𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦

𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦

On Karkidaka Vavu Bali Day yesterday, we performed the Bali tarpanam ritual for all of our ancestors. It's been an annual tradition for more than 10 years.

'Tarpanam' is a traditional yearly ritual where oblations are offered to departed ancestors.

It's usually a sad day as you reflect on your entire life, starting when you were a tiny infant. Each time you are asked to honor a deceased relative during the ceremony, memories of them and your interactions with them come to mind. Most of the time good, yet occasionally bad.

I've learned how to use it as a lesson. Every time a relative comes to mind, I consider both their positive and negative traits, asking myself what I can take away from it to become a better person?

As a result, even paying respect to my ancestors serves as a constant spiritual reminder. This is the wonderful part of Sanatana dharma, which holds that everything you do has a lesson to teach you if you are seeking one.

The most crucial factor in everything you do is your faith in it. You then perform it with greater conviction. You exercise great care and love in all you undertake.

When I was younger, I simply saw it as a ritual, participated reluctantly, and often wondered why it was done. However after my parents passed away and when I began doing Bali Tarpanam for them, it suddenly changed course completely when I did it with deep faith.

I understood that doing Bali tarpanam even though it is done for your ancestors is also a life lesson that, if you choose you can use it to better yourself.

My mother asked that I do Bali tarpanam for my father here in the United States after he passed away in 2008. She could advise me on the steps to take, but not on the mantras that are sung because in India you normally have a guru to help you. So like I always do, I immediately started doing research and spent days scouring the internet for relevant documents that would be of assistance. At the time, I had few possibilities, though there may be many now. After much digging, I discovered a document made by the late Gopalakrishan specifically for this ritual. It goes into great depth on how to perform the entire ceremony. I was shocked to learn how important this ceremony is when I read the mantras you say and their meaning!

You express gratitude to Mother Nature. You give thanks for everything in nature that keeps you alive, such as the rivers that supply you with water and the mountains that help regulate the weather.

You perform it for a variety of persons and animals in addition to your direct ancestors, including those who served you, died unexpectedly, had no one to perform the ritual for them, were disabled, and more!

After a few years, the resident Swamiji at our ashram immediately agreed when we asked him if we could begin doing it there, and soon after that, a great number of individuals of different nations, colors, and ethnicities showed up to join us as we prayed collectively for the same goal.

Since my parents passed and I started doing Bali Tarpanam, a number of profound and incredible events have happened related to Bali tarpanam, solidifying my belief in this ritual that is so old and sacred. It helped me understand how critical and crucial it is to honor, cherish, and pay respect to not only our ancestors but also to all other living things on our planet!

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu!

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Aabrahmano ye pitru vamsa jaathaa maathu thaththaa vamsa bhavaa madeeyaa:
Vamsa dwayesmin mama daasa bhootha bruthyaa thathiva aasritha sevakaascha
Mithraani sakhya pasavascha vruskshaa drushttaascha adrushtaascha kruthopakaara
Janmaanthare ye mama sangathaascha thebhya swayam pinda balim dadaami
Maathru vamsey mruthaaayescha pithruvamse thathaiva cha
Guru swasura bandhoonaam ye chaanye baandhvaa mruthaa
Ye may kule luptha pindaa putra daara vivarjitha
Kriyaa lopa hathaaschaiva jaathyanthaa pankavasthathaa
Viroopaa aamagarbhaascha jnaathaa ajnaathaa kule mama
Bhoomou datthena balinaa thrupthaayaanthu paraam gathim
Atheetha kula koteenaam saptha dweepa nivaaseenaam
Praaneenaam udakam dattham akshayyam upthishtathu
Avasaaneeyarghyamidam

𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐚
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘐 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 (𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦), 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢(𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦) (𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵)
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦/𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 , 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢(𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦) , 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘪
𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 /𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴
𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 (𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥

𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘖𝘩 ! 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴!