Spiritual science underlying various actions in Shraddha

This Holy text explains the importance of shraddha – a ritual to repay the ancestral debt (Pitru-run). Bharatiya culture says that, just as we serve our parents and close relatives when they are alive as part of abiding by our Dharma, we have certain duties unto them after their death. The shrāddha rites provide us with an excellent opportunity to fulfil these duties and repay our debts unto the pitars. The shrāddha rites are necessary so that the journey after death of our parents, who have taken our utmost care during our childhood, becomes comfortable and without any distress, and that they acquire sadgati (Momentum for moving to the next higher region).