Pitra Paksha 2024: The importance of Pind Daan and the role of black sesame in Shraadh rituals

Pind Daan is essential in Hinduism. This ritual, when performed during Shraadh Paksha, brings peace, prosperity, and positive influence in the family. Pitru Paksha falls between the full moon day of the Bhadrapada month and the new moon day of the Ashwin month every year. During these days, Hindus perform Shraadh, Tarpan, and Pind Daan for their ancestors.According to the Puranas, Pind Daan and Tarpan during Pitru Paksha give peace to the souls of the deceased to bless their family with happiness. Shraadh is the worship of the deceased members of the family, and people show respect and gratitude toward them. If Hindus do not perform these rituals, they face many mishaps, and this tradition is crucial.
Real importance of Pind Daan
Pind Daan is merely providing food to the ancestors. As mentioned in Puranas, an ancestor assumes the form of a cow, dog, or ant and devours the food offered. Hence, it is provided outside as five portions during Pitru Paksha. Parts of the ceremony include making round balls of barley or rice flour, called ‘pind’ for the deceased, and the whole process is known as Pind Daan. Next in line is Tarpan, which is another crucial ritual for Shraadh Paksha and merely means offering water to the departed ancestors, where their souls get appeased. This act includes ingredients like water, kusha grass, akshat or rice grains, and sesame seeds. The participants fold their hands in the right posture, meditate upon their ancestors, and pay homage to them to accept the water; thus, this process mollifies the souls and helps watch over the lineage with blessings.

The role of black sesame in Pind Daan
It plays a huge role in Pind Daan and Tarpan and, especially black sesame. Most people might ask whether black or white sesame is to be used; however, black sesame seeds would always do. Black sesame seeds are sacred and are most commonly used when rituals have to do with the deceased. If one wishes to satisfy his or her ancestors, he or she should utilize black sesame seeds because, according to the Hindus, if they don't put these sesame seeds, they only invite bad spirits that will bring misfortune.

According to the Garuda Purana, black sesame seeds and kusha equally hold a central position in the rituals for ancestors. Equally, they have emerged from the body of Lord Vishnu. They stand at a sacred position in Hindu customs since both are believed to have their origin in the body of Lord Vishnu. Kusha is believed to have Lord Vishnu, Brahma, and Mahesh inside itself. Brahma sits in its root, Vishnu in its middle, and Mahesh in its front. This linking to the divine makes kusha and sesame essential in removing evil spirits and safeguarding the soul.

Mythological significance of sesame seed
According to mythology, Hiranyakashyap tortured his son Prahlad. This enraged Lord Vishnu and he became angry, and this generated so much heat in his body that he started sweating and these sweats fell as black beads on earth and these became sesame seeds. This origin story gave sesame seeds a divine significance; they were equated with the holy waters of the Ganges. Exactly as Ganga water aids the souls of the dead to reach Vaikuntha, said to be Lord Vishnu's abode, black sesame seeds provide salvation to wandering souls and direct them towards eternal peace.

In Hinduism, Pind Daan is an act of gratitude and reverence before their ancestors. It is believed that if pind made from black sesame seeds is offered to the deceased, the souls of Hindu ancestors can attain salvation. The importance attached to this ritual is due to the symbolic connection it has with Lord Vishnu through sesame seeds and the sacred origin that has been attributed to it for ages.