Within 21 to 24 minutes from the moment when a doctor would declare a person dead, Samana starts exiting. Samana is in charge of maintaining the temperature in the body. The first thing that happens after death is, the body starts cooling down. The traditional way of checking whether someone is dead or alive is to feel the nose – they would not check the eyeballs and other parameters. If the nose has gone cold, they concluded that he is dead.
Somewhere between 48 to 64 minutes after someone is considered as dead, prana exits. Between six and twelve hours after, udhana exits. There are tantric processes through which we could revive the body before udhana exits. Once udhana has exited, it is practically impossible to revive the body. Then, somewhere between eight to eighteen hours, apana exits. Subsequently, vyana, which is the preservative nature of prana, will start exiting and may continue to do so for up to 11 to 14 days if it is a normal death – that is if someone died of old age, because life became feeble. For that period of time, certain processes will continue in the body; there will still be some element of life. If someone died in an accident, when the life within was still vibrant – unless the body is totally crushed – the reverberations of this life will continue somewhere between 48 and 90 days.
One of the first things people traditionally do if someone dies is, they will tie the big toes of the dead body together. This is very important because it will tighten up the muladhara in such a way that the body cannot be invaded by that life once again. A life that has not lived with the awareness that “this body is not me” will try to enter through any orifice of the body, particularly through the muladhara. The muladhara is where life generates, and it is always the last point of warmth when the body is cooling down.
The reason why traditionally, we always said that if someone dies, you must burn the body within an hour-and-a-half or a maximum of four hours is because life tries to get back. This is also important for the living. If someone very dear to you died, your mind may start playing tricks, thinking that maybe a miracle will happen, maybe God will come and bring them back. It has never happened to anyone, but still the mind plays up because of the emotions that you have for that particular person. Similarly, the life that has exited the body also believes that it can still get back into the body.
Whenever you touch someone – either because of blood relationship or sexual relationships, or even if you just hold someone’s hand or exchange clothes – these two bodies will generate runanubandha, a certain commonality. When someone dies, traditionally, you are seeing how to completely obliterate the runanubandha. The idea of putting the ashes in the Ganga or in the ocean is to disperse them as widely as possible so that you do not develop runanubandha with one who has departed.
Due to the effect of karma, a man falls sick causing his death. The mode of one’s death also depends upon one’s karma. When a man is dead, his body should be kept on the ground. Śālagrāma (sacred stone) should be placed near the body. Tulasī leaves (basil) should be placed in both the hands of the body and also on its neck. Pieces of gold should also be kept in the nine apertures of the body. The body should be covered with two sheets of clothing. The body should be carried through the back door. Sons and other relatives should carry the body on their shoulders. While placing the body on the pyre, head should be facing north. His son should perform ceremonies facing the eastern side.
When the subtle body is leaving the gross body, which is known as death, the messengers of Yama arrive on the scene. When the subtle body finally comes out of the gross body, causing death of the gross body, the subtle body is still able to see the entire universe. The departed soul could see the messengers of Yama and the attendants of Lord Viṣṇu. This means that the soul can see both good and bad and the departed soul begins its journey according to its karma. A subtle body which has a bad karmic account feels for its sins at this stage.
A soul has to travel the entire distance to reach the world of Yama. The path becomes rough for the sinners and the path becomes comfortable for virtuous. Lord begins to describe Yama. He has four arms holding a conch, a discus, a bow and a staff. He treats the virtuous with respect and sinners with rudeness. He hits the sinners with iron rod and club. He sits on a buffalo (Yama is called mahiṣa vāhana; mahiṣa means buffalo and vāhana means vehicle). His body appears dreadful to sinners and radiant to virtuous. The soul is in the size of one’s thumb (it means the subtle body. Soul and the subtle body always travel together. The subtle body is pushed out of the gross body by air. The subtle body cries out when it comes out of the gross body).
It is said that one should not boast of his body as it is liable to death and decay. The purpose of acquiring wealth is charity; purpose of speech is to say the truth; purpose of a body is spirituality. The subtle bodies of those who do not follow the virtuous path are tortured by the messengers of Yama on the way to Yama’s place.
