Dinesh: Pujya Guru ji pranaam, Please let me know how to perform pooja for pitra devta and can we keep our pitra devta photo beside our daily puja room and perform daily pooja with a lamp and Incense stick/ Pitra I am talking about is my Dad who expired nearly 9 years ago. And
Guruji also please guide us on pitru dosh and its nivaran remedies. Thanking you.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Pitra devta jo swargvaas ho gaye hain, unkee pooja ved-shastraon ke virudh hai. Ved kehta hai kee hamein zinda mata pita, atithi, buzurgon
kee seva karnee chahiye. I also paste my article in this regard:-

In this connection, I would like to say that Blind faith has destroyed people. I mean to say to decide the truth, it is an eternal law that we have to tally our views, worship etc., with eternal Vedas knowledge. Due to lack of Vedas’ knowledge, now nobody knows the said eternal law made by God Himself in Vedas. As Pitra dosh, kaal sarp Yoga, Vaastu kala, Mangalik, mentioned in Vedas. So, learned never accept it, being against the Vedas. if you want to do it, you can continue it at your own accord. However, according to Vedas, we have to serve our parents and learned acharya, elders when they are alive. Tarpannam means when they are alive. Tarpannam means with full satisfaction (tript kar deina) and Shradh means concentration over truth with faith. So, when we serve our alive parents, elders or learned acharya with due respect and faith by serving them food, clothes, house, sitting and sleeping arrangements (asan), it means we are doing Shradh i.e., service with shraddha by which they have been satisfied completely and they give us blessings in return (Tarpann).

Pitr Paksh

Pitr means those who look after us to educate, to nurse, and to protect us etc. So the said dignitaries are mother, father, grandfather, elders, acharya, etc., so all days are pitr paksh to serve them according to Vedas. The worship of God has also to be performed daily i.e., in pitri paksh too.

Anna Daan/Shradh to departed soul

Vedas are eternal knowledge which emanate direct from God at the beginning of every universe. Being the knowledge direct from God, each statement of Ved mantra is also eternal truth.

Thirty-ninth chapter of Yajurveda states about death. The soul when leaves the human body remains under control of a divine air named “Sutratma vayu”. Mantras tell that after wandering unconsciously for thirteen days in the space and planets like Sun, moon, etc., soul comes again on this earth inside the vegetation. Then either the soul enters the male living being’s body according to pious deeds and sins through pores or is duly mixed within vegetation and taken by a male person. Then the soul takes rebirth through parents.

This process is an eternal truth. However, if soul is religious and has done hard tapasya then the soul gets salvation. Only soul has to face the result of previous lives’ deeds through living being’s body. Since soul is alive whereas body is non-alive matter. So body does not face the result of deeds. When soul has gone out of body then how the soul will see, hear, taste, smell or touch or will be benefited of any pious deed etc.? Therefore Vedas do not tell about the present system of shradh etc.

However, the pious deeds done to remember the departed soul by means of devotion or organising the holy Yajyen with Ved mantras, its result never goes in vain and the family is benefited.

Departed soul never meets again please. Even departed soul, when take rebirth, forgets every event of his previous life. As regards dreams Atharvaveda states that dreams of departed soul are not good so it is in your interest and welfare that you do not see dreams.

Arun: Sadar pranam , 1 : – Guru Ji puja ke waqt dhyan kyon bhatakta hai kaise control karoon?
2 : – Bhavishya ke liya hamesha chinta lyon hoti hai maan ko kaise control karoon ?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, my daughter.

(1) Pooja mein sari indriyan kaam kartee hain, jaise hath nein kuchh karna hai, for example hath jodna itiyadi, munha nein kuch bolna hai for example shloka bolna itiyadi lekin dhyan ka matlab aisa hota hai ki har indriyan aur shareer kee sudh-budh ka bhool jaana jo ki kisi se hota nahin hai isliye Ishwar mein dhyan nahin lagta. Jahaan tak mann ko control karne kee baat hai, iske liye vidwaan se ved sunna, Ishwar ke naam ka roz jaap, hawan, vidwan acharya se Ashtang Yoga seekh kar is vidya kee satveen manzil jo dhyan hai, wahaan tak pahunch kar dhyan lagta hai. Main aapko advice karoonga ki is vishya mein aap meri pustak Patanjal Yog Darshan (Hindi) padein jismein pratayek sutra ka hindi mein arth kiya hai aur bhavarth sahit samjhaya hai. aapko asan , prannayam , dhyan ke vishya mein bahut gyan prapt hoga phir aap seekhna shuru karein.

