What Happens After Pind Daan? The Sacred Disposal of Pindas Explained

Namaste,

We begin the ritual with reverence, we must conclude it with equal respect. The journey of the pinda doesn’t end merely with the offering. Its final destination is a crucial part of the process, ensuring the sanctity is maintained and the offering completes its purpose according to the wisdom laid down in our Puranas.

What Happens After Pind Daan? The Sacred Disposal of Pindas Explained

After they have partaken and expressed satisfaction, you wouldn’t carelessly discard the remaining food. You would handle it respectfully, perhaps sharing it appropriately or returning it to nature thoughtfully. Similarly, the pindas offered during Pind Daan, having been consecrated through mantras and intention (sankalpa), require mindful handling after the main prayers conclude. They are not mere leftovers; they are sacred remnants of a spiritual transaction.

Why Respectful Disposal Matters (Visarjan ka Mahatva – विसर्जन का महत्त्व)

Before we explore the specific methods, let us understand why this final step, often called Visarjan (विसर्जन – respectful disposal or immersion), is so important:

1. Continued Sanctity: The pindas, having been offered to the ancestors and charged with mantra energy, retain a degree of sacredness. They are akin to prasadam (प्रसादम् – blessed offering).
2. Respect for Ancestors (Pitru Samman – पितृ सम्मान): How we treat the offered items reflects our ongoing respect for the Pitrs to whom they were dedicated. Carelessness would negate the reverence shown earlier.
3. Completing the Ritual Cycle (Karma Chakra Purnata – कर्म चक्र पूर्णता): Proper disposal brings the ritual to a harmonious conclusion, ensuring the entire act, from invocation to conclusion, is performed correctly.
4. Avoiding Inauspiciousness (Ashubhta Nivaran – अशुभता निवारण): Leaving sacred offerings unattended or disposing of them improperly is considered disrespectful and can attract undesirable influences according to traditional beliefs.

Therefore, choosing an appropriate method for the pindas is the final, essential act of the Pind Daan ritual.

The Prescribed Destinations: Where Do the Pindas Go?

Our scriptures, particularly the Garuda Purana which delves deeply into matters concerning the afterlife and ancestral rites, provide clear guidance on what happens after Pind Daan regarding the offered pindas. The common thread is returning them respectfully to the elements or offering them to beings considered pure or representative.

Common and Recommended Practices (Prachalit Vidhiyan – प्रचलित विधियाँ):

• Offering to Cows (Go-Graas / Go-Daan – गोग्रास / गोदान):
  • Significance: This is perhaps the most highly recommended and meritorious (punya) method. In Sanatan Dharma, the cow (Go-mata – गोमाता) is revered. She embodies purity and selflessness. Feeding a cow is always an auspicious act (shubh karya).
  • Puranic Guidance: The Garuda Purana explicitly mentions giving the pindas to cows [Garuda Purana].
  • Why Recommended: Offering the pinda to such a pure, sattvic being ensures it is consumed respectfully. It’s believed offerings made via a cow reach the divine realms effectively, and the act of Go-Seva (सेवा – service to the cow) itself adds merit.
  • Procedure: After the ritual, the pindas are respectfully taken and offered to a cow to eat.
• Offering to Crows (Kaka Bali / Vayasa Pinda – काक बलि / वायस पिण्ड):
  • Significance: This is a very traditional and widely observed practice. Crows (kaka – काक) hold a unique place in Shradh rituals. They are sometimes seen as messengers of Lord Yama (the lord of death and justice) or even as direct representatives (pratinidhi) of the Pitrs themselves.
  • Why Recommended: It’s a common belief that if crows readily consume the offered pindas, it signifies the ancestors’ acceptance and satisfaction (tripti). Families often watch this with anticipation. Offering to crows is thus seen as a direct symbolic way to ensure the offering reaches the intended realm.
  • Procedure: The pindas are taken to a clean outdoor space (like a rooftop or open ground) and placed respectfully for the crows. This specific offering is often termed Kaka Bali.
• Immersion in Holy Water (Jal Visarjan – जल विसर्जन):
  • Significance: Immersing the pindas in flowing water, especially sacred rivers (punya nadi) like Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, or the sea (samudra), is a highly regarded method.
  • Puranic Guidance: The Garuda Purana mentions depositing the pindas in water as an acceptable method [Garuda Purana].
  • Why Recommended: Water is a primary purifying element (tattva). Immersion ensures the pindas return to the elements purely. Flowing water symbolizes the continuous journey of life and soul, carrying the essence towards the divine. At sacred pilgrimage sites (Tirthas) located on riverbanks (like Kashi, Prayag, Nasik, Gaya), this is the most natural practice.
  • Procedure: Take the pindas respectfully to the water body. Offer a brief prayer and gently immerse them. It’s important to choose clean water bodies and be mindful of environmental concerns.
• Offering via Sacred Fire (Agni Mukham – अग्नि मुखम्):
  • Significance: Agni, the fire god, is the divine messenger (deva doota) who carries offerings to the deities in Yajnas. Offering the pinda to fire connects it to this ancient principle.
  • Puranic Guidance: The Garuda Purana also lists depositing the pindas in fire as a method [Garuda Purana].
  • Why Recommended: Fire consumes and transforms, carrying the subtle essence upwards. It’s a powerful purifier.
  • Procedure: This is less common in household rituals today but involves respectfully placing the pindas into a consecrated fire, often the one used for a homa if performed as part of the Shradh.
• Offering to Goats or Brahmins:
  • Puranic Guidance: The Garuda Purana also mentions offering pindas to goats or Brahmins [Garuda Purana].
  • Context: Offering to goats follows the same principle as offering to cows (sacred animals). Offering to Brahmins aligns with the practice of feeding learned and pious Brahmins during Shradh as representatives of the ancestors. While feeding Brahmins is central to Shradh, giving them the actual pinda might be less common today compared to offering them a full meal, but the scriptural sanction exists.

