For whom should one perform Til-tarpan (A rite of offering sesame seeds and water) and how to do it ?

Til-tarpan method for Deities

One should pray and invoke the Deities and hold a round, shelving copper plate. Think of Deity Brahma and Shri Vishnu or their Incarnate form Shri Dattatreya and pray to them to descend onto the plate. Have the bhav (Spiritual emotion) that Deities have descended onto the copper plate in their subtle forms. Later, take white sesame seeds in your palm and have the bhav that the sesame seeds are charged with the Principles of Shri Vishnu and Deity Brahma. Then, let the sesame seeds flow from the palm through the fingers into the copper plate by pouring water on the palm, so that the seeds fall in the plate with the bhav that you are offering them at the Holy feet of Deities.

Result : The sesame seeds will absorb a higher amount of sattvikata (Spiritual purity) when they are offered at the feet of Deities who are present in subtle forms. In addition, one’s bhav will get awakened by offering water to the Deities.

The awakened bhav helps the individual performing Til-tarpan imbibe a higher amount of sattvikata emitted by the Deities. Thus, we realise that God yearns for bhav. When one develops bhav and offers ego to Him, God gives in great abundance.

Til-tarpan method for departed ancestors

Have the bhav that the departed ancestors are present in subtle forms : One should invoke one’s departed ancestors into another round, shelving copper plate. One should pray to the Deities – ‘May the sesame seeds get charged with the Principles of Shri Vishnu and Deity Brahma’.

One should have the bhav that the departed ancestors are present in subtle forms, and one is offering the black sesame seeds and water charged with the Principles of Deities at their feet. After a couple of minutes, offer the charged sesame seeds and akshata (Unbroken rice grains, usually smeared with kumkum and used in ritualistic worship) to the departed ancestors.

Finally, one should hold the sattvik sesame seeds in the palm and let them flow from the palm through the space between the thumb and index finger into the copper plate by pouring water on the palm, so that the seeds fall in the plate. And while doing so, pray to Deity Dattatreya or Deity Brahma, or Shri Vishnu for the departed ancestors’ smooth onward journey.

Result : The rite of Til-tarpan enhances the sattvikata of the subtle bodies of the departed ancestors : The sesame seeds can absorb sattvikata and eliminate the Raja-Tama components in a higher proportion. When a seeker performs Til-tarpan, the black covering around the subtle bodies reduces, and their sattvikata increases depending upon the bhav of the seeker. It also energises the departed ancestors for their onward journey to the higher regions. The seeker receives sattvikata when he offers the sesame seeds to the Deities in the first phase of Til-tarpan.

When the level of his bhav crosses 40%, he does not experience any distress when he performs Til-tarpan for his departed ancestors, since God creates a protective sheath around his body. The rite of Til-tarpan reduces the distress caused by the departed ancestors by 5-10%.

– God (Through the medium of Ms Madhura Bhosale [She is at the spiritual level of 65%])

(Read Sanatan’s Text : ‘Appropiate method and Science in celebrating Holy Festivals’)

Everything done on Akshayya Trutiya for the sake of Deities and ancestors becomes ‘Akshayya’, meaning, imperishable !

Subtle Note

Seeing, hearing in the subtle, etc. (Receiving knowledge through the five subtle sense organs) : The subtle vision of some seekers is awakened; meaning, they can perceive what the physical eyes cannot see; some seekers can hear sounds or words in the subtle..

Bhav : ‘Where there is bhav (Spiritual emotion), there is God’. It is not that every individual will have similar experiences.