In Hinduism, Shraaddha ritual is
an important observance. On this day, devotees worship for the souls of their
dead ancestors in order to grant them liberation and peace. Shraaddha puja is
perform during the ‘Pitru Paksha’ (the fortnight dedicated to ancestors) during
the ‘Krishna Paksha’ (the waning phase of moon) in the month of ‘Ashwayuja’ in
the traditional Hindu calendar. Bharani Shraaddha is an auspicious ritual
during the Pitru Paksha at the time when the ‘Bharani’ Nakshatra exists during
the ‘Aparahna Kala’. Most likely this Nakshatra prevails during the ‘Chaturthi’
(4th day) tithi or ‘Panchami’ (5th day) tithi and is referred as ‘Bharani
Panchami’ respectively. The Shraaddha ceremony of the deceased family member can
also be done on Bharani asterism along with the tithi that marks the actual
date of death. This liberates the soul of the dead and grants them peace in
eternity. Hindu devotees generally perform the Bharani Shraaddha in Kashi
(Varanasi), Gaya and Rameshwaram.
Rituals during Bharani Shraaddha
The Bharani Nakshatra Shraaddha is
normally performed once after the death of the individual, however as per ‘Dharmasindhu’ it can be done each year.
This ritual is considered to be very auspicious and important therefore the
person observing must maintain the sanctity of the ritual. The person,
especially the male head in the family perform several rites and pujas for the satisfaction
and liberation of the deceased soul. ‘Pinda Pooja’, ‘Pinda Visarjana’ and
‘Brahmana Suvasini’ along with other rituals are performed under the guidance
of a knowledgeable priest. The person doing the Bharani Shraaddha should avoid
haircuts, shave and must keep a control over his senses. After the completion
of ‘Tarpana’, Brahmins are offered ‘saatvika’ food, sweets, clothes and dakshina. This ritual is very important
as according to the Hindu mythology, the food eaten by the Brahmins, reach the
deceased souls.
On Bharani Shraaddha, one must
also feed same food to crows as they are believed to be the messenger from Lord
Yama. Besides crow, dog and cow are also fed. It is believed that by performing
the Bharani Shraaddha rituals religiously and with full devotion, offers peace
to the liberated soul and they in return bless their descendants with peace,
protection and prosperity.
Significance of Bharani Shraaddha
The importance of Bharani Shraaddha and other forms of Shraaddha puja is mentioned in the several Hindu Puranas like ‘Matysa Purana’, ‘Agni Purana’ and ‘Garuda Purana’. Bharani Shraaddha is an important day during the Pitru Paksha and is also known as ‘Maha Bharani Shraaddha’. This is so because the ‘Bharani’ Nakshatra is ruled by Yama, who is the God of Death. It has been stated that the merits of Bharani Shraaddha is same as those of Gaya Shraaddha’. Moreover it is believed that performing ancestral rites on a chaturthi or panchami tithi during the Bharani asterism holds special significance. After the Mahalaya Amavasya, this day is the most observed day during the Pitru Shraaddha ritual.