Why is Snan mandatory before performing Pind Daan, Tarpan, and Shraddha?

Before any ancestral ritual (Pitri Karma), the performer must purify themselves through Snan — ideally at a sacred river or at minimum with Ganga Jal at home. Scriptures state that the spiritual efficacy of Pind Daan, Tarpan, or Shraddha is directly proportional to the purity of the performer. An unpurified performer’s offerings are considered incomplete and may not reach the ancestors. The ritual sequence is strict: (1) Pre-dawn awakening, (2) Ganga Snan or equivalent sacred bath, (3) Sandhya Vandanam (daily prayers), (4) Gotra invocation, (5) Sankalpa, (6) The actual Pind Daan or Tarpan. At Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Haridwar, our pandits guide families through the complete pre-ritual Snan protocol at the sacred ghats before proceeding to the ancestral offerings.