Pitru Loka
(पितृ लोक)Literal Meaning
The realm of the ancestors
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
'Pitru' (ancestor, father) plus 'loka' (realm); the intermediate world where deceased ancestors dwell, sustained by the shraddha rites and pinda offerings performed by their living descendants.
Spiritual Insight & Context
The concept ties spiritual practice directly to family responsibility — annual shraddha rituals are not mere memorial gestures but believed to actively nourish and sustain ancestors in the beyond.