Invoking deities in fire (Pitri Tarpana Question)

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Namaste,

 

> If i want to include pitri tarpana also in this, how do i go about it?

 

The best will be to do it as a separate thing using its manual.

 

> Sorry, for asking who is Rama at the end of Ramayana...but i would

> still like to know how deities are invoked in fire.

 

If you look at the regular procedure in homam manual, you will see a section

for invoking deity in fire. In the super-short procedure, we just invite the

deity into fire and request to be established in fire. In step 5 of the bare

minimum procedure, you think of a deity and start offering into fire

assuming the deity is already in fire.

 

* * *

 

I want to clarify one thing. You can invite someone to your house by writing

a formal invitation letter. You can invite someone by sending a small note.

You can invite someone by a small word orally. There are many ways. Whether

one actually comes to your house or not and how long one stays is not

necessarily dependent on how detailed and formal your invitation is. One

guest receiving a detailed invitation letter may drop by for just a few

minutes. Another friend may come and stay for a day even if you casually ask

" what are you doing this Saturday " and not formally invite.

 

Similarly, how much of divine presence your homam (or any ritual) attracts

is independent of what procedure you used to call the deity. It depends on

your purity, the nature of the place and time and, above all, the kindness

of the deity at that particular time. Based on the best of your learning and

ability, use a procedure that you think is appropriate. But do remember that

procedures are secondary and devotion and faith are primary.

 

Best regards,

Narasimha

 

Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam

Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana

Spirituality:

Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net

Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org

Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

 

 

-

> Pranam, Narasimhaji,

>

> i read postings selectively and therefore have missed several useful

> information on tarpana. the message u have posted is indeed very

> informative. though one knows that sun symbolises the soul and moon the

> mind i never thought in terms of " subtle " karmas being burnt thru homam

> and " gross " karmas of pitris being burnt thru tarpana.

>

> There have been years of trying one thing after another in the hope of

> dissolving karmas. Sometimes i doubted my own sincerety...sometimes i

> thought my karmas must indeed be very deep rooted.

>

> In my years of trying to find answers thru astrology i blamed 3 retro

> planets for the deep rooted karmas. In terms of your posting from the

> archives i see things in a slightly different light.

>

> Sun is conjoined with combust retro Mercury which in turn is closely

> conjoined with Ketu making it a malefic. Sun is aspected by retro Mars and

> of course Rahu. The only saving grace is that Jupiter is also there with

> Sun. So maybe there are lots of subtle karmas to be burnt.

>

> As for the Moon it is aspected by retro exalted Saturn from the house of

> rin (6th) as well as retro Mars (8th H) and conjoined with lagnesh Venus

> (self). So maybe there are lots of gross karmas to be dissolved thru

> tarpana. And because Moon is with Lagnesh maybe tarpana is even more

> necessary.

>

> i sincerely believe in the energies around us and a whole subtle world

> waiting to be accessed / experienced. Even though at present there is no

> direct experience of such a world, maybe as things progress...there may be

> tranformations...to enable a better understanding of these things...

>

> Sorry, for asking who is Rama at the end of Ramayana...but i would still

> like to know how deities are invoked in fire. I have been performing the

> bare minimum homam that u described in one of your messages. i follow all

> the 7 steps described there. In step number 5 where u say " pick any deity

> and any mantra " , i recite " om gam ganapataye namah " . In step no.6 while

> pouring ghee i recite " om bhuh swahaa, om bhuvah swahaa, om suvah swaaha,

> om bhurbhuvahsuvah swahaa, om shri vishnave swahaa, om namo rudraaye

> pashupataye swaaha " . Then i place a piece of dry coconut in the hom and

> sit for meditation.

>

> Is the deity invoked at this point?

>

> If i want to include pitri tarpana also in this, how do i go about it?

>

> Don't know if i am done! There is a long way to go....

>

> Best regards,

> vinita

>

> , " Narasimha P.V.R. Rao " <pvr

> wrote:

>>

>> Namaste Ram ji,

>>

>> Shraaddham is an offering of balls of solid food for deceased ancestors

>> on special occasions.

>>

>> Pitri tarpana is an offering of water for pitris (deceased ancestors who

>> are stuck with some desires) to satisfy them. Not so long ago, every

>> Braahmana used to perform a brief pitri tarpana everyday, as a part of

>> daily rituals. This is not without reason.

>>

>> * * *

>>

>> The thoughts of the minds around us do have a subtle impact on our mind.

>> When too many depressed, sad or frustrated people are around you, it will

>> have a negative effect on you. Similarly, when some peaceful and blissful

>> people or elevated souls are around you, it will have a positive effect

>> on you. Thus, thoughts in the minds around you does have an impact on

>> you.

>>

>> This is particularly true with respect to the minds of people who have

>> genetic/kaarmik links/debts with you. When minds of such people are in

>> great distress or great excitement, it has an impact on your mind.

>>

>> If a deceased ancestor to whom you have a kaarmik debt has some strong

>> desires and unable to progress to a higher loka or be reborn, his

>> thoughts and desires will have an impact on your mind.

>>

>> Thus, we invest our mental energy praying for their relief. While

>> offering balls of solid food (shraaddha) on special occasions, pray that

>> the ancestor may get an appropriate body again to fulfil remaining

>> desires. While leaving water in pitri tarpana, pray that the ancestor's

>> desires may be satisfied and the ancestor may be overcome the weaknesses.