The first one is offered at the doorway where the departed soul is called as pāntha (pāntha means wandering). The piṇḍa offered here satisfies those deities that dwell at the entrance door. (It is believed that some deities reside at the main entrance door of a house. It is always ideal to offer incense sticks at the entrance door. A conch with anti clock wise lines tied on a yellow cloth above the main door frame is said to ward off evil spirits entering through the main door). In the courtyard of the building lives Khecara, a gandharva. Third piṇḍa should be offered to Bhūta at the resting place. Bhūta is considered as one of the demigods. Fourth piṇḍa is offered to piśāca-s (piśāca is said to be a flesh eating demon), rākṣasa-s (rākṣasa means an evil demon) and yakṣa-s (yakṣa means a supernatural being and said to be the attendants of Kubera). These three said to preserve the sanctity of the dead body till it is completely burnt. The fifth piṇḍa is offered at the side of the pyre where the dead body is placed. The dead body is now known as preta. Because of these five piṇḍa-s, the preta attains purity to be placed on the fire. Fire is considered as very sacred. Vedas worship Agni (fire) more than any other gods. By satisfying the above referred non-human characters, preta attains purity to offer it to the fire.
Once the body is completely burnt, the remains of the bones are collected and during this time the sixth piṇḍa is offered. The ashes are then immersed in sea or river. At the southern part of the house, a pit is made and for the next ten days, piṇḍa-s are offered here daily, along with milk and water. There is no specific mantra or any specific rites while offering these piṇḍa-s. The piṇḍa offered during the ten day period is divided into four parts. Two parts build up a new body for the dead. The third part goes to Yama’s servants and the fourth is consumed by the preta. The subtle body gets a proper shape in three days and three nights and on the tenth day, the subtle body develops hunger. Irrespective of other offerings made to the preta (the subtle body of the dead is always called preta), it gets satisfied only by offering flesh (normally, a piece of banana is offered instead of flesh). During eleventh day and twelfth day ceremonies, the preta eats as much as possible. On the thirteenth day, the soul’s journey begins to the world of Yama dragged by the servants of Yama. During it journey, the soul regrets for every evil action it had done during the past birth.
After ascertaining the death of a person, his son should proceed with last rites to the body. As the first step towards the last rites, the corpse should be washed with water and it’s (he or she has now become it) clothes should be replaced with new ones. In all the annual ceremonies for ancestors, immediate three ancestors are invoked. For example, during annual ceremony of one’s father, father, father’s father (grandfather) and great grandfather are invoked. However, while performing the last rites to a corpse, rites are performed only to the deceased person alone. This rite is called ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha. Then the body is taken to the burning ground.
While carrying a corpse from the place of death to the burning ground, śrāddha ceremonies are performed at six places and they are – at the place of death, at the main door, at the cross roads, at the burning ground and finally on the funeral pyre. The performance of these six ceremonies satisfies six gods. Goddess earth is satisfied while performing rites at the place where the corpse is placed at home. The corpse is known as śava at the place of death. When the corpse is taken through the main doors of a place, it is called pāntha and Vāstu god is satisfied when this rite is performed. The ceremony at the cross roads is called khecara and the god Bhūta is satisfied because of this ceremony. The corpse is known as bhūta at the place where it is placed in the burning ground before placing it on the pyre. By performing a ceremony here, gods of ten quarters are satisfied (east, west, etc). When the corpse is placed on the funeral pyre, it is known as sādhaka. When the body is burnt into ashes, it is called preta. In all these ceremonies, the head of the corpse should be on the southern side.
Before the actual cremation begins, there is a ceremony called piṇḍa vidhi. Piṇḍa is a ball of rice offered to the dead. The departed soul is said to become a pitṛ (ancestors) by eating piṇḍa-s. It is said that if piṇḍa-s are not offered, they become demons (ghosts). The funeral pyre should be cleansed and the corpse is placed on the pyre and the fire is lit after worshipping Kravyāda (a type of fire god) who is supposed to consume the flesh of the corpse with a request to consume the flesh and carry the soul to the heaven. When the fire is in full flames, oblations are offered with ghee and sesame seeds (also known as gingelly seeds) in the pyre. After paying respects to the burning corpse, relatives leave the place, take bath and reach home only to return again the next day morning.
