Pitra Dosha in Vedic astrology refers to ancestral karma or unresolved issues passed down from forefathers. It occurs when there is a disturbance in the family lineage or when the ancestors’ wishes remain unfulfilled. Various combinations of planets in a horoscope lead to the formation of Pitra Dosha, often linked to curses from someone who was hurt physically, financially, or emotionally in the past. This can create a repeated pattern of suffering within the family. Those afflicted by Pitra Dosha may face obstacles in areas like health, relationships, and finances, often leading to depression and challenges on multiple fronts. Remedies typically involve honouring ancestors, performing specific rituals, or charitable acts to balance the energy and bring peace to the family lineage.
Hence, here we present some simple remedies to help you mitigate the malefic effects of Pitra Dosha:
- Evade actions that might harm others physically, financially, or emotionally, as this could perpetuate negative karmic patterns. Avoid anger and egoistic behaviour at all costs. Be grateful and humble. This in itself is the best remedy to minimize the ill effects of Pitru Dosha.
- Serving and respecting your living elders can bring blessings and reduce Dosha effects by balancing familial relations. Resolving long-standing family disputes or misunderstandings can help clear negative ancestral energies.
- Offer unconditional and unannounced services to elderly needy persons, menial workers, poor people and animals. Regular donations, particularly for education, healthcare, or spiritual causes, can help balance the karmic energy.
- Contribute to the expenses of getting a poor girl married. You can also contribute to the treatment of poor patients.
- Collect an equal amount of money from all your relatives in your family and donate that money to a holy place such as a temple on Amavasya. You can also donate white-coloured clothes, curds, radishes and money on Amavasya.
- Make balls of cooked rice and ghee and feed these balls to crows and fish every Saturday.
- Offer water (if possible, Gangajal), janeu thread and black sesame seeds to the roots of the Peepal trees every Saturday. Perform circumambulation (परिक्रमा) of the tree 108 times reciting the mantra “Aum Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaaye” – “ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय”.
- Planting trees, especially fruit-bearing ones, in memory of ancestors is believed to bring blessings and relieve Pitra Dosha.
- For a simpler remedy, water the Peepal tree every morning and light a lamp with sesame oil near its roots every evening.
- Plant a Peepal plant on an Ekadashi and donate rice or products made of rice.
- Make sure to burn camphor (कर्पूर) at home every morning and evening. This pacifies Pitra Dosh.
- You should recite the Gayatri Mantra daily.
- Hang/place the pictures of your late relatives/ancestors on the southern wall of the house. Seek their blessings every day.
- Whenever you visit any religious place, offer 3 palm-full of water to your ancestors (Pitrus) while bathing in the holy pond/river.
SOME OTHER REMEDIES:
- Light a lamp in the evening. Recite Nag Stotra, Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra or Rudra Sukta or Navagraha Stotra. This will appease the souls of the departed.
- Narayan Nagbali Pooja is a special ritual for Pitra Dosha. This pooja becomes important when any ancestor has died an abnormal, unnatural or untimely death. One can do this pooja at Trimbakeshwar at Nashik, Chandod in Gujarat, Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh or at Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
- It is a well-known belief that when one recites the 11th chapter of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, the ancestors appear in one’s dreams. Presently, they let the person know whether they are satisfied or not. Furthermore, they also give indications as to what they need for their salvation.
- You can recite the Pitra Dosha Shanti Mantra one mala (rosary) daily: “Om Shreem Sarva Pitra Dosha Nivaranay klesham Han Han Sukh Shantim Dehi Phat Swaha”. After completion, donate some food to Brahmins or cows.
- Perform Rudrabhishek: This is a special prayer and ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva, which can be performed at a temple to bring peace to ancestors and lessen Dosha effects.
Excellent write up. Thanx
Just nice n informative…it makes ur n ur family live a heavenly…….thankssss
This is extremely useful and beneficial information.
Excellent knowledge base with very active information. Laudable for your efforts. But one thing, you have not made a reference to the recitation of the Garuda Purana. Besides, the Gajendra Mosha or the reading of the Bhagavata Sapthascha Chapter of Dundubhi of how he became a Preta and how he got relieved from his curse at Gokarna. The reading of this at the time of the Shraddha, I believe would pacify the souls of the ancestors and would intently and actively hear the stories being read invisibly.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Ramesh Kumarji. You are our regular reader and we love your valuable inputs and responses. Yes, you are absolutely right: recitation of Garuda Purana is supposed to guide and give instructions to the soul regarding which path to follow after death, it imparts Sadgati and Moksha to our Ancestor’s soul. We focus on simple and practical remedies which a layman can perform. But what you say is absolutely right. Thanks