Pitri paksha and the significance of Mahalaya.
Story of karna
Karna (कर्ण)
is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. He
is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother
of the Pandavas), and thus a demigod of royal birth. Kunti
was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the
gods and without much knowledge, Kunti invoked the sun god to confirm it if it
was true indeed. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage
years, fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy,
Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on
the Ganges, in the hope that he finds foster parents. The basket was
discovered and Karna is adopted and raised by foster Sūta parents
named Radha and Adhiratha Nandana of the charioteer and poet profession
working for king Dhritarashtra.
Karna grows up to be an accomplished warrior of
extraordinary abilities and a gifted speaker and becomes a loyal friend of Duryodhana. He
was appointed the king of Anga (Bihar-Bengal) by
Duryodhana. Karna joined Duryodhana's side in the Kurukshetra war. He
was a key warrior who aimed to kill the third Pandava Arjuna but dies
in a battle with him during the war.
After the death of the legendary donor Karna, his soul
transcended to heaven, he became plagued with extreme hunger, but any food he
touched became gold instantly. Karna and Surya went to Indra and asked him
about the cause of this incident. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold his
entire life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in Shraddah. Hence,
the ancestors of Kuru who were stuck in limbo cursed him. Karna said that since
he was unaware of his ancestry, he never donated anything in their memory. To
make amends, Karna was permitted to return to his earth for a 15-day period, so
that he could perform Shraddah to them and donate food and water in their
memory. This period is known as Pitri Paksha.
The essence of Pitri Paksha
The souls of three preceding generations of one’s ancestor reside in Pitriloka, a realm between heaven and earth. This realm is governed by Yama, the god of death, who takes the soul of a dying man from earth to Pitriloka. When a person of the next generation dies, the first generation shifts to heaven and unites with God, entering moksha, so Shraddah offerings are not given. Thus, only the three generations in Pitriloka are given Shraddah rites, in which Yama plays a significant role.
Astronomical basis
As per Hindu traditions, the south celestial sphere is
consecrated to the ancestors (pitri). Hence, the moment when Sun transits from
the north to the south celestial sphere is considered to begin a day of the
ancestors. This moment is considered sacred, necessitating the performance of
special religious rites. Most years, this transit occurs during Bhadrapada masa
Krishna paksha (as per the amanta tradition) / Ashvina masa Krishna paksha (as
per purnimanta tradition). Hence this paksha has been designated as Pitri paksha
and Hindus perform special religious rites during this entire period.
“Mahalaya
Amavasya is a special day dedicated to making an offering to express our
gratitude to all the previous generations of people who have contributed to our
life.”
The performance of Shraddah by a son during Pitri Paksha is considered compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven. In this context, the scripture Garuda Purana says, “there is no salvation for a man without a son”. The scripture Markandeya Purana says that if the ancestors are content with the Shraddahs, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge, and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performer.
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