>> By praying for helping an ancestor, you are indirectly helping yourself,

>> by removing a powerful negative influence on your mind and getting rid of

>> some weaknesses.

>>

>> Unfortunately, the extremely simple ritual of pitri tarpana is out of

>> fashion today. However, so many people will benefit tremendously if they

>> do it atleast once every month if not daily. Vimalananda says that he

>> will pick pitri tarpana if there is only one ritual he can perform.

>>

>> * * *

>>

>> Not long ago, every orthodox Braahmana used to perform a fire ritual and

>> a water ritual (tarpana) everyday. Rituals use external symbols to induce

>> internal changes. These two rituals are really important and useful

>> rituals.

>>

>> A small comparison of homam and tarpana is reproduced from

>> archives:

>>

>> --------------------------

>> One word on Homam vs Tarpana. In homam, you are calling devatas and the

>> medium is fire. In tarpana, you are calling pitris and the medium is

>> water. Both sadhanas are applicable to all people irrespective of whether

>> watery signs/planets are strong or fiery signs/planets in their

>> horoscope.

>>

>> In homam, devatas come in fire and burn your blocking karmas to purify

>> you. In tarpana, pitris come in water and free you from vasanas

>> (conditioning of the mind) that were karmically inherited from them. If

>> you have genes from (and rina with) an ancestor who was lustful or angry

>> or jealous and the consciousness of the deceased ancestor is still having

>> those thoughts, you will also suffer from such thoughts due to the

>> connection and may even commit some bad karmas because of the weaknesses.

>> You can free yourself from the rina by working on giving a rebirth to

>> that ancestor. If the ancestor's consciousness is attached to a new body,

>> the thoughts and cravings of that consciousness will not affect your

>> consciousness in the same way. Thus, tarpana aims to cut off a strong

>> source of bad karmas, while homam burns off previously committed bad

>> karmas. Both are very important sadhanas for spiritual progress.

>>

>> Devatas are very subtle forms of consciousness. Their self-identification

>> is to what is known as soul and represented by Sun. They work on your

>> individual soul and free it from the karmas it carries. Pitris are

>> grosser forms of consciousness with strong attachments and desires. Their

>> self-identification is with what is known as mind and represented by

>> Moon. You may note that Sun and Moon are associated with Devas and Pitris

>> in the hora chart of astrology. Fire and water are the natural media for

>> them respectively.

>>

>> Devas and pitris have different ways of working and influencing us and

>> helping our spiritual progress. But both are relevant to all of us and

>> have a role to play in our spiritual evolution. Worshipping devas in fire

>> and satisfying pitris in water are very important.

>> --------------------------

>>

>> Best regards,

>> Narasimha

>>

>> Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam

>> Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana

>> Spirituality:

>> Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net

>> Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org

>> Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

>>

>>

>> , Ramakrishnan Krishnamurthy

>> <ramki108@> wrote:

>> >

>> > Dear Narasimha,

>> >

>> > Thanks for this valuable manual. Could you enlighten me on the

>> > difference between Pitri Tarpana and Shraddham? I believe Shraddham is

>> > performed once a year on the thithi of demise of one's father (to be

>> > performed by the eldest son). There are some variants such as

>> > performing it during the Shraddha Paksham instead of on the actual

>> > thithi, every year. Also, have heard of a Gaya Shraddham, which is to

>> > be performed once in a lifetime, and which makes it unnecessary to

>> > perform yearly Shraddham subsequently.

>> >

>> > Have tried to search for material on this but have not succeeded so

>> > far. At least if you can provide information on some sources, it would

>> > be a great help.

>> >

>> > Thanks and regards,

>> > Ram

>> >

>> > --- On Fri, 12/6/09, Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr@> wrote:

>> >

>> > Namaste,

>> >

>> > Now a Vishnu sahasra naama homam manual is available. It contains a

>> > very short procedure for Vishnu sahasra naama homam. It is very

>> > detailed and pretty much anybody can follow it.

>> >

>> > Those who regularly chant Vishnu sahasra naama stotram should be able

>> > to perform a homam if they spend an extra 10 minutes, after a little

>> > practice. For those who are pressed for time and yet want to do a

>> > homam, a super-short procedure involving one verse is also given.

>> >

>> > The manual is available in English language, with mantras given in

>> > Sanskrit/Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada or Malayalam scripts.

>> >

>> > In addition to this manual, manuals for Mahaganapathi homam, Chandi

>> > homam, Krishna homam, Shiva homam, Mahalakshmi homam, Sani homam and

>> > Kuja homam are available. More will be coming later.

>> >

>> > Chanting Vishnu's 1000 names is very powerful in this age. It is the

>> > best antidote for many problems, material and spiritual. Fire of a

>> > reasonable size augments the effect. The philosophy of fire ritual is

>> > explained in the manual.

>> >

>> > This is a part of the effort to enable a community of sadhakas who

>> > worship various deities in fire, as per the command of the divine

>> > Mother to my spiritual master at Kalikambal temple in Chennai in March

>> > 2006.

>> >

>> > Please go to the homam website below to download the manuals. It is

>> > hoped that spiritual sadhakas interested in homam will benefit from

>> > this and also help in increasing collective dharma in this world with

>> > their contribution. Please feel free to spread this link among

>> > interested people.

>> >

>> > Any philosophical or practical questions on homam or any spiritual

>> > sadhana can be discussed on the .

>> >

>> > Best regards,

>> > Narasimha