Namaste,
The fortnight of Pitrupaksha, is a solemn and exceptionally sacred time in our Hindu calendar. It is meticulously dedicated to honouring, remembering, and propitiating our ancestors, our revered Pitrs. During this period, various rites, rituals, and observances are undertaken with utmost devotion to ensure the spiritual well-being and peaceful progress of the departed souls, and in turn, to seek their invaluable blessings for the living descendants. Among these practices, the offering of food (anna daana in a broader sense) plays a absolutely central role. Our ancient texts, the Puranas, not only prescribe the specific kinds of pure, Sattvic food to be offered to learned and deserving Brahmins (who are often seen as representing the Pitrs during Shradh ceremonies), but they also detail the significance of making offerings to other beings, including certain animals – most notably, crows and cows. These acts are not merely charitable gestures, my children; they are deeply intertwined with the ritual purity, the spiritual efficacy, and the holistic worldview of Pitrupaksha observances- Food for crows cows Pitrupaksha
Honouring Our Ancestors Through Feeding Crows (Kaka Bali)
In the sacred tapestry of Pitrupaksha traditions, crows (kaka) hold a unique and spiritually significant position. Ancient wisdom and popular belief hold that during this specific fortnight, our Pitrs may visit the earthly realm, sometimes assuming the subtle form of crows, to observe their descendants and accept their offerings. Thus, feeding crows is widely seen as a direct and poignant way of offering food and reverence to the ancestors themselves.
The Puranic Injunction for Offering Food to Crows:
Several of our revered Puranic sources explicitly mention the practice of offering food to crows as an integral part of ancestral rites and other sacred ceremonies.
- The Agni Purana clearly states that offerings of balls of rice (Pindas) are to be made to the crows.
- Similarly, the Skanda Purana mentions the practice of offering oblations (food portions) to crows on the ground outside the house, often as part of the Bhuta Yajna or Bhuta Bali – one of the five great daily sacrifices (Pancha Maha Yajnas) for a householder. This Bhuta Bali involves making offerings to various living beings, including animals, birds, worms, and insects, who are considered desirous of the food offered during sacred rites.
The Offering to Crows: What Food and Where?
- Primary Food: The principal food item mentioned for offering to crows is cooked rice. This is often given in the form of small rice balls, similar to the Pindas offered in the main Shradh ritual, or simply as loose cooked rice.
- Placement: The offering is typically strewn or placed on clean ground outside the house. Some texts or traditions may indicate specific directions for placing these offerings, such as the quarters of the east, west, north-west, north, and south-west.
- Mantra: A specific mantra is often recited while making this offering, such as: “Om Kaka Bali Grahanartham Swaha” or, as mentioned in one of your sources, a prayer like, “May the crows of the quarters of east, west, northwest, northeast and southwest accept this ball of rice offered by me on the ground.” The chanting of mantras infuses the offering with sacred vibrations.
The Spiritual Significance of Feeding Crows During Pitrupaksha:
Beyond merely providing sustenance to the birds, the act of feeding crows during Pitrupaksha carries specific spiritual benefits and deep symbolic meaning, as described in our sacred texts.
- Ancestral Connection: As mentioned, it is a direct way of acknowledging and potentially feeding the ancestors who might be present in that form.
- Fulfillment of Desires: Offering Pinda (rice balls) to crows can bring about desirable outcomes, such as the blessing of a long life, progeny (children), and even a house.
- Peace for All Beings: It is believed that through such offerings, even those ancestors who may have attained lower forms of existence (like that of birds, worms, or insects due to their past karmas) can receive satisfaction and find peace. This practice underscores the compassionate and all-encompassing nature of Hindu rituals, which seek the well-being of all beings. The food offered with mantras is believed to reach the intended recipients, regardless of their current state or form.
Reverence for Cows (Go Mata) and Offerings During Pitrupaksha
The cow, revered as Go Mata (Mother Cow) in our Sanatan Dharma, holds an exceptionally sacred and exalted status. Offerings made to cows, or those associated with cows and their products, are considered highly meritorious. Feeding cows is a deeply recommended act of piety throughout the year, and its significance is further amplified during periods like Pitrupaksha and other important rituals.
The Exalted and Sacred Status of Cows:
The sacredness of the cow is repeatedly and beautifully highlighted in our Puranic texts.
- The Agni Purana refers to cows as “daughters of the celestial cow” (Kamadhenu or Surabhi) and describes them as “good for all, holy, destroyer of sins and the mothers of the three worlds.”
- The Siva Purana profoundly mentions that the four nipples of the cow are associated with the sacred offerings of Svaha (to Devas), Svadha (to Pitrs), Vashatkara (to other deities), and Hantakara (to humans), thereby directly linking the cow to the sustenance of gods, ancestors, other divine beings, and humanity itself. This inherent sanctity makes anything offered to cows, or pure products derived from them, exceptionally auspicious and pleasing to both deities and ancestors.
