A significant celestial event, the second lunar eclipse of 2025, is set to occur on Sunday, September 7. This eclipse is particularly notable as it coincides with the beginning of Pitru Paksha, the sacred period dedicated to honoring ancestors in the Hindu calendar. The alignment of these two events has heightened its spiritual and ritualistic importance.
Sutak Period: The Inauspicious Time
According to Hindu beliefs, a lunar eclipse is associated with the Sutak Kaal, an inauspicious period when certain rituals and activities are restricted. The Sutak period for the September 7 lunar eclipse will begin 9 hours before the eclipse’s penumbral phase starts.
- Sutak Begins: 12:57 PM IST on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
- Sutak Ends: 1:26 AM IST on Monday, September 8, 2025, with the conclusion of the eclipse.
During this period, many temples, including prominent ones like the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, may close their doors. For children, the elderly, and the sick, the Sutak rules are relaxed, with the period beginning just three hours before the eclipse.
Rituals and Practices to Observe
The Chandra Grahan is considered a powerful time for spiritual introspection and karmic cleansing. Here are the traditional do’s and don’ts during this period:
What to Do
- Chant Mantras: It is believed that mantras chanted during the eclipse are more potent. Chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, Gayatri Mantra, or the Chandra Beej Mantra is highly recommended.
- Meditation and Prayer: Engage in deep meditation and prayer to calm the mind and connect with a higher consciousness. This is seen as a time for spiritual purification.
- Recite Spiritual Texts: Reading holy books like the Hanuman Chalisa or the Bhagavad Gita is considered beneficial.
- Take a Post-Eclipse Bath: After the eclipse ends, it is essential to take a bath and change into clean clothes to purify oneself from any perceived negative energies.
- Charity: Making donations of food, clothes, or money to the poor and needy after the eclipse is considered a highly auspicious act that can bring positive karma.
- Discard Cooked Food: Cooked food and open water should be discarded after the eclipse. Items that cannot be thrown away, such as grains and pickles, should have a few Tulsi (basil) leaves or Kusha grass added before the eclipse to protect them.
What to Avoid
- Eating and Drinking: It is a common practice to fast during the entire Sutak period and the eclipse.
- Cooking: No new food should be cooked during this time.
- Auspicious Activities: Avoid starting any new ventures, attending religious ceremonies, or performing any auspicious tasks.
- Touching Idols: Idols of gods and goddesses in temples and at home should not be touched during this time. Temples are often kept closed for this reason.
- Using Sharp Objects: Pregnant women are specifically advised to avoid using knives, scissors, or other sharp objects.
- Leaving the House: It is advised to stay indoors during the eclipse, especially for pregnant women, as it is believed to have potential ill effects on the unborn child.
The alignment of this lunar eclipse with Pitru Paksha makes it a rare and spiritually charged event. Astrologers suggest that this is an exceptionally powerful time to perform rituals for one’s ancestors, which is believed to bring peace to their souls and cleanse the family’s lineage of old karmic patterns.