(2) Bhavishya kee chinta karne kee bajaye yadi insaan vedanusaar vartmaan mein rozana shubh karma karega aur upar likhee sadhna kare to har chnita mit jaati hai aur bhavishya ujjawal ho jaata
hai.

Iske ilawa nimnalikhit karya karein:-

Shubh Karma

Hard working, devotion, dedication, honesty, services to the parents and elders to follow eternal religion mentioned in Vedas, practice of Ashtang Yoga, discharging moral duties to get progress in education, science simultaneously with spiritualism like, daily havan, to be in contact with the learned Acharya, to get his advice, are some of the pious deeds which make the future bright and obliterate the sorrows, problems, diseases, etc.

One must wake up early in the morning for early morning walk and exercises, must sit on meditation and chant holy name of God, must be away from any addiction and non-vegetarian. Such pious actions lead to long, happy life and bright future.
GAYATRI MANTRA

The Gayatri mantra is as follows —

OM BHURBHUVAHA SWAHA TATA SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGODEVASYA
DHIMAHI DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODYAT

Meaning of Gayatri mantra stating each word is as follows. Its meaning is based on
Vedas and Sanskrit grammar. Grammatical hints are in short please.

Om has three Hindi words. Aa, Uu AND Ma. Aa is meant for Aakaar from which three
names of God are built, Viraat, Agni, and Vishwadi. From Uu = uukar from which
Hirannyagarbha, Vayu and Tejas names occur and Ma = makaar from which Ishwar,
Aditya and Praajyan aadi, holy names of God occur. Rigveda mantra 1/164/46 says
God is one but His names are several. But here OM the holy name of God is only
being explained.

VIRAAT = Viraat word is made from dhatu ‘Rajrideeptau’ i.e., manifest. Therefore
Viraat means He who manifests the universe. As God manifests the universe, thus
Viraat is the name of God. Rigveda mandal 10, sukta 129 states that like potter
makes pot from clay, similarly God creates universe from non-alive matter prakriti.
Prakriti is unseen matter. From unseen matter, the whole universe is created in the
visible form. Science also says that matter is never destroyed but changes its form.
Suppose a paper is burnt, paper changes its form into ashes. Then ashes are crushed
and thrown in air. At this moment, the paper changed into ashes becomes invisible
but was never destroyed. Similarly the whole universe at the time of final destruction
is turned into prakriti i.e., into unseen form.

AGNI = From dhatu, “ANCHU GATI POOJANAYOHO” the word “AGNI is made. Its
meaning is: He who is a form of wisdom. “SARVAJAYEN” i.e., Omniscient. That is,
knows each and every atom of universe and even beyond universe. He who is to be
known, to be gained and is worshipful. So Agni is the name of God.

VISHWA = Vishwa word is made from dhatu, “VISHPRAVESHANE”. Its meaning is He
in whom the universe is entering or He who is entering the universe. So being
omnipresent, Vishwa is the name of God.

HIRANNYAGARBHA = i.e., ” JYOTIRVAYIHIRANYAM”. Its meaning is, who is the base
of all sun, etc., luminous lokas or He who is the living place of all luminous lokas.
VAYU = from dhatu, “VA GATIGANDHANYOHO”, vayu word is made. Its meaning is
He who holds, gives life and destroys and is the mightiest amongst all. So the name
of God is Vayu.

TEJ = from dhatu, “TIJA NISHANE”, the word Tej is made meaning He who is self
made and self-enlightened and gives light to sun, moon, stars etc. God does not take
light from anywhere but gives light to sun, moon, stars, etc. so the unbroken,
unobstructed/unproduced and eternal form of light is Almighty God and not sun,
moon etc. So the name of God is Tej.

ISHWAR = from dhatu, “ISH ASHWERIYE”, the word Ishwar is made. Its meaning is
whose knowledge is thoughtful and true and He who has unlimited wealth, fortune
and glory etc. Therefore the name of God is Ishwar. Here it is not out of place to
mention that soul (man/woman) has limited qualities and are dependent whereas
God is independent and has unlimited qualities that is why He is God.

ADITYA = from dhatu, “DO AVAKHANDANE”, Aditya word is made. Its meaning is the
one who cannot be broken into pieces and thus cannot be destroyed. So God’s name
is Aditya.

