In the Shraddha rituals, the word Pitra (father) especially means the giver of knowledge. Everyone should always serve their father who is the creator of the world. One who does not do so is ungrateful. Honoring the wise father who imparts knowledge and learning with food etc. every day is also Shraddha. Serving one’s parents and others who perform the Yajnopaveet (sacred thread ceremony) is generally called Tarpan. There are only two people who are worth worshipping in the Shraddha rituals – Pitra and Dev.
In the Indian tradition, the five great sacrifices considered important for human life include Brahmayajna (Swadhya), Pitriyajna (Tarpan), Deva Yajna (Homa/Havan), Bali Vaishvadeva (Bhoot Yajna) and Nriyajna (Guest worship). Shraddha is the inferior difference of Pitri Yajna Tarpana. Satisfaction or happiness in the form of relief from suffering caused by hunger and thirst, complete satisfaction or joy in the mind is called tarpan. And the particular action by which people satisfied with food are relieved of the suffering caused by hunger is called faith. Shraddha is the name of food given with devotion. One who eats food prepared with devotion is a shraddhabhoji. Therefore, in the Panini Sutra, it is said that shraddhamanena bhuktaminithanau. One who has eaten Shraddha is called Shraddhi or Shraddhik. Here, food cooked with devotion is called Shraddha. This proves that the act of honoring food is called Shraddha. This also proved that the food prepared with devotion is called Shraddha. This charitable act given with devotion is called Shraddha.
Generally, the word pita means producer, but in Indian tradition, along with producer, the one who performs the yagyopaveet, the one who gives knowledge, the one who gives food and the one who protects from fear, these five fathers are considered. Thus, the word pitra is Yogruddha and there is also a tradition in its producer father. In other worldly usage, the word pita means father, the one who performs the yagyopaveet, the one who gives food or the one who protects from fear, depending on the situation. But in the Shraddha ceremony, the word pitra means the one who gives knowledge. Everyone should always serve their producer father. One who does not do so is ungrateful. Honoring the wise father who imparts knowledge and education with food etc. every day is Shraddha. Serving one’s father and other people who perform the yagyopaveet etc. is generally called tarpan.
There are only two things that are worthy of worship in the Shraddha ceremony- Pitrs and Devs. Those who are proficient in the act of speech, always inclined towards teaching and preaching, that is, those who are always inclined towards doing good to the world by propagating knowledge through the act of teaching and preaching, are called Devtas. According to Manusmriti, Pitrs are those who always indulge in Manaskarma knowledge, experience waves of pure joy in their minds, always discriminate between good and bad, speak very little or remain silent by controlling their speech, do good to the world by propagating the same after having proper experience on a subject, make the subject popular by simplifying it through books etc. Because of giving the knowledge of Vedas, Acharya, Guru is called father. An ignorant person is called a child and a knowledgeable person is called father.
According to Shatpath Brahman, those who do not have the four defects of harsh speech, lying, backbiting and irrelevant speech, and those who have the qualities of speaking the truth, speaking beneficial words, speaking sweet words and using speech in the four contexts of reading Vedas and other scriptures, but not speaking with anger, etc., are gods. And those who are ready in mental thoughts, that is, those who do not have the three defects of the mind – greed to take other’s things, bad thoughts about others and impossible thoughts, and those who have three mental qualities – kindness to all creatures, selflessness and satisfaction and devotion towards good deeds or worship of God, etc., are called ancestors.
It is clear that those who are free from verbal sins and are especially inclined towards doing verbal virtues are called Devas and those who are free from mental sins and are more inclined towards doing mental virtues are called Pitris. Those whose speech is pure in every way are called Devas and those whose mind is pure in every way are called Pitris. Mental thoughts are protected by speech, that is why Devkarya is considered to be the protector of Pitris. And Devas are called Rishis and Pitris are called Munis. Where Devas, Rishis, Pitris all come, there Rishis, who are celibate, Veda scholars, ascetics and indwellers will be taken as disciples. According to Manusmriti, since Sattva Guna is predominant, only the intellect-enhancing and edible Kavyaparatha should be fed to the learned with effort. And the havan-worthy items should be fed to all the four types of learned people. That is why the Upanishads also instruct to worship the enlightened. This proves that only the learned people should be respected. He is pleased with the servants who serve with devotion and faith of the wise people who can discriminate between truth and falsehood and concentrates his mind on their welfare. He preaches the best path or shows by just a hint that this work should be done in this way and this should not be done.
