Is offering fish to the ancestors on Srartha day allowed?

I just wanted to know what are these cults which follow such sinful practices and what are the consequences of such offerings. As well as how to counter them later through our own maybe yagyas which we can do at our own levels, what should be the exact Sradh vidhi and how to know which pandit is genuine. I will be leaving for college and have some financial support that I can do a puja of my own. If you can guide me how and what to do.. it would mean a lot to me.”

REPLY:

No. Offering fish to the deceased persons is not a bonafide ritual.

Agni will accept only the vegetarian food and transfer it to the deceased ancestors in the Pitru loka.

(What are the rituals to ensure good status of my deceased father? READ HERE!)

Offering Animals in Agni is permitted only in a few yagas performed by the kings for the welfare of country.

Shardha is nothing but a ritual to offer food and water to our deceased ancestors.

Our one year is one day for them in pitru loka. So, When we offer food every year during shrartha means, we offer food to the ancestros every day in pitru loka.

Another food is also given by feeding brahmanas on the days of Mahalaya Paksha days.

Monthly offering of Tharpana, ie, water offering ritual for 12 months on earth is meant for giving water 12 times a day in Pitru loka.

Thus, We are offering food twice a day and water 12 times a day to them every day in Pitru loka (one year on earth).

Normally every one performs Srardha only to his parents.

If we are adopted, we should offer srartha to our grandparents.

Srardha should be performed mostly on the thidhi when the person dies, annually.

If one doesn’t know the thithi in which the ancestors died, alternatively, he can offer food to the ancestors on Mahalaya Paksha days, particularly on Mahalaya Amavasya day.

Usually, the food offered in Agni will reach a particular ancestor only if we mention their thithis in mantras.

But, how the food goes to the ancestors even without knowing the thithi of death of our ancestors?

There is a nice reason.

Mahalaya Paksha period doesn’t require thithi of death to take food to our ancestors. Because all the three generations of deceased persons will come and wait for food at our house entrance itself.

They are given holiday during the Mahalaya Paksha period to visit the earth to get food from their sons and families.

So, even when we offer food to the brahmanas on the Mahalaya Paksha period, it will easily reach the ancestors who are waiting at the entrance of our house will receive it.

Since the ancestors are waiting for our food in our house itself, Agni is not needed to take our food to the Pitru loka. No such travels will happen during Mahalaya Paksha Period.

Thus, we should offer two times of food and 12 times of water in a year.

There are strict rules for cooking for srarthas like –

(i) The food for Sradha should be cooked in ghee.

(ii) Gingelly oil could also be used.

(What are the rituals to ensure good status of my deceased father? READ HERE!)

(iii) Millets , cowpea seeds , horse gram , Drum stick, Ash gourd, Bottle gourd , , asafetida and all western vegetables should not be used for Srardha.

(iv) Black gram, black Gingelly , wheat, cowpea, bitter gourd, jack fruit , mango , Pomegranate, Curry leaf, lemon, Banana fruit, Ilanthai fruit, gooseberry , grapes, pepper, snake gourd, Kandan Kathiru, honey , ghee, Kandasari sugar, Jaggery , sea salt, Cow milk, Yam , colacasia, Jeera , Cardamom, Lablab beans climbing brinjal, adamant creeper, Curd prepared out of cow’s milk and Banana pseudo stem can be used for cooking in Srardha.

(v) Some people also use Coconut, mustard , Bengal gram , ash gourd, wood apple and Chillies. Follow the customs of your house.

(vi) But, for any reason, Meat or fish or even egg should not be offered in Srardha. If offered, it will not reach the target persons in the Pitru loka.

In case your family members are unable to cook properly on the day of srardha, they can observe Hiranya Srardha that means  offering grains, vegetables to the brahmanas without cooking along with some dakshina (money).

These are the permitted foods on the day of Srardha for anyone as per Vedic traditions.

It is upto your parents to use it or not. I have given just rules..

Hope you are clear now whether offering fish to the ancestors on Srartha day allowed or not.