Namaste,
The Puranas, our timeless guides, repeatedly highlight the exceptional importance and sacred nature of products derived from the revered cow. These dairy items are not just considered food; they are potent symbols of purity, nourishment, and auspiciousness, playing a vital role in worship (puja), offerings (naivedya, homa), sacred vows (vratas), and diets specifically prescribed for spiritual well-being and, most importantly for our discussion, the deep satisfaction of our deities and Pitrs (ancestors) during Pitrupaksha.
Milk (Kshira/Dugdha): The Foundation of Purity, Nourishment, and Sacred Offerings- Dairy product in Pitrupaksha Diet
Milk, particularly pure cow’s milk, is frequently and lovingly mentioned throughout our scriptures as a vital, wholesome, and profoundly pure substance. Its uses are diverse, touching upon many aspects of religious and daily life as described in the Puranas:
Integral to Vows and Austerities (Vrata Paripalana):
Consuming milk alone (a payo-vrata) is often prescribed as a sacred diet during various vows and austerities, sometimes for specific durations like twelve days, a month, or even continuously for longer periods. Such vows, undertaken with milk as the primary sustenance, are said to lead to profound purity, the attainment of specific heavenly regions (like Hari’s Loka – the abode of Lord Vishnu), or the dissolution of accumulated sins.
Milk is also mentioned as a permissible substance to break a swoon or fainting spell during a vow without nullifying the sanctity of the vow itself.
Drinking milk at night on the fifteenth day (Purnima) of every month is mentioned as part of a vow leading to Vishnu’s divine position and the liberation of one’s ancestors.
The sacred Govrata (a vow related to cows) involves the consumption of cow’s urine and milk, emphasizing their purifying qualities.
Central to Offerings (Naivedya) and Worship (Puja/Abhisheka):
Milk is extensively used to bathe deities (abhisheka), sometimes pure, and at other times mixed with other sacred substances like ghee or honey. Bathing a deity with milk is said to grant good fortune, prosperity, and divine felicity.
Milk, often without sugar (though sugar can be added for specific benefits like increased intellect), is used for Dhara worship of Lord Shiva (a continuous stream offering).
Key in Rituals and Purification (Shuddhi Karma):
Milk is one of the five sacred products of the cow that constitute Pancha Gavya – along with cow dung, curd, clarified butter (ghee), and cow’s urine. This potent mixture is extensively used for purification rites (shuddhi karma) and as an expiation (prayashchitta) for various transgressions. The correct proportion of milk in Pancha Gavya is also meticulously mentioned. Drinking Pancha Gavya is itself a powerful form of penance and purification. Pancha Gavya is revered as being capable of purifying the entire world.
Promoter of Health and Well-being (Arogya Vardhaka):
Cow’s milk is consistently described in Ayurvedic sections of the Puranas as highly beneficial for health, capable of dispelling imbalances of Vayu (wind) and Pitta (bile/fire). It is considered emulsive (soothing), though somewhat heavy, and deeply rejuvenating (rasayana).
Buffalo’s milk, in contrast, is often noted as being heavier and potentially impairing digestive fire (agni), highlighting the preference for cow’s milk in sacred contexts.
Goat’s milk is mentioned as beneficial for specific ailments like blood dysentery, asthma, and imbalances of Kapha (phlegm). Even human mother’s milk is noted for improving eyesight and curing Rakta Pitta (bleeding disorders).
Milk is a common ingredient in many traditional medicinal remedies detailed in the Puranas.
Important Prohibitions to Note:
The scriptures also provide specific prohibitions related to milk consumption to maintain its purity and efficacy. For instance, one should not consume milk stored in a copper vessel.
Consuming milk mixed with salt is generally advised against.
During a specific vow (Taptakrcchra performed with cold things), drinking cold milk is restricted.
Curd (Dadhi): A Sacred Transformation, Offering Wholesomeness and Purity
Curd, the beloved Dadhi, which is a transformation of milk through a natural process, also holds a significant and revered place in the Dairy Pitrupaksha diet and sacred observances:
Valued in Offerings and Worship:
Curd is frequently used in the ceremonial bathing (abhisheka) of deities.
A special dish of curd and rice (Dohada or Dadhyodana) is prescribed for worship during the Sravana Nakshatra.
Offering flour or meal mixed with curd to the Lord of Soona (often interpreted as a specific deity or aspect) is mentioned for gaining divine favor.
Essential in Rituals and Purification:
Curd is an indispensable component of the sacred Pancha Gavya mixture, contributing to its profound purifying properties.
Beneficial for Health and Well-being:
Ayurvedically, curd is said to dispel Vayu (wind) and is considered an aphrodisiac. However, it can sometimes generate Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) if consumed improperly or in excess.