Specific Food for Cows Pitrupaksha Observances and Their Sacred Products:
While the Pindas offered during Shradh can, after the ritual, be respectfully given to cows as one of the prescribed options for their disposal (along with offering to goats, Brahmins, fire, or water), the Puranas also mention specific food items given directly to cows, or products derived from cows that are particularly pleasing to the Pitrs.
- Direct Feeding of Cows:
- Cows are mentioned as being lovingly fed curd and Gograsa (morsels of food, often the first part of a meal).
- For bulls, oil-cake is mentioned as an elixir.
- Feeding cows with herbs like Ashvagandha and sesamum is noted to increase their strength and milk yield, highlighting a holistic care approach.
- The simple act of worshipping and feeding cows brings peace, prosperity, and an abundance of milk, symbolizing overall well-being.
- Sacred Cow Products for Ancestral Offerings:
- Milk ( Cow’s milk is highly esteemed for all sacred offerings, including those made to the Pitrs.
- Ghee (Ghrita): Pure ghee derived from cow’s milk is indispensable in Shradh rituals. It’s used in Homa (fire oblations), for preparing sacred food like Payasam (Kheer), and for enriching Pindas. Offerings made with ghee are particularly satisfying to the ancestors.
- Curd (Dadhi): Fresh curd from cow’s milk is also used in offerings and for feeding Brahmins.
- Milk Pudding (Payasam/Kheer): Rice cooked in cow’s milk, sweetened, and often enriched with ghee and honey, is considered an exceptionally potent offering that can satisfy the Pitrs for extended periods – even up to a year or eternally when offered at specific holy places like Gopada Tirtha.
- Panchagavya: The five products of the cow (milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung), collectively known as Panchagavya, are used in various purification rites associated with Shradh and other ceremonies, underscoring the cow’s central role in maintaining ritual purity and sanctity.
The Spiritual Benefits of Feeding Cows and Offering Cow Products:
- Offering Pindas to cows is one of the sanctified ways by which the essence of the offering is believed to reach the deceased ancestors.
- More broadly, the gift of cows (Go Daan) themselves is considered one of the most meritorious acts of charity, often superior to many other forms of giving like land, gold, or even learning.
- Feeding cows and worshipping them brings immense blessings, peace, and prosperity to the household.
- Offering pure milk and milk products, especially Payasam prepared with cow’s milk, honey, and ghee, is a powerful and deeply satisfying way to please the Pitrs for long durations, ensuring their contentment and thereby bestowing great merit and well-being upon their living descendants.
The Broader Context: Bhuta Yajna and Offerings to Other Beings
It is important to understand,that feeding crows and cows during Pitrupaksha is part of a wider, compassionate, and holistic practice of offering food (Bali) to various beings (Bhutas) as part of our sacred rites. The Puranic sources also mention making offerings to dogs (Shvana Bali), Svapacas (those considered outcastes in ancient society), fallen people, Chandalas, persons suffering from sinful or foul diseases, worms, insects, and various other living beings.
This “Bhuta Bali” or “Bhuta Yajna” acknowledges the profound interconnectedness of all life forms and ensures that even those beings in lower states of existence or those outside the main ritual focus receive sustenance and blessings. The Puranas sometimes illustrate that Pindas or food offerings can also be directed towards goats, or into sacred fire (Agni), or into holy waters (Jala), or even specifically to cocks for the fulfillment of certain desires. This demonstrates the diverse channels through which the subtle essence of our offerings can reach their intended divine or ancestral recipients.
These offerings to various beings, including our primary focus of food for crows cows Pitrupaksha, are presented in our scriptures not as optional or merely sentimental acts, but as integral components of a comprehensive approach to ritual purity, Dharma, and honoring the divine and ancestral realms. Neglecting these injunctions, the texts suggest, can lead to undesirable spiritual consequences, as the balance of giving and receiving is disturbed.
Observing Pitrupaksha with Reverence, Purity, and Compassion
In summary, the practice of feeding crows and cows during the sacred fortnight of Pitrupaksha, as beautifully described in our ancient Puranic sources, is a deeply significant and meritorious aspect of honouring our Pitrs and upholding Dharma.
- Offering cooked rice and rice balls (Pindas) to crows is a symbolic and potent act, believed to directly provide sustenance to our ancestors, thereby conferring merit, fulfilling desires, and bringing peace to those departed souls.
- Feeding cows, revered as sacred Go Mata, with curd, Gograsa, or even the ritual Pindas, and more importantly, offering their pure products like milk, ghee, and Kheer in Shradh, provides immense and lasting satisfaction to the Pitrs and accrues unparalleled spiritual benefit to the performer.
These practices, along with offerings made to other beings, are part of a holistic and compassionate system designed to ensure the efficacy of the Shradh rites, maintain harmony between the living, the departed, and the wider creation, and allow us to express our gratitude to all forms of life that contribute to the cosmic order.
By humbly and sincerely adhering to these timeless traditions, by understanding the profound wisdom behind offering food for crows cows Pitrupaksha, we connect deeply with the spiritual ethos of our ancestors and contribute significantly to the spiritual well-being of our entire lineage and ourselves.
May our offerings be pure, our intentions sincere, and our reverence profound.
|| हरि ॐ तत् सत् ||