Mahalaya Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasya of the Sarvadhari Year - September 2008
How to do Tharpanam - Easy Tharpana Methods - 4 books by Sathguru Venkataraman - Packed with Siddha wisdom that was secret until these books made it available to everyone
What is Mahalaya Pitru Paksham?
Pitru Moksha Spots Worshipped by Lord Sri Rama - Ideal for Pitru Worship
The Shakti of Moolika (herb) Leaves, Metals and Lamp Deepa Jyoti during Mahalaya Paksha 2008
Tarpana Procedures for each day of the Pitru Paksha
Charitable Giving during all 15 Days of the Pitru Paksha
Karunya Tarpanam during the Pitru Paksha
What is Mahalaya Paksha or Pitru Paksha?
Mahalaya Paksham is a fortnight that is most important for pitru worship - the worship of ancestral beings. Since it is important for Pitru worship, it is also called Pitru Paksham.
It is the waning lunar phase/fortnight (krishna paksham) preceding Mahalaya Amavasya.
In this Sarvadhari year, Mahalaya Amavasya falls on September 29 2008 IST.
The 2008 Mahalaya Paksha starts at 2:44 p.m. on Monday September 15, 2008 IST and lasts till 1:42 p.m. on Monday September 29, 2008 IST. Refer to the Agasthiar Panchang Spiritual Calendar for other time zones.
As the Sathguru, Guru Mangala Gandharva Venkataraman has taught us for many years, we should commit ourselves to pithru pooja (worship of ancestral beings) at least during this fortnight.
The word Pithru means ancestor beings. It is spelled variously as pitru or pitri or pitr and so on.
Pithru tharpan pooja is a way of showing our gratitude to our ancestors who have made us what we are today.
We should realize that all the happy events that happen in each family is the result of blessings from those ancestors in that family that have become exalted pitru beings. Once you understand this, you can understand the importance of pitru pooja.
Sathguru Venkataraman, over the decades, instructed us to do daily tharpanam pooja for pithrus. If this is not possible, one should at least do tharpan pooja on the 96 sraddha days each year. But those who can't do even that should at least do tharpan during all days of the Mahalaya paksham fortnight. Readers should understand that this relaxation of rules is meant for first timers only. After the first time, you should move on to the daily nitya tharpanam pooja.
The Agasthiar Ashram has published many books that show how anyone can do tharpanam easily. Furthermore, our monthly magazine Sri Agasthia Vijayam has regular features on tharpan pooja. The disciples of the Sathguru have also travelled to many towns and kshetras and taught people how to do tharpanam.
Make use of the material put out by the Agasthiar Ashram and learn how to do tharpan pooja. Once you have learnt this, do daily tharpanam and gain the blessings of your very own pithru beings.
Pitru Moksha (Ancestor Salvation) Spots Worshipped by Lord Sri Rama - Ideal for Pitru Worship
There are Pitru Shakti spots imbued with the spiritual potency of exalted Pitru Deva Beings. And then there are Pitru Mukti spots - places so holy that they are able to grant moksha to even these exalted Pitru Devas!
We have mentioned Seshambadi near Kumbakonam and Poovalur near Trichy as some of the best Pitru Mukti (ancestor salvation) spots in the entire world.
Lord Sri Ram Himself did tarpana pooja for His father Dasaratha and His Soorya dynasty ancestors at more than 108 of these Pitru Moksha ancestor salvation sacred spots in Tamil Nadu alone. These include Rameswaram, Nedungudi, Thilatharpanapuri, Innambur, Theerthandapuram and Kekkarai just to mention a few.
Considering the whole of the holy land of India, there are more than 1008 Pitru Mukti kshetras including the well known ones such as Varanasi, Prayag, Gaya, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
In all these Pitru Moksha spots, the exalted Pitru Devas themselves accept your tarpana, argya and sraddha offerings at all times, but particularly during the Mahalaya Paksha fortnight. Furthermore, they themselves are engaged in serious worship at these spots. Thus these pitru mukti temples and sacred spaces are the best places in the world for conducting your pitru worship and pitru karmas.
The Shakti of Moolika (herb) Leaves, Metals and Lamp Deepa Jyoti during Mahalaya Paksha 2008
Over the years, Sathguru Venkataraman gave us unique Siddha worship procedures
for every Mahalaya Paksha. The worship procedures for the 2008 Mahalaya Paksha have been described in the September 2008 issue of Sri Agasthia Vijayam, the Ashram monthly magazine, released in August 2008.
We provide summary information here.
The special feature of Mahalaya Paksha 2008 worship is the importance of
Moolika (herb) Leaf Shakti, Metal Shakti and Lamp Deepa Jyoti Shakti in our tarpana worship.
