What is Pitrudosh?

Pitrudosh is a karmic affliction in Vedic astrology that occurs when ancestors remain unsatisfied due to incomplete last rites, neglected Shradh ceremonies, or unresolved debts from past generations. The Garuda Purana describes it as a disruption in the pitru-rina (ancestral debt) cycle. When Rahu afflicts the Sun or Moon in the ninth house of a kundli, astrologers identify Pitrudosh. Its effects can span up to seven generations on the paternal side and four on the maternal side, making timely nivaran essential.