Of all the rituals prevalent in Brāhmaņical socio-religious ethos, the post mortem final ritual or śrāddha occupies a very significant position in ancient Indian literature. Noticeably, the term śrāddha as a ritual does not find mention in the Rgveda. The text, however, refers to terms like pinda pitţ yajña or pittyajňa which concentrates upon ancestors' worship or aims at offerings of pindas to ancestors. Prayers are made in the Rgveda to related gods for their satisfaction and bliss in the heaven. Rta or great universal discipline, the centric guide to whole universe, was believed to point out and highlight its noteworthiness in all aspects of human life and the society. It was also believed that it provided proper guidance in maintaining oblations to ancestors and they were regarded to follow suit the path of rta in the heaven.
Noticeably, the term śrāddha is not referred to in the Rgveda, but the term śrāddha has been considered in the Rgveda as godliness, and one is suggested herein to address śrāddha as god.Śraddhā stands for unflinching faith, faith in divine duties or in religious performances. The Atharvaveda also alludes to this term śraddhā as being completely hollow in the absence of truth, Actually, the ritual of śrāddha, which is probably first referred to in the Kathopaniṣad (1.3.17) emphasizes śraddhā (supreme reverence) for fore fathers.
The ritual of śrāddha emerged to protect the interest of the individuals and the family as a domestic ritual, and it stands for supreme regards to ancestors acknowledging their gratefulness. The successors of the fore fathers were considered to be under obligation to carry out the ritual of śraddha in their holy memory. The ancestors, on the contrary were supposed to possess all rights to receive due regards from the successors, as the latter were believed to be unquestionably submerged in former's debts of all sorts from top to toe.
Coming down to the Sūtra period, the ritual of śrāddha was obviously emphasized, but its fascinating publicity gained ground only in early Christian centuries, particularly from the mid Gupta period, with the development of subsistence economy of agriculture which followed a wide spread decay and desertion of towns from third fourth Christian centuries. The donation of land and villages in large measures in early medieval period to the Brahmaņas for the support of their livelihood emerged as the chief characteristic of feudalism. The donors also gifted land/villages to righteous Brāhmaņas for the successful performance of the puncamahāyajña which included the most important pitr sacrifice. A large number of epigraphic evidence to such grants in early medieval period show the smooth running of the ritual of śraddha in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
Increase in crop production in a large measure gave rise to the prevalence of gifts (dana) which became the part and parcel of the ritual of śrāddha. Gifts, largely agricultural goods and greater gifts (mahādāna), also including precious metals during Gupta and post Gupta times to propitiating Brahmaņas on the occasion of the śraddha ceremony increased and publicised its popularity to a great extent.
Ancestors' Worship in Antiquity Ancestors' worship is linked with development of human society. During food gathering and nomadic stage of human life, ancestors' worship was not introduced, as there was no religion and no philosophy. Agriculture changed life, stagnated and settled way of living started. During this period, first time sense of separation from near and dear one became painful and unbearable. The discovery of agriculture was the most important event in the history of mankind. With this discovery begins the story of modern civilization. The farmers had to have laws to protect individuals and their possessions. The leader of the community became ruler and judge, with these political and legal institutions, the religious institutions simultaneously came into existence. These religious institutions also introduced religious faith and philosophy of ancestors' worship, because it protected their political authority from discontent of the masses.
Professor R.S. Sharma rightly observed that such institutions played an important role in maintaining political authority. Further they could avert political uprisings. The whole exercise was in favour of the ruling class and elites in order to contain people's resentment and outburst. (An Approach to Astrology and Divination in Early Medieval Times: Techno Scientific Probings of Social Dynamics (Ed), O.P. Jaiswal.) The religious faith and philosophy influenced the ancient civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia and China.
Egypt:-Ancestors' worship in Egypt was performed by a religious body of living being, thought to be able to confer benefits on the dead in the afterlife or to appease their otherwise wrathful ghosts. Rituals were carried on for the benefits of the dead, either by their relatives or by a class of priests, appointed and paid to perform the rites. These rituals took place at the tombs of the dead themselves or mortuary temples. Funerary cults are found in a wide variety in Egyptian culture, where it was common for royalty and the wealthy to be mummified. The practice was done so as to preserve their bodies for the journey to the afterlife. These mummies with all their requirements were kept inside Pyramids.
Mesopotamia:- In Sumer, Assyria and Babylonia, funerary cults were called kispu.The Ancestors' worship mostly revolved around caring for deceased kins. In Babylonia this cult was known as extension of the veneration for parents. Offsprings were responsible for this care.
China :- Chinese Ancestors' worship revolves around the veneration of theirs who are believed to be a means of connection to the supreme power of Tian. Confucian philosophy calls for paying respect to one's ancestors, an aspect of filial piety.
India:-Indus valley, we do not know in detail about Indus valley culture, but recently at Rakhigarhi in Haryana, several cemeteries have been found and it is presumed that like Egypt and Mesopotamia the practice of Ancestors' worship was also prevalent there. It was earlier to Vedic Culture. India has been a multi religious country with different ideologies and faiths. During 6th cent. B.C. six heretics are prominently discussed.
"
Hindu (935)
Agriculture (118)
Ancient (1086)
Archaeology (753)
Architecture (563)
Art & Culture (910)
Biography (702)
Buddhist (544)
Cookery (167)
Emperor & Queen (565)
Islam (242)
Jainism (307)
Literary (896)
Mahatma Gandhi (372)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist