Tarpana

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Tarpan is being done at the Jagannath Ghat, Kolkata.
The Tarpan (Offering holy water to the manes) is being done at the Jagannath Ghat, Kolkata, at end of the Pitru Paksha.

Tarpaṇa (Sanskrit: तर्पण, Bengali: তর্পণ, Kannada: ತರ್ಪಣ, Tamil: தர்ப்பணம்) is a term in the Vedic practice which refers to an offering made to divine entities. It refers to the act of the offering as well as the substance used in the offering itself. Tilatarpana (तिलतर्पण, তিলতর্পণ, ತಿಲತರ್ಪಣ,திலதர்பணம்) is a different but associated term that is sometimes confused with Tarpana. Tilatarpana is a specific form of Tarpana involving libations offered to the Pitrs (deceased ancestors) using water and sesame seeds during Pitru Paksha or as a death rite.[1]

Kosha Kushi (Bengali: কোশা-কুশী) (Double Spoon) is use for puja. This Kosha Kushi is made of pure copper. Kosha Kushi is used for offer holy water to God and Goddess and also used for shradh tarpan puja. Kosha Kushi is an important ritual item used in the Tantric worship of the Divine Mother.

(i) Tarpana means Arghya, an offering. It is offered to all devas as well as the Navagrahas whenever mulamantra is recited as japa. (ii) Instances of welcome Tarpana are:

(a) for Lakshmi, “आर्द्रां ज्वलंतीम् तृप्ताम् तर्पयन्तीम् “ Ārdrāṁ jvalantīm tr̥ptām tarpayantīm (Śrī Sūkta 4), "One who is satisfied and who satisfies those who offer Her Tarpana"[citation needed]
(b) for Tripura Sundari, “बिंदु तर्पण संतुष्टाम् पूर्वजा त्रिपुराम्बिका” bindu tarpaṇa santuṣṭām pūrvajā tripurāmbikā (Lalita Sahasranama 178, 974), "One who is satisfied by just a single drop of Tarpana"[citation needed]

(iii) Cow's milk (raw, unheated, and unpasteurized), water, sugar, saffron, cardamom, borneo-camphor, etc. are mixed and used as the offering according to the requirements.

(iv) One Tarpana (or Arghya) is offered for the recitation of every ten moolamantras and one for part thereof.

Tilatarpana[]

(i) Tilatarpana is the Tarpana (or Arghya) offered to Pitrus (departed ancestors) by male descendants who do not have a living father.

(ii) This is offered at the first annual shraddha (death anniversary) and during subsequent annual shraddhas, amavasyas (new moon days), sankramanas (solar ingresses), eclipses, and during visits to selected holy places of pilgrimage...

(iii) Method of offering Tilatarpana:

(a) Black til seeds (gingelly seeds which are black and white which is eaten with jaggery on makar sankrati usually on January 14th/15th in whole of north India but only black gingelly is used in Tarpana, not the sesame which is wrongly referred as Til are used along with water as the offering.
(b) The yagnopavita (sacred thread) is to be worn in the opposing position (i.e., on the right shoulder, which is termed as prAchInAvIti, प्राचीनावीति or apsabhya in Sanskrit).
(c) A pavitra (ring) made of kush grass should be worn on the ring finger of the right hand and kush grasses in left fingers horizontally called tekusha .

Posture of hand while offering Tarpana[]

The posture of hand while offering Tarpana varies for offerings made to devas (Gods, Goddesses and Navagrahas), rishis (sages) and pitrus (departed ancestors).

(a) For devas, the offering is made to flow over the eight fingers of both hands adjoined together other than the thumb known as Dev tirtha
(b) For rishis, the offering is made to flow between both palms adjoined tarpan dripping between both palms known as rishi tirtha
(c) For the pitrus, the offering is made to flow over the left side of the left palm and the thumb of the left hand.known as pitra tirtha.the janew or yajnopavita resting on right shoulder falling to left side on hip this is known as upsavya.as the yajnopavita is resting on left side so should the pitra tarpan be offered with left hand.this is the reason why we circumambulate the deceased anti clockwise the left hand should also be used for pind danam.all other rituals apart from pitras shradha the use of right hand is compulsory.

Reasons for using Gingelly for Tarpana[]

Gingelly is not to be confused with Sesame which is from large tree; Gingelly is a small seed storing energy and hence considered a favorite of all Devas, Shani (Saturn) and pitrus. Lord Ganesha is commonly offered pancha-kajjaya, a delicacy made using sesame. Lord Shiva is worshipped with sesame seeds (tilakshata). For Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Saraswati, Gingelly seeds are used in any of their favorite eatables and offered to bestow their special favors on the worshippers. Besides, it is used as a homa dravya (an ingredient in the fire offerings) in many havans and homas. Therefore, tila (Gingelly) and tilatarpana should not be decried as inauspicious.

Reasons for offering Tarpana[]

It is believed that one’s pitris will be eagerly awaiting for tarpana on all the above-mentioned occasions. If no offering is made, they will return to their places disappointed, and the descendant misses their blessings which he would have received, if he had performed his filial duties. Kosha Kushi  is an important ritual item used in the Tantric worship of the Divine Mother and represents the yoni and womb of the Goddess, as well as the astral body within the physical body and the microcosm within the macrocosm. Many devotees expressed regret that they could not find kosha kushi outside of India, so we searched Calcutta and its surrounding villages until we found a source for these high quality puja implements.

References[]

  1. ^ "Indian Hindu devotee performs "Tarpan"". Hindustan Times. Oct 2010. Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
  • Tarpana Vidhi Vidhana, authored by Sri Gunjur Ramachandra Sastry, published by Srinidhi Prakashana, Bangalore 560053 INDIA

External links[]

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