Tag Pitru Paksha

Types of Sraddha One Hundred Sixteen

I have posted a few articles on Sraddha,Rites for the departed , including text of Mantras ans Mahalaya Paksha Procedure.

I shall be posting a series of articles in detail on various aspects of Sraddha.

Here are the types of Sraddha to be performed.

They are one hundred sixteen in number.

Sraddha the ceremony performed for the ancestors is of different types.

Stricly speaking Sraddha has to be performed daily.

Definition of Sraddha.

देशे काले च पात्रे च श्रद्धया विधिना च यत् ।
पितृनुद्दिश्य विप्रेभ्यो दत्तं श्राद्धमुदाहृत् ।। - ब्रह्मपुराण

He informed me that , as an Iyengar belonging to Thengalai Sampradya, he does not do it as it is prohibited by Ramanucharya.

He told me that the other sect of Iyengars in Tamil Nadu, Vadagalai Iyengars perform the Pitru Paksha Tharpana.

As I am unable to find any authentic source on this, I am posting my views.

Those who know the subject well may quote with source.

In Hinduism there are two paths in terms of Lifestyle.

One is called Pravritti Marga and another Nivrutti Marga.

Pravrutti Marga is the leading of our daily lives , as normally do, by going after the sense objects.

Nivrutti Marga is renunciation of the sense objects.