Your Query on Hindu View of Death & Rituals .

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI Ashwin Trikamjee:

 

The subject is a vast one . The subject may not be

of great interest to many and even unpleasant for a few

to reflect on . I congratulate you on your desire to want to know

about this important subject .

 

Hindus have developed a wonderful way of dealing

with mortality and thereafter and have removed the fear of

the dissolution of the physical body after it has been trained

to serve the Lord and His devotees during life .This follows

the ancient Vedic path .

 

HIndu dharma sAsthrAs have apara prayOgams to

honor the one who has left this world to join the Lord

in the other world or to enter into other lives based on

one's accumulated karmAs . The ceremonies that we do as

realtives left behind are to honor the departed soul

( First 13 days , whole year and annual SrArddham ,

TarpaNams/offerings et al ) although that soul has left

on its journeys based on its karmAs .

 

Each culture has developed elaborate rituals and

practises for an occasion like shedding one's

mortal coils . Comparitive literature is available.

The Celtic , Chinese , Ancient Roman , Greek , Egyptian ,

the Aztecs , the Budhdists , the Muslims , Chriatians ,

Maayans had their own rites and rituals on handling death.

 

Hindus had an elaborate way in designing sacraments after

death following Gruhya SoothrAs as a part of the 40

SamskAras prscribed from conception in the Mother's

womb to death . " The Life after Life " is a vast subject too .

 

There are 10 steps that are significant in the context of

death Rituals ( apara Kaaryams ). You may take a look at

this URL:

 

http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda

 

In depth , there are coverages at the source level :

 

1) Grihya Sutras , The sacred Books of the East series ,

Motilal Banarsidas Publishers , Bungalow Road ,

Jawahar Nagar , New Delhi 7

 

2) Hindu SamskArAs : Dr.Raj Bali Pandy , Same Publisher.

 

3) Funeral and other screments after death , Jnana PrabhOdhini,

510 Sadashiv Petha , Pune 411 033 , India .

 

Hope this helps you ,

 

V.Sadagopan

 

-

" Trikamjee " <ashwin

" 'Madhavakkannan V' " <srivaishnavan;

; <acharya >;

<nama-singapore >; <Oppiliappan >;

; <Srivenugopala >;

; <desikasampradaya >

Saturday, July 03, 2004 5:37 AM

 

 

> Dear All:

 

> My pranaams to all of you.

 

> I am Ashwin Trikamjee -President of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha

>and very involved in Hindu Dharmic work.

 

> I have a humble request to all of you - to assist me on the issue of the

> Hindu view of Death- the philosophical and literary representation ,the

> ritualistic practices of death in the past and present interpretations (of

> the practices)and manifestations and cultural rituals which inform

>current > social practices which may or may not be in any Hindu belief.The

> discontinuities and the interpretation of the texts are of central

>interest to this focal point.

>

> I am enjoying the benefit of your outstanding debate daily -

>I appreciate it very much as it has given me a new insight

>into Hinduism.

 

> Yours in the service of Bhagwan

>

> ashwin