Churned sour cream (which could refer to buttermilk or a form of concentrated curd) is noted as dispelling all doshas (humoral imbalances) and cleansing bodily vessels.
Curd is mentioned as a permissible and sustaining diet in certain sacred vows. It is also used as an ingredient in various traditional remedies.
Hierarchical Significance: In some Puranic contexts, curd is considered superior to milk in terms of its ritualistic value or density of nourishment.
Important Considerations:
The Puranas mention that avoiding curds and milk for a specific vow can lead to happiness in Goloka (the celestial abode of Lord Krishna and cows), indicating that temporary abstention can also be a form of spiritual discipline.
Crucially for Pitrupaksha: Churning milk to make buttermilk or to obtain ghee on a New Moon day (Amavasya) or a Pitrsraddha day (a day specifically designated for ancestral rites) is said to render the resulting buttermilk akin to liquor and the ghee like cow’s meat, thereby making them impure and incurring sin. This is a vital injunction, implying that dairy products intended for Shradh offerings should ideally be prepared or procured on a prior day to ensure their ritual purity and appropriateness for the sacred time.
Ghee (Ghrita / Clarified Butter): The Quintessential Sacred Offering – The “Liquid Gold”
Ghee, is perhaps the most consistently praised and ubiquitously used dairy product in the context of all sacred Hindu rites and offerings, and its role in the Dairy Pitrupaksha diet is paramount.
Heart of Offerings and Homa (Fire Oblations):
Ghee is abundantly and essentially used in Homa ceremonies. Offerings made into the sacred fire with ghee are believed to be carried by Agni Deva directly to the deities and ancestors.
It is a preferred substance for bathing/anointing deities (abhisheka). Bathing a deity with ghee is said to lead one to the deity’s divine region.
Ghee derived from pure cow’s milk is considered excellent, and that from a tawny colored cow is deemed even more excellent for sacred purposes. The measure of ghee for specific offerings is also sometimes specified.
Indispensable for Rituals and Purification:
Ghee is a key, often primary, ingredient in the Pancha Gavya purifying mixture.
Part of Vows and Sacred Diet:
Ghee is often consumed as part of the prescribed diet during certain sacred vows and austerities. It is considered one of the best lardaceous (fatty/oily) substances, providing energy and sustenance.
Consuming ghee regularly is recommended in Ayurvedic contexts within the Puranas for improving intelligence (buddhi), memory (smriti), understanding (medha), and digestive power (agni).
Promoter of Health and Well-being:
Ghee is described Ayurvedically as an aphrodisiac and sweet in taste. It has the unique property of dispelling imbalances of Vayu, Pitta, and Kapha when used appropriately.
Cow’s ghee specifically is lauded for improving intellect and eyesight. Medicated ghee (siddha ghrita) is mentioned for a vast array of ailments.
Ghee mixed with Vastava (possibly a specific herb) is noted as beneficial for dropsy. It is used as an ointment for the head and in remedies for heart, stomach, rheumatic, and pulmonary diseases, as well as piles and other disorders.
Frying various sacred preparations (like Pupalika, Phenika – Poori-like items and sweetmeats) in ghee is frequently mentioned.
Sanctifying Prepared Food: A crucial Puranic injunction for Shradh is that cooked food, particularly rice and other offerings, should be soaked in ghee, or ghee should be poured over and beneath it. This act of anointing with ghee highlights its immense importance in sanctifying the food prepared for ancestors.
Hierarchical Superiority: In some contexts, ghee is considered superior even to curd in its sacredness and efficacy.
Important Prohibitions:
Leftover ghee from a previous meal or offering should generally not be consumed or reused for subsequent sacred purposes.
As with curd, the act of churning milk for obtaining ghee on a New Moon day or a Pitrsraddha day is strictly prohibited, as it renders the ghee impure for ritual use.
Pancha Gavya and the Unparalleled Sanctity of the Cow (Go Mata)
Beyond the individual dairy products, the collective use of the five sacred products of the cow (Pancha Gavya) signifies their immense combined purifying power. Our scriptures revere cows themselves as goddesses, and bulls as gods. All products derived from pure, well-cared-for cows are considered inherently pure and capable of purifying the entire world. Eating or drinking cow products is said to remove sin, and they are consistently deemed the “best of all things.” Conversely, the Puranas warn that evil spirits are said to partake of the meal of one who eats continuously for a month without using cow products (milk, curd, ghee). The gifting (daana) of cows, milk, curd, or ghee is highlighted as an exceptionally meritorious act, conferring heavenly benefits and profound ancestral blessings.
