Sapiṇḍikaraṇa
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Sapiṇḍikaraṇa literally means ‘grouping together’.
Days of Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa Ritual[edit]
Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa or sapiṇḍana is the reception of the dead person’s soul into the community of the pitṛs or forefathers. The process is actually a śrāddha or obsequial rite. It can be done on any of the following days after death:
- 12th day
- 4th month
- 6th month
- 11th month
- After a year
The first seems to be more common.
Steps Involved in Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa[edit]
The important steps are:
- Invitation to the brāhmaṇas the previous day
- Agnau-karaṇa
- Recital of Vedic texts when the brāhmaṇas are eating
- Keeping four vessels of water with kuśa grass[1]
- Mixing the water of the first with the water of the other three with appropriate mantras
This completes the process of merging the preta with the pitṛs of pitṛloka.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore