శ్రాద కర్మ నియమాలు

It will be astonishing to you if I say that Sri Varaha moorthy has performed sradha first. Sage Bodhayana has co-ordinated the procedures for Sraadha. But his procedures are lengthy. For instance, even while Bhokthas are taking food, Kartha is to continue performing the lengthy Jayathi Homa. These procedures are later amended by sage Apasthambha which is the basis of Sraadha Niyama now we follow. Even if the pithru is in nether world he is to be brought by Viswam deva only. I hope this gives satisfactory answer to you. Basically understand in Sraadha a set of procedures is followed to recollect the pithru. The set procedures as told are followed. Many of these procedures have inner meanings too still not fully explained or can understand from the sraadha books. If you go through the manthras you will learn not only three generations but jnatha Anjatha pithrus too you invite and feed. This is sankalpa. You are performing sraadha to the pithru who has left on that thithi. You have asked why we refer in Sradha Vasu Rudra Aditya swaroopaya. They are sradha deities. If you are going to invite a relative and his friends too are there will you invite your friend only? Why for courtesy call others too? Will we not send them too some compliments through him? One bhoktha whom you invite represent the pithru for whom sradha is performed. We identify him in addition with Sraadha deities Vasu, Rudra and Aditya. Usually Vasu is pithru deity for whom sraadha is done. Rudra and Aditya represent other pithru deities whom you invite. It is told by identifying the invited bhoktha with Vasu, Rudra and Aditya deities the sraadha offerings are taken to all invitees. As I first said the explanation is sookshma. This indirectly hints pithru is another deity like viswamdeva (Viswedevas). The ultimate destination being Kailasam aka Paramapadam, the souls wander from one location to other, depending on their merits and punya bhalam. They reach their destinations by various steps; pithrulokam, devalokam, etc. The actual paramapatham, Srivaikuntham or kailasam are one and the same as per the philosophical readings. But having no way to know the facts, we are instructed to continue the srardham till our lifetime. Here too, we do it not only for the parents who left, but also for three-generation viz. grand and great grand parents. Why? If by any chance, if our parent reached the destination but any of the grand parents left wandering, then it is for them to gain through this srardham. What if none of them wandering but all reached safely to the Kailasam or the Paramapadam? It will benefit Njaatha ajnjaatha pithrus. The very basic reason for having prescribed to perform it for three generation is the most vital part of the value added srardham. Jnatha Anjatha Here, when you perform the srardham with homam, after offering twice each to Pithru, Pithamaha & Prapithamaha - the seventh time offering is to Njaathi -i.e. distant cousins who left the earth. In case of anyone who left without any such ceremony performed, let the seventh step offering reach them – that is for the Sahothra njaathi. (Njaathaagnjaatha, pithrupyapcha, yathaa swaahaah:) By doing this seventh Ahuthi with Havis that reaches to the Sahothra Daayathi, who might have left without any kriya/kainkaryam performed for many reasons (No issues, died at unknown place, nobody knows who is who when left, or some of them with issues but they never cared to perform the rituals from the beginning etc. etl.) So, even if our parents, grand & great grand parents reached the abode, it is for us to continue the thithi srardham till our life time only for those who might have fortunate.. It can be taken by close relations and by sagothra too. Normally, other Gothra persons do not share the srardha food. However, children below the age of 7 years are allowed eat the srardha food. But in Srivaishnava Thenkalai sampradaya, it is known as ishta pandhi, where any one who is not related, too can eat, if one wish. In those days, in villages they had a very big place at backyard for the women to take shelter during the inconvenient periods. They used stay at a distance, where you won’t even hear them. (Even hearing them talking during their periods was not allowed and mostly restricted to few house members). In Sama Veda sampradaya, they perform only after the fifth day, after Kartha’s wife taking bath. In Rig Veda’s followers too it was the same. But in Yajur Veda followers, they can perform it even in the absence of one’s wife during the Srarddha. In normal terms, for every sect and sub-sect, allowed their female family member with periods to stay elsewhere during and earlier day of sradha. During the Punyahavachanam, they used to add a word in sankalpam “rajaswaswala aasoucha nivruthiyartham” and then perform the Graha suddhi to continue with the ceremony. Oh, thinking of the present day cubicles and flat system and apartments!!!!. I will give one more clarification and express the srardha niyama as explained by my distant cousin, late Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar, (who was very popular for his divine writings in many periodicals, very specifically for an article series in Kalki "Kurai Onrum Illai Govinda") has given some hints on the Srardha procedures. He even wrote an article in one of the Kalki Deepavali supplement and I give the contents here below for the readers to take a note. The Srardha niyama in three different types with each having values on Uthama, Madhima & Athama paksha:With five Brahmins - one each for the post of Brahmma, Bruhaspathi, Viswedeva, Pithru and Sri Mahavishnu as Srardha Samrakshaka. - Uthamothamam. Bruhaspathi, viswedeva, Pithru & Vishnu - Uthamam Bruhaspathi, Vishwedeva & Pithru - Madhimam Bruhaspathi & Bhokta Pithru - Adhamam Sankalpa srardha without homam but bhojanam to three Brahmins plus vaadyar - Uthamam sankalpa Srardha without homam but with two bhoktas - Viswedeva & Pithrus + Vadyar - Madhimam Sankalpa Srardha without homam but with only one Bhokta + vadyar - Adhamam