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Vedic rituals after death {Scary}

kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
There are two reason on which people not interested in reading on life after death. One is death fear and the other one is having no faith or less faith. Since the answerer read these things in his teens and referring books frequently, answer is given without waiting for others to contribute. Take it from me, there is no other religion on this earth as precise and perfect as sanatana dharma........There are many other scary parts which are skipped but this is just a brief information. This might help understanding sanatana dharma better and helps us to get deeper understanding of the concepts.

Credits to C. Sri Vidya Rajagopalan

1) Garuda Purana:

A difficult question to answer in a simple way.

Garuda Puranam describes the journey of the departed soul and its requirement during this time of travel.

After the dead body has been burnt, there is a ten-day period of mourning and impurity for the sons and sapindas (near blood relatives).

Every day, a pinda must be offered to the dead person. Water must also be offered. Thus the tenth pinda is offered on the tenth day.

Why is the pinda at all offered? Each day’s pinda offerings are divided into four parts. The first part is appropriated by Yama’s messengers. The second part is used by the preta to survive. The remaining two parts are used by the preta to reconstruct a body by means of which he can travel to Yama’s abode. The first day’s share makes the head. The second day’s share makes the ears, the eyes and the nose. And so on and so forth until on the tenth day, the body is complete.

On the eleventh day, a shraddha ceremony is held. This is the first (adya) funeral ceremony, so it is known as adya shraddha.It is called ekothistam in southern part of the country.

For a period of one year, every month, on the date of death, a shraddha ceremony (Masika Shradha) continues to be held. Then a final shraddha ceremony known as varshika shraddha is held. All of these ceremonies are accompanied by the offering of pindas.

Why is this period of one year important? The adya shraddha takes place on the eleventh day. Then on the thirteen day, Yama’s messengers come for the preta. The preta now has a body, thanks to the pindas offered on the first ten days. Yama’s messengers grab this body and begin to drag it towards Yama’s abode. But the way is long and it takes three hundred and forty-eight days for the journey to be completed. The journey starts on the thirteenth day after death. Therefore, it is almost a year after death when the preta finally reaches Yama’s abode. During his long journey, the preta gets no food or water. It lives on whatever offerings are made to it in the form of pindas.

There are sixteen cities that have to be passed on the way to Yama’s abode. Their names are Yamya, Souri, Nagendra, Gandharva, Shailagama, Krouncha, Krura, Vichitra, Vahvapada, Duhkada, Nankranda, Sutapta, Roudra, Payovarshana, ****adhya, Vahubhiti. In between the cities named Vichitra nd Vahvapada, the river Vaitarani has to be crossed. This a terrible river and its currents are made of blood. There are boats for crossing the river. But only those who have donated cows on earth are allowed to cross by means of the boats. The others are dragged through the current and their flesh torn to shreds by fierce birds.

After one year has passed, the preta reaches Yama’s abode. He is no longer a preta, but becomes one of the ancestors (Pitru Sareera). The varshika shraddha that is performed is a recognition of this fact.

As the karta's (elder son or qualified person for this ceremony) life is not taken granted, the year end Sabanteekaranam is done on the 12th day by a special way and the Pretha jeeva attains Pitru sareera. The monthly pindadaan is continued as a precautionary measure.

2) Garuda Purana abridged:

2.15.67 "Within three days and nights the soul assumes a new body. On the tenth day the embodies soul longs for food.

2.15.74 "On the eleventh day and the twelfth, the soul of dead eats to his fill.

2.15.76 "On the thirteenth day, the soul of the dead is taken to the High Way. Now he assumes a body of the pinda and feels hungry by day and night.

3) Half boiled rice and daal is kneaded as laddus as pinda:

The pinda daan in death rituals vary from region to region in length and breadth of the country,. This can be seen in Gaya Pinda Daan and there many many kinds of Pinda Daan and with various constituents. (boiled or semi boiled, spherical or lumped, with seasame or daal, .........). During his long journey, the preta lives on whatever offerings are made to it in the form of pindas.

4) Annaul Pinda Daan:
 
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George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Wow, I have no relatives that know a thing about Hindu rituals and beliefs and I have no intention of asking anyone to go out of their way for me.

As for the afterlife? I believe we are interpenetrating physical, astral and mental bodies and when the physical drops off I will be experiencing still as me in an astral body on the astral plane. I am confident guides and relatives will get me started. My afterlife state will be a continuation of the level of heart and mind I developed in this life. I believe considerable time in years is spent on the astral plane enjoying its greater beauty and its teaching/growing opportunities.
 

`mud

Just old
Premium Member
I was Stuff before I became MeStuff and I will become AfterStuff after that.
Cognizance comes.......Cognizance goes.........After Gnosis persists.
I am as I will be......says the lord above.
~
'mud
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
These are 'Pauranic' beliefs and rituals, and not Vedic, particularly from 'Garuda Purana'. However, Kalyan takes some Puranas to be equivalent to Vedas (the sattvika ones :)).
I was Stuff before I became MeStuff and I will become AfterStuff after that. ~ 'mud
There is no AfterStuff. It is Stuff, MeStuff and Stuff again. :)

Krishna said:

"Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin, nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ;
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaḿ purāṇo, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre." BG 2.20

It does not take birth or dies at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.
 
