Pitru Paksha is on. Very important phase of the Hindu calendar year when we believe pitrus come down for food and water. Their blessings are very important to us. These 15 days-1 month (the month of Purattasi in Tamil that includes Pitru paksha 2 weeks and Navaratri 2 weeks and is considered most auspicious for Lord Balaji/Venkateswara of Tirumala-Tirupathi) may be considered holiest during which even those hindus with worst non vegetarian food habits go totally vegetarian. This 1 month is that sacred for us Hindus.
For me, this year is special as it is my debutante awakening year! My father-in-law passed away in 2002 september end. I am sighting him since this August – after a gap of 24 years. His face is appearing in my puja. My chithi who was more a mother to me than my biological mom, passed away this march. I was in the US then and I missed being with her when she left. But strangely I never felt like missing her. It was the time I was ‘awakening.’ I knew sooner or later I would catch up with her. Yesterday, my cousin did ‘go dhaan’ for her sake and I went to our old house in Mylapore. I was thinking of my chithi. Compared to the times when she was around, I don’t feel affection or love for her now. I do a little, but I recognize the noble soul that she was. She was mother to a lot of cousins and held the family together. Such a spiritual lady who suffered a lot in life. Her broadmindedness and her generous nature and love and affection for one and all is something you can never see in this generation. I reckon now that kind spirited soul with more respect and awe and I am grateful that I was raised by this woman who got me married and took care of me when I delivered. Last morning in her house, she gave me darshan sitting in a single sofa settie and smiling at me. In fact I was taken by surprise as she she joined her hands for me in ‘namaste’ gesture. I am still wondering what that was for. It was seeing her that made me emotional. And thinking that I would never be able to talk to her again in this lifetime is what saddens me. She is the reason for my intense pujas. She and my chithappa started many for me. The very Lalitha and Saraswathi that sit in my puja got gifted by them. Even the Tanjore painting of baby Krishna was their gift.
My reality is totally changed. My mother Lalithambika was in my dreams blessing me with a hand showing me the Trishathi lyrics. Ma Tripura Sundari is very pleased if we recite any mantra or shloka for Her sincerely. My daily visitors in my day visions include deities, the special one among who is of course Lord Ganesha.
Keep praying is all I can say. Never lose hope. And try to be a decent humanbeing. Saw this you tube video by Shri Shri Ravishankar guruji where he says, only 10% of material world as we know and see and believe to be the reality is actually reality. Rest 90% reality is not visible to naked eyes. I haven’t fully listened to this video. Our afterlife is even more important than the fake life we live in the illusory world of Maya currently. For our own sake, we need to be good and decent humanbeing.
Recognize the dark souls among living humanbeings who are totally negative and sabotaging by character and keep away. Cut chords without a second thought. That can stop you from being engaged with them for multiple karmic birth cycles. Even if they provoke don’t respond or react. Once you start the chain, the cycle will keep going on. If you want to end a toxic relationship with this birth/janam, just put it to a decisive end and DO NOT ENGAGE. It is very important not to carry forward hatred, jealousy, vengeance, anger, frustration, rage, despair, resentment, regret and sorrow with us.
Finally, definitely honouring our pitrus in the pitru paksha is important. But more important is taking care of the elderly parents and in-laws when they are still around. How many have old people in their homes. How many visit regularly their aged parents and in laws. How many even spend time with them. So far as I have seen, pitrus receive more attention during this Mahalaya paksha that culminates in Mahalaya Amavasya (this year it is 10th saturday october) than what they receive when they’re physically around. I can understand the motive: not to get the pitru dosha or pitru curse. That alone is a reason for most these days to observe pitru paksha and stick to vegetarian food habits for one month (in the case of non vegetarians).
Om Shri Matre Namaha: Salutations to our Universal Divine Mother for Her blessings. Until this year, I had heard from podcasts, from satsangs, read from books etc., but Ma gives me experiences through visions that tally with information i have garnered through all these years. Om Shri Matre Namaha. Salutations to Ma Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari, the ruler of the multiverse.
