Antyesti – The Last Journey
23rd November 1986 is
honestly history…but certain events that occurred in the distant past still seems fresh! Images of the
events that unfolded on this day flash across the mind in the same sequence as
it happened. I was just 27 when my dad passed away from a massive heart attack
while on a vacation at Goa. In the era of long distance trunk dialing, information
of his sudden and untimely demise reached
me late on the following day…in a trance we followed the instructions of all
elders in the family as we went through the final rites. It was extremely
difficult to bear the grief of losing him at such a young age. Matters seemed
impossible when all the elders in the family started barking out contradictory
instructions when I was performing the final rites. Being blunt can be
absolutely undiplomatic and just a small request to “please stop giving
multiple instructions” had a far reaching impact and being labeled as a
self-centered and arrogant son of an otherwise illustrious father. The fact
that I made no effort to change their opinion drove home the point that “I was
like that only”. Four decades later I can say this with certainty: “Maintaining
a bad guy image” is extremely easy and cool amongst relatives. It is effortless
and has a 100% success rate.
I went through the obsequies ceremony in
a mechanical manner not understanding why and what I was being asked to do.
Losing a parent at a very young age is to say the least, extremely shocking –
like a tornado blowing away the umbrella from your hand allowing the hailstorm
that follows, to pummel your head like a ton of bricks. However, when my mother
passed away peacefully at her age of 84, we the siblings and her extended
family members were more or less prepared for the eventuality with our minds
accepting the inevitable with grace. Understanding what the purohits/priests
were asking of us was a tad easier, I must admit. What was a shocker to me in
1986 turned into a curiosity to know what happens when the ‘Life’ moves on to a
different dimension, called “After Life”.
I have been reading a lot lately about
it and whatever I’ve been able to decode, I shall make an attempt to explain from
a layman’s perspective. Please excuse me if it sounds too simplistic…”Antyesti”
literally means "last sacrifice", and refers to the funeral rites for
the dead in Hinduism, which usually
involve cremation of the body.
This rite of passage is the last samskara in a series of traditional life cycle
samskaras
that start from conception in Hindu tradition. It is also referred to as Antima
Sanskar, Antya-kriya, Anvarohanyya, or as Vahni Sanskara and literally means "last sacred
ceremony, or last rite of passage".
The Antyesti rite of
passage is structured around the premise in ancient literature of Hinduism that
the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe.
The Life (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the Antyeshti
ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory.
Biologically speaking, the X & Y chromosome contributed by each parent
(Mother & Father) goes on to create a healthy baby, but Life enters the
baby between 40 and 48 days, post conception…and
this has been explained pretty well by Sadguru in one of his talks. This is a
choice that Life (considered immortal) itself makes and weighs its options up
to ninety days – whether to continue or move on.
This also reminds me
of Kahlil Gibran’s poem: “Your children are not your children”…the full poem
goes like this:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
The human body and
the universe consist of five elements as explained in our ancient Hindu texts –
air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to
the five elements and its origins. The roots of this belief are found in Rigveda,
section 10.16, as follows:
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
The last rites are
usually completed within a day of death. While practices vary among sects,
generally, the body is washed, wrapped in white cloth. 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. These days the usual practice is
conducting this last journey in an electric crematorium.
The eldest son, or a
male mourner – called the lead cremator or lead mourner – then bathes himself
before leading the cremation ceremony. He circumambulates the dry wood pyre
with the body, says a eulogy or recites a hymn, places sesame seeds or rice in
the dead person's mouth, sprinkles the body and the pyre with ghee (clarified
butter), then draws three lines signifying Yama (deity of the dead), Kala (time,
deity of cremation) and the dead. Prior to lighting the pyre, an earthen pot is
filled with water, and the lead mourner circles the body with it, before
lobbing the pot over his shoulder so it breaks near the head. Once the pyre is
ablaze, the lead mourner and the closest relatives may circumambulate the
burning pyre one or more times.
Those who attend the
cremation, and are exposed to the dead body or cremation smoke take a shower as
soon as possible after the cremation, as the cremation ritual is considered inauspicious.
