Crossing over from darkness to the light

Tarpan a graceful, touching ritual, calling for peace in our lives. Instead of merely weeping, we are given physical options of symbolic closure. What modern psychiatrists charge steep fees for today is offered as a free remedy by tradition
Crossing over from darkness to the light
Picture credits: Wikimedia Commons
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4 min read

The biggest snan or holy dip at the ongoing Mahakubh is on January 29, on Mauni Amavasya. The largest crowd is expected to gather then, approximately six crore people. Let us pray miscreants sent by known and unknown ill-wishers do not succeed in wreaking harm on the faithful multitudes. It is evidently no different on Earth from the cosmic dimension, where asuras and rakshasas frequently attack Devalok.

The good news is, though it may take time and involve much struggle, the asuras and rakshasas are always sent packing. There is a palpable connection between the Kshirsagara Manthan and the Kumbh that during the tussle between the asuras and devas, four drops of amrita (the nectar of immortality) fell on Earth at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar and Nashik, which sustain humanity. 

But why is Mauni Amavasya so important? Religion is tied to nature, which defines a way of life. This year, the Indian month of Magh is from January 21 to February 19. By the time Magh begins, the cold has noticeably receded. So, it is an ideal time to bathe in the waters of holy rivers. This is encouraged by the cultural belief that while the entire month of Magh is perfect for bathing rituals, Mauni Amavasya is especially significant as the holy water is believed to transform into nectar, cleansing sins for those who bathe in it.

Mauni Amavasya translates as 'the silent moonless night'. On this day, people observe silence for spiritual growth and self-mastery and offer tarpan to their ancestors. This is believed to bring peace to the souls of ancestors and eliminate pitru dosha. Tarpan apparently comes from the Sanskrit root word 'trup', which means 'satisfying'. Think of the word 'trupti' or 'tripti' in the mother tongues.

The souls of our ancestors are said to be satisfied by an offering of water in their remembrance. This is called tarpan. By doing so, believers don't think their ancestors will actually drink the water. It is the sincere act of remembrance that is said to please them.

'Pitru' means forefathers, and 'dosha' means the consequences of negative karma. So, the term' pitru dosha' refers to the negative karmic debts of our ancestors or any wrongdoings committed by people against their parents, which bring obstacles in the lives of descendants. It also occurs when our ancestors are unhappy for reasons such as forgetfulness, disrespect, or unfulfilled desires. Adverse effects include family conflicts, money troubles, health issues and career instability. Tarpan is a way of saying, "Please forgive us if anything is the matter, and bless us."

I personally think it's a graceful, touching ritual calling for peace in our lives. I also like that instead of merely weeping and wailing, we are given such physical options of symbolic closure. What modern psychiatrists and psycho-therapists charge steep fees for today is offered as a free remedy by tradition out of love and concern for us because the mental well-being of humanity is its motive.

It is not restricted to Hindus. Anyone who finds meaning and beauty in this ritual can observe it without compromising their birth faith because while the ritual language is naturally Hindu, the nature of these rituals is universal.

Both Adi Shankara in the ancient past and Ramana Maharishi in the 20th century are known to have emphasised silence as a path to self-realisation and mental peace. According to Indian tradition, performing pind-daan (an offering of rice balls) and actual charity at a holy river while maintaining silence on this day is highly auspicious.

Such acts of charity on Mauni Amavasya are said to multiply a person's good karma many times over. The dip in holy water on this day is believed to afford more punya or merit than on other days. Those with planetary defects in their natal charts would like to participate in mitigating any negative effects from such placements. It is like how every religion upholds some especially holy days in its belief.

Driving these outward rituals is their philosophical basis. It is easy to say 'spiritual growth', but what exactly does that mean in our personal life? The devas or celestials, as per Advaita, are chetna vidya or knowledge through awareness, symbolised by Ketu. Asuras are Rahu, dragging us down. This churn between our bright and dark selves within our souls is symbolised by Mount Mandara, pulled by Vasuki in the Kshirsagar Manthan. Each of us contains a dark side called the 'paapa purusha', which must be demolished. The river symbolises the crossing over from darkness to light. Shiva is Taraknath, the 'Lord of the Crossing' who takes us across. We pray to be touched by his grace to bring our inner selves to a better place.

Pind-daan is thus a symbolic offering that relates our micro existence, our little lives, with the macro existence, the larger cosmic order. Hence the illustrative saying, 'Yat pinde tat brahmaande', the pinda or rice ball is like unto the universe.

But what about those who cannot attend the Mahakumbh and must miss being part of humanity's greatest gathering? As ever, tradition has an upaay or solution. Tulsidas says, 'Kalyug keval naam aadhara sumir sumir nar utarahi para', meaning 'Only God's name works in Kalyug, remembering it always takes us across to the light'.

(Views are personal)

(shebaba09@gmail.com)

Renuka Narayanan

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