Gratitude to Ancestors

‘Pitru-Paksha’, homage to ancestors performed as a ritual during a certain period every year, reminds us to express our gratitude to our elders and lighten our burden of any debts we feel we owe to them for not having given thanks earlier. A high gratitude quotient is the hallmark of inner growth. Karna, in the epic Mahabharata, remained eternally grateful to his benefactor Duryodhana. For a single act of saving him from humiliation, Karna was always thankful; he even paid back with his own life. Remembering the goodness of others and sending positive vibes towards them are natural processes of pure minds. Divinity graces such hearts that have embraced prayerful gratitude. Ancestors symbolise the past. Past modified in time, is the present. Present being an extension of the past, cannot be separated from it. Therefore, remaining grateful to all those who came into our lives, including the lineage, teachers, friends, institutions, situations, struggles and opportunities — and also remembering their contributions to our lives — contribute greatly to making our lives total and holistic. To quote Thunchath Ezhuthachan, a 14th-century Malayalam devotional poet, “The one who forgets his debt content is dead, though alive.” The shradh ceremony institutionalised once a year, however, is indicative of having such a grateful heart all the time. It is an opportunity for remembrance and reflection, and feeling thankful to our ancestors. Pitru Paksha is being observed from September 24 and concludes on October 9.

Source: Economic Times, 5/10/2018