devakAryAdapi sadA pitR^ikAryaM vishiShyate

 Pithru Yagna

तयोर्नित्यं प्रियं कुर्यादाचार्यस्य च सर्वदा ।
तेष्वेव त्रिषु तुष्टेषु तपः सर्वं समाप्यते ॥

tayornityaṃ priyaṃ kuryādācāryasya ca sarvadā |
teṣveva triṣu tuṣṭeṣu tapaḥ sarvaṃ samāpyate ||
(Manu Smruthi)

One should always do (as long as one lives not restricted to only once/twice) what is pleasing to those two (Father & Mother) and to the preceptor. On these three being satisfied, all austerity becomes completed.

मातृ देवो भव | पितृ देवो भव | आचार्य देवो भव |
(Taittiriya Upanishad, 1.11.2)

Performance of our duties as per our varnaashrama dharma is our first sadhana. Duty to parents is our enjoined karma in the scriptures.

When we respect and adore our parents and see the almighty in them, we are trained to be obedient, disciplined and of righteous conduct. This makes us eligible to seek a teacher and study the Shastras.

MaAta-PithA seva (serving parents) when they are alive,
performing Pithru Yagna after their departure,
has been prescribed and it is SriHari Preeti.

Bhagavantha has shown us an easy way for Punya saadhana ie. Maatha-Pitha-Guru seva...🙏

Pithru Yagna is Hari Preeti. It pleases not only forefathers but also Pithru Devathas & Samastha PithruAntharyami Bhagawantha Sri MahaVishnu who is father of all fathers. Sri Vishnu Sahasranaama Stothram (sloka # 104) extolls Lord Vishnu as Prapithaamaha.

In Pithru Kaarya we worship,

> Pithru DEvatas;

> Vishve Devatas;

> Ashta Vasus, Ekadasa Rudras, Dwadasa Aadityas and their (Antaryaami Paramatma, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, Vasudeva),

> Lord Yama;

> Sraaddha Swami JaNardhana naamaka Paramatma;

👉 Sraaddha Phala (Garuda Purana)

ಪಿತಾ ದದಾತಿ ಸತ್ಪುತ್ರಾನ್ ಗೋಧನಾನಿ ಪಿತಾಮಹ: |
ಧನದಾತಾ ಭವೇತ್ಸೋಪಿ ಯಸ್ತಸ್ಯ ಪ್ರಪಿತಾಮಹ: |
ದದ್ಯಾದ್ವಿಪುಲಮನ್ನಾದ್ಯಂ ವೃದ್ಧಸ್ತು ಪ್ರಪಿತಾಮಹ: |
ತೃಪ್ತಾ: ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧೇನ ತೇ ಸರ್ವೇ ದತ್ವಾ ಪುತ್ರಸ್ಯ ವಾಂಛಿತಂ ||

पिता ददाति सत्पुत्रान् गोधनानि पितामह: ।
धनदाता भवेत्सोपि यस्तस्य प्रपितामह: ।
दद्याद्विपुलमन्नाद्यं वृद्धस्तु प्रपितामह: ।
तृप्ता: श्राद्धेन ते सर्वे दत्वा पुत्रस्य वांछितं ।

By doing sraaddha/paksha,

Pitha (father) will bless you with satputraas;

Pitamaha (grand father) will bless with gau-dhana (cow/wealth),

Prapitamaha (Great grand father) will bless with property and wealth.

They also bless us with food, shelter, wealth, grains, etc.

Garuda Purana says that, one may think twice before performing any other ritual or austerity but not (should not) the Pithru Kaarya which gives Akshaya Thrupthi (everlasting satisfaction) to forefathers that can be performed again and again.

“No karma has been reckoned to be more meritorious than Sraaddha karma”

"devakAryAdapi sadA pitR^ikAryaM vishiShyate"

Pithru kaarya is more important than even Deva kaarya - nearest example Bhakta Pundarika while serving his parents made Lord Sri Krishna to wait.

If Pithru is happy, all Devatas are happy...

पिता स्वर्गः पिता धर्मः पिता परमकं तपः ।
पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने सर्वाः प्रीयन्ति देवताः ॥
(Source - Mahabharata Shanti Parva 258.20)

If Maatha-Pitha-Guru are pleased with your actions, it is as good as obtaining sampoorna phala (rewards) for performing several austerities.

naham karta harih karta
Sri KrushnaArpanamAstu

More such useful information on #Sraaddhavichaara from my eBook 👇

👉 SrAddHaAya chAritAm sraAddHa
(The glory & niceties of Mahalaya Pithru Paksha)

PDF Link 👇

https://archive.org/details/sraddhaaya-charitam-sraaddha-2023

I take this opportunity to appeal one & all eligible, please! perform sacred rites to forefathers without fail, without counting upon the benefits one has derived from them. If not started earlier, start doing at least now. Better late than never. Today's alive are tomorrow’s forefathers.

#Pithrupaksha #Pithruyagna #Pithrupaksha2025 #Mahalaya