Mantra for tarpan: remembering ancestors in Pitru Paksha
The Pitru Gayatri and other mantras for tarpan during Pitru Paksha 2026 (26 Sep to 10 Oct), with a gentle step-by-step way to offer water to your ancestors.
The mantra most often chanted for tarpan is the Pitru Gayatri, ॐ पितृगणाय विद्महे जगतधारिणी धीमहि तन्नो पितृ प्रचोदयात्, a prayer of respect and peace for all who came before us. Tarpan itself is simple: water with black sesame is offered from the palm while you remember each ancestor by name. Pitru Paksha is happening now, from 26 September to 10 October 2026, and ends on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya), Saturday 10 October.
Tarpan means "satisfying" or "refreshing". During the fortnight of Pitru Paksha, families remember their parents, grandparents and all their ancestors, and offer water, sesame and food in their name. It is an act of gratitude, a way of saying: we have not forgotten you. Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city.
Mantras for tarpan and remembrance
Pitru Gayatri mantra
ॐ पितृगणाय विद्महे जगतधारिणी धीमहि तन्नो पितृ प्रचोदयात्। Om Pitruganaya Vidmahe, Jagatdharini Dhimahi, Tanno Pitru Prachodayat
"I bow to all the departed souls, and to the force that holds the world together. May they bless us with peace and understanding." It is traditionally chanted for ancestral blessings and for comfort through grief. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
"I bow to the One who lives in all beings and all things." Shraddha and tarpan are traditionally offered to the ancestors through Vishnu, and this twelve-syllable mantra is often chanted at the close, asking that the offering reach them. Listen on Mahakatha.
Twameva Mata
त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव Tvameva Mata Cha Pita Tvameva, Tvameva Bandhushcha Sakha Tvameva
"You alone are my mother and my father, my family and my friend." A quiet prayer for anyone who misses a parent. It is traditionally chanted for comfort in loneliness and grief. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Purnamadah (Shanti mantra)
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः Om Purnamadah Purnamidam, Purnat Purnamudachyate, Purnasya Purnamadaya, Purnamevaavashisyate, Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih
"That is whole, this is whole. From wholeness, wholeness comes. Take wholeness from wholeness, and wholeness remains. Peace, peace, peace." A reminder that nothing truly loved is lost. Listen on Mahakatha.
How to perform tarpan at home
Tarpan is usually done in the morning, after a bath, on the tithi of the ancestor's passing or on Sarva Pitru Amavasya. Customs differ between families and regions, and many families do it with a priest. If your family has its own way, follow it. A simple form:
- Prepare. Keep a plate or vessel, clean water, a few black sesame seeds (til), and if you have it, a little kusha grass.
- Sit facing south, the direction traditionally associated with the ancestors. Many men wear the sacred thread over the right shoulder for this offering.
- Remember. Say your own name and family name, then the name of each ancestor you are remembering, and how they are related to you: father, mother, grandparents.
- Offer water. Take water and sesame in your cupped right hand and let it flow out over the side of the thumb into the vessel, three times for each person. The offering is traditionally made with the word svadha, used for gifts to the ancestors. If you do not know the Sanskrit, say in your own language: "May this reach you. May you be at peace."
- Chant. Chant the Pitru Gayatri 11 or 21 times, or 108 times on a mala.
- Close. Chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, sit in silence for a minute, and later pour the water at the foot of a tree or a tulsi plant. Feeding a cow, crows or a person in need in your ancestors' name is also part of Pitru Paksha.
Do not worry if you do not know every step. The heart of tarpan is remembering with love and gratitude.
If you cannot do tarpan yourself
Many people live far from home, have no priest nearby, or simply do not know the ritual. You can still remember your ancestors this Pitru Paksha:
- Sit quietly at any time, light a lamp, and chant the Pitru Gayatri or listen to it.
- Offer a prayer on air. Through Mahakatha Radio's Prayer Requests, a prayer in memory of someone you love is written gently, read aloud on air at 7:00 am or 7:00 pm India time, and followed by a mantra chosen for them. You are emailed when it airs.
- Light a candle on the free prayer wall, or see light a candle for a prayer.
If grief feels heavy right now, be gentle with yourself. Mantras can bring a little calm, but they are not a replacement for a doctor, a counsellor or a friend when you need one.
Mahakatha Radio plays Vishnu, Shiva and Om mantras day and night, free and without ads. Listen live while you remember.
Questions people ask
How do I perform tarpan?
After a bath, sit facing south and offer water mixed with black sesame from your cupped right hand, three times for each ancestor, saying their name and your relation to them. Chant the Pitru Gayatri and close with a moment of silence. Many families do it with a priest.
What is the mantra for the ancestors (pitrus)?
The Pitru Gayatri, ॐ पितृगणाय विद्महे जगतधारिणी धीमहि तन्नो पितृ प्रचोदयात् (Om Pitruganaya Vidmahe, Jagatdharini Dhimahi, Tanno Pitru Prachodayat), is a mantra of respect and peace for all ancestors.
When is tarpan done in 2026?
Through Pitru Paksha, 26 September to 10 October 2026, on the tithi on which your ancestor passed away. If you do not know the date, tarpan for all ancestors is done on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Saturday 10 October.
What is the mantra for Pitru Dosha?
Families who feel unsettled about their ancestors usually turn to simple acts of remembrance: tarpan, shraddha, the Pitru Gayatri, and feeding someone in need in their name. There is nothing to fear. The tradition asks only for gratitude and care.
Which god is prayed to for Pitru Dosha?
Vishnu is traditionally the one through whom offerings reach the ancestors, which is why shraddha is offered at Gaya and why Vishnu mantras close the ritual. Many families also pray to Shiva.
Can women perform tarpan?
Traditionally it was done by sons, but many families today welcome daughters, wives and anyone who wishes to remember. Follow your family's custom, and know that a sincere prayer in memory is always welcome.