Rituals
Rituals can help us to understand concepts that are otherwise elusive to grasp.
The Hindu religion teaches that when someone dies, the soul passes into another body. That belief in reincarnation provides the foundation for Hindu funeral, traditions. Although different groups have slightly different practices, there is a common set of Hindu funeral rites they all follow
The death ritual does not end with the elimination of the body. There is still the safety of the soul to look after. To ensure the passage during its voyage to the otherworld an eleven-day ritual called SHRADDHA is performed. It consists of daily offerings of rice balls, called PINDAS, which provides a symbolic, transitional body for the dead. During these days, the dead person makes the journey to the heavens, or the world of ancestors.
What is a Hindu Funeral?
Hindu death rituals dictate that the cremation is the norm, but the body remains in the family's home until it is moved to the cremation location.
Why do Hindus cremate and not bury the deceased?
- The fire God, "Agni," was regarded as a messenger between humans and God. Agni consumes the body and conveys the spirit to the ancestors.
- The body is believed to be made up of five principle physical elements: Earth (Pruthwi), Air (Vayu), Fire (Tej), Water (Jala) and Space (Akash), and the cremation process returns the body to these elements in the form of smoke and ash to be placed in water.
- The whole life of a Hindu is looked upon as a continuous sacrifice. Death is observed as a sacrifice as well. Cremating the deceased is the final sacrifice that is offered to Agni. If the body is buried and if the deceased carried a contagious disease, such as the Plague, Typhoid etc. it may promote further spread of the disease which was prevented through cremation.
A Hindu funeral may have three parts:
1. A funeral in the family's home.
2. A cremation ceremony.
3. 3. A "Shraddha" ceremony .
The "Shraadha" ceremony can be performed everyday or all on the 11th day to maintain the "Preta" state of the deceased. "Preta" means departed. At this stage, the Soul has not reached the "Pitru" world yet, and the Soul continues his relation with the world from which he left.
To pay homage to the departed, people perform the "Ekodishta" ceremony on the 11th day. A "Pindadaan" ("pinda" meaning balls of cooked rice) for each day (total 10) is offered. It is believed that these "Pindas" provide nourishment for full growth of the body and energy for the journey Soul to "Pitru" world.
On the 12th day, the "Sapindikarana" ceremony is conducted to elevate the Soul to "Pitruloka." Here, the Soul is joined with its forefathers. All friends and family members are invited to the "Sapindikarana" ceremony. This ceremony is usually done on a larger scale and large donations of food and money are given. With Vishnu as a special witness, Brahma, Rudra, and Yama are invoked by the priest. In their presence the deceased is offered "Pindas." All of the people attending the ceremony eagerly wait for the crow(s) to pounce and eat the rice. The belief is that when crows eat the rice, it symbolizes a fulfillment of all the deceased's wishes. Since the Soul joined his forefathers (ancestors) in Pitru Loka there is a sense of relief among his loved ones. If the crows do not come or there is a long delay, it is considered a signal that the deceased had an unfulfilled desire. Hindus believe that unfulfilled desires of the dead prevent the Soul from being liberated. The priest will ask the mourner to think of possible unfulfilled desires the deceased may have had and declare that those desires be fulfilled. Then the priest asks the crows to eat the rice. If nothing occurs then, declare a large donation for a worthy cause.
In some parts of India, people believe the best thing that can happen is when an Eagle (or another species of the eagle family such as a Hawk) pounces on the rice ball suggesting that the Soul is being directly elevated to Deva loka or Swarg Loka (Heaven). This is considered the best because the Eagle is a messenger of the Lord Vishnu and it takes the Soul to Vaikuntha (Heaven).
On the twelfth day, the departed soul is said to reach its destination and be joined with its ancestors, a fact expresses.
On the thirteenth day, Shubham karyam and Navagraha Shanti Yagna are performed.