What is Mahalaya Amavasya ?
‘Maha’ denotes ‘greatest,’ and ‘Laya’ means ‘being in alignment.’ ‘Amavasya’ means ‘new moon.’ Mahalaya Amavasya refers to the new moon that occurs at the end of Mahalaya Paksha or ‘ancestor fortnight’ in the Hindu calendar. This 15-day period is a very auspicious time to pay homage to our deceased ancestors, as per the Hindu scriptures.
During Mahalaya Amavasya, it is said that there is a strong energy in the atmosphere which enables human beings to connect with the spirits of their ancestors. During Mahalaya Paksha, these spirits, which reside in Pitru Loka, come down to earth to visit their descendants and accept their offerings. By doing so, they can rise to higher realms and attain Moksha. If they are pleased with our offerings, they will also give us many blessings, which will make our lives smooth and happy. If they are not pleased with the offerings, or if we fail to make offerings to them, they can curse us. Their curses can have many unpleasant effects on our lives.
Life is a continuum. Hindus believe that the soul is immortal and that dead people are reborn on earth in different bodies. We owe our lives to our ancestors, and Mahalaya Amavasya is the perfect time to repay our debt to them by remembering and honoring all those who contributed to our present life. Ancestors may have both good karma and bad karma. On this day, we can help them to raise their energy and remove the bad karma so that they can have a smooth and happy life when they are reborn on this earth. This is what the Hindu Shastras say.
This is an ideal day for one to remove obstacles in the current life and create a good future. It helps to remove negative energy thanks to ancestral blessings. It is an important day that can benefit the souls of deceased people, people who are alive, and even people who are yet to be born. Hence, the Vedas called this day “ Sarva Pitru Amavasya”. ‘Sarva Pitru’ means ‘all souls.’
One should sit in silence and bless our ancestors, keeping their images in our minds. Apart from this, one can perform Pooja and prayers. During this time, it is easier to achieve oneness with the Supreme Power, which gives us the energy to overcome all problems and obstacles in life. Hence, this day is observed as Durga Pooja.
This day reminds us of our duty to take care of our parents and elders. It is no less important than honoring deceased ancestors. If we do not respect our elders when they are alive, doing “Tarpana” after they die has no meaning. It is the most virtuous act that we can do in our lives that is also very beneficial to the entire family. When we take care of our parents and elders, we can expect abundant blessings from God, too.
Karna and Mahalaya
The great warrior, Karna, in the Mahabharata, did not know who his ancestors were, and so he failed to do Tarpana and Shraddh for them when he was alive. Also, his sons were also killed in battle, and they could not perform any rites for him, either. So, after he died and his soul went to heaven, he did not get any food or water. Lord Yama explained to him that it was because he had not offered food or water to anyone in memory of his ancestors. He had only given them gold and jewels to the poor, and hence, in heaven, he was given these when he felt hungry.
Karna then took permission from Yama to return to earth for 15 days and do the necessary rites for his ancestors. On returning to earth, he performed Mahalaya Tarpanam for his ancestors and donated food and water to the needy in memory of his ancestors. Once he did this, he received food and water when he returned to heaven.
Donating food to the poor and acts of charity are also important duties on this day. It pleases our ancestors when we do such acts of charity on this day. It can reduce their bad karma, and they will be able to progress in their onward journey and gain Moksha. By doing such things on this auspicious day, we can receive many blessings and live a good life. Our children and their children, too, will benefit from it. If we do meditation on this day, we can get blessings from both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
The Garuda Purana and Agni Purana claim that this day is not just for paying respects to our ancestors but that it can also protect family members from unnatural deaths or sudden deaths. They can enjoy good health without facing any such threats.
Mahalaya Amavasya 2022 is on 25th September.
