Last and ensuing rites after death is to be performed by the son, and by the father for the son.
These Karmas are to be performed with the Sacred Thread worn on the Left shoulder(Pracheena Veedhi)
The Last rites are to be performed only by the eldest son That is the rites performed immediately after death.
But after the Thirteenth day all the Rites, including Srardha is to be performed by all the sons.
There is a view that if the elder son performs the Srardha, other sons need not perform.
If all the brothers stay in one house and perform the Srardha the eldest can do and the others can be by his side.
If they stay separately then every one has to perform separately.
Other than the sons of the wife married in the Vedic way, sons of the deceased may perform the last rites, if
The son was born to a Man who married without paying the parent’s of the girl ,
of a Concubine.
On death, all the relatives must bathe the dead body ,dress it up with only Dhoti,or Saree apply Vibhuthi,Thiruman or Kumkum and adorn with Garland.
No ornaments, even if it is Rudraksha has to be removed and the body’s head should face the South.
All the relatives must take part in this.
Daughter of the deceased must bathe the body and wash the place where the body was kept initially and keep the washed body there.
As soon as one is dead, a smoking fire is to be kept outside the House.
None should eat till the body is set afire.
After the Pretha(Body)Karmas are done with and the body burnt in the Ghat, people should enter the house after washing their feet and take bath with their clothes.
Should sleep on the floor till the twelfth day.
Till the thirteenth day food can be taken only once in the morning and Pinda, a Rice ball, is to be placed for the dead.
The Karmas are to be performed at Home.
A small hole, Kuzhis, is to be made , just outside the house,within the compound, and covered.
The Kuzhi Tharpana is to be performed by the Paternal side relatives till the tenth day.
Should take bath outside the village or town, offer Tharpana and donate Dhoti,Angavastra or Saree and Blouse bit on the First,Third, Seventh and ninth day of the death.
Asthi Sanjayan, the dissolving of ashes is to be done on the Fourth day.
(The Current practice is performing this Karma on the second day, Vishnu Purana says it should be done on the Fourth day)
After twelfth day one can sleep on he bed.
But till the thirteenth day no intimate relations with husband or wife is allowed.
During this period, all the three varnas, Brahmana,Kshatriya and Vaisya should not recite Vedas, Engage in Dhaana or Dharma nor should one accept any thing from the others..
For more on this read my posts on Srardha and Srardha Samayal
There is enough evidence to suggest that apt from being reborn and undergo sufferings,the stages of Hell or in the Mind and the sufferings are related to and restricted to Mind.
But the Puranas also say that there is actual Hell and they are of various types.
Almost all the Puranas deal with this;Kalki Purana and Garuda Purana deal with this subject extensively.
Vishnu Purana , which is classified as Maha Purana, also deals with this.
Let us have a look at the various kinds of Hell as described in the Vishnu Garuda Puranas.
1.There are 400,000 types of Hell.
Hell-Hinduism
2.28 are very important.
Punishment In Hell Hinduism
3.Some of them are located under Water and some under the Earth.
4.Those who covet others’ wealth will reach ‘Tamasira Naraka’
5.Unfaithful Spouse-Aniththaamisra.
6.The selfish,who destroy other Families,Liars, false witnesses-Raurava, where they will be an Animal Ruru
7.Those who kill other living Beings for ‘Taste’,Kumbheebaakam.
8.Ill-treatment of Parents, Elders,Kaala Soothram.
9.denial Of God and for leaving one’s Duty,Asipathram.
12.Panguni-Narasimha Dwadasi, Sukla Paksha Dwadasi for varaha.
13.Kaanthi Vrata;Sukla Paksha Dwithitiyai( second day after New Moon) for Krishna.On this Thithi Krishna/Balarama are to be worshipped and Silver idols of each is be donated .
* New Moon to Full Moon Sukla Paksha
Full Moon to Nwe Moon-Krishna Paksha.
Tamil Months and corresponding English Months.
The number of days in a month varies between 29 and 32.
The following list compiles the months of the Tamil Calendar.
Note: The Sanskrit months above would start one month ahead of Tamil months since the Tamil calendar is a solar calendar while the Sanskrit calendar is a lunisolar calendar.
It is of interest to note that these Vratas cover all the Avataras of Vishnu.
All the Vratas are to be followed on Dwdasi, whic is natural, as Lord Vishnu is associated with number 12-he is one among the 12 Adithyas,His Dwadasa Naama’Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaaya’ contains twelve Aksharas or letters in Sanskrit and Sri Vaishnava practice is to keep everything inmultiples of Twelve including the cheer(things offerd in Marriages.
But the greates Vrata of Vishnu is Ekadasi, which is Symbloic of Lord Shiva!
Sathya Narayna Vrata and others are not found in the Purans, may be they are from the Smritis or by tradition
The Puranas of The Hindus list the rulers of Bharatavarsha, which includes those in the Kali Yuga.
The normal Perception is that the Puranas stop with probably with the Death of Lord Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga .
And the Kalki Purana, Bhavishya Purana lists the Future Discoveries and the behaviour of people since The Mahabharata..
But while studying the Puranas in the original one comes to know that the Puranas list the Rulers ,Dynasties, the Class of people who are to Rule the Bharata Varsha.
A look.
Vishnu Purana.
The Dwapara Youga endedsha with Kheshemaka of the Lunar, Pandavas Dynasty and the Surya Dynasty with Sumitra of Ikshvaku (the successors of Lord Rama‘s Dynasty)
Yadava’s Dynasty, of Lord Krishna’s ends with Ribunjaya.
After this Kali Yuga dawns.
Ribhunjaya’s Minister would kill Ribunjaya and crown his son Prathyodana and Praydyothana’s Family shall Rule for 838 years.
After this Bharata varsha will be ruled by Sisunabhan,Kakavarnan upto Mahanandi for 362 Years.
Kshatriyas’ Rule will come to an end with Maha Nandi marrying a low-caste woman and shall beget Nanda,, later this Dynasty shall be known as the maurya Dynasty.
Nanda will kill many kshatriya Kings and will be like Parasu Rama in killing the Kshatriyas.
This Nanda. aka Maha Padma and his eight sons will exterminate all the Kshtriya Kings and rule for about one hundred years
These nine will be annihilated by Chandra Gupta, born of Mura, with the help of a Brahmin, Chanakya, aka Vishnu Gupta, Kautilya and Vatsyayan.
These rulers belong to the fourth caste.
This Dynasty shall rule for 137 yeras.
The last king Bruhathratha will be killed by his Senathipathi,General Pushyamitra ans establish Sunga Dynasty.
This Sunga Dyansty shall rile for 112 years.
Aer this Kanavas, Andhras and shall rule.
It will be followed by Foreigners ,those belonging to Vellalars Community(those in charge of maintaining the River Bed ,Canals.( they belong to the top echelon of the Fourth varna.
You must be logged in to post a comment.