Svadhā

By Swami Harshanada

Svadhā or Svadhādevī was one of the daughters of Dakṣaprajāpati. She had been married to the seven pitṛs or manes:

Agniṣvāttas
Barhiṣadas
Somapās
Yama
Anala
Soma
Aryaman

The food that is offered to them in śrāddhas should be accompanied by the mantra ‘svadhā’. Then only they can get the same. Obviously this is a symbolical concept. When the mantra ‘svadhā’ is uttered while offering the piṇḍas,^[1] it will induce the necessary power into them so as to be received by the pitṛs.^[2]

References[edit]

↑ Piṇḍas means rice-balls.
↑ Pitṛs means the souls of the dead ancestors.

The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Deval Sancheti

Explore Other Articles

Garuḍapurāṇa
Ideals and Values/Forgiveness
Caruyasas
Bharata Savithri
Pañcayajñas

[1] Piṇḍas means rice-balls.

[2] Pitṛs means the souls of the dead ancestors.

[1]

[2]