Shradha is derived from shraddha, meaning "faithful, true, loyal, believing". Shradha, or the ritual of the manes, refers to a series of ceremonies performed at various times of the year and during one"s lifetime as homage and salutation to one`s ancestors. These ceremonies can be defined as offerings of food to one`s pitras, by feeding Brahmins or even certain animals, like dogs, cats, crows and snakes.
Shradha is performed on many occasions, like pilgrimage, during an eclipse , birth , investiture of the sacred thread , marriage , after performing funeral rites , or during the dark fortnight of Bhadra. It serves to remind one at important times throughout one`s life that death does not severe the link between the present and the past, between the living and the dead. It is also performed at times like during an eclipse to seek protection from the dead, who are given a divine status and are believed to have the power to protect mortals from supernatural forces.
Shradha ceremonies are usually associated with funeral and post-funeral observances. However, they are not considered inauspicious like the funeral rites .
The main feature of the ceremony is the offering of pinda or balls of cooked rice (pindadana) to one`s ancestors. After a person`s death, these rice balls are offered to him for 10 days, starting from the day of his death. It is believed that in this period, his soul is in the process of forming a body. The pindas provide nourishment at this time. After the tenth day, the soul is believed to have formed a body. It is then provided food for its journey to the next world. For this purpose, shradha is performed on any day from the eleventh to the thirtieth day after the death, usually on a large scale. This ceremony is called Ekodishta because it is performed specifically for one person and not all the manes. In this ceremony, the pindas are offered to the preta.
After the Ekodishta, the Sapindikarana, or the ritual of uniting the preta with the pitra, is performed. This ceremony takes place either on the twelfth day, three weeks, or a year after the death. Until the Sapindikarana is performed, the deceased is not elevated to the status of a pitra.
On the day of the Sapindikarana, four pots are filled with water, an aromatic substance like camphor and sesame seed. Three are offered to the pitras and the fourth is offered to the preta. Then, the contents of the fourth pot are poured into the other three. With this, the preta now joins the ranks of the pitras.
After this, shradha is performed once a month, or every three months, for the first year after the death. It is then performed on every death anniversary.
If shradha is performed on any other occasion, it is not usually such an elaborate
ceremony, nor spread over so many days. Brahmins and relatives are invited to participate. For the ceremony, the gods are first invoked and then the pitras. Each offering is made in the name of a pitra. The food is then served to all those present. It is believed that by feeding the Brahmins, the manes are being fed. The remainder is offered to the fire and given to the crows to eat. It is believed that the pitrastake the form of crows to eat the offerings made to them. The Brahmins are given gifts and money.
The Brahmanda Purana has specified both the food and the utensils to be offered in shradha. It rates the pindas as most important. The food cooked during shradha should be saltless and free of all adulteration and impurities. According to the Matsya Purana, the manes, gratified by the offerings of food, bless their descendants with a long life, happiness, wealth, learning, progeny and moksha.
Various kinds of shradha are mentioned in the Markandeya Purana, like nitya or usual , and naimitya or occasional, performed on death anniversaries. The Kamya Shradha is performed on one of the 15 days in the dark fortnight of Bhadra to pay homage as well as to fulfil a specific desire. Each of these 15 days signifies something different. For example, shradha is performed on the first day if one desires a beautiful wife, on the eighth day if one desires wealth, and on the fifteenth day if one wishes complete gratification. In addition, there are other days considered auspicious for performing shradha. Special merit is received if the ceremony is performed at holy places or pilgrimage sites, such as Gaya, Allahabad, Kurukshetra and Siddhapur.