Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Funeral
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Hindu=== {{main|Antyesti}} [[File:Bagamati cremation.jpg|thumb|A Hindu cremation rite in [[Nepal]]. The samskara above shows the body wrapped in saffron red on a pyre.]] [[Antyesti]], literally 'last rites' or 'last sacrifice', refers to the rite-of-passage rituals associated with a funeral in Hinduism.<ref>[http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=funeral+&trans=Translate&direction=AU Antayesti] Cologne Sanskrit Digital Lexicon, Germany</ref> It is sometimes referred to as {{transliteration|hi|Antima Samskaram, Antya-kriya, Anvarohanyya}}, or {{transliteration|hi|Vahni Sanskara}}. A dead adult [[Hindus|Hindu]] is cremated, while a dead child is typically buried.<ref name=olsonant/><ref name=fowler>J Fowler (1996), Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1898723608}}, pp. 59–60</ref> The rite of passage is said to be performed in harmony with the sacred premise that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe.<ref name="terje">Terje Oestigaard, in The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial (Editors: [[Sarah Tarlow]], Liv Nilsson Stutz), Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|9780191650383}}, pp. 497–501</ref> The soul (Atman, Brahman) is believed to be the immortal essence that is released at the {{transliteration|hi|Antyeshti}} ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements: air, water, fire, earth and space.<ref name=terje/> The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and origins.<ref name=olsonant>Carl Olson (2007), The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction, Rutgers University Press, {{ISBN|978-0813540689}}, pp. 99–100</ref><ref name=terje/> The roots of this belief are found in the Vedas, for example in the hymns of [[Rigveda]] in section 10.16, as follows: {{poemquote| Burn him not up, nor quite consume him, Agni: let not his body or his skin be scattered, O all possessing Fire, when thou hast matured him, then send him on his way unto the Fathers. When thou hast made him ready, all possessing Fire, then do thou give him over to the Fathers, When he attains unto the life that waits him, he shall become subject to the will of gods. The Sun receive thine eye, the Wind thy ''Prana'' (life-principle, breathe); go, as thy merit is, to earth or heaven. Go, if it be thy lot, unto the waters; go, make thine home in plants with all thy members. |Rigveda 10.16<ref>Sanskrit: *[http://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/ऋग्वेद:_सूक्तं_१०.१६ ऋग्वेद: सूक्तं १०.१६] Wikisource; *[https://archive.org/stream/rigvedasanhitc06wils#page/38/mode/2up Sukta XVI – Rigveda], English Translation: HH Wilson (Translator), pages 39–40; * Wendy Doniger (1981), The Rig Veda, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0140449891}}, see chapter on Death</ref>}} The [[Antyesti|final rites]] of a burial, in case of untimely death of a child, is rooted in Rigveda's section 10.18, where the hymns mourn the death of the child, praying to deity Mrityu to "neither harm our girls nor our boys", and pleads the earth to cover, protect the deceased child as a soft wool.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/rigvedasanhitc06wils#page/46/mode/2up Sukta XVIII – Rigveda], English Translation: HH Wilson (Translator), pages 46-49 with footnotes;</ref><ref>Wendy Doniger (1981), The Rig Veda, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0140449891}}, see chapter on Death</ref> Among Hindus, the dead body is usually cremated within a day of death. In Hindu tradition, the body is usually kept at home with the family until it’s time for cremation. A typical Hindu funeral includes three main stages: a gathering or wake in the home, the cremation itself—referred to as mukhagni—and a follow-up ritual called the shraddha ceremony.<ref>Hindu Funeral & Death Rituals: A Complete Guide | Memorial Planning. (2025, January 6). Memorial Planning |. https://www.memorialplanning.com/resources/religious-funerals-guide/hindu-funerals-guide/</ref> The body is washed, wrapped in white cloth for a man or a widow, red for a married woman,<ref name=fowler/> the two toes tied together with a string, a {{transliteration|hi|Tilak}} (red mark) placed on the forehead.<ref name=olsonant/> The dead adult's body is carried to the cremation ground near a river or water, by family and friends, and placed on a pyre with feet facing south.<ref name=fowler/> The eldest son, or a male mourner, or a priest then bathes before leading the cremation ceremonial function.<ref name=olsonant/><ref name=carrie>Carrie Mercier (1998), Hinduism for Today, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|978-0199172542}}, p. 58</ref> He circumambulates the dry wood pyre with the body, says a eulogy or recites a [[hymn]] in some cases, places sesame seed in the dead person's mouth, sprinkles the body and the pyre with [[ghee]] (clarified butter), then draws three lines signifying {{transliteration|hi|Yama}} (deity of the dead), {{transliteration|hi|Kala}} (time, deity of cremation) and the dead.<ref name=olsonant/> The pyre is then set ablaze, while the mourners mourn. The ash from the cremation is consecrated to the nearest river or sea.<ref name=carrie/> After the cremation, a period of mourning is observed for 10 to 12 days after which the immediate male relatives or the sons of the deceased shave their head, trim their nails, recites prayers with the help of priest or Brahmin and invite all relatives, kins, friends and neighbours to eat a simple meal together in remembrance of the deceased. During the mourning period, sleeping arrangements in the home change too. Mattresses are taken off the beds and placed on the floor, and for twelve days, everyone in the household sleeps on the floor as part of the funeral customs.<ref>Laungani, P. (2001). Hindu deaths in India—Part 1. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 39(3), 88–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2001.10806179</ref> This day, in some communities, also marks a day when the poor and needy are offered food in memory of the dead.<ref>Colin Parkes et al. (2015), Death and Bereavement Across Cultures, Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0415522366}}, pp. 66–67</ref> In most Hindu communities the last day of the mourning is called as Terahveen (the thirteenth day), and on this day items of basic needs along with some favourite items of the deceased are donated to the priests. Also on the same day the eldest son of the family is ceremonially crowned (called ''Pagdi Rasm'') for he is now the head of the family. A feast is also organised for [[Brahmin]]s, family members, and friends.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Significance of the 13-Day Mourning Period: What Friends Need to Know |url=https://www.asianindianfuneralservice.com/blog/blog/the-significance-of-the-13-day-mourning-period-what-friends-need-to-know |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=www.asianindianfuneralservice.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)