Arpan, Tarpan and Samarpan

In Hindu philosophy, Arpan, Tarpan and Samarpan have big role for purification of self. Self-less sacrifice for betterment of humanity is Arpan. Remembering and offerings made to demised forefathers and parents particularly during Shradha (around 15 days period prior to Navratri is called Tarpan. Surrender to oneself to god and lead life according principles of dharma is Samarpan.

In Vedic dharma, every householder should perform five offerings or sacrifices viz. to devas (deities), pitras (ancestors), rishis (ancient teachers / scientists), human beings and brute creations. These offerings or sacrifices are the basis of spiritual development. It involves the offering of things that are precious to one-self and good to others, this eliminates the self-centeredness. These five offerings or sacrifices are as follows:

1. Sacrifice to gods i.e. performance of Havan, Agnihotra, etc.;
2. Sacrifice to risis i.e. study of the Vedas, performance of Sandhya and Japa of Gayatri, etc.;
3. Sacrifice to the Manes i.e. performance of Tarpana, Shradha etc.);
4. Sacrifice to Human Beings i.e. entertainment of guests;
5. Sacrifice to all created beings or performance of Balivaisvadeva i.e. offering a portion of the daily meal to creatures.

 
Arpan (dedication, presenting, offering)

Before the advent of cooking gas in the Hindu Kitchen, cooked food first was offered to fire. Thereafter, food was offered to deities and later taken as prasada. When the food was offered to yajna, it was called as Havya. The offerings or fire sacrifices made during Yajna are thanks-giving to deities for the benefits received from them or for welfare of humanity, are discharge of one’s duties. Fire is link between humans and deities.
 
Tarpan or Shradha:

Shradha means which is done with Shraddha (respect or reverence). Shradha or Tarpan is paying reverence towards the ancestors. It is a ritual of remembering our lineage and offering our respect. After dying, the gross body ceases, only the subtle body remains. There are many verses in Chapter 18 of Atharva Veda relating to appeasing the ancestors and funeral rites. The importance of Tarpan is emphasized in several Purans viz. Garuda Puran, Vayu Puran, Kumra Puran, Skand Puran Devi Bhagavad Puran etc. It finds mention in Mahabharata.
 
Tarpan is done for the happiness of their ancestors during Pitra-Paksh. It is performed for a fortnight in the 2nd paksha Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada in southern and western India and in Ashwin month in north India & Nepal. It begins on the Pratipada (first day of the fortnight) ending with the no moon day known as amavasya (also known as Pitru Amavasya, Peddala Amavasya, Mahalaya amavasya or simply Mahalaya).
Shradha is performed at home normally. However, Shraddha performed at Varanasi, Prayaga, Gaya, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Rameswaram and Nasik, have special significance.
In the Shradha, after the invocation, and salutation, the reverence offering is done. Water is mainly used in tarpan. Other items are like barley, black sesame, rice, Ganga water, milk and flowers. With the help of the Kushas, ​​the small Anjali mantra of the barley is satisfied by the mere pouring of the mantra. Subsequently, the offerings are also made to crow, dog, cow, begger and Brahmin.
As a result of performing Tarpan, the ancestors get satisfied and bless us with love, peace, happiness, good health, wealth and success. Also, one who is performing gets rid of the family dosha or Pitru dosha (if any).

Samarpan or Surrender:

External worship is symbolic. The true and the highest worship is total surrender, offering of oneself, one’s possessions, and one’s actions and even the sense of agency to Him and unwavering faith and devotion (अनन्य भक्ति). Whole hearted self-surrender (body, mind and soul) and love ensures attainment of Brahman.