Next day morning, the remaining ashes are collected and transferred to an earthen pot and this ritual is called saṁcayana. Ashes are collected in earthen pot and the pot is immersed in holy rivers or sea. Then for the next ten days piṇḍa-s are offered to the preta (the corpse is now known as preta) along with water. This ten day period is called āśauca (āśauca mean impurity). During these ten days a preta body is formed. For example, head of the preta is formed on the first day, second day piṇḍa forms neck and shoulders and so on. On offering the tenth day piṇḍa, the complete preta body is formed. Preta can be explained as the disembodied spirit. Only when the preta is properly formed and nourished, transmigration of the soul within the disembodied spirit is not possible. Garuḍa Purāṇa discusses about preta elaborately subsequently. Five chapters out of the total of 49 chapters deal exclusively with preta-s.
If a death is caused due to unnatural conditions, where the body of the dead could not be found, there is a procedure called Nārāyaṇa bali (bali means offering and Nārāyaṇa bali means, offerings to Lord Viṣṇu). By performing this ceremony, the dead gets preta body ready to be born again.
Note: Sesame seeds are used in all śrāddha rituals. Sesame seeds are considered as sacred and can destroy evil spirits and can burn all the sins committed by the deceased. Kṛṣṇa says that darbha grass has grown from His hair and sesame seeds from His perspiration. Brhmā is in the root end of darbha, Viṣṇu in the middle and Śiva in the tip. Darbha grass should be placed in the hands of a person who is dying. Salt is also effective in removing sins of a person, as salt has originated from the body of Viṣṇu. Gifting (dāna) sesame seeds and salt are considered as more sacred than other gifts. Gift of salt when a person is dying takes the person directly to the heaven.
When a person dies, the maximum number of days of impurity to the deceased’s relative is ten and this period is called aśauca period. The aśauca period varies on the basis of one’s relationship with the deceased. Aśauca period is also applicable at the time of birth of a child. The only difference between these two aśauca-s is for the birth number of daytime is calculated and for death, number of nighttime is calculated. During aśauca period, one should refrain from eating pungent food and should shelve all pleasures. Close relatives become purified on the offering of piṇḍa on the tenth day.
Piṇḍa is offered everyday during the first ten days along with water, honey, ghee, sesame seeds, etc. Any rites to ancestors are performed only with sesame seeds. Piṇḍa is a ball of cooked rice. The preta body of dead is formed only on offering piṇḍa-s. For example, on the first day of piṇḍa offering, the head of the preta body becomes piṇḍa body, on the second day of offering neck and shoulders become piṇḍa body and so on. On the tenth day, the entire preta body is converted into piṇḍa body or piṇḍa śarīra (śarīra means body). The entire piṇḍa is not consumed by the preta. A piṇḍa is divided into four parts. One part is offered to the servants of Yama, the god of death. Two portions are used to convert the preta śarīra into piṇḍa śarīra and only the last quarter is consumed by the preta.
On the twelfth day, a special ritual known as sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed. It is like annual śrāddha ritual. Though it is said that in rare cases, sapiṇḍīkaraṇa can be performed after twelve days, it is said that it is better that it is performed on the twelfth day itself. Piṇḍa-s are also offered on the day of sapiṇḍīkaraṇa. On taking this piṇḍa, the preta śarīra becomes a pitṛ and can reach the world of ancestors. It is said that a deceased person cannot reach the world of ancestors with preta śarīra. A preta eats food twice, on eleventh and twelfth days. If piṇḍa-s are not offered daily for the first ten days and if sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is not performed on the twelfth day, preta śarīra, instead of entering into the world of ancestors, becomes a ghost and suffers. On the thirteenth day from the date of death, a ceremony is performed known as śravaṇakarma. The impurities that prevailed at home due to death are removed by this ceremony. Once this ceremony is performed, servants of Yama descend from the world of Yama to take the dead’s piṇḍa śarīra to Yama. Now the dead’s body has become like air due to the piṇḍa-s offered. The journey of the subtle body of the dead now begins to the world of Yama for his decision and disposal.
Sapindikarana
Performed on the twelth day from the date of death. Originally, this was performed along with the first year ceremonial rites. Nowadays it has become part of funeral rites. By performing this rite, the preta body of the dead enters the world of ancestors known as pitṛloka. The subtle body of the dead is called preta till sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed. Till sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed, no auspicious functions should be held in the family of the deceased. Garuḍa Purāṇa says that sapiṇḍīkaraṇa can be performed on the twelth day. If this is not possible, it can be performed at the end of 45th day or six months or at the end of one year. During the first year after death, sixteen śrāddha-s (ceremonies performed in honour of the dead) are to be performed. If these sixteen śrāddha-s along with sapiṇḍīkaraṇa are performed, preta body of the dead loses its identity and becomes a pitṛ or ancestor. Till then, the subtle body continues to suffer and some of them become ghosts.
