Pitru Tarpanam
LineageFamily Whose Souls We Honour
Tarpanam is performed only for those who have departed. The list below preserves all six members of the paternal line you provided; offer oblations to those who have passed on and honour the living through pranamam.
| Relationship | Sanskrit Term | Name | Rupa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Pita | Godhandaraman | Vasu |
| Grandfather | Pitamaha | Venkataramanan | Rudra |
| Great Grandfather | Prapitamaha | Ramilangam | Aditya |
| Grandmother | Pitamahi | Bragadhambal | Vasu |
| Great Grandmother | Prapitamahi | Meenakshi | Rudra |
| Great Great Grandmother | Pitru Prapitamahi | Seethalakshmi | Aditya |
Section 1Achamanam (आचमनम्)
Sip a small drop of water after each of the first three names. Then touch the body parts (cheeks, eyes, nostrils, ears, shoulders, navel, head) while reciting the next set of names.
Sip thrice
Touch the body parts
Section 2Pranayama (प्राणायामः)
Hold the right nostril closed with the thumb, recite while breathing slowly. Three rounds.
Section 3Pavithra Dharanam (पवित्र-धारणम्)
Wear the pavitra (a ring made of two blades of darbha grass) on the right hand’s ring finger. Place a few short blades of darbha under your seat. This consecrates the seat for the pitṛ-karma to follow.
Section 4Sankalpam (सङ्कल्पम्)
The Sankalpam is the formal resolve declaring time, place, gotra, lineage and the act of tarpanam. It is recited in the normal upaveeta (sacred thread on left shoulder) before switching to apasavyam.
4.1 Preliminary verses (Pranayama is recited within these)
4.2 Day’s Sankalpam Lookup
The day’s panchangam (samvatsara, ayana, ritu, masa, paksha, tithi, vasara, nakshatra) is computed for the chosen date from the moon and sun positions at sunrise (Lahiri ayanamsa). City defaults to Bengaluru if your browser does not share a location. Override any value with the dropdowns if your printed panchangam disagrees near a sandhi.
4.3 Mahasankalpam — full recitation
Recite the full sankalpam below, substituting today’s computed values from above:
Section 5Yagnopaveeta Apasavyam (अपसव्यम्)
Switch the yagnopaveetam (sacred thread) from the left shoulder (upaveeta / savyam) to the right shoulder (apasavyam / pracina-vidhi). This converts the rite from deva-karma to pitṛ-karma. When seated facing east the thread now flows north-to-south — south being the pitṛ direction. Wash the right hand briefly.
Section 6Pitru-Varga Sankalpam Declaration
With the thread now on the right shoulder, formally declare the lineage on whose behalf the tarpanam is being performed. This declaration names every ancestor by gotra, name and rupa, and states the intent of the offering.
Section 7Avahanam — Invocation of the Pitrus
Take a few sesame seeds in the right hand. Holding them at the kurcham (the bundle of darbha grass placed before you), invoke the ancestors with the following mantra and offer the seeds at the kurcham in the reverse-hand direction (with the right thumb pointing south).
7.1 Avahanam mantra
7.2 Asanam — offering the seat
Section 8Pitru Tarpanam (पितृ-तर्पणम्)
Sit facing south. Take a small quantity of black sesame in the right hand. With each mantra, pour water mixed with tila across the right thumb (pitṛ-tirtha) onto the darbha. Each mantra is repeated three times.
8.1 Pitha Tarpanam — Father (Godhandaraman)
8.2 Pitamaha Tarpanam — Grandfather (Venkataramanan)
8.3 Prapitamaha Tarpanam — Great Grandfather (Ramilangam)
8.4 Pitamahi Tarpanam — Grandmother (Bragadhambal)
8.5 Prapitamahi Tarpanam — Great Grandmother (Meenakshi)
8.6 Pitru Prapitamahi Tarpanam — Great-Great Grandmother (Seethalakshmi)
8.7 Gnaata-Agnaata Pitru Tarpanam — Known & Unknown Ancestors
Closing tripti for the lineage
Section 9Concluding Rituals
Pradakshina Namaskaram
Switch the yagnopaveeta back to upaveeta (left shoulder), do clockwise pradakshina in seated position chanting:
Visarjanam (release of the ancestors)
With pracina-vidhi (thread on right shoulder), look at the kurcham:
Sarva Tarpanam — single oblation for all unconnected souls
Final achamanam & closing
ॐ तत् सत् ।
Section 10Brahma Yajna (ब्रह्म-यज्ञः)
Brahma Yajna is the daily duty of Vedic study and tarpanam to devas, rishis and pitrus. One of the five great daily sacrifices (Pañca Mahāyajñas), it is performed every morning after the sandhya. The text below follows the Apastamba Sūtra of the Krishna Yajurveda (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 2.11–2.20). The tarpanam offers tila-jala to devatas, sages, and ancestors collectively, named for its central element — the ārṣeya-tarpaṇa to the rishis.
10.1 Achamanam (आचमनम्)
10.2 Sankalpam (सङ्कल्पः) — for Brahma Yajna
10.3 Pranayama (प्राणायामः)
10.4 Veda Adhyayana — Opening of the Four Vedas
10.5 Namo Brahmane (नमो ब्रह्मणे)
10.6 Deva Tarpanam — to the Gods
10.7 Rishi Tarpanam — to the Sages
In nivita (poonal as malai/garland). Pour water through the little finger (rishi-tīrtha). Recite each line three times.
Switch the poonal back to upaveeti (savyam). Pour water from the tips of the fingers.
Switch the poonal back to nivita (malai/garland). Pour water through the little finger. Recite three times.
Pour water with the bottom of the palm turned towards yourself (brahma-tīrtha). Recite three times.
Switch the poonal back to upaveeti (savyam). Pour water from the tips of the fingers. Recite three times.
10.8 Soma Pithru Tarpanam (after Mādhyāhnikam)
10.9 Concluding — Kāyena vācā dedication
Section 11Reference Tables
Samvatsara (60-year cycle around the present)
| # | Samvatsara | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Krodhi | 14 Apr 2025 – 13 Apr 2026 |
| 39 | Vishvavasu | 14 Apr 2026 – 13 Apr 2027 |
| 40 | Parabhava | 14 Apr 2027 – 13 Apr 2028 |
| 41 | Plavanga | 14 Apr 2028 – 13 Apr 2029 |
Masa & Tamil month
| Vedic | Saura | Tamil | Approx Gregorian | Ritu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaitra | Mesha | Chithirai | 14 Apr – 14 May | Vasanta |
| Vaishakha | Rishabha | Vaikasi | 15 May – 14 Jun | Vasanta |
| Jyeshtha | Mithuna | Aani | 15 Jun – 16 Jul | Grishma |
| Ashadha | Kataka | Aadi | 17 Jul – 16 Aug | Grishma |
| Shravana | Simha | Aavani | 17 Aug – 16 Sep | Varsha |
| Bhadrapada | Kanya | Purattasi | 17 Sep – 17 Oct | Varsha |
| Ashvina | Tula | Aippasi | 18 Oct – 16 Nov | Sharad |
| Karthika | Vrischika | Karthikai | 17 Nov – 15 Dec | Sharad |
| Margashirsha | Dhanus | Margazhi | 16 Dec – 14 Jan | Hemanta |
| Pushya | Makara | Thai | 15 Jan – 12 Feb | Hemanta |
| Magha | Kumbha | Masi | 13 Feb – 14 Mar | Shishira |
| Phalguna | Meena | Panguni | 15 Mar – 13 Apr | Shishira |
Vasara (weekday in Sanskrit)
| Day | Vasara | Devanagari |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Bhanu vasara | भानु वासर |
| Monday | Indu vasara | इन्दु वासर |
| Tuesday | Bhauma vasara | भौम वासर |
| Wednesday | Saumya vasara | सौम्य वासर |
| Thursday | Guru vasara | गुरु वासर |
| Friday | Bhrigu vasara | भृगु वासर |
| Saturday | Sthira vasara | स्थिर वासर |


