Starting tomorrow on Purnima (Full Moon) and continuing until the next Mahalaya Paksha Amavasya (New Moon), for 16 consecutive days, any Śiva worship performed during the three-hour window around sunrise — that is, one and a half hours before sunrise and one and a half hours after sunrise — becomes a sacred Pitṛu Mokṣa Sādhana (ancestral liberation practice).
Through this sādhana, all departed souls (pitṛus), aided by the spiritual power generated, are able to shed their subtle “fragrant body” (vāsaṇa-śarīra) and attain the state of divine light (mokṣa).
This is not the usual Pitṛu Tarpana that is performed only for one’s deceased parents or ancestors.
Instead, it is a universal Śiva Sādhana, in which Lord Śiva — the supreme Lord of all souls (Paśupati) — is invoked as Amṛutakaṭeśvara or Amṛuta Bhairava, and His immortal nectar-like rays are directed as a prayer for liberation for all departed friends, relatives, and souls you wish to include.
Thus, this practice is not a ritual of Pitṛu Tarpana, but a Śiva worship that anyone can perform.
Mantras to be practiced during this sādhana:
- Siddha Vidyā Guru Maṇḍala Nāmāvali
- Agastya Mūla Guru Mantra
- Gāyatrī Mantra
- Śivaprasāda Śakti Pañcākṣarī Mantra
- Amṛuta Bhairava Mṛtyuñjaya Mantra
- Pitṛu Mokṣa Mantra
Sankalpa (Resolution):
While keeping in mind the names or mental images of the departed souls for whom you wish to do this sādhana, take this sankalpa:
“For the departed souls, may they receive the complete grace of Lord Amṛuta Mṛtyuñjaya Deva,
shedding their subtle fragrant body (vāsaṇa-śarīra),
attaining the liberated state of Mokṣa,
and becoming protective life-force energies for me and my family.
With this intent, I now perform this Mahalaya Paksha Pitṛu Mokṣa Sādhana.”
Daily Practice Sequence:
- Siddha Vidyā Guru Maṇḍala Nāmāvali – 3 times
- Agastya Mūla Guru Mantra – 108 times
- Gāyatrī Mantra – 108 times
- Śivaprasāda Śakti Pañcākṣarī Mantra – 108 times
- Amṛuta Bhairava Mṛtyuñjaya Mantra – 3 malas (3 × 108)
- Pitṛu Mokṣa Mantra – 5 malas (5 × 108)
Optional Śiva Liṅga Worship:
If you have a Śiva Liṅga, after completing the above recitations, perform Abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) by pouring pure water over the Liṅga 16 times, reciting each mantra in the given order.
Visualize all the departed souls merging into Lord Śiva and attaining the state of divine light.
Offering Bilva leaves to the Liṅga is considered especially auspicious.
For those with limited time:
If you cannot complete the full sequence, chant at least one mala (108 repetitions) of each mantra daily.
This sādhana is a powerful spiritual act of compassion, bringing peace to departed souls and divine protection to the practitioner and their family.