There is another method to reckon this. Twelve monthly ceremonies and four ceremonies one at the end of 45 days, 90 days, 180 days and 360 days. Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa can be performed only by the son. If the deceased has no son, it can be performed by his wife, brothers, brother’s son or other close relatives. For a woman, only her son, husband or husband’s brother alone can perform sapiṇḍīkaraṇa. After performing sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, nāndī śrāddha should be performed. Nāndī śrāddha is a ceremony performed to seek the blessings of ancestors while performing any auspicious ceremonies such as marriage. After performing sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, no further individual rite should be performed. In case individual rites are performed after sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is to be performed again. If sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed, the dead becomes a pitṛ or ancestor and ceremonial rites should be performed for three generations – the dead, his father and his grandfather. If individual śrāddhas are performed after sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, the performer tortures the subtle body of the dead. Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should not be performed if the deceased’s father is alive and in the case of a woman, if her husband is alive.
It is said that if śrāddhas are not performed for a departed soul, its subtle body becomes a ghost. If it attains ghost hood, it cannot reach the world of ancestors. Apart from non-performance of śrāddha rites, one can become ghost if he steals from women, children and temples. Those who steal conch shells also become ghosts. The only way to get rid of ghost hood is to perform Nārāyaṇa bali. Bali means offering oblations. This rite purifies the preta body of the dead. Only preta body is capable of becoming a ghost.
There is reference to a remedy to eradicate repeated obstacles or sufferings to a person. One has to make a jar, preferably in gold and fill it up with milk or ghee. After worshipping Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva and the eight cardinal deities, the jar is to be gifted to a knower of Vedas. If this ritual is performed, all the obstacles are removed.
Gifting cow, earth, gingelly seeds (til seeds) and other grains, gold, silver, ghee, new clothes, sugar and salt are the ten of gifts one has to give for atoning sins. These gifts should be given only to those persons who are present at the time of performing atonement ceremonies. Various guidelines are prescribed for receiving gifts. If sins committed are enormous, these baths and gifts have no significance. Such sinners have to cross a river in the hell known as Vaitaraṇi, which is full of pus and blood. In order to cross this river with a little comfort, one has to donate a black cow along with its calf. Vaitaraṇi river is a mythical river flowing from earth to the hell and a soul after death has to cross this mythical river to reach the gates of the lord of death, Yama, who decides the destiny of the soul depending on the soul’s karmic account. Soul here means both the subtle and causal bodies with the Brahman within. Afflictions caused to these bodies do not affect the Brahman and He always stand as a witness.
These gifts should be given only to those who know Vedas and lead a life as prescribed by śāstra-s. Apart from this, one has also to gift umbrella, footwear, clothes, ring, gourd, wooden plank to sit, vessels and food. These gifts are intended for use by the soul during its journey from the earth to the other worlds like heaven or hell as the case may be. It is said that she-buffalo, a hand fan and cloths should also be given to Vedic scholars. It is also said that these gifts should be given as much as possible. If any of these gifts are given at the time of his death, his soul does not reach the hell. Amongst all these gifts, a person gifting a vessel filled with gingelly seeds or clarified butter (ghee) or the gift of a bed with accessories will never go to hell, says Garuḍa Purāṇa. Gifting of salt is also considered as sacred. It is said that if one gifts salt, the gates of heaven is open for his soul to take a sojourn there. Gifts given by a person during his life time are more favorable to his soul than gifts given by his sons during his last rites.
Gifting of cow and calf makes his soul as immortal. If one gives the eight gifts described above, he reaches the world of Gandharva-s, a type of demigods, who are fond of pleasure and enjoyment. They are capable of astral travel and can travel from higher planes to lower planes and vice-versa. If one gifts an umbrella, his soul takes rest under the shade when Yama, the god of death roasts the souls of sinners in the hell called Raudra. If food and a wooden plank are offered as gifts, the soul is able to sit and take its food comfortably on the way to the hell. If he has gifted footwear, his soul is taken on the back of a horse. The one who has given clothes as gifts, his soul is not tortured by the servants of Yama.