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kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
These are 'Pauranic' beliefs and rituals, and not Vedic, particularly from 'Garuda Purana'. However, Kalyan takes some Puranas to be equivalent to Vedas (the sattvika ones :)).There is no AfterStuff. It is Stuff, MeStuff and Stuff again. :)

Krishna said:

"Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin, nāyaḿ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ;
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaḿ purāṇo, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre." BG 2.20

It does not take birth or dies at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.
There are karmic records that are written at various levels, the karmic records on the body needs to be destroyed to have an affect on the jIva whereever it travels in the future. That is why this entire process of preparing the body for Agni samskara and that is before. But after also for the safe being of the jIva these things are performed. jIva needs a body or a vehicle to travel, and these things after death establish the linga shareera of the jIva and also as george said this has physical, astral and mental aspects of it.

Anyway I would like this thread to be deleted as this is depressive stuff and I don't want this thread hanging over --------MODS can you please delete this thread?
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Then on the thirteen day, Yama’s messengers come for the preta. The preta now has a body, thanks to the pindas offered on the first ten days. Yama’s messengers grab this body and begin to drag it towards Yama’s abode. But the way is long and it takes three hundred and forty-eight days for the journey to be completed. The journey starts on the thirteenth day after death. Therefore, it is almost a year after death when the preta finally reaches Yama’s abode.
No wonder, Lord Yama's office has been provided water buffaloes as the means of transport. Naturally, the journey will take that long. High time they change over to SUVs and Volvo buses confirming to EU-VI.

yama1.jpg
images
images
Yama.

If it is scary, then, let us have some fun. :)
 
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kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
No wonder, Lord Yama's office has been provided water buffaloes as the means of transport. Naturally, the journey will take that long. High time they change over to SUVs and Volvo buses.

yama1.jpg
images
images
Yama.

If it is scary, then, let us have some fun. :)
remember time is relative...........
 

`mud

Just old
Premium Member
says Kalyan:
"remember time is relative..........."
to the motion of the Cosmos,
not the gods that travel with it !
~
'mud
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Yamaraj asking for a ride, Yamaraj in Mumbai, Yamaraj trying his hand at crcket, Yamaraj riding a scootie, Yamaraj buying cinema tickets.
Yama is accompanied by his chartered accountant, Chitragupta, who keeps the accounts of merits and sins.

images
images
images
images
yamraj.jpg
yamraj.png
 
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kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
Yamaraj asking for a ride, Yamaraj in Mumbai, Yamaraj trying his hand at crcket, Yamaraj riding a scootie, Yamaraj buying cinema tickets, Yamaraj playing video games.
Yama is accompanied by his chartered accountant, Chitragupta, who keeps the accounts of merits and sins.

images
images
images
images
yamraj.jpg
View attachment 11901
You know some people poop in their pants just before death? The elders say this because they witness yama bhatas just when he is about separate the jIva from the body. He is the death...I think I am detecting a sense of fear from aupmanyav and hence these diverting posts perhaps ?
 

kalyan

Aspiring Sri VaishNava
There are many things that were not mentioned in the OP, and when I am seeing this thread, it is disturbing to me. For example see this picture in 1820's depicting the ritual after the death. They chant 'Ram naam satya hai' while taking the dead body to the funeral place.......

Hindu_funeral.jpg
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I think I am detecting a sense of fear from aupmanyav and hence these diverting posts perhaps?
Kalyan, I am Brahman. I am eternal. I was not born, I will never die - only change forms. That is what I have done for the last 13.8 billions years. I have lived this life fairly well, tasted the ups and downs, I am ready, whenever the change of form happens. Once one understands, fear disappears for ever.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
There are many things that were not mentioned in the OP, and when I am seeing this thread, it is disturbing to me. For example see this picture in 1820's depicting the ritual after the death. They chant 'Ram naam satya hai' while taking the dead body to the funeral place.......

Hindu_funeral.jpg
I am still not understanding you. What is disturbing in the above drawing in your mind?
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Kapāla Kriyā: Breaking of the skull (done sometime after lighting the fire when the ligatures which bind the bones of the skull are burnt, otherwise the skull may explode, it just requires a gentle push). A normal part of Hindu cremation, generally done by the eldest son. That is when those who have come to the cremation turn back. I did it for my father, he did it to his father, it would happen to me also. This is the way of the world. Why fear it? Yes, for the theists, the name of Lord Rama is the final refuge, for me too, since Rama is Brahman.

"Avyaktādīni bhūtāni, vyakta-madhyāni, Bhārata;
avyakta-nidhanāny eva, tatra kā paridevanā?"
- BG 2.28

All things are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again after death. So what need is there for lamentation?
Read your BhagawadGita thoroughly.

images
 
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DeviChaaya

Jai Ambe Gauri
Premium Member
People defecate themselves after death because the nerve impulses that serve to hold the inner and outer sphincters tight are no longer being sent and received. For this reason also people will urinate themselves.

Do not fear death. Fix in your mind your deity of choice and they will take your hand and lead you forth.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
"Verse 1.4.2:

सोऽबिभेत्, तस्मादेकाकी बिभेति; स हायमीक्षां चक्रे, यन्मदन्यन्नास्ति, कष्मान्नु बिभेमीति, तत एवास्य भयं वीयाय्, कस्माद्ध्यभेष्यत्? द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति ॥ २ ॥

"So'bibhet, tasmādekākī bibheti; sa hāyamīkṣhāṃ chakre, yanmadanyannāsti, kaṣmānnu bibhemīti, tata evāsya bhayaṃ vīyāy, kasmāddhyabheṣyat? dvitīyādvai bhayaṃ bhavati."

He was afraid. Therefore people (still) are afraid to be alone. He thought, ‘If there is nothing else but me, what am I afraid of?’ From that alone his fear was gone, for what was there to fear? It is from a second entity that fear comes."
http://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-brihadaranyaka-upanishad/d/doc117939.html
 
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