Day 1. Prathamai Thithi
Sep 16, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
On this day, fill a plate with sand from a river bed.
Cover the surface of this sand with leaves of the karisalankanni moolika.
Place 9 earthen lamp deepa jyotis on top of this and pour
karisalaankanni oil and coconut oil in them.
Light these lamps and do your tarpana with these lamps as the divine witness.
This tarpana pooja on this day will help those who feel that festivals, marriages, pitru and other worship procedures are not happening properly in their family.
The ideal place for this worship is Kekkarai (Gaya Karai or the banks of Gaya) en route Kuruvi Rameswaram near Thiruvarur. Lord Kasi Viswanatha Shiva is the deity in this important temple that must be worshipped before Thiruvidaimarudhoor, Thiruvaiyaru, Srivanchiyam and Chaayavanam. This powerful pitru mukti temple is now in a dilapidated state, but the divine power here should not be underestimated. It is the ideal place to start the Malaya Paksha tarpana pooja for 2008.
Day 2. Dvithiyai Thithi
Sep 17, 2008 till 11:20 a.m. IST
(other time zones)
Dwitiya thithi is imbued with aabarana (ornaments) shakti.
On this day, use a lamp made of gold and do your tarpanam with it as witness.
If you can't afford a gold lamp, there are Siddha alternatives: Keep any
ornament in ponnaanganni oil for 72 minutes and using this oil light
two lamps placed on a bed of sacred vilvam leaves. Do your tarpanam with these
lamps as the witness.
Another substitute for a golden lamp is to get five new bricks and apply turmeric, kumkuma vermilion, chandan (sandalwood), wibhuti sacred ash and sindoor on them. Place thangarali flowers on these five bricks and offer your tarpanum with these as witness.
The Siddhas have said that there should be both a male and female child in each family. For those families that don't have a male child or a female child, the aforesaid tarpana pooja on this day will prove helpful.
The ideal place to do this tarpana puja is the Theerthaandadhaanam pitru mukti temple near Thirupunnavaasal and Aavudaiyar Kovil. The temple pond of this kshetra is the ocean itself and is called Sarva (shakti) theertham. Sri Varuna poured forth the waters of numerous sacred lakes and rivers here for the sake of Lord Sri Rama.
Day 3. Thrithiyai Thithi
from 11:21 a.m. IST Sep 17, 2008 till 9:09 a.m IST Sep 18, 2008
(other time zones)
On this day, do your tarpana with brass lamp jyotis as witness.
Place three brass lamps on a banana leaf and pour in them a mix of hibiscus extract, marudhani (henna) extract and iluppai oil and light them.
Even spiritually inclined people are sometimes blinded by feelings of differences: Shaivam vs. Vaishnavam, duality vs. non-duality, racial and casteist feelings. These feelings prompt even otherwise good people to cause pain to others. For those who have caused such pain to others in both religious and social circles, this tarpana puja can help.
The ideal place for this tarpana is the Sarva Mangala Theertham in Thiru Rameswaram near Mannargudi.
Day 4. Chathurthi Thithi
from 9:10 a.m. IST Sep 18, 2008 till 6:47 a.m IST Sep 19, 2008
(other time zones)
On this Chathurthi day, mix sesame (gingelly) oil, coconut oil, castor oil and neem oil and use this mix to light silver lamps placed on a bed of jackfruit leaves. With these as witness, do your tarpana.
This tarpana will help people whose relationships are plagued with anger and enmity at work, home and with relatives and neighbors.
The seashore next to Akka matam and Thangachi matam on the way to Rameswaram is the best place for this tarpanum pooja.
Day 5. Panchami Thithi
from 6:48 a.m. IST Sep 19, 2008
(other time zones)
Reddish earthen lamps (agal vilakku) are full of the shakti of the five elements (pancha bhoota shakti). Pour a mix of any five oils in such large earthen lamps. Use wicks that are at least six inches long made of handspun cotton or lotus stalks. Place them on top of Aswattha (peepal) leaves and light them. With these as witness, do your tharpana.
This Panchami tarpana puja will help people who suffer from a variety of inferiority complexes concerning their height (too short), size (too fat, too thin), color (too dark), hair (not enough, not straight), teeth (not straight enough), eyes, ears, nose, caste/race. It is easy for others to dismiss such problems, but for those who suffer from them, it is quite a different matter. The aforementioned puja will help such people.
What is the best place for this puja? There are two. The Sankaraparani river in the Gingee area and the Mukkoodal spot near the Srinivasa temple on the Kanchipuram - Chengalpet route where three rivers meet.
Day 6. Sashti Thithi
Sep 20, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
Place copper lamps on a bed of hibiscus leaves and light them with a mix of six oils.
Do your tarpana on this Sashti day with these as witness.