The cold collected ash from the cremation is later consecrated to the nearest flowing
river or sea.
According to the science of rituals and
practices, rites such as tilānjali and pinḍadān (Ritual of
offering of rice balls) should be performed beginning from 1st day
till the 10th day. Visham shrāddha should be performed on odd days.
If that is not possible then uttar-kriya should begin from at least
the ninth day. Nowadays, however, pinḍadān that should
be performed from 1st day to 10th day is performed as a
combined ritual on the 10th day.
On
the 11th day, panchagavya homa (Fire-sacrifice to appease
Deities) should be performed in the house and panchagavya (A mixture of cow’s milk, curd,
ghee, cow’s urine and cow dung) should be sprinkled all over the house. All
family members should sip panchagavya as tirtha. The kartā should make a
sankalp (resolve) for the benefit of the deceased and donate food-grains and
perform dasha-dāns (Ten types of donations or offerings). Shrāddhas (Special
rituals performed for the departed ancestors) such as Ekoddishta shrāddha,
Vasugan shrāddha and Rudragan shrāddha should be performed outside the house,
in an area or building earmarked for conducting such rituals.
Sapindikaran
shrāddha:
Sixteen monthly shraddhas are performed on 11th or 12th
day as sapindikaran shraddha. This enables the individual to attain the title
of ‘Pitru’ and gets a place in Pitrulok. Really speaking, it is appropriate to
perform sixteen monthly shrāddhas in the respective months and sapindikaran
shrāddha a day before the yearly shrāddha; however, the present custom is to
perform all this on the 12th day post-death itself. This is once
again repeated one year later during the first annual ceremony. The first year
is also a transition phase and the soul finds its destination either moksha or
a rebirth after completion of the first year.
The Garuda Purana is one of eighteen Mahāpurāṇa
genre of texts in Hinduism. It is a part of Vaishnavism literature corpus and
narrated in the form of a conversation between Lord Vishnu and Garuda (King of
Birds), primarily emphasizing the meaning of human life. It contains details of
life after death, funeral rites and reincarnation, and therefore is recited as
a part of funeral rites in Hindu culture.
The following write
up provides a gist of the great teachings in the Garuda Puranam and answers
questions about what is Death? What happens after death? Etc. questions to
which there are no perfect answers…
These kind of
questions related to the most feared event that ends our life always fill our
mind, especially during the loss of a near and dear one.
We feel that the
relationship has broken abruptly and hope that there was a way to connect
again. In this quest, our journey to find answers to the above questions begin
…
So, what happens
after death? The process of disconnection
of the earth sole chakras begins approximately 4–5 hours before death. The earth sole
chakras situated below the feet gets detached … symbolizing disconnection from
the earth plane!
A few hours
before an individual dies, their feet turn cold. When the actual time to depart
arrives, it is said that Yama, the God of death appears to guide the soul.
The
Astral Cord: Death
severs the astral cord, which is the connection of the soul to the body. Once
this cord is cut the soul becomes free of the body and moves out of the body.
If the soul is
attached to the physical body it occupied for this lifetime, it refuses to
leave and tries to get into the body and move it and stay in it. We may observe
this as a very subtle or slight movement of the face, hand or leg after the
person has died.
The soul is
unable to accept that it is dead. There is still a feeling of being alive.
Since the astral cord has been severed, the soul cannot stay here and is pushed
upwards and out of the body. There is a pull from above … a magnetic pull to go
up.
End
of the physical body: At
this stage the soul hears many voices, all at the same time. These are the
thoughts of all the individuals present in the room.
The soul on its
part talks to his loved ones like he always did and shouts out “I am not dead”!
But alas,
nobody hears him/her…slowly and steadily the soul realizes that it is dead and
there is no way back. At this stage, the soul is floating at approximately 12
feet or at the height of the ceiling, seeing and hearing everything happening
around.
Generally the
soul floats around the body till it is cremated. So, the next time if you see a
body being carried for cremation, be aware that the soul is also part of the
procession seeing, hearing and witnessing everything and everyone.