For this reason, the servants of the ancestors devoted to knowledge are also blessed with welfare. For this reason, the ancestors endowed with knowledge should be served with devotion by donating food etc. Among all the respects, respecting with food is the most important. According to Vedic opinion, the life of living beings is dependent on food. And this body can be created, sustained and destroyed only by food. Sattvik – on getting food that increases the Sattviguna, the body becomes disease-free and the intellect becomes strong with Sattviguna, this leads to the attainment of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Even if the means of happiness like clothes and ornaments etc. are not available, the body can survive only with the support of food and water, but if food and water are not available, the body cannot survive even if one is very rich or gets the kingdom of the whole earth. For this reason, respecting with food and water in Tarpan and Shraddha is the most important. This tradition has been going on among the scholars since ancient times. But over time this tradition disappeared and a new non-Vedic tradition of offering pindas in the name of the dead started. These non-Vedic practices were promoted in the Puranic texts. Therefore, it is very appropriate to perform the shraddha of learned ancestors with food.
Shraddha can be both daily and occasional. According to the rules and regulations, a person should perform daily Shraddha. Manusmriti says that knowledgeable men should be honored with love and devotion by offering food, water, milk, kheer, fruits and tubers. Here, food items have been enumerated in the rules of daily Shraddha. Meat has not been included in them as it is inedible. Meat is completely prohibited in Shraddha. Panch Mahayajnas are daily rituals, Shraddha is considered a daily ritual even if it is included in them. All these statements are in the form of sacrifice. And Shraddha is also occasional as an exception. That is, whoever cannot perform Shraddha due to not getting the means of honoring food etc. every day. Or who does not get to meet ancestors worthy of honor every day, he should perform Shraddha when he gets the means and gets the respectable ancestors. Regarding ancestors who are worthy of respect it has been said-
A child becomes ignorant and a father becomes a mantragiver
Meaning – the name of the one who has knowledge is father, but the name of the one who has age is not there.
In ancient times, our ancestors had fixed a time for Naimittik Shraddha. For this reason, Panini has said in his sutra- Shraddha Sharad. That is, the word Sharad, which denotes the season, has the suffix th in the meaning of Shraddha. Although many common or special works are done in the autumn season, yet only the Shraddha that is done or is to be done in the autumn season is called Sharadik, other works of the autumn season are called Sharad. But this does not mean that Shraddha should be done only in the autumn season and not in other seasons or Shraddha is not done in other seasons. It is said that Shraddha should be done Naimittik when the means are not available etc. It is worth eating – Khoya, Burfi and Rabri, Kheer etc. many types of sweets or curd, buttermilk, Shikharan etc. are the best things made from milk. And because of the rainy season, the food for the animals like cows etc., like grass, etc., is mainly produced at that time or a little before that.
Milk is produced in large quantity due to the abundance of grass etc. which is eaten by animals. Due to this, kheer etc. can be easily obtained. Nutritious items like kheer etc. are usually prescribed in Shraddha. Among the grains, good rice is considered to be the main one. They too are produced in autumn due to abundance of rain. Due to this reason, the tradition of Naimittik Shraddha was started in the month of Ashwin (Kwar) since ancient times. This true tradition has now been destroyed, that is, the purpose for which that Shraddha was started earlier, that purpose is no longer there. Now no one searches for such knowledgeable people for Shraddha, nor does he test them, nor does Shraddha understand its main purpose. Now mostly the exact opposite of this happens.