Pitra Dosh can be considered as one of the most destructive and important element in Indian Astrology. But, it is often treated as the curse of your ancestors. However, half knowledge is pretty dangerous, so it becomes more and more important for you to know everything about the “Pitra Dosh” or “Pithru Dosham”.

What is Pitra Dosha?

Pitra Dosh in reality is not a curse inherited from our ancestors or forefathers; rather, it is a karmic debt that needs to be repaid by the individual associated with Pitru Dosh in their horoscope. To put it simply, Pitru Dosh is formed in a person’s horoscope when their forefathers have committed crimes, mistakes, or sins during their lifetime. As a result, the individual is bound to repay this karmic debt by experiencing different punishments predetermined for these debts in different aspects of life. This cycle continues until the debt is cleared, either by accepting the punishment or by substituting it with acts of goodness.

Different Types of Pitra Dosha:

As per the Indian astrology, a total of 14 Pitra-Dosha’s are explained in Astrology on the basis of planetary positions as well as aspects of malefic planets. However, an inappropriate position of mighty Rahu is considered as the major reason of Pitra-Dosh.

Mainly there are 3 types of Pitra-Dosh:

• Pitru Dosh can manifest when the family neglects important rituals such as shraadh, pinda-daan, as well as other last rites for their ancestors, thus resulting in a curse from the departed souls.
• The curse can also arise from outsiders or individuals who were impacted by the actions of your deceased ancestors or living, known/unknown to you.
• Neglecting the care & support of elderly family members, such as parents or grandparents, and leaving them to fend for themselves can also contribute to the formation of Pitru Dosh.

Ways to Find Pitra Dosha with Planetary Positions:

Followings are the planetary combinations responsible for creating Pitra Dosha:

• Conjunction of Sun with Rahu or conjunction of the 9th house lord with Mighty Rahu.
• Conjunction of Sun with Saturn or conjunction of the 9th house lord with Saturn.
• Placement of Rahu in the 9th house.
• The 5th house lord being either linked with inauspicious planets or situated in the 6th, 8th, or 12th houses.
• Presence of debilitated planets such as Mars, Saturn, Rahu, or Ketu in the 5th house.

The Effects of Pitra Dosha:

As per the concept of Karmic astrology, if you have Pitra Dosh in your horoscope then you may have to face following adverse effects:

• Career difficulties & struggles.
• Delays or unsuccessful marriage.
• Difficulties in conception or childbirth.
• Possibility of mental or physical disabilities in newborns.
• Ongoing family disputes & conflicts.
• Occurrences of unnatural deaths.
• Incidents of robbery, accidents or fire in the house.
• Frequent health disorders.
• Lack of financial stability & persistent debt.
• Frequent dreams about snakes, indicating the presence of Pitra-Dosh.
• Dreams where ancestors request food or clothing.
• Creating an unfavourable household environment with constant quarrels between spouses over trivial matters.
• Potential loss of reputation in society, as well as in extreme cases, even long-term imprisonment.

Powerful Remedies for Pitra Dosha:

• Seek the guidance of an experienced expert for Ravi-Graha Shanti and Shani-Graha Shanti puja.
• Perform shraadh, pind-daan, worship, as well as Tarpana on the tithi of your ancestors’ death in the Krishna Paksha of Ashwina month, as mentioned in the Brahma Purana.
• Worship the Peepal tree.
• Offer food as well as clothes to Brahmins on each & every Amavasya.
• Respect & show love to elders in your family, seeking their blessings to strengthen the position of the Sun.
• Offer water to the lord Sun as well as chant the Gayatri Mantra in order to enhance the influence of the Sun in your horoscope.
• Conduct Rudra Abhishek in honour of your ancestors.
• Worship Lord Vishnu, particularly in the form of Sri Ram, as well as deliver unconditional love and service to your parents as a means to alleviate the adverse effects of pitra dosha.
• In case of the unnatural or early demise of an ancestor, perform the Narayan Bali rite at holy places like Haridwar, Badrinath, Trimbhakeshwar etc.
• Feed crows as well as fishes with small balls of cooked rice every Saturday. During the Pitra paksha, offer food to crows, street dogs, & sweepers.

Powerful Mantra to Reduce the ill Effects of Pitra Dosha:

Om Pitrabhyah devatabhyah mahayogibhyech cha, Namah sawaha swadhyaye cha nityamev namah!

Summary

The present generation has the responsibility to repay the karmic debt of their ancestors either by accepting the consequences as per the “Karmic Law” or by engaging in positive actions that can assist alleviate or diminish the severity of the debt.