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Sraaddha > Page1
Among the Hindus, the Sraaddha is a religious ceremony, often performed annually, in propitiation of their departed. ancestors who are technically known as Pitrus. The word Sraaddha, according to Sage Pulastya, is derived as follows: sraddhayaa deeyate yasmath, i.e., that which is performed with great faith. The faith referred to here is the faith in the Vedas, whose dictates are taken as in controvertible and which enjoin its performance as a duty. It is interesting to note that Sraaddha or faith, and Medha or intelligence, are actually deified in the Vedas.
Among the important items of a Sraaddha are the Arghya (water libation); Havana (fire offering), the feeding of the Brahmins, Pinda-dana, Vikira, Dakshina -offering and Tarpana. Holy Brahmins are fed in a worshipful manner, after invoking on them the souls of the departed ancestors of three generations identified with Vasu, Rudra and Aditya on the paternal or maternal side, as the cast may be. The Pitrus, who live in Pitru-Loka in the form of Spirits, are fetched into the Sraaddha venue by the Vishvedevas or the universal soul.
Author - V.A.K.Ayer
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