If a vessel filled with gingelly seeds, is gifted the sins accrued on account of his body, mind and speech are destroyed. Sins or bad karmas are accrued only due to these three instruments. Out of the three, mind is capable of causing worst sins and is the cause for all bad karmas and body is capable of causing least sins. If a vessel containing ghee is given as gift, he is taken to Rudraloka after his death and he stays there. If he gifts a bed along with its accessories, he is taken to Indra loka and stays there for a long time and enjoys all the pleasures associated with Indra loka. Once his sojourn is over in Indra loka, he is again born in the earth as a king. It is said that benefits accruing on account of gifts primarily depends upon according the intention with which the gift is given. If one gives food as charity with a pure heart, his soul never feels the hunger. If death takes place in a sacred place, he attains liberation without further transmigration. If one enters into sannyāsa (renouncing worldly life) as prescribed by śāstra-s, he is bound to attain liberation. If one dies by undertaking fast unto death, he also attains liberation. With this Kṛṣṇa concludes His sayings on the necessity of giving dāna or gifts.
It is said that the distance between the earth and the world of Yama is 86,000 yojans. One yojana approximately measures nine miles. The servants of Yama dragging the subtle body of the dead cover this distance in 48 days. The path of this journey is not the same for everyone. Yama’s servants inflict tremendous amount of torture on the subtle body of the sinners. The intensity of the torture depends upon the sins committed by the dead when he was alive. In the world of Yama, there are sixteen cities. The subtle body of the dead passes either through all these cities or select cities depending upon his sins and survives only on the piṇḍa-s offered by his sons. His subtle body covers all the cities in twelve months. It is said that in order to satiate the hunger of the dead, piṇḍa-s are offered every month for one year. But whatever is offered to the dead in the first 48 days is consumed by the dead and reduces the suffering during its travel from the earth to Yama’s place. The hunger and thirst of the dead will be at their peak during eleventh and twelfth months which can be satiated only upon the food offered to Vedic scholars during these two monthly śraddha-s. It is also said that monthly ceremonies during the first year are important, as the dead derive their energy only on the offerings made by his relatives.
At the end of one year his sons perform first year śraddha rituals and the dead is allowed to eat piṇḍa offered during the ritual. At the end of the first year, the subtle body after undergoing untold miseries in the hands of Yama’s servants attains a body depending upon his karmas. This body is nothing but the sum total of his karmas. This karmic body is taken to the place where Yama is seated. There are fourteen gates to the place of Yama and each gate is guarded by a door keeper. The gate keepers allow the karmic body of the dead inside Yama’s place depending upon rites performed by his relatives. These gate keepers are able to weigh the karmas done by the dead. Depending upon his karmas, his karmic body is allowed to enter through a particular door to meet Yama directly. Yama directs his servants to take the karmic body to be sent to good or bad states, depending upon one’s karmas, performed during his life time.
A departed soul has many possible destinations. It can become one with the Brahman, not to be born again. It may be born as a demigod, animal, plant, etc. Irrespective of the nature of the soul’s transmigration, the piṇḍa-s offered in śrāddha ceremonies reach the transmigrated body of the soul. For example, the soul transmigrates as a god, the offered piṇḍa becomes nectar, if he becomes a gandharva, the piṇḍa becomes an object of enjoyment; grass to animals; meat to demons; blood to ghosts; and pulses and grains in case of humans. It is also said that it is important to offer food during such ceremonies to Vedic scholars. The piṇḍa-s offered to them become nectar to the soul. It is also said that it is important to uphold one’s traditions as declared in Śruti-s than enquiring into the reasoning.
Garuḍa Purāṇa says that there are 8,400,000 types of species in existence broadly divided into four categories. They are aṇḍaja (born out of eggs like snakes, birds, fish, etc), svedaja (born of sweat like insects), udbhijja (born out of seeds – plant kingdom) and jarāyuja (viviparous). Out of these four categories, aṇḍaja is the lowest and jarāyuja is the highest. It is extremely difficult for the lower categories to attain a human form, which is considered as the highest. Among men, the one who deliberates on Vedic topics is the best. Gods, demigods, saints, sages and ancestors are always present in those places where virtues and dharma are upheld. Man is generally avaricious and longs for more and more. A man wants to become a demigod, a demigod wants to become a god and a god wants to become the Brahman. Their desires are endless. Men with avaricious desires fall into the hell and those without any desire comfortably reach the heaven. During childhood, one is attached to his parents; during adulthood, he is obsessed with his spouse and in his old age, he becomes obsessed with his grandchildren. Unfortunately, none is attached the Brahman, the Self. It is easier to get a person released from rope chains but a person who is bound by attachment to his spouse, children and grandchildren can never be freed.