Bhagawata Purana has classified god-centred actions into nine class’ viz. listening (श्रवणम), hymning/eulogizing (कीर्तनं), meditating/remembering (स्मरणम), service (पादसेवनम), worship (आर्कनम), salutation/greeting (वंदनम), servitude/bondage (दास्यम), comradeship/friendliness (सखयम) and total surrender (आत्मनिवेदनम).
The grace of the Supreme Being comes on those who surrender themselves whole-heartedly to him, and that grace accomplishes what one cannot do by one’s own effort. First attitude is “I am His”; second – “He is mine” and third – “He is I”. Surrender takes these forms according to one’s spiritual maturity.  
The importance of offerings and self-surrender is emphasized in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita discussed hereinafter:
 
Offerings:

1. In Chapter 4, Bhagwan Shree Krishna has explained the various forms of offerings:
   1. Some Yogis duly offer sacrifice only in the form of worship to gods, while others perform sacrifice by offering the self by the Self itself in the fire of Brahman i.e. attain oneness with Brahman (verse-25, दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते । ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥ ४-२५॥).
   2. Some offer as sacrifice their senses of hearing etc., into the fires of self-discipline. Other Yogis without attachment & aversions offer sound and other objects of perception into the fires of the senses (verse-26, श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति । शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥ ४-२६॥).
   3. Others sacrifice all the functions of their senses and the functions of the vital airs (Prana) into the fire of Yoga of self-restraint kindled by wisdom (verse-27, सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे । आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ ४-२७॥).
   4. Some perform sacrifice with material possessions; some offer sacrifice in the shape of austerities; others sacrifice through the practice of Yoga; while some striving souls, observing austere vows, perform sacrifice in the shape of wisdom through the study of sacred texts (verse-28, द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे । स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥ ४-२८॥).
   5. Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming, and the incoming in the outgoing, restraining the courses of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath (verse-29, अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे । प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥ ४-२९॥)
   6. In chapter 5, one, who acts offering all actions to God, and shaking off attachment, remains untouched by sin, as the lotus leaf by water (verse-10, ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः । लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥ ५-१०॥).
2. In chapter 9 - Shree Krishna says, whosoever offers Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) with devotion and pure mind a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I, personally accept the offerings (verse-26, पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति । तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥ ९-२६॥). Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, whatever you do by way of penance, offer all that to Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) (verse-27, यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् । यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥ ९-२७॥). The mind thus established in the Yoga of renunciation (offering of all actions to Me), one shall be freed from the bondage of action in the form of good and evil results; will be liberated and attain Moksha (Verse-28, शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनैः । संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि ॥ ९-२८॥)
3. In chapter17 – Shree Krishna explains types of offerings:
4.  The sacrifice which is offered, as ordained by scriptural injunctions, by men who expect no return and who believe that such sacrifices must be performed, is Sattvika in character (verse-11, अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥ १७-११॥).
5. Sacrifice, which is offered for the sake of mere show or even with an eye to its fruit, knows it to be Rajasika (verse-12, अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् । इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १७-१२॥).
6. A sacrifice, which is not in conformity with scriptural injunctions, in which no food is offered, and no sacrificial fees are paid, which is without sacred chant of hymns and devoid of faith, is said to be Tamasika (verse-13, विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम् । श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते ॥ १७-१३॥)

Samarpan or Surrender:

1. In Chapter 3, Shree Krishna informs that to get rid of from the feeling of agency, one should offer all the fruits of action to the Brahman (verses -20-30).
2. In Chapter 9, Shree Krishna explains that one who fix his mind daily, continuously & unmoved on Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna); be devoted to Me, worship by listening, chanting, meditating & studying Me without motives; surrender everything to me with great devotion & love; make obeisance to Me and entirely depending on Me, he shall come to Me (Verse 34, मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः ॥ ९-३४॥).
3. In Chapter 10, Shree Krishna again mentions that those who meditate Me, (Brahman/Shree Krishna) listen & discuss My glories and surrender to Me, these devotees ever remain contented and take delight in Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) (Verse 9, मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् । कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च ॥ १०-९॥).
4. In chapter 12, Shree Krishna says, those, who depend exclusively on Me, and surrender all actions to Me, worship Me (God with attributes), constantly meditate on Me with single-minded devotion, I speedily deliver from the ocean of birth and death, their mind being fixed on Me (Verse6, 7 - ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः । अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ १२-६॥ तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् । भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ १२-७॥).