Dairy in the Specific Context of Shradh and Pitrupaksha: Nourishing the Ancestors
The Puranas are quite explicit and emphatic about the suitability and profound importance of dairy products for Shradh, the sacred rites performed for our Pitrs, especially during Pitrupaksha:
Direct Offerings to Pitrs and Brahmins:
The texts clearly state that one should offer Shradh with food and water, or, if resources are limited, even with simple offerings of milk, roots, and fruits.
Brahmins invited for Shradh are to be fed with wholesome and delicious meals that specifically include milk puddings (Payasa or Kheer).
Milk pudding prepared with cow’s milk, honey, and ghee should be given to Brahmins for the complete satisfaction of the Pitrs. This combination is considered exceptionally potent.
Offering milk along with honey with the Pitrs in view is a highly recommended act.
Offering cooked rice mixed with fresh curd with the Pitrs in view is also prescribed, with a warning of negative consequences if this duty is neglected.
Saktu (fried barley flour) mixed with milk can be offered to the Pitrs on the new-moon day (Amavasya).
It is believed that Pitrs are particularly satiated by offerings of milk and white gingelly seeds.
Ghee’s Special and Exalted Status in Shradh:
Ghee is specifically and repeatedly praised in the course of the Shradh rite. Offering pure cow’s ghee directly contributes to the deep satisfaction of the Pitrs.
The ghee taken out of a variegated (multi-colored) cow’s milk is called Dauhitra and is especially remembered and recommended for rites pertaining to both gods (Deva karya) and ancestors (Pitru karya).
The practice of soaking cooked food for Shradh in ghee or generously pouring ghee over and beneath it underscores its central and indispensable role in sanctifying the offerings.
These numerous and consistent mentions across various Puranas irrefutably demonstrate that milk, curd, and particularly ghee are not merely permitted but are highly recommended and hold a place of supreme honour in the foods offered and consumed during Pitrupaksha observances. They are considered deeply conducive to the satisfaction (tripti) and propitiation of our revered Pitrs.
Nuances and Important Considerations for the Dairy Pitrupaksha Diet
While dairy is widely and enthusiastically supported by the scriptures for Pitrupaksha, the texts also offer specific caveats and guidelines to ensure utmost purity and efficacy:
Timing of Preparation: As emphatically mentioned, churning milk for butter/ghee or obtaining buttermilk on a Pitrsraddha day (or Amavasya) renders these products ritually impure for the Shradh. This implies that dairy products intended for Shradh offerings should ideally be prepared or procured on a prior day, ensuring their purity and appropriateness for the sacred time of offering.
Prohibited Combinations or Vessels: Remember the general injunctions to avoid consuming milk with salt and milk stored in copper vessels. Leftover ghee from a previous meal should also be avoided for subsequent sacred use.
Purity of the Source Cow: The Puranas sometimes speak of using products from specific types of cows (e.g., tawny, white, copper-coloured, black, blue) for different components of Pancha Gavya, and ghee from tawny cows being particularly superior. This subtly emphasizes the importance of the health, purity, and well-being of the source animal. Using milk and ghee from healthy, well-treated desi cows is always preferred.
Overall Dietary Context and Purity: Dairy products should be part of a larger meal prepared with other Puranically permitted ingredients, strictly avoiding prohibited items like onion, garlic, masoor dal, certain other pulses, carrots, asparagus, stale food, twice-cooked food, or burnt grain, as indicated in the broader scriptural dietary guidelines for sacred and solemn times like Pitrupaksha.
Conclusion: Dairy – A Sacred Elixir for Ancestral Blessings
In humble summation, the Puranic sources you have provided overwhelmingly and enthusiastically support the prominent inclusion of milk, curd, and especially ghee in the diet and offerings during Pitrupaksha and other sacred observances. These precious products of the revered cow are consistently extolled as pure, purifying, profoundly nourishing, and particularly pleasing to both deities and our beloved Pitrs.
Recipes for Shradh-compliant meals, including those for Poori-style fried breads (as we discussed in our previous exchange on the Pitrupaksha bread recipe), would fittingly and auspiciously incorporate these dairy items – especially ghee for frying and for enriching other dishes like rice, dal (made from permitted pulses), and vegetable preparations. While simple Chapati (un-fried flatbread) is not explicitly mentioned in these specific Puranic contexts for Shradh, the use of wheat flour is acceptable, and the inclusion of dairy in accompanying dishes or within special preparations like Payasam or ghee-fried items aligns powerfully and harmoniously with the scriptural guidance.
May this detailed exposition, drawn faithfully from the timeless wisdom of our sacred Puranas, serve to guide you in your heartfelt and meticulous observance of Pitrupaksha. May your ancestors be deeply pleased and may their choicest blessings enrich your life.
|| हरि ॐ तत् सत् ||