Less Common but Acceptable Practices:

• Placing Under Sacred Trees: Sometimes, pindas are respectfully placed at the base of sacred trees like Peepal (अश्वत्थ) or Banyan (वट). These trees are considered abodes of divine energies and offer a way to return the offering to nature where creatures can consume it.
• Feeding to Fish: Related to Jal Visarjan, if immersed in ponds or lakes, the pindas become food for fish and other aquatic life, integrating them into the ecosystem.
• Burying in Clean Earth: While less preferred for pindas compared to other methods, burying them in clean, undisturbed earth might be an option if others are unavailable.

What Must Be Strictly Avoided:

Handling the pindas disrespectfully negates the sanctity of the ritual. Absolutely avoid:

• Throwing them in garbage bins.
• Discarding them in drains or sewers.
• Leaving them carelessly in unclean places or where they might be trampled.

Remember, the pinda symbolizes your connection to your ancestors. Treat it with honour until its final, proper disposal.

Beyond the Pinda: The Nourishment of ‘Sacred Leftovers’ (Ucchishta ka Mahatva – उच्छिष्ट का महत्त्व)

Your question about “sacred leftovers” touches upon a profoundly compassionate aspect of our ancestral rites. While the main pindas have specific destinations, the Shradh ritual, in its entirety, provides nourishment even through seemingly insignificant remnants. Our scriptures reveal that even particles dropped inadvertently benefit souls in various states of existence.

• Nourishment for Diverse Souls: The Markandeya Purana and Brahma Purana explain that particles of water or leavings of food (ucchishta – उच्छिष्ट), whether pure or impure, dropped by the performer (yajamana) or the invited Brahmins during the Shradh, provide sustenance to departed spirits, regardless of the form they have taken – be it Pisacas (ghosts), animals, birds, or even residing subtly within other living creatures [Markandeya Purana, Brahma Purana].
• Specific Remnants for Specific Needs (Skanda Purana Insights):
  • Flowers, scents, water, and cooked rice falling on the ground satisfy ancestors who might have taken birth as worms, animals (pashu), or even predators [Skanda Purana].
  • Food particles left after washing utensils (patra prakshalan) specifically nourish those in the state of ghosts (pret योनि) [Skanda Purana].
  • Pieces of cooked rice remaining on the ground after the pindas are lifted propitiate those born as lower creatures (Tiryakyoni) [Skanda Purana].
  • Scattered food particles are eagerly sought by souls of those who were not cremated properly, children who died young, and those who suffered unnatural deaths [Skanda Purana].
  • Grains scattered on the ground specifically propitiate those who have become Pisacas [Skanda Purana].
• The Power of Water Droplets: Even water holds significance. Water dropped from the edge of one’s bathing cloth can quench the thirst of certain departed souls [Brahma Purana]. Water used for rinsing the mouth (achaman) or sprinkling the feet after meals satisfies ancestors [Markandeya Purana, Brahma Purana]. Drops falling from garments after a holy dip can delight Pitrs suffering in Naraka (hellish realms) or even nourish those who have become trees [Skanda Purana].

This intricate understanding shows the profound compassion embedded in Shradh, aiming to provide solace and sustenance to all connected souls, regardless of their current state.

