Shraddha Paksha
02:35:00
Shraddha Paksha, also called Pitru Paksha, is the approximately 16-lunar-day period in the Hindu calendar traditionally dedicated to remembering, honouring and making offerings to deceased ancestors (Pitru).
The word “Shraddha” comes from shraddha — श्रद्धा — meaning faith, reverence, devotion or heartfelt respect.
What is the purpose of Shraddha Paksha?
Traditionally, it is a time to:
Remember parents, grandparents and other departed family members.
Perform Shraddha according to the ancestor's death tithi.
Offer Tarpana (water offerings) and food offerings.
Pray for the peace and welfare of departed ancestors.
Express gratitude toward the lineage from which we came.
Seek blessings of the Pitru rather than simply asking for material benefits.
The central idea is gratitude and remembrance, rather than fear.
Why is the death tithi important?
In the traditional system, Shraddha is generally performed on the same lunar tithi on which the person died, rather than simply on the Gregorian calendar date.
For example:
Death on Krishna Paksha Saptami → Shraddha on Saptami of Pitru Paksha.
If the exact death tithi is unknown, Sarva Pitru Amavasya is traditionally used as a day for remembering ancestors whose specific tithi is unknown.
Why do people call it “Pitru Paksha”?
Pitru = ancestors/departed forefathers
Paksha = a lunar fortnight
So, literally, Pitru Paksha means the lunar fortnight dedicated to the ancestors.
Is it only about the dead?
Not necessarily. There is a deeper philosophical interpretation.
Our lineage has given us our body, genetics, family history, culture, values, opportunities and life itself. Shraddha can therefore be understood as an opportunity to acknowledge:
“I exist because many lives came before mine.”
This makes it particularly relevant to your ancestral-healing work.
You can look at it on three levels:
Ritual:
Shraddha, Tarpana, Pindadaan, food offerings and prayers.
Emotional:
Remembering, grieving, forgiving and expressing gratitude.
Inner/Soul level:
Recognising which family patterns we want to continue, transform or consciously release.
And importantly, Shraddha Paksha is not the same thing as “ancestral dosha.” Shraddha is a traditional observance of remembrance and offering; Pitru Dosha is a separate concept found particularly in Jyotish traditions.
If you mean Pitru Dosha (पितृ दोष), it is a concept in Vedic Jyotish concerning ancestral karma or unresolved ancestral obligations. Different Jyotish traditions define it somewhat differently, so there is no single universally accepted chart rule.
What is Pitru Dosha?
Traditionally, it is believed that unresolved ancestral matters—such as neglected ancestral duties, unfulfilled obligations, or certain karmic patterns—may be reflected in a person's birth chart.
It is not simply “bad ancestors” or a curse. In many traditions, it is viewed as an invitation to acknowledge the lineage and perform appropriate ancestral practices.
Common Jyotish indicators
The most commonly discussed indicators involve the Sun, because the Sun represents the father, lineage, ancestry and authority.
Some Jyotish traditions look for:
Sun conjunct Rahu — often called Surya Grahan Yoga; in some traditions this is interpreted as Pitru Dosha.
Sun conjunct Ketu — also considered significant by some astrologers.
Rahu/Ketu strongly afflicting the Sun by conjunction or aspect.
Affliction of the 9th house, traditionally associated with father, ancestors, dharma and blessings of the lineage.
9th-house lord severely afflicted.
Certain combinations involving Rahu/Ketu and the 5th or 9th houses, depending on the school of Jyotish.
Some traditions also examine the Sun's strength, dignity and placement before concluding that there is a Pitru-related issue.
One combination alone should not automatically be labelled “Pitru Dosha.” The complete horoscope and the particular Jyotish tradition being followed matter.
What are the traditionally described “signs” in life?
These are traditional interpretations, not scientifically established symptoms:
Family
Repeated conflict or estrangement within the family
Persistent unresolved family issues
A sense of disconnection from one's lineage
Relationships
Repeated relationship patterns across generations
Difficulty sustaining family harmony
Recurrent separation or conflict in the family
Children and lineage
Traditionally, some astrologers associate severe ancestral affliction with delays or difficulties relating to children or continuation of the family line. This should not be interpreted as a diagnosis or prediction of infertility.
Finances/property
Repeated ancestral property disputes
Inheritance-related conflicts
Financial patterns that seem to repeat across generations
Life obstacles
A recurring feeling of obstacles despite considerable effort
Delays in important areas of life
Repeated situations that seem strangely similar to experiences of parents or grandparents
But here's the important distinction
A person having family problems does not prove Pitru Dosha.
For example:
Grandfather had a difficult marriage → father had a difficult marriage → daughter has relationship difficulties.