PRAJAYEN (PRAGYA) = from dhatu, “JYEN AVABODHANE”, Prajayen word is made
meaning whose wisdom is totally without any misunderstanding and thus he who
knows every matter and behavior of whole universe without misunderstanding. So
God’s name is Prajayen. So here also it is not out of place to mention that illusion
can never attack on God and God is totally free from illusion.

BHUHU = “BHUHU ITI VAYEE PRANAHA” i.e., He who is the base of lives of universe,
is most beloved, even more than Prann i.e., breath. So Bhuhu is the name of God.

BHUVAHA= “BHUVAHA ITI APANAHA” i.e., He who is totally free from any sorrow,
and the soul removes his own all sorrows after coming in contact with Him. So the
name of God is Bhuvaha.

SWAHA = i.e., “SWAHA ITI VYANAHE” who is omnipresent in the universe and is
holding the same. So the name of God is Swaha.

SAVITUHU = He who creates the universe. So the name of God is Savituhu.

DEVSYA= who gives all pleasure/merriment, so the name of God is Dev.

VARENNYAM = He who is the most supreme and acceptable. God is most supreme
and acceptable for worship.

BHARGAHA = the purest entity (though God is formless, but finding no suitable
English word of Sanskrit word, “SHUDH SWARUPAM” the word entity has been used.)

TAT = i.e., the God i.e., of the purest entity.

DHIMAHI = i.e., we must hold (sort of meditation) because

YAHA = the God

NAHA = our,

DHIYAHA = mind(i.e., in our minds)

PRACHODYAT = by inspiration (fulfil the mind with wisdom)

MEANING
“We meditate the God who is the base of lives’ of universe, totally free from any sorrow, omnipresent, creates the universe, gives all pleasure/merriment, most supreme and acceptable, purest entity; May the God enlighten our minds with wisdom by His inspiration”.

Here it is not out of place to mention that idea of a (one) Ved mantra is based on ideas of several Ved mantras. So in the above Gayatri mantra, there are three things —-

Bhuhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha, Savituhu, Bhargaha, Devsya are some qualities amongst unlimited qualities of God. These are called Stuti i.e., to say about God with His real qualities and not self made etc.

Secondly Dhimahi means meditation i.e., one should always sit in meditation and do hard and pious deeds for which he will have to study Vedas in full, while discharging moral duties towards family and nation.

Third and last is DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODYAT. It is a prayer to God explanation of which is cited above.

HOW TO DO HAVAN

Please sit in the morning to perform havan. Havan must be in sunlight then it is more beneficial. Then half a bowl of fresh water with a tablespoon must be with you with small twigs especially of mango tree if possible, havan samagri, ghee, camphor and match box must be there with you. Please sit on sukh asan on four times folded blanket and blanket must be on mat.

Sukh asan i.e., sit on duly folded feet in comfortable position. Then first close your eyes and concentrate between two eyebrows and chant Gayatri mantra three times within heart and not by mouth. Then open your eyes.

Take one spoon of water in right palm. Chant this mantra, OM AMRITO UPASTRANMASI SWAHA and drink the water which you have put in your palm. Then again take the spoon of water in right palm then chant the next mantra, OM AMRITA APIDHANMASI SWAHA, and drink the water. Then again take the water in right palm and chant the mantra, OM SATYAM YASHAH SHRI MAYI SHRI SHRAYTAAM SWAHA, and drink the water. Then wash the right palm while sitting, with the same water kept in bowl.

Then put the twigs into havan kund with one piece of camphor and burn it. During this process chant the Gayatri mantra again and again till such time the fire is lighted sufficiently. Then chant the Gayatri mantra and at the last add the word Swaha and offer ghee with tablespoon, quantity equivalent to 4 to 5 drops. And if you are alone then also offer in fire pinch of havan samagri from your right hand’s finger and thumb avoiding forefinger. So this offering may be of 11 times, 21 times or 51 times as the time suits. It is the simplest way and I have not quoted the complete method of Yajna. The havan with Ved mantras are always offered as the best worship of God only please. Do havan daily and both times.

Procedure of Chanting

Please, start the day by chanting Gayatri mantra in the early morning sitting on suitable asan like Sukhasan, Siddhasan or Padmasan etc. concentrate on the point between two eyebrows which is called “Agyachakra”. The Gayatri mantra should be chanted along with its meaning both times. Also, please try to perform daily hawan even with Gayatri mantra. Then try to study any of my books daily and put up question if any. After 15 days chant the Gayatri mantra only thrice thereafter do the name jaap of Almighty God-“Om”. The jaap must be done daily by heart and not orally.