Sraddha – Pitr-puja (The Essence of the Hindu Worship of the Forefathers: Insights and Q&A)

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His Holiness Sri Sri Rangapriya Swamiji (1927-2012) was a versatile scholar, a true saint, noted preceptor, an impressive orator, and a keen proponent of Bharatiya Samskṛti.

Known as HS Varadadesikacharya in his younger days, he came under the influence of Sri Sriranga Mahaguru, a spiritual giant: under his pre-eminent guidance, he delved deep into Vedanta, in terms of knowledge as well as experience. After his retirement from The National College, Bangalore, he became a samnyasin. Even earlier, he was honoured alike by the pontiffs of matha-s of various denominations. He inspired the renovation of many a temple. Despite his deep scholarship, he was extremely simple and humble. His loyalty to the guru stayed with him all his life.

Dr. H R Meera, who has translated this volume, is an engineer by qualification. She has worked in India and abroad as a software consultant. She has an MA in Sanskrit, and holds a PhD Degree in interdisciplinary studies (Cognitive Linguistics and Alańkarasastra) from NIAS (National Institute of Advanced Studies), Bangalore. A trained musician in Carnatic Music, she has given many public performances. It was through her singing that she came under the influence of the revered Swamiji, who introduced her to the school of thought of Sri Sriranga Mahaguru.

Performance of puja has been current in an unbroken manner in the tradition of our country from times immemorial. More particularly, the purana-s and the Agama-sastra-s have extolled especially the puja of the devata-s. The worship pertaining to the pitr-devata-s is referred to by the word sraddha. This finds mention in several sastra-s and puraṇas.

There is a tradition no doubt, of performing the karman called sraddha in the name of the deceased person; yet it is in reality the worship of the pity-s in the name of the deceased individuals. A seminar was once organised on the issue of whether this karman ought to be performed, or need not be. Participants therein were famous persons, intellectuals, scholars, and orators. Some of them were experts in Veda-s, sastra-s, and purana-s. Some of them had mastered atheist texts. And some had a mastery in both types of texts. Some were orthodox, and some were staunch opponents of sampradaya. There were some who were dillydallying between the two. Some had the title of the rationalist. Everyone was making out his case for his own ideology either through sastraic quotes, or logic etc., which are considered as authentic sources of knowledge (pramanas).