Death is unavoidable. Man dies to be born again. He is born alone and dies alone. None accompanies him both in birth and death. He alone creates his karmas and he alone uses his karmas. If he has created good karmas, he enjoys his life and if he has accrued bad karmas, he suffers in life. His karmas transmigrate along with his soul. Once the physical body is burnt or buried, his association with the material world is over. The status of a man purely depends upon his previous deeds (karmas). One has to spend his wealth on virtuous deeds and actions. Any rite without complete faith does not yield results at all, either in this birth or in future births. A rite performed without faith does not accrue good karmas at all nor is he benefited in the present birth.
Funeral rites performed by his son is more beneficial than the rites performed by other than his own son. Gifts given during his life time have more value and become more effective later. In the same way, sumptuous foods prepared and given by his own hands protect his soul (the subtle body) after his death. Any gifts (dāna) given at the time of one’s needs protects his soul. (Dāna should be given to those who really need it. If dāna is given to the one who already owns the article of dāna does not serve any purpose at all. If a dāna is given to the same person repeatedly, it is considered as a sin. The primary criteria of dāna is the choice of the person to whom the dāna is offered. If the receiver of dāna is rich and still receives dāna to accumulate more wealth for him, it causes the accrual of potent sin both to the receiver and the giver.) It is also said that one can perform rituals only when his body hale and healthy. If his body does not permit him to perform rituals, no sin accrues to him. If someone urges him to perform rituals in spite of his fragile health, he can safely ignore the advice.
If funeral rites are not performed properly, the departed soul roams about in the atmosphere for some time and will be born again as worms and insects. It is difficult to get a human form, but it is very easy for a man to be born as insects and animals due to his bad karmas. It must be remembered that liberation is possible only through the human form. Therefore, as long as his health permits, one should perform virtuous acts and provide gifts to the needy, to attain a human form again in order to get liberation.
Soul is nothing but the Brahman Himself. Sins committed by a person do not affect the Soul within. The suffering is only to the gross body when life exists in a body and to the subtle body, when the subtle body leaves the gross body at the time of death. Depending upon one’s karma, the subtle body also undergoes sufferings and pains or happiness and pleasures. One’s karmic account is embedded in his subtle body. Apart from karmic embedment, subtle body also has the impressions of his subconscious mind. Karma affects, both the subtle body and the gross body independently. Subtle body undergoes pains or pleasures in the hell or heaven as the case may be and the gross body undergoes pains or pleasures in the earth. For s single evil action, there are two types of sufferings, one for the subtle body and another for the gross body. When the gross body suffers, the subtle body within does not suffer. Based on these believes, it is said that thoughts are more powerful than actions. Impressions of thoughts get embedded in the subconscious mind, which always goes along with the subtle body and has the capacity to manifest in subsequent births.
Post Mourning Rituals On the 10th , 11th, 12th, and 13th day after the death, rituals are performed in order to mark the termination of the social isolation of mourning and the returning to normal life. Again these differ among the various communities.
These rituals consist of:
Punyaha vachanam — A purification ceremony
Shanti Homa — a fire-ritual for peace of mind for the family and for the departed one.
Ananda Homa — for inviting a return to joyous living and severance with death and mourning.
Sapindi-karana — a rite to mark the transition of the deceased and a merging with the ancestors.
Shubha-svikrana — done on the 13th day — offerings are made to the 9 planets and all the mourners bathe and wear new cloths. In the evening all the relatives and friends are invited for a feast.
Danam — giving gifts in charity. These are a minimum of five (1) sesame seeds (2) clothing (3) gold (4) a water vessel (5) coconut representing a cow and the price thereof. According to the wishes of the family a further 10 items may be given or even 16.
If 10 items are to be given they are: (1) Bhumi (potting mix) (2) sesame seeds (3) gold (4) ghee (5) clothing (6) rice (7) Jaggery (8) salt (9) silver (10) go-danam & a coconut and the price of a cow.
Rammohan K N 