Pitra Paksha, A Time of Reflection

Pitra Paksha is perhaps the most important period in which Hindus remember our ancestors in a spirit of love, prayer, fasting and with admiration for the sacrifices made by our forefathers. Why should such emphasis be placed on ancestral reflections? Hindu scriptures mention that sons, who willingly and dutifully perform the rights and rituals in remembrance of their ancestors, attain merit and are blessed ten-fold. Hindus live lives that are duty-bound and indebted. This does not mean that one’s life is burdened; instead, the principles of Sanatan Dharma ensure that Hindus understand the importance of these rites in daily living.

The tenets of Hinduism enhance and strengthen the discipline and responsibility necessary for Hindus to live long and fruitful lives. We can’t get up whenever we want, eat what we want and live how we want. This is not the Hindu’s way of life. Daily prayer and worship, fasting, meditation, yoga, jap, tap and performing the paanch nitya karma is advised. Shankaracharya of Swaha, the late Pundit Hari Prasadji, lived and preached such disciplines. One of the many gems mentioned in his lifetime is: “Everything should be done in moderation…except prayer. It is the only activity that can never be overdone or create negative side effects.” In an interview, he stated, “My parents were my living, breathing gods on earth and now that they have gone on to the great beyond, it is my responsibility, despite whatever obstacle or situation I am faced with, to do this (pitra havan, tarpanam) for them.”

The two weeks observed every year on the Hindu calendar are never enough to repay the sacrifices of our ancestors. What better way to appreciate them than to live the lives that they wanted for us – lives full of meaning and purpose, driven by a quest for knowledge, both secular and spiritual. If we accept the wisdom of the ancestors, a happier life is guaranteed. One of the senior pundits of Swaha, Pundit Balram Persad, reaffirms that one’s success in life can only come through parents’ grace and blessings; if we as children turn our backs on this, then failure stands in the path of our bumpy journey to self-realisation.

In the context of our indentured past, our ancestors understood that bhesh, bhaasha, bhau, bhajan and bhojan will lead us to Bhagwan. This means that the clothes we wear, the attitude we adopt, the language we use, the songs we sing and listen to and the food we eat will lead us to God or take us away from him – it all depends on whether we make the right choices and live sattvic lives of purity and devotion. Let not this special time pass without remembrance of our great ancestral history.