Pitru Yagna

PITRU—Parents, Ancestors, Elders, Children

Your first & foremost gift from the Creator is your parents. Without them, you do not even exist. In turn, your parents are the fruits of the hard work of their parents & ancestors who survived many an adversity in their lives in order to create & protect their progeny. Today, the elderly people around us are the parents & progenitors of a lineage of humans. And that lineage is represented by children.

Read on to know the consequences of your actions against parents/ elders/ children & some remedies.

Pitru Runam—The debt

You get the paralyzing Pitru Runam when you consciously...

Ignore your dependent parents—failing to return their physical, financial, & emotional investments in you.
Ignore your dependent children—failing to duly invest in their physical, financial, & emotional care.
Ignore other vulnerable elders—failing to support them or preventing others from supporting.
Ignore other vulnerable children—failing to support them or preventing others from supporting.

As consequences of Pitru Runam, you will...

Be ignored as a dependent parent—not getting any physical/ financial/ emotional comforts from your children.
Be ignored as a dependent child—not getting any physical/ financial/ emotional comforts from your parents.
Be ignored as an elderly person—not getting any support from others.
Be ignored as a vulnerable child—not getting any support from others.

Instead of passively ignoring, if you actively harm, you get cursed. Read on...

Pitru Dosham—The curse

You get the painful Pitru Dosham when you consciously...

Harm your parents—causing pain to them in any way.
Harm your children—causing pain to them in any way, including aborting unborn foetus.
Harm other vulnerable elders—causing pain to them in any way.
Harm other vulnerable children—causing pain to them in any way.

As consequences of Pitru Dosham, you will...

Be harmed as a parent—begetting delinquent/ sick/ disabled child, being childless, or even losing child.
Be harmed as a child—begetting abusive parents, being reborn with congenital diseases/ deformities to live a short life, or even being orphaned.
Be harmed as an elderly person—suffering abandonment/ abuse.
Be harmed as a vulnerable child—suffering abandonment/ abuse.

If you have high Pitru Runam/ Dosham, you will continue to accumulate more, until divine mercy intervenes & guides you to acquire blessings that break the vicious cycle. Read on...

Pitru Bhagyam—The blessing

You get the blissful Pitru Bhagyam when you...

Please your parents—gratefully & selflessly respecting & supporting them. In the presence of your parents, always be in a state of surrender (sharanam).
Enable your children—loving & caring for them in every way.
Protect other vulnerable elders—selflessly supporting them as much as you can with respect.
Protect other vulnerable children—selflessly supporting them as much as you can with care.

As consequences of Pitru Bhagyam, you will...

Be pleased as a parent—begetting respectful & supportive children.
Be enabled as a child—begetting loving & caring parents.
Be protected as an elderly person—being supported when your children are not around.
Be protected as a child—being supported when your parents are not around.

For specific actions to avoid these debts/ curses & gain blessings, read on...

Pitru Yagnam—The Sacrifice

Following are some practical, remedial actions you can take to reduce/ eradicate your Pitru Runam/ Dosham. These actions go beyond your call of duty (thus, the sacrifice), so do them according to your capacity... the more, the better.

Dos

Generally, try to reduce pain or give pleasure to parents, elders, & children. Selflessly helping them is the long-term/ permanent pleasure you can gain for yourself.
Make your parents feel loved & respected. Make them feel useful. Be very conscious of their need for dignity in their old age. Give them useful tasks to keep them busy. Support their interests. Talk to them daily. Listen to them carefully. Ideally, lovingly touch them at least once a day.
Make your children feel loved & cared for. Make them feel valued. Be very conscious of their need for your attention rather than your material things. Ideally, lovingly touch them at least once a day.
Discipline your children judiciously. The difference between disciplining & decimating is that the former is delivered with good intent & without emotion, while the latter is delivered with anger & frustration.
Respectfully assist other elderly people whenever & wherever you can. Give them right of way. Let them jump queues. Give them your seat in public transport. Give them a lift.
Regularly check up on your elderly neighbours who live alone. Volunteer to include your phone number as their emergency contact. You are their keeper.
If you witness an elderly person being abused or in danger, intervene & protect the elder.
Arrange for abandoned elderly people to find shelter homes. Contribute & encourage contribution of time/ money to such shelters.
Visit old-age homes with family & give them some joy. Celebrate your birthdays & children’s birthdays in old-age homes.
Lovingly assist other children whenever & wherever you can. Ensure the safety of children travelling alone. In the absence of their parents, you are the keeper of these children.
If your neighbour’s children are left home alone, check up on them.
If you witness a child being abused or in danger, intervene & protect the child. Here, note that parents disciplining their children are not to be interrupted.
Arrange for abandoned children to find shelter homes. Contribute & encourage contribution of time/ money to such shelters.
Visit orphanages & give the children some joy. Celebrate your birthdays in orphanages.

Don’ts

Generally, try to not ignore or harm parents, elders, & children. Being selfish/ hurtful towards them is a sure way to attract long-term suffering for yourself.
Don’t judge your parents. Ignore their perceived faults. Never ever curse your parents.
Don’t scold your elderly parents/ in-laws who involuntarily err due to forgetfulness or incontinence. If you do, you will surely be in their state later.
Don’t make your elderly parents feel useless & a burden on you. Always remember that your children will treat you the same way you treated your parents.
Don’t isolate or dump your parents in old-age homes. It is the natural right of grandparents to be with their grandchildren, and it is your bounden duty to keep your parents in your home. Find a way!
Don’t make your children feel abandoned in your absence or fearful in your presence. If you do, you will surely be in that state later.
Don’t try to compensate for your lack of time & attention with material things for your children. Don’t make the mistake of “selling your eyes to buy a painting”. Children need their parents first, not things.
Never ever curse your children.
Don’t ignore, abuse, or make life difficult for other elderly people.
Don’t ignore, abuse, or make life difficult for other vulnerable children.
Don’t ignore or prevent charity to old-age homes.
Don’t ignore or prevent charity to orphanages.
Some people justify their selfishness by finding faults with beneficiaries/ institutions of charity. Don’t indulge in such selfish bad-mouthing.

Caution

If the above words reached your mind & heart, that is a sign of divine grace to break the vicious cycle you are trapped in. If not, at least keep in mind that Creation constantly provides you with opportunities to save yourself... just don’t condemn yourself any further. God bless! 🙏

< Intro | Acharya Yagna >