Detachment
from the body: Once
the cremation is complete, the soul is convinced that. the main essence of its
survival on earth is lost and the body it occupied for so many years has merged
into the five elements.
The soul
experiences complete freedom, the boundaries it had while being in the body are
gone and it can travel anywhere by mere thought.
For 7 days the
soul, moves about its places of interest. By the end of the 7th day, the soul
says bye to his/her family and moves further upwards to the periphery of the
earth plane to cross over to the other dimension.
The
Tunnel: It
is believed that there is a big tunnel here which it has to cross before
reaching the astral plane. Hence, it is said that the first 12 days after death
are extremely crucial.
We have to
carry out the rituals correctly and pray and ask forgiveness from the soul, so
that it does not carry negative emotions like hurt, hatred, anger, etc. at least
from the near and dear ones.
All the
rituals, prayers and positive energy act like food for the soul which will help
it in its onward journey. At the end of the tunnel is a huge bright light
signifying the entry into the astral world.
Meeting
the Ancestors: On
the 11th and 12th day Hindus conduct homas and prayers and rituals through
which the soul is united with its ancestors, close friends, relatives and the
guides.
To a question
whether prayers and rituals are important for the dead, Garuda Purana explains
it thus:
The dead always
need serious healing and prayers for a variety of reasons, the most important
one being … To be free and not remain earthbound !! … that is, being stuck in
the earth plane and unable to leave.
There are many
reasons for the soul to be earthbound like unfinished business, excessive
grief, trauma on death, sudden death, fear of moving on to the astral plane,
guilt, one of the most important being improper finishing of last rites and
rituals.
The soul feels
it needs a little more time to wait and finish before moving on. This keeps
them hovering on the earth plane. But the time is limited and it is very important
that they cross over within 12 days to their astral plane of existence, as the
entry to the astral world closes a few days after this.
Earthbound
spirits lead a very miserable existence as they are neither in their actual
plane nor in a body to lead an earthly life. They may not be negative or
harmful but they are stuck and miserable. Hence healing and prayers are of
utmost importance during this period so that the departed soul crosses over to
the designated astral plane peacefully.
Prayers by the
whole family is very vital to help the dead cross over. The protection of the
soul to help it reach its destination in the astral world is achieved through
prayers.
I would like to
add here eight year old Adi Shankaracharya’s answer to a question by a sage, “Who
are you?”:
This has been
rendered excellently by Ms Archana Ravi, settled in Auckland, New Zealand and
if time permits, please listen to her on YouTube Video – Nirvana Shatakam:
A young boy of eight
(Adi Shankaracharya) while wandering in the Himalayas, encountered a sage who
asked him, “Who are you?” The boy answered with these verses known as, “Nirvana
Shatakam” or “Atma Shatakam”
मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कार
चित्तानि नाहं
न
च श्रोत्रजिह्वे
न च
घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न
च व्योम
भूमिर्न तेजो
न वायुः
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥१॥
Mano-Buddhy-Ahangkaara Cittaani Naaham
Na Ca Shrotra-Jihve Na Ca Ghraanna-Netre |
Na Ca Vyoma Bhuumir-Na Tejo Na Vaayuh
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||1||
Meaning:
1.1: Neither am I the Mind, nor the Intelligence or Ego,
1.2: Neither am I the organs
of Hearing (Ears), nor that of Tasting
(Tongue), Smelling (Nose) or Seeing
(Eyes),
1.3: Neither am I the Sky, nor the Earth, Neither the Fire nor the Air,
1.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
न च
प्राणसंज्ञो न
वै पञ्चवायुः
न
वा सप्तधातुः
न वा
पञ्चकोशः ।
न
वाक्पाणिपादं न
चोपस्थपायु
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥२॥
Na Ca Praanna-Samjnyo Na Vai Pan.ca-Vaayuh
Na Vaa Sapta-Dhaatuh Na Vaa Pan.ca-Koshah |
Na Vaak-Paanni-Paadam Na Copastha-Paayu
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||2||
Meaning:
2.1: Neither am I the Vital Breath, nor the Five Vital Airs,
2.2: Neither am I the Seven Ingredients (of the Body), nor the Five
Sheaths (of the Body),
2.3: Neither am I the organ of Speech,
nor the organs for Holding ( Hand ), Movement ( Feet ) or Excretion,
2.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
न मे
द्वेषरागौ न
मे लोभमोहौ
मदो
नैव मे
नैव मात्सर्यभावः
।
न
धर्मो न
चार्थो न
कामो न
मोक्षः
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥३॥
Na Me Dvessa-Raagau Na Me Lobha-Mohau
Mado Naiva Me Naiva Maatsarya-Bhaavah |
Na Dharmo Na Ca-Artho Na Kaamo Na Mokssah
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||3||
Meaning:
3.1: Neither do I have Hatred, nor Attachment, Neither Greed nor Infatuation,
3.2: Neither do I have Pride, nor Feelings of Envy and Jealousy,
3.3 I am Not within the bounds of Dharma
(Righteousness), Artha (Wealth), Kama
(Desire) and Moksha (Liberation) (the four Purusarthas
of life),
3.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
न पुण्यं
न पापं
न सौख्यं
न दुःखं
न
मन्त्रो न
तीर्थं न
वेदा न
यज्ञाः ।
अहं
भोजनं नैव
भोज्यं न
भोक्ता
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥४॥
Na Punnyam Na Paapam Na Saukhyam Na Duhkham
Na Mantro Na Tiirtham Na Vedaa Na Yajnyaah |
Aham Bhojanam Naiva Bhojyam Na Bhoktaa
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||4||
Meaning:
4.1: Neither am I bound by Merits nor Sins, neither by Worldly Joys nor by Sorrows,
4.2: Neither am I bound by Sacred Hymns nor by Sacred Places,
neither by Sacred Scriptures nor by Sacrifies,
4.3: I am Neither Enjoyment
(Experience), nor an object to be Enjoyed
(Experienced), nor the Enjoyer (Experiencer),
4.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
न मृत्युर्न
शङ्का न
मे जातिभेदः
पिता
नैव मे
नैव माता
न जन्मः
।
न
बन्धुर्न मित्रं
गुरुर्नैव शिष्यं
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥५॥
Na Mrtyur-Na Shangkaa Na Me Jaati-Bhedah
Pitaa Naiva Me Naiva Maataa Na Janmah |
Na Bandhurna Mitram Gurur-Na-Iva Shissyam
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||5||
Meaning:
5.1: Neither am I bound by Death and its Fear, nor by the
rules of Caste and its Distinctions,
5.2: Neither do I have Father and Mother, nor do I have Birth,
5.3: Neither do I have Relations
nor Friends, neither Spiritual
Teacher nor Disciple,
5.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
अहं निर्विकल्पो
निराकाररूपो
विभुत्वाच्च
सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्
।
न
चासङ्गतं नैव
मुक्तिर्न मेयः
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
॥६॥
Aham Nirvikalpo Niraakaara-Ruupo
Vibhu-Tvaacca Sarvatra Sarve[a-I]ndriyaannaam |
Na Caa-Sanggatam Naiva Muktirna Meyah
Cid-aananda-ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||6||
Meaning:
6.1: I am Without
any Variation, and Without any Form,
6.2: I am Present Everywhere
as the underlying Substratum of everything, and behind
all Sense Organs,
6.3: Neither do I get Attached to anything, nor get Freed
from anything,
6.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva,
I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
I
came across this rendering by chance while surfing Sadguru’s speeches and
interviews and must have listened to it more than a hundred times already. I am
presently involved in the first annual ceremony of my mother who passed away
exactly a year ago on Vishakha masa bahula Saptami. It corresponds to 13th
May this year as per Hindu Calendar and while going through the complexities of
the 3 day ceremony, I have been trying hard to find answers to “Life beyond
Life”…
I
found Adi Shankaracharya’s Nirvana Shatakam compelling…
Today,
as my mother completes her first year of her departure from the world in our
dimension to the next, I firmly believe that she is smiling and saying “I am
liberated!”
We
seek her blessings…
