Importance of Mahalayam

The Tamil month of Purattasi is extremely auspicious and significantly so, as this is the period of Mahalaya Paksham. The two weeks from Krishna paksha pradhamai to the Amavasya of Bhadrapada month is called Mahalaya Paksham, with the final day of Mahalaya Paksham being the Mahalaya Amavasya. Mahalayam means coming to live together in groups, and one’s ancestors are believed to descend from pitru loka and dwell with their descendants during this auspicious period, said Tirukkudanthai Dr. Venkatesh.

Legend has it that when Karna died in the Kurukshetra war and attained Indra Loka, he wanted to have some food, but was only offered gold and silver. When he wondered at the treatment, Brihaspati, the preceptor of the devas, informed him that since he made only donations via valuables in his lifetime as an earthling, he was “reaping as he sowed”. When Yama pointed out that he failed to do annadanam for his ancestors on earth, Karna wondered how he could be punished for something he was unaware of. Accepting the logic, Yama permitted Karna to go back to earth, where he performed tharpanam and offer bhojanam in memory of his ancestors and returned to Indra Loka.

Quoting the scriptures, Yama reiterated the manifold benefits arising out of performing tharpanam and offering annadanam during the period of Mahalaya Paksham. It is recommended that men perform the tharpanam for their ancestors on all 15 days plus one, which is the prathamai coming after Mahalaya Amavasya. One should also perform the shraddham for the ancestors in full, on one of the days in the Mahalayam. Performing these rituals on the banks of holy rivers will fetch more benefits. Many devotees voluntarily embrace satvik practices during this period as a means of invoking the blessings of one’s forefathers for wisdom, health and wealth of one’s offspring.

Published - October 02, 2024 05:14 am IST