This puja will help those who are sad that their married life is not as cordial as that of others.
Pitru Mukti spots that are ideal for this Sashti puja are those that are on the banks of a river. These are
Mukkoodal near Chengalpet, Sitthanakkudi Kodanda Rama Temple (near Thiruvarur - Koradacheri - Velukudi) and Poovalur near Trichy.
Day 7. Sapthami Thithi
Sep 21, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
On this day, worship the Seven Mother Deities (Saptha Maathas) in a temple and the Raksha Ganesh who guards Them.
Light seven different kinds of lamps for these Seven Mother Deities and a special eighth lamp for the Raksha Ganapati. These should be placed on lotus leaves. In your house, place bronze lamps on banyan leaves and light them. If you don't have bronze lamps, you can use porcelain lamp jyotis instead. Do your tharpanam with these lamp jyotis as witness.
This tarpana will help those who are estranged from their siblings.
The temple pond of the important pitru moksha Shiva temple in Kuruvi Rameswaram, near Thiruvarur, is the ideal place for this puja. The divine Akash Ganga entered the waters here without the help of Bhagiratha.
Day 8. Ashtami Thithi
Sep 22, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
On this day, arrange leaves of the kal vaazhai banana tree on top of sand from a river bed. Place eight different kinds of fragrant flowers on these leaves and light eight different kinds of lamps on top of the flowers.
Following the example set by Lord Sri Krishna Gopala, all of us must contribute to Go Samrakshana, the welfare of cows and calves. If the tarpana for this day is done in a Goshala (a place where cows and their calves are housed safely), it will help those who have not contributed to Go Samrakshana.
Doing tarpana with water from the Noopura Ganga Theertham in Alagar Kovil near Madurai or from Siva Ganga theertham (Lalgudi, Arunachala, etc.), Rudra Ganga (near Peralam) or Akash Ganga waters is good.
Day 9. Navami Thithi
Sep 23, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
An important day for worship of Mother Durga. On this day, on a bed of nava dhaanya (nine grains), light lamps in multiples of nine. Use sesame oil for lighting them.
This will help those who have committed the sin of not having done Amavasya tharpanam even once so far.
The ideal place for this tarpana puja is the Sarva Loka Soorya Theertham near the Nedumbaram Sri Rama temple on the Thiruvallorr - Tirutani route.
Day 10. Dasami Thithi
Sep 24, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
An important day for Lord Narayana. On this day light ten brass lamps on a bed on tulsi leaves using a mix of (cow's) ghee and coconut oil.
Tarpana puja on this day will help those who have misappropriated the funds of someone who has passed away.
If someone died a gory death where his or her limbs were dismembered in a war or in an accident or by an act of violence, his or her family members will be helped by this tarpana puja. It is also partial expiation for those who have cursed others with foul words that should not be used at all.
The best place for this tarpana puja is the place where three sacred rivers meet such as Mukkoodal, Anbil, Mukkombu, Prayag and Bhavani.
Day 11. Ekadasi Thithi
Sep 25, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
On this day, light small lamps and float them in a river or lake. Use betel leaves or banana leaves.
Do your tarpanam after this lamp jyoti worship.
This tarpana will help those who, because of a lack of self control, have done things they should never have, thought thoughts that they should not have.
The ideal place for this tarpana is a sacred water source where hundreds of people have a ritual bath everyday, like Rameswaram, Prayag, Amma Mandapam near Srirangam, Mohanur, Musiri and Thiruvidaimarudur.
Day 12. Dwadasi Thithi
Sep 26, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
On this Dwadasi day, make a lamp out of flour in the shape of a star, light it and
worship that deepa jyoti. Offer your tharpana pooja with that jyoti flame as witness.
This pooja offers relief for those who have enjoyed luxuries and pleasures that they did not
deserve in the first place, people who have usurped opportunities that were meant for others,
backbiters and slanderers, those who wreck others' lives, those who try to unfairly jump ahead
of others - however small or big these sins may be, the tharpana pooja mentioned here for this Dvadasi
thithi will help those atone for these sins.
The ideal place for this tharpana pooja is a temple in the vicinity of a waterfall, like Kutralam for example.
Temples that have Nandis with water flowing out of their mouths, e.g., Ramagiri near Surattapalli, Devar Malai
near Karur, Thakkolam near Chennai, Ootathoor.
Day 13. Trayodasi Thithi
Sep 27, 2008 IST
(other time zones)
Everyone of us must offer food and water for at least one poor human, animal, bird and insects everyday.
Sathguru Venkataraman taught us that even one who begs for his food should share what he gets with others!
This is the duty of every human towards his fellow humans and other beings.
Each day that this is not done is a day that has not been lived properly.
Resolve to discharge this daily duty at least from this Thrayodasi day by doing the tharpana
mentioned below.
