Shrāddha ritual and chanting of the name of Lord Dattatreya

• If Brāhmaṇs are not available for performing the shrāddha ritual of one's mother, then one can invite married women and perform the shrāddha.

• If two Brāhmaṇs are not available then seat the Brāhmaṇs on the seat for Pitars (Pitrusthan), place an idol of Shāligrām or baby Krushṇa  on the seat of the Deity (Devasthan) and make a resolve to perform the shrāddha.

• If due to some reason one is unable to perform shrāddha, then he can get the shrāddha performed through his son, disciple or a Brāhmaṇ .

• Invite a Brāhmaṇ , after he has washed his hands and feet, offer him a seat and after worship with five substances offer him a meal.

• In case of unavailability of money and Brāhmaṇ, do a shrāddha with sacrificial fire (hom-shrāddha).

The Scriptures have also delineated what a person should do who is incapable of doing any of the above stated options. They are as follows:

• Give a pitcher filled with water to a Brāhmaṇ.

• Give some food to a Brāhmaṇ.

• Give sesame seeds to a Brāhmaṇ .

• Give some money to a Brāhmaṇ.

• Give food grains as per capacity to a Brāhmaṇ.

• Feed grass to a cow.

• Forgoing rituals etc. merely do pind-dan.

• After bathing release water containing sesame seeds (Pitru-tarpaṇ).

• Observe a fast on the tithi of the shrāddha.

• On the day of the shrāddha, recite the shrāddha  ritual.

If even this is not possible, then go to a forest and exposing your armpits by putting both the hands up, wave a blade of grass towards the Deities of the regions (Lokapal) like Sun etc. and pray, "I do not possess anything useful for shrāddha like wealth etc. I pay obeisance to all my Pitars. Let all my Pitars be appeased with my devotion. I am helpless."

Alternatively, go to a secluded forest and pray in a loud voice raising your hands, I am penniless and without food. Liberate me from the debt of my Pitars. If even this is not possible, then lament facing the south direction.

This shows how inevitable it is for everyone to perform shrāddha.

By praying with spiritual emotion the Pitars, inferior Deities and other Deities are appeased and attracted towards the person who prays. Together with their blessings the person also acquires the benefit of the shrāddha. Invoking the Deities by raising hands and praying to the Pitars is a symbol of the devotee's spiritual emotion (bhāv) of helplessness.

The pinds prepared for the shrāddha  of my father were appearing very radiant. After the Brāhmaṇ-bhojan was concluded, I felt that my deceased father and other deceased ancestors (Pitars) were satiated. - Mr. Nitin Sahakari, Goa

At the time of the shrāddha  of my father-in-law, I experienced the existence of only - my father-in-law, his father and his grandfather. A light yellow colour was visible around the three pinds. I felt the three were satiated and were bestowing blessings. - Mrs. Shruti Nitin Sahakari, Goa.

In Hindu Dharma, at the time of shrāddha  of the father, pind is offered in the name of the grandfather and the great grandfather also. This seeker had the practical spiritual experience of the theoretical part explained by Hindu Dharma.

One can understand from this type of spiritual experiences whether the Pitars have been satisfied or not. Contrary to this, when they are not satisfied with the shrāddha , their subtle bodies keep wandering in the atmosphere. Then various distresses are felt at the place associated with the Pitars like heaviness of head, giddiness, reduction of vital energy etc.

Due to the unsatisfied Pitars there is a risk of distresses like not getting married, financial difficulties, seeing cobra or Pitars in a dream or in waking state. For overcoming such distress, it is important to chant the Name of Deity Dattatreya along with the ritual of shrāddha.

Spiritual experience - By chanting ' Gurudev Datta' in Pitru-paksh, the dairy on the verge of closure being revived:Srī My husband was working in a dairy for many years. For the last few months the dairy was on the verge of closure. I began to chant 'Srī Gurudeva Datta' during Pitru-paksh. Thereafter, suddenly the supply of milk increased manifold in the dairy. Before this incident, people had said that the dairy would be closed; but by the Grace of Deity Dattatreya this danger was avoided. - Mrs. Rajashri Mahadeva Vandare, Miraj, Maharashtra

Deity Dattatreya is the Principle created from the combination of the Principles of the three main Deities, Brahmā, Vishṇu and Mahēsh. One of His functions is to give momentum to the journey of our deceased ancestors (Pitars) to the next region. Hence, once should chant 'Srī Gurudeva Datta'.

Benefit of chanting ' Gurudeva Datta':

• The Pitars getting momentum in their onward journey and reduction in the distress due to them: Many desires of the person attached to materialistic life remain unfulfilled after death. Such unsatisfied subtle bodies get trapped in the region of the dead (Mrutyuloka). Such subtle bodies cannot go to the next region because of their unfulfilled desires. By chanting 'Sri Gurudeva Datta' Pitars trapped in the Mrutyuloka gain momentum.

• Creation of a protective sheath: By chanting 'Srī Gurudeva Datta' a protective sheath is created around the body of the person. Keeping in mind this benefit of chanting 'Srī Gurudeva Datta', one should do maximum chanting during Pitru-paksh. To avoid the risks of future distress due to unsatisfied Pitars and as spiritual healing for mild distress, chant for one to two hours daily. If the distress is medium, chant for two to four hours daily and if it is severe chant for four to six hours daily.

Similarly to perform the shrāddha with bhāv:

• Put up the Name-strips of 'Srī Gurudeva Datta' in the room where shrāddha ritual is done.

• Play the audio of the chant 'Srī Gurudeva Datta' in low volume.

• Before the shrāddha, worship the sāttvik picture of Deity Dattatreya and offer Ārtī.

With these actions the obstacles of the negative energies in the ritual of shrāddha are removed. The Energy and Chaitanya of Deity Dattatreya is emitted in the venue of the shrāddha    and the family gets its benefit.