A spiritual/Jyotish practitioner might explore this as an ancestral pattern, but psychology, family conditioning, environment and learned behaviour can also explain it.
This is why I would frame your ancestral-healing work as:
Pattern → Awareness → Understanding → Ritual/Healing → Conscious Choice
rather than:
Problem → Pitru Dosha → Fear.
And this connects beautifully with your earlier idea:
“I don't have to carry my ancestors' wounds to honour my ancestors. I can carry their wisdom instead.”
1. Pitru Dosha — पितृ दोष
Pitru Dosha is primarily a Jyotish concept.
It refers to certain combinations or afflictions in a birth chart that some Jyotish traditions interpret as indicating unresolved ancestral influences or obligations.
The Sun, 9th house, 9th lord, Rahu and Ketu are particularly examined.
Traditionally, it may be associated with themes such as:
repeated family obstacles
unresolved ancestral matters
difficulties concerning lineage
family disharmony
property/inheritance complications
certain delays concerning children or family continuation
But having one astrological combination does not automatically mean that a person has Pitru Dosha. Different schools use different criteria.
2. Pitra Rina — पितृ ऋण
This is different.
Rina means debt or obligation.
Pitra Rina can be understood as the debt we owe to our ancestors because we received life, lineage and various responsibilities from those who came before us.
In the traditional Hindu worldview, this is not necessarily a punishment.
It is more like:
“I received something from those before me, therefore I have a responsibility toward the lineage.”
This responsibility may be expressed through:
remembering ancestors
performing Shraddha
Tarpana
respecting parents and elders
continuing dharma and family responsibilities
passing positive values to the next generation
So:
Pitra Rina = ancestral responsibility/obligation
whereas
Pitru Dosha = a Jyotish indication interpreted by some traditions as an ancestral/karmic imbalance.
3. Ancestral Karma
This is a broader spiritual concept.
It refers to the idea that unresolved experiences, actions, beliefs or consequences from previous generations can influence later generations.
For example:
Grandmother experienced extreme scarcity
↓
She developed “money is never safe.”
↓
She taught her children to save everything.
↓
Her children became fearful about spending.
↓
The grandchildren inherit the same anxiety around money.
From a spiritual perspective, someone may call this ancestral karma.
From a psychological perspective, we might call it intergenerational transmission or learned family patterns.
The important thing is that the pattern can be worked with without assuming a supernatural cause.
4. Ordinary Family Patterns
This is the most practical level.
Sometimes what looks like “ancestral karma” is simply something that has been learned and repeated.
For example:
Mother avoids confrontation.
Daughter learns to suppress anger.
Daughter's child also learns not to express difficult emotions.
No spiritual explanation is necessary.
It is simply:
Observation → modelling → belief → behaviour → repetition
The four together
Think of them as four different lenses:
Concept What it means
Pitru Dosha -A Jyotish interpretation based on the birth chart
Pitra Rina -Traditional concept of responsibility/debt toward ancestors
Ancestral Karma- Spiritual idea of unresolved ancestral patterns influencing descendants
Family Pattern -Observable beliefs/behaviours repeated through generations
And there is one more important distinction: Shraddha
Shraddha is the practice.
It is the traditional way of remembering, honouring and making offerings to ancestors.
Pitru Dosha → astrological indication
Pitra Rina → ancestral responsibility
Ancestral Karma → inherited/unresolved pattern
Family Pattern → how it appears in everyday life
Shraddha → traditional way of honouring the ancestors
And ancestral healing can then become:
“I honour where I came from without being imprisoned by what came before me.”
What type of doshas of ancestors can cause the problems to lineage?
For example, if several generations experience financial difficulties, there may be many explanations: inherited beliefs about money, family circumstances, education, property issues, social conditions, genetics, or simply repeated behaviours.
But let's make sense, ask
“What has been repeated in my family, and what am I ready to understand, heal and change?”
For your ancestral-healing work
You could divide ancestral patterns into 5 roots:
1. Unresolved — grief, trauma, sudden death, unfinished relationships, two marriages, not been able to have child
2. Unacknowledged — forgotten, excluded or unrecognised family members
3. Unfulfilled — vows, duties, responsibilities or promises left incomplete
4. Unsettled — property, money, family conflicts and unresolved obligations
5. Unconscious — beliefs and behaviours passed from one generation to another
And then ask :
What am I carrying?
What belongs to my ancestors?
What belongs to me?
What do I want to release?
What wisdom do I want to carry forward?
Understand why we perform shraddha?
On Which Tithi Should Shraddha Be Performed?
As the Shraddha Paksha begins on Sunday, 27 September, from Bhadarva Sud Purnima, today we will discuss the significance of Shraddha Paksha according to the scriptures.