On this day, make a bed of vanni leaves and on these leaves place tall lamps (known as kuthu vilakku and pictured on either side here). Use a mix of iluppai oil and cow's ghee. Wrap wicks around homa samidha twigs and use these to light these lamps. Do your tharpana with these lamp jyotis as witness.
The ideal place for this worship is a temple spot full of lotuses like Perumagalur.
Day 14. Chathurdasi Thithi
Sep 28, 2008 till 1:50 p.m. IST
(other time zones)
Sathguru Venkataraman taught us that every moment that one does not think of God is a wasted moment.
Spiritually positive thoughts and affirmations must fill every moment of our daily lives.
"I must reach God." "It is because of God's grace that this existence is possible." Such
thoughts must constantly enliven us ieven in the middle of our busy work lives.
But does this happen? How many days pass by when we don't even think once on these lines?
Many afflicitons arise because of this: dizziness, too much sleep, too little sleep, addiction to liquor and
other drugs, falling into a coma state and so on.
To begin the atonement for such wasted days and to preclude these afflictions, do the tharpana mentioned below.
On this day, light large earthen lamps in multiples of 3, i.e., 3 or 6 or 9 or 12 lamps and so on. In each lamp, place four wicks in the four directions. The lamps can be semi-circular, triangular, square or diamond shaped. Use coconut oil to light your lamp jothis. Coconut oil is ideal for Ganesh worship. Make a square using four large banana leaves. In the middle, make a bed of river sand and mud from the bottom of banana and coconut trees. Arrange tall lamps (kuthu vilakku, see above) in multiples of four on top of this and do your tharpanan pooja with these as witness.
The ideal place for this pooja is a mountain top shrines or riverside shrines that are far from the reach of vehicle exhaust gases, e.g., Thiru Annamalai, Parvathamalai, Kedarnath.
Day 15. Amavasya Thithi
from 1:51 p.m. IST Sep 28, 2008 till 1:43 p.m. IST Sep 29, 2008
(other time zones)
The grand finale of the Mahalaya Paksham is the Mahalaya Amavasya day.
A day in which proper desires and requests can be placed at the feet of pitru beings
and then at the feet of the Divine.
A day in which one must do sincere atma vichar (self enquiry) on all the blessings one has
received and realize that all these are because of the blessings of ancestors (pithrus) and
poorva punya (the results of good acts of previous lives). A day in which we must convey our
gratitude to the ancestor pitru beings and to God.
A day in which atonement can be sought for failing in one's duty.
The right process for having darshan of the Divine Form is to first worship the dwara palakas (divine gate keepers) and then worship the Divine. Similarly, Sathguru Venkataraman taught us that the right process for requesting the help of the Divine is to first request blessings from ancestral pitru beings and then submit the request at God's Feet. But how many follow this process? One must offer worship at the kula devata (family deity) temple at least once in three months. One must worship at Seshambadi, Poovalur, Kasi (Varanasi) at least once in their lives. These are duties. If one has failed in these duties, atonement begins with the Mahalaya Amavasya tharpana pooja.
Pitru Mukti spots like Seshambadi, Poovalur, Nedungudi, Theerthandadhaanam are sacred spaces where everyone must do pithru puja at least once in their lives. These holy places are ideal for performing Maalaya Amavasya tarpana puja and sraadha.
Offer your tharpanam before noon when Amavasya thithi is still active.
Charitable Giving during all 15 Days of the Pitru Paksha
Throughout the 15 days of the Mahalaya Paksha, give food, clothes, shoes, sandals, cosmetics and such in charity to the poor and the disadvantaged. Do this by yourself and also do these acts of charity in groups. Sathguru Venkataraman taught us that group charity without caste or creed considerations is very powerful and efficacious.
Karunya Tarpanam during the Pitru Paksha
During these 15 days of the Mahalaya Paksha, but especially on the Mahalaya Amavasya day, offer tharpanam pooja not just to your ancestors, but also to plants, trees, animals, birds, insects and all living things that have passed on. This is a Siddha injunction.
One may wonder why we should offer tharpanam to these beings. The Siddhas ask: Have you thought about the vegetables, fruits and grains that you have enjoyed? These plants and trees have sacrificed themselves for your enjoyment. Likewise for people who eat animals and birds. Have you been grateful to these living things that have sacrificed themselves for your enjoyment, ask the Siddhas. Tharpanam for these is a human's act of gratitude to these beings.
So resolve to do tharpanam to all beings that have passed on at least during the 15 days of the Mahalaya Paksha fortnight.
This tarpana for non-ancestral beings is known as karunya tarpana. Over the years, the Ashram monthly magazine and books have dealt with kaarunya tharpanam at great length. Click here for more on karunya tharpanam.
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