Purity and Offerings: A Word of Caution (Shuddhata aur Niyam – शुद्धता और नियम)

However, this subtle nourishment system relies heavily on the purity (shuddhata) of the ritual and the offerings. The scriptures warn us:

• Prohibited Observers: Food offered in Shradh should not be seen by dogs, certain birds (like fowl), or pigs. A Shradh witnessed by such is considered defiled, akin to a ‘Rakshasa’ Shradh (one dominated by negative forces) [Source Puranas, likely Manu Smriti influence referenced in Puranas].
• Timing and Defilement: Performing Shradh at night (unless specifically prescribed for certain types) or without reference to appropriate timing (parva) can result in the offering becoming food for Pretas (hungry ghosts) [Skanda Purana]. Food defiled by hair, bodily excretions, or touched by those considered ritually impure also goes to Pretas [Skanda Purana].
• Source of Wealth: The means used to procure the offerings matter deeply. The Brahma Purana and Markandeya Purana state that Shradhs performed with ill-gotten wealth (anyaya-arjita dhana) only nourish those ancestors who themselves have been reborn into lower states, like Chandalas [Brahma Purana, Markandeya Purana]. This underscores the importance of performing dharma with righteous means (nyaya purvak).

These injunctions highlight the need for meticulous adherence to purity rules to ensure the offerings reach the intended recipients – the satisfied Pitrs – and not lower entities.

The Question of Partaking: Can the Performer Eat the Pinda? (Pinda Grahan ka Prashna – पिण्ड ग्रहण का प्रश्न)

This is a question where scriptures offer differing perspectives, highlighting the importance of following one’s specific tradition (Kula Parampara) and the guidance of a learned Guru or purohit.

• Varaha Purana View: One passage in the Varaha Purana suggests a specific practice: the performer (karta) should eat the first pinda himself, give the second to his wife, and immerse the third in water, described as “the rule in Sraddha” [Varaha Purana].
• Skanda Purana Caution: However, the Skanda Purana warns that an invited Brahmin performing the Shradh should not engage in conjugal relations that night and that sin (paap) is incurred by those who partake of a portion of the pinda [Skanda Purana]. This suggests restrictions, perhaps specifically for the invited priests or in certain contexts.
• Sharing Brahmin’s Food: The Varaha Purana also mentions that after the invited Brahmin (representing the ancestor) eats, the leftover food (ucchishta bhojan) from his plate should be shared by the relatives of the deceased [Varaha Purana]. This consecrated food is considered highly blessed prasadam, but it refers to the meal served to the Brahmin, not necessarily the pinda itself, though the pinda is part of the overall offering.

Given these variations, the wisest course is to adhere strictly to the practices passed down in your family or as instructed by your family priest, who follows the specific Gṛhyasūtras (ritual manuals) relevant to your lineage, as the Skanda Purana itself advises [Skanda Purana].

The Mystery of Conveyance: How Do Offerings Reach? (Arpan Kaise Pahunche? – अर्पण कैसे पहुँचे?)

How does a physical pinda given to a cow in Kashi nourish an ancestor perhaps residing in Pitru Loka or even reborn elsewhere? This question touches the heart of ritualistic science. The Garuda Purana offers profound insights:

• Power of Tradition and Mantras: The validity of sacred tradition (shruti and smriti) transcends ordinary perception (pratyaksha). Vedic declarations state that food served to Brahmins in Shradh transforms into suitable nourishment (like nectar) for the departed. The Pind Daan mantras, chanted with faith (Shradh) and devotion (bhakti), act as carriers, conveying the essence of the offering. The names (naam) and lineage (gotra) uttered during the ritual precisely direct this subtle energy [Garuda Purana].
• Role of Agnisvatta Pitrs: Specific classes of celestial beings, the Agnisvatta Pitrs (ancestors entitled to fire oblations), are tasked with overseeing the departed. When offerings are made correctly – right time, place, manner, as per Shastras – these divine agents ensure the essence reaches the intended soul, wherever they may be [Garuda Purana].
• Reaching Across Realms: Even if an ancestor has taken a new birth in a different species, world, or with a different name, the offering made in their favour by their kin, guided by the ritual’s power, still reaches them. The three pindas offered on Kusha grass with the sacred thread worn correctly (prachinavita) by the closest eligible relative satisfy the manes, even if they are temporarily in a ghost state (pretatva) [Garuda Purana].

So, it is not merely the physical substance, but the entire ritualistic process – the pure ingredients, the sacred space, the potent mantras, the correct procedure, the performer’s faith, and the divine mechanisms described in our scriptures – that ensures the spiritual essence (sukshma ansha) reaches the ancestors, providing tripti (satisfaction) and aiding their journey towards sadgati (a favourable state).

Conclusion: Completing the Circle of Reverence

What happens after Pind Daan is as significant as the offering itself. The respectful disposal of the pindas – whether offered to Go-mata, Kaka, Agni, or Jala – completes the sacred act. Understanding that even tiny remnants provide nourishment deepens our appreciation for the ritual’s compassionate scope. Adhering to purity and following traditional guidance ensures the offerings reach their intended destination effectively.

Always perform these duties with a pure heart (shuddha hriday), unwavering faith (achala Shradh), and according to the guidance of the learned (vidvan jan). May your ancestors be ever pleased, and may their blessings shower upon you and your family, bringing peace, prosperity, and spiritual upliftment.

|| हरि ॐ तत् सत् ||