Shraddha Paksha holds great importance in our scriptures. It is said to be like a vacation period for the ancestors. During these sixteen days, all souls are given the freedom to come to Earth, according to their respective death tithi, and visit their loved ones. They are also believed to be able to partake of offerings made to them during this period.
According to our scriptures, after death, seven higher realms are described. These realms are further divided into sixteen sections. Each section is called a Kala, meaning a division or zone. These sixteen Kalas are connected with the sixteen lunar tithis. This is why we speak of the Moon having sixteen Kalas.
After death, a person's soul may move to different realms according to its karma, but the particular Kala in which it resides is associated with the tithi on which the person died.
For example, if someone dies on the 7th tithi, whether during Shukla Paksha or Krishna Paksha, the soul is believed to remain in the seventh Kala of whichever realm it has reached until its next birth.
Therefore, when that particular tithi occurs during Shraddha Paksha, the door of that Kala is believed to open, allowing the soul to return to Earth through the path of Shraddha.
In other words, if someone died on the seventh tithi, the door of the seventh Kala opens on the seventh tithi of Shraddha Paksha.
What about accidental or untimely deaths?
Generally, a person is sent to the Kala corresponding to the tithi on which they died.
However, according to this belief, those who die an untimely or accidental death—such as death caused by weapons, electricity, explosions, fire, drowning, or an accident—are assigned to the fourteenth Kala, rather than the Kala corresponding to their death tithi.
Those who die by suicide are also said to be associated with the fourteenth Kala.
If a person dies a natural death on Chaturdashi (14th tithi), however, they are not assigned to the fourteenth Kala. Instead, they are associated with the sixteenth Kala, Amavasya. Therefore, their Shraddha is performed on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.
The fifteenth Kala, associated with Purnima, is for those who died on the full-moon tithi.
It is important to remember that death from a heart attack is not considered an untimely or accidental death in this understanding; it is considered a natural death. Similarly, death due to COVID is considered a natural death rather than an accidental one.
However, if a large number of people die together in an accident—for example, through drowning, fire, or a plane crash—those deaths are considered accidental deaths and are associated with the Chaturdashi Shraddha.
It is also believed that sannyasis move into the twelfth Kala.
Sarva Pitru Amavasya
The final day of Shraddha Paksha, Amavasya, is considered a day of liberation for all souls.
On this day, souls are believed to receive the freedom to move wherever they wish on Earth and meet their loved ones.
According to this tradition, followers of Sanatana Hindu Dharma should perform all sixteen Shraddhas.
One may feed a Brahmin or offer a portion of food to a cow or dog.
It is believed that the human birth is followed by the cow and then the dog birth. We may not know the exact tithi on which all our ancestors and family members passed away. However, according to this belief, they continue to have an expectation that their grandchildren or great-grandchildren will remember them and offer food in their memory.
For the peace of departed family members, one should pray for their souls. If possible, one may recite the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra and dedicate it to the ancestors.
While feeding a Brahmin or offering food to a cow or dog, one may mentally pray:
«“O ancestors, O departed loved ones, you have come to our home today, although we cannot see you. Please accept this offering that we have prepared for you. May you be satisfied, and may you bless this family.”»
Such a prayer is believed to have great power.
Words are Brahman.
When an offering is made with a sincere heart, devotion and feeling, it is believed to reach the ancestors.
If one knows how to perform Tarpan, it should be performed. If one does not know how to perform Tarpan, one may, at the very least, offer water to a Peepal tree.
It is believed that if you perform all sixteen Shraddhas with sincere devotion, you may experience its effect within a year. Difficulties may begin to resolve, and you may experience greater peace within the home.
The blessings of departed elders are believed to carry great power.
What if the ancestor has already taken another birth?
One important point to remember is that not all our ancestors necessarily remain in the subtle realm at the present time.
Some souls may already have taken another birth.
In such a situation, according to this belief, when food is offered to an ancestor, that soul may receive the essence of that offering on the same day in its new birth.
So, if you happen to receive a particularly wonderful meal on a particular day, perhaps it means that someone, somewhere, has performed Shraddha for you from one of your previous births—and you are experiencing that offering today!
Some common questions about Shraddha
What if someone dies on Saptami in the evening but the cremation takes place on Ashtami morning?
According to the scriptures, the date/tithi of death is what matters.
The cremation has no connection with determining the Shraddha tithi.
For example, in countries such as America, the body may sometimes be kept in a waiting facility and cremation may take place a week or even fifteen days later because of scheduling.
Therefore, the Shraddha should be performed according to the tithi on which the person actually died, and not according to the date of cremation.
What if the tithi changes shortly after sunrise?
Another common question is:
The tithi may begin at sunrise, but sometimes it ends just an hour later and another tithi begins. The Panchang gives the exact time at which the tithi changes.
So which tithi should be considered—the one at sunrise or the one that begins later?
According to this explanation, if the tithi at sunrise is one particular tithi and it changes after sunrise, the sunrise tithi is considered until sunset.
However, if the death occurs after sunset, then the tithi that is actually prevailing at that time should be considered.
For example:
Suppose Saptami is prevailing at sunrise and ends at 8:00 a.m. After 8:00 a.m., Ashtami begins.
Even though Ashtami technically begins at 8:00 a.m., Saptami is considered for the purpose of the day until sunset.
If the death occurs after sunset, however, Ashtami would be considered, because that is the tithi prevailing after sunset.
Therefore, the Shraddha should be determined according to the tithi applicable at the time of death, following the traditional rules for determining the tithi.
Now Last but not the least
What is ancestral healing?
Ancestral healing can be approached as a process of understanding and transforming patterns carried through a family, while honouring traditional practices such as Shraddha and Tarpana if they are meaningful to you.
I would structure it in 7 stages:
1. SEE — Identify the repeating pattern
Start with the family story rather than assuming there is a dosha.
Ask:
What keeps repeating across generations?
Are there recurring relationship breakdowns?
Money or property conflicts?
Repeated sacrifice or caregiving?
Addiction, anger, abandonment or exclusion?
Similar fears or beliefs in parents and grandparents?
Are there unresolved deaths, grief or family secrets?
The pattern is the doorway.
2. TRACE — Find the story behind it
Create a simple 3-generation family map.
For each person, note:
Birth → marriage → major losses → financial events → illness → separation → death → major life transitions.
Then look for repetition.
For example:
Grandmother: gave up career after marriage
↓
Mother: gave up career after marriage
↓
Daughter: feels guilty whenever she prioritises herself
The healing question becomes:
“What belief about being a good woman has travelled through this family?”
3. UNDERSTAND — Separate the wound from the wisdom
This is crucial.
Don't ask:
“What did my ancestors pass down?”
Ask two questions:
What wound was passed down?
What wisdom was passed down?
Perhaps an ancestor's poverty created fear around money—but also extraordinary resourcefulness.
Perhaps an ancestor experienced betrayal—but developed strong discernment.
We don't need to reject the entire lineage.
4. HONOUR — Acknowledge the ancestors
For someone following Hindu traditions, this may include:
Shraddha during Pitru Paksha
Tarpana
Pindadaan where traditionally appropriate
Offering food
Prayer
Vishnu Sahasranama or other personally meaningful prayers
Remembering departed parents and grandparents with gratitude
The intention can simply be:
“I remember you. I honour your journey. I am grateful for the life that came through you.”
5. RELEASE — Return what isn't yours
This is where your healing work can become powerful.
A person can consciously say:
“I honour what you experienced, but I do not need to repeat your suffering to belong to you.”
Then identify the specific pattern:
Fear → I release.
Guilt → I release.
Scarcity → I release.
Unspoken grief → I acknowledge and release.
Family role → I choose consciously.
This is psychological/spiritual symbolism rather than a claim that a ritual literally transfers energy from one person to another.
6. REWRITE — Choose a new pattern
Healing isn't complete when we say:
“I don't want this.”
We need to decide:
“What will I choose instead?”
For example:
Inherited: “Women must sacrifice themselves for the family.”
New choice:
“I can love my family without abandoning myself.”
Inherited: “Money is always difficult.”
New choice:
“I can respect my family's struggles while creating a healthier relationship with money.”
7. ANCHOR — Live differently
This is the most important part.
The new pattern has to become a new behaviour.
If the ancestral pattern is silence:
Speak.
If it is self-sacrifice:
Set a boundary.
If it is financial fear:
Learn, plan and make conscious financial decisions.
If it is unresolved grief:
Allow yourself to grieve.
If it is family conflict:
Choose healthier communication.
A beautiful ancestral-healing formula
ROOT → RECOGNISE → RELEASE → REWRITE → RISE
ROOT
Where did this pattern come from?
RECOGNISE
How is it showing up in me?
RELEASE
What am I ready to stop carrying?
REWRITE
What new belief and behaviour will I choose?
RISE
What wisdom from my lineage will I carry forward?
And the last reminder
“I honour those who came before me.
I acknowledge what they endured.
I release what no longer belongs in my journey.
I keep the wisdom, the strength and the love.
And I consciously choose a new path for the generations that come after me.”
To your connection with your roots
Roop Lakhani
