puddings even to their dead parents, and here is my son who cannot even give proper drinking water to his father who is alive. The Hindus are far better than you, for they try and serve even their dead parents.", he said. It clearly proves that our rituals are not just rituals but carry significance. The only thing we need to do is perform this ritual with comitment and feel pride in remembering our own ones, once who were part of our life and left tears in our eyes when left for heavenly journey. |
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