THE MYSTERY OF VEDIC TEMPLES : IS EVERY HINDU TEMPLE VEDIC ?

India is a country , where every 5 minutes walk on any street , road , byelane one takes a stroll will find a Temple . Not just in the villages in the cities too , same is the situation. The Whole country houses hundreds of thousands of temples in small , mid scale and massive sized temples. The size of a temple means little to a Hindu , the sanctity and the deity prayed to in those temples are of importance for the followers of this most ancient philosophy which today is called as a Religion and goes by the name Hinduism. 

Today, in this article , I would like to put the focus onto a special subject . As already mentioned above , we will try to find out whether all of these hundreds of thousands of temples qualify to be called as a Vedic Temple ? 

We will try to find out , What are the factors that make a Temple constructed to qualify as a Vedic Temple and look into ancient texts to find out , what conditions have been layed out before a particular site to be used for Temple Construction can be accepted for the construction of A VEDIC TEMPLE. 

Aspects in Temple Construction:

There are many aspects involved in constructing a temple. Acarya, director for the temple construction and shilpi (sculptor) play major role in the construction of a temple. The temple's acarya is expected to know silpa sastra although not in as much detail as a shilpi. Temple construction begins with search of a proper site. Soil and location are examined by acarya and shilpi. This is called Bhupariksha.

This is followed by nagara/grama nirmana. Here, the layout of town, its size, breadth of different levels of streets, locations and sizes of facilities like water tanks are determined based on the size of town. There are different names for different sizes of towns, like grama, kheta, kharvata, durga, nagara. Then the location of temple (