bhartiya dharm granthon men manushya ko tin prakar ke rinon-devrin, rishirin v pitririn se mukt hona avashyak bataya gaya hai. inmen pitri rin sarvopri hai. pitririn yani hamare un janmadata evan palkon ka rin, jinhonne hamare is sharir ka laln-palan kiya, bara aur yogya banaya. hamari ayu, arogya evan sukh-saubhagya adi ki abhivriddhi ke lie sadaiv kamna ki. yathasanbhav prayas kie, unke rin se mukt hue bina hamara jivan vyarth hi hoga.
islie unke jivan kal men unki seva-sushrusha dvara aur marnoprant shraddhakarm dvara pitririn se mukt hona atyant avashyak hai. jyotish men pitririn ko bahut bara dosh mana jata hai. yah durbhagya ko barhane vala hota hai. jis jatak ki kundli men yah dosh upasthit hota hai unko anek prakar ki samasyaon ka samna karna parta hai jiska aur parinam parivar men klesh ka hona, vanshvriddhi men rukavat, akasmik sankat ka samna, dhanhani tatha mansik ’shanti ka bhang ho jana adi hota hai. pitririn ki mukti ke lie, shraddh se barhakar koi karm nahin hai. shraddh shabd ki vyutpatti se hi yah tathya spasht ho jata hai ki is karya ko shraddha ke sath karna chahie (shraddhaya diyateyasmattachchraddham). purvajon ki punyatithi athva pitripaksh men unki marn-tithi ke din unki atma ki santushti ke lie kiya jane vala shraddha-karm sahi maynon men purvajon ke prati shraddhanjli hi hai.
isilie sanatan dharm men shraddh ko dev-pujan ki tarah hi avashyak evan punyadayak mana gaya hai. devtaane se pahle pitron ko prasann karna adhik kalyankari hota hai. vayu puran, matsya puran, garur puran, vishnu puran adi puranon tatha anya shastron jaise manusmriti ityadi men bhi shraddh karm ke mahatva ke bare men bataya gaya hai . bhadrapad purnima se ashvin mas ke krishnapaksh ki amavasya tak ki (kul 15 din) avdhi ko pitripaksh (shraddhapaksha) kaha gaya hai. shraddh yani shraddhaya diyateyat tat shraddham arthat shraddha se jo kuch diya jae vahi shraddh hai. vedon men 1500 mantra shraddh ke bare men hain. puranon, smritiyon v anya prachin granthon men bhi shraddh ka bahutayat ullekh hai. shraddhapaksh ko kanagat nam bhi se bhi jana jata hai. kanagat, (kanyagat surya, kvar ke mahine ka krishn paksh, jismen pitra ka shraddh kiya jata hai). kanagat, kanyarkagat ka apabhransh hai, jiska arth hai surya (arka) ka kanya rashi men jana.
shraddhapaksh men surya kanya rashi men hota hai, isilie ise kanyarkagat (kanagt) kaha jata hai. ashvin mas ke krishnapaksh men pitrilok hamari prithvi ke sabse jyada samip hota hai. ataev is paksh ko pitripaksh mana jana bilkul thik hai. kanagat men purvajon ka ashirvad prapt karne aur sukh saubhagya ki vriddhi ke lie pitron ke nimitt tarpan kiya jata hai. shraddh aur tarpan vanshaj dvara purvajon ko di gai shraddhanjli hai. hamen kisi bhi sthiti men apne is adhyatmik katrtavya se vimukh nahin hona chahie. pitripaksh men pitrignon ke nimitt tarpan karne se ve tript hokar apne vanshaj ko sukh-samriddhi-santati ka shubhashirvad dete hain. purnima se lekar amavasya ke madhya ki avdhi arthat pure 16 dinon tak purvajon ki atma ki shanti ke liye karya kiye jate hai. pure 16 din niyam purvak karya karne se pitri-rin se mukti milti hai. pitri shraddh paksh men brahmanon ko bhojan karaya jata hai. bhojan karane ke bad yathashakti dan-dakshino di jati hai.
isse svasthya samriddhi, ayu v sukh shanti rahti hai. shraddh paksh bhadrapad shukla purnima se ashvin krishn amavasya ke madhya jo bhi dan-dharm kiya jata hai vah sidha pitron ko prapt hone ki manyata hai. pitron tak yah bhojan brahmanon v pakshiyon ke madhyam se pahunchta hai. kauve evan pipal ko pitron ka pratik mana gaya hai. pitripaksh ke in 16 dinon men kauve ko gras evan pipal ko jal dekar pitron ko tript kiya jata hai. buddhi evan tark pradhan is yug men shraddhon ke auchitya ko samanyatah svikar nahin kiya jata. kintu is rup men is par koi vivad nahin hona chahie ki shraddh pitron ke prati hamari shraddha ke pratik hain. shraddh hamse shraddha chahte hain, pakhand nahin. yah shraddha sabhi bujurgon ke prati honi chahie, chahe ve jivit hon ya divangat. atmakalyan ke ichchuk log apne purvajon ka shraddh avashya karen.