Shashti Shradh - 23 September 2024

By remembering ancestors in Pitru Paksha , the tradition of charity has been going on for centuries. It is said that during Pitru Paksha our ancestors descended to earth from Yamalok and blessed us. To please the ancestors we perform Shradh according to the date. There is a tradition of performing Shashthi Shradh on the sixth day of pitru paksha. On this day Shradh is performed for those dead family members who died on shashthi tithi. It is also called Chhath Shradh.

What is Shashti Shradh?

The sixth shradh also known as Shashti Shradh is performed in the pitru paksha period. It is a ritual to honor and offer prayers for ancestors especially those who passed away on a sixth lunar day (Shashthi tithi). The rituals are aimed at ensuring peace for the departed souls and seeking their blessings for the family.

Significance of Sixth shradh (Shashti Shradh):

1. Bring peace to departed souls: The main goal is to bring comfort and peace to the ancestors in the afterlife. It’s believed that pleased ancestors bless their descendants with happiness and prosperity.
2. Strengthen family bonds: this ritual highlights the importance of maintaining connections with our roots, bringing families closer, and fostering unity across generations.
3. Balances ancestral debts (Pitra Rina): According to Hindu beliefs, everyone has debts to their ancestors, and performing Shashthi Shradh helps repay these spiritual obligations.
4. Reduces Pitta Dosha: Shashti Shradh helps reduce pitta dosha, a negative effect caused by not honoring ancestors properly. This dosha can lead to family troubles like financial issues or health problems.
5. Brings good fortune: When ancestors are honored they bless their family members with prosperity, protection from difficulties, and overall well-being.

Remedies Associated with Sixth Shradh:

1. Pind Daan and Tarpan: The key part of the Shradh 2024 involves offering pindas (Rice balls) and water to ancestors symbolizing providing for their needs in the afterlife.
2. Feeding Brahmins and Needy: Offering food to Brahmins and the poor is an important part of the ritual amplifying its benefits and bringing blessings.
3. Donations (Daan): Giving items like clothes, food, or money in memory of the ancestors helps ease their karmic burdens and brings peace.
4. Chanting Mantras: Reciting prayers like Pitra stotra helps connect with the ancestors enhancing the spiritual impact of the Shradh.
5. Avoid Certain Foods and Activities: During this period it’s best to avoid non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and any celebrations to maintain respect for the ancestors.
6. Lighting Lamps and Offering Flowers: Lighting a diya (Lamp) and offering flowers symbolize guiding the souls of ancestors toward peace.
7. Planting Trees in their Memory: Planting trees in memory of ancestors is a thoughtful gesture that symbolizes life’s continuity and benefits both the earth and the departed.
8. Feeding Cows (Gau Daan): Cows hold a sacred place in Hindu Culture and feeding them during Shradh rituals is considered highly auspicious.
9. Offering Special Foods: Including foods that the ancestors lived in the offerings strengthens the emotional bond between the living and the deceased.

Also Read: Shashti Shradh - 23 September 2024

Benefits of Sixth Shradh Remedies:

• Inner peace: Performing these remedies brings the individual and their family to know they have honored their ancestors properly.
• Family harmony: Sincere performance of shradh can help resolve family disputes and misunderstandings, bringing of ancestors.
• Spiritual growth: These rituals encourage reflection on life and death, deepening one’s understanding of spiritual concepts.
• Protection from negativity: Ancestors act as spiritual protectors shielding their descendants from negative influences.

Conclusion:

The sixth shradh is a meaningful ritual that helps maintain the spiritual connection between ancestors and their families. By performing these rituals with sincerity, individuals not only honor their forebears but also invite blessings and protect their family’s spiritual well-being. The remedies associated with the sixth shradh provide practical ways to keep this connection alive ensuring peace for the departed and prosperity for the living.

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