Saradhs also called sharadhs are forbidden in Sikh religion whereas in Hindu
religion saradhs are held in memory of the deceased ancestors every year in the
month of Asu, the seventh desi month which corresponds to the month of September.
In this month, during the first half of the lunar month i.e. the darkness pakh
which starts with the full moon day and ends on the no moon day. Saradhs are held in
memory of the deceased pitters (ancestors). During these fifteen days i.e. the
darkness pakh the Hindus hold saradhs wherein they serve a sumptuous mid-day
meal to a purohit (pandit) with the belief that this food will reach their deceased
ancestors i.e. their deceased parents and grandparents. Their belief is that their
deceased ancestors reside in pittar puri i.e. the place of residence of the deceased
ancestors. Pittar means ancestors and puri means place of residence. They believe
that during these fifteen days their deceased parents and grandparents come to the
world and partake off the food served by their children and grandchildren. Along with
sumptuous food sometimes the purohit is given clothes and money.
When Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Gaya, Bihar he saw that the pandits were
misleading the folk. The pandits asked him to redeem his ancestors. He said that he
has redeemed himself, his ancestors, his followers and their ancestors and that he has
done such actions, through which he has dispelled the darkness of ignorance.
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib it is clearly stated that in his/her next life the human
being gets what he has given as alms out of his own income in this life. He will not get
anything given by another person as alms in his/her name. Thus, it is clear that
saradhs are forbidden in Sikh religion.
According to Manu and Vishnu Smriti if in saradh sesame, rice, barley, black
beans and vegetables are served the pittars remain satiated for 1 month, with fish
meat they remain satiated for 2 months, with antelope meat they remain satiated for 3
months, with sheep meat for 4 month, with birds' meat for 5 months, with goat meat for
6 months, with tiger meat for 7 months, with gazzelle meat for 8 months, with red deer
meat for 9 months, with buffalow and pig meat for 10 months, with tortoise and hare
meat the ancestors remain satiated for 11 months.
The saradh for the deceased person is held on the same tith (day of the lunar
month) on which he/she died. The Hindus believe that they appease their pitters
through the saradh held in their memory. In Attrey Sanhita, one of the holy books of
Hindus it is stated that 'during these fifteen days the pittar puri becomes vacant, the
pittars rush to the world to eat the food served in the saradh held in their memory. If
they are not fed they curse their children and grand children and go back to the pitter
puri. Even if a person has committed sins as huge as the Sumer parbat (a very high
mountain), when he/she holds saradhs for their pitters they are nullified. Through
saradhs only a person can go to heaven. As a rule the Hindus hold saradhs during the
Asu month, the saradhs held in any other month on the same tith on which a person
had died is called khayahi saradh. The tradition of holding saradhs among the Hindus
has been in existance since times immemorial. Manu and Vishnu Smriti have included
instructions about the holding of saradhs.
In Varidh Hareet Sanhita, another holy book of the Hindus it is stated that if the
pandit who eats the food in the saradh is not vegetarian, the ancestors of the person
holding the saradh, will have to eat faeces and drink urine.
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, the Sikhs are
forbidden to hold saradhs. In this holy book, again and again it is made clear that after
the death the soul of the saintly persons merges into the God, i.e. the person is
emancipated. In other words the soul becomes mukat i.e. it is released from the circle
of re-births. In the case of all other persons after death the soul immediately enters the
circle of 8.4 million species. The number of species through which the person passes
before being re-born as a human being depends on the type of deeds he has done
during this life. Those who have done more good deeds have to pass through a lesser
number of species and those who have committed sins have to pass through a larger
number of species. In either case, i.e. (i) when the soul is emancipated or (ii) when the
soul passes through 8.4 million species, the soul does not reside in any pitter puri.
Thus, if the soul either merges into the God Almighty or enters into another body
immediately after death wherein the possibility of its residing in the pittar puri.
Bhagat Kabir Ji (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 332) has stated:
Jīvaṯ piṯar na mānai ko▫ū mū▫eʼn sirāḏẖ karāhī.
Piṯar bẖī bapure kaho ki▫o pāvahi ka▫ū▫ā kūkar kẖāhī.
This means that the person does not honor his ancestors while they are alive,
but he holds saradhs in their honor after they have died. He adds tell me, how can his
poor ancestors receive what the crows and the dogs have eaten up?
Bhagat Kabir Ji has clarified that people do not take proper care of their parents
and grand parents when they are alive, but when they are dead saradhs are held in
their memory with the belief that the food served to the purohit will reach them. As part
of saradh they also feed the dogs and crows. In this way Bhagat Kabir Ji has tried to
impress upon the people that serving food to the purohit or the dogs and crows with
the belief that it will reach their deceased ancestors is useless and that they should
properly treat their parents and grand parents when they are alive.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first prophet-teacher of the Sikhs, during his
preaching tours gave practical reasons as to why saradhs should not be held. He
clarified as to why no food should be served to the purohits with the belief that it will
reach one's ancestors. At Haridwar, Utter Pradesh the city situated on the shore of the
Ganges river, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji saw that the pandits were splashing water
towards the sun i.e. the east with the belief that this water will reach their gods and
pittars. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji started splashing water towards the west. The pandits
told him that he should splash water towards the east because the water splashed
towards the west will neither reach the gods nor the pitters. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji told
them that he was splashing water towards the west to irrigate his fields in Kartarpur
which is on the right bank of the river Ravi (which is now in Pakistan). The pandits
asked him as to how this water can reach his crops which are at a distance of
hundreds of kilometers away. He told the Pandits that if his water cannot reach a place
which is at a distance of about 500 kms, how can their water reach their pittars or the
sun which is more than a million kilometres away.
When Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Gaya, Bihar he saw that the pandits were
misleading the folk. The pandits asked him to redeem his ancestors. He said that he
has redeemed himself, his ancestors, his followers and their ancestors and that he has
done such actions, through which he has dispelled the darkness of ignorance.
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib it is clearly stated that in his/her next life the human
being gets what he has given as alms out of his own income in this life. He will not get
anything given by another person as alms in his/her name. Thus, it is clear that
saradhs are forbidden in Sikh religion.
During saradhs Hindus do not buy any cloths, jewellery or property and also do
not start any new ventures.
Dr. Amrit Kaur, Retd. Professor, Punjabi University, Patiala Punjab, India.