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In Sanatan Dharma, the sacred sixteen day period of Pitru Paksha is considered to be the most sacred period to express gratitude and peace to the souls of the departed ancestors. According to religious and mythological beliefs, in this Mahapaksha, which lasts from Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya, all our ancestors visit the doorstep of their clan from the other world in a subtle way and gladly accept the food, water and tarpan offered with devotion by their descendants. Although each date of Pitru Paksha has its own specific spiritual ritual and there is a tradition of performing Shraddha of the ancestors on the date on which they reside in Goloka, but among these sixteen dates, the ninth date of Krishna Paksha of Ashwin month has an extraordinary place. This holy date is known as ‘Matri Navami’, ‘Avidhwa Navami’ and ‘Saubhagyavati Shraddha’ in the scriptures, which is completely dedicated to the satisfaction of the deceased mothers, grandmothers, grandmothers and all the maternal powers of the family.
In the scriptures and Vedic numerology, the number nine (9) has been accepted as not an ordinary number but a symbol of ultimate perfection and divine energy in the form of Adishakti. Just as the nine days of Chaitra and Shardiya Navratri celebrate the feminine power of nature by dedicating themselves to the nine forms of Mother Goddess Durga, in the same way this ninth day of Pitru Paksha is a day of dedication to the deceased maternal powers of the clan who nurtured the lineage with their affection, sacrifice and affection. There is a clear mention in authentic religious scriptures like Garuda Purana and Nirman Sindhu that it is the ultimate duty of every householder to offer offerings to the ancestors of both the paternal and maternal sides during Pitru Paksha. The biggest feature is that even if a person does not know the exact date of death of his late mother, grandmother, grandmother, mother-in-law or any female ancestor of the family, by performing their Shraddha and Tarpan on the day of Matri Navami, they directly attain satisfaction in the next world and they depart happy.
In Hindu religious philosophy, mainly three major debts are considered in the life of a human being – Dev debt, Rishi debt and Pitra debt, in which the most deep and sensitive part is ‘Mother debt’. The debt to the mother who carried her in the womb for nine months and gave her life after enduring unbearable pain cannot be repaid by any worldly thing, but Shraddha performed with full devotion and devotion on Matri Navami helps in liberating the descendants from this serious spiritual responsibility. There is a religious belief that if a person does not remember his female ancestors and perform Shraddha on this date, his deceased mothers and maternal powers return to their world unsatisfied and angry. According to the scriptures, the unsatisfied return of the family mothers can cause unknown unrest in the family, hindrance in the growth of the family, health crisis and bad luck, whereas a properly performed Shraddha provides permanent blessings of unbroken good fortune, family prosperity and happiness to the family.
On the day of Matri Navami, the duty of Shraddha is performed with utmost devotion especially by the daughters-in-law and sons of the house. On this day, after taking bath in the morning, a sacred platform is set up at the place of worship or any clean place facing north or east, on which a white cloth is spread for the sake of the deceased mother or female ancestors. After this, Pinda made from a mixture of cooked rice, raw cow’s milk, sesame seeds and honey is offered. Under the Tarpan Vidhan, pure water is taken in a copper or brass vessel, black sesame seeds, white flowers and sacred Kush grass are mixed in it and the water is flowed through Anjali while facing the south direction and reciting “Tasmai Swadha Namah” or Matri Tarpan mantras. After Tarpan, Havan is performed by offering satvik food, dishes, kheer and seasonal fruits made in pure ghee on the sacred fire (incense) of a pot made of local cow dung. In the scriptures, on this date, there is a mandatory rule of inviting Brahmin women or fortunate women to their homes with reverence and respect and serving them food, gifting them clothes and suhaag material and as part of Panchabali Karma, taking out the first morsel of food for cows, crows, dogs, ants and gods, due to which the ancestors get satisfied and bless their descendants with longevity and prosperity.