Importance of Aadi Amavasya

Amavasya is a Sanskrit term for a New Moon day and Aadi is a Tamil month, which starts in the middle to July and ends in the middle of August every year. Amavasya in the month of Aadi is one among the 3 New Moon days considered extremely powerful to honor one’s ancestors and receive their blessings.

We inherited the biological genes of our parents, which they had taken over from their parents and so on. In the similar way, we also inherit the soul genes (properties) from our ancestral lines. Many of our thoughts come from our ancestors. This means our ancestors have an influence on the decisions we take and the way we manage our lives. This phenomenon is called Soul Genetics. Sometimes we may find ourselves caught up in disappointing situations and find it very difficult to break away from it. This could be the result of the negative karmic impressions that our soul genes have acquired from our ancestral lineage. The easiest way to end such situations of stalemate is by honoring one’s ancestors. Ancient traditions across the world, especially in India, China, Japan and Egypt, were deeply involved with ancestral worship. It is believed that the ancestors after they have died still live on in soul forms in another dimension from where they influence their descendants through their blessings or curses. The ancient Yogis in India developed a ritual to propitiate the ancestors so that they remain happy and satisfied. The ritual is called Tarpanam. The powerful ritual helps one to free themselves from the negative karmic impressions that their soul has inherited from their ancestral lineage.

Tarpanam and its Benefits

The process of offering food to the souls of departed ancestors on a New Moon day is called Tarpanam. If the departed person died in a disturbed state of mind, the ritual will ease their emotional pain which binds them to the world and help release the souls into divine light. When the souls go into the light, they send their blessings to their descendants.

Although Dr. Pillai recommends taking help of specialized priests for performing this ritual, it can be done at home by using the following offerings - black sesame seeds mixed with rice, dharba grass (a type of grass), a coin (dime, peso, nickel, rupee etc.) and a glass of water to one’s ancestors. The ritual can be performed with black sesame seeds and water if all of the above materials are not available. Process for performing Tarpanam –

• Place a teaspoon of a mixture of the black sesame seeds and rice, a coin, a few small pieces of dharba grass into the palm of your right hand.
• Sprinkle few drops of water over the offerings
• Make a heartfelt prayer to your ancestors and you pour the water over the offerings and say “I call upon 6 generations of dead ancestors on my father’s side to come to me now and accept this offering. Take this energy. Be healed, be at peace, cross into the light. I ask that you be released from the earth plane.”
• Ask your ancestors to send you their blessings.
• Pour the rest of the water to wash off the offerings completely.

Note: The coin used for Tarpanam can be reused.

Special Significance of 2020 Aadi Amavasya

Aadi Amavasya is on July 20th IST. The planetary positions on this day further enhances the favorable energies to help one break away from the negative clutches that restricts one from achieving one’s potential. The confluence of the planetary energies along with the auspiciousness of the day makes Aadi Amavasya an important day for all of us to remember our ancestors and seek their blessings.