[Advaita-l] Bhishma Ashtami Tarpanam

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

This is just to remind that this year, the Bhishma Ashtami falls on 25th Jan'18.  

On this day, in the honour of our grand sire Bhishma, one should offer tarpanam and arghyam.  Any sins (known / unknown) done by us and any pitru-doshas done by us, are warded off if one performs the Bhishma tarpanam as mentioned by the below shloka:

शुक्लाष्टम्यां तु माघस्य दद्यात भीष्माय यो जलम । संवत्सरकृतं पापं तत्क्षाणादेव नश्यति ॥

It is therefore our duty to do the Bhishma tarpanam on Bhishma Ashtami and be the recipient of the grace of Bhishma as well as our pitru-devatas.  

There are 2 tarpaNa mantras and 1 arghya mantra.

The tarpaNa mantras are:

1.    वैयाघ्रपद्यगोत्राय साङ्कृत्य प्रवराय च । गंगापुत्राय भीष्माय आजन्मब्रह्मचारिणे ॥
        अपुत्राय जलं दद्मि नमो भीष्माय वर्मणे …………………..(प्रथम तर्पणम्)


2.    भीष्मः शान्तनवो वीरः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः । 
        आभि रद्भि रवाप्नोतु पुत्र पौत्रोचितां क्रियां ॥ ……………….(द्वितीय तर्पणम्)

The arghya mantra is :

वसूनामवताराय शंतनोरात्मजाय च । अर्घ्यं ददामि भीष्माय आजन्मब्रह्मचारिणे ॥ ....................इति अर्घ्यं दद्यात्

If one is not doing this, learn the above procedure by one's purohita / teacher and start the practice as early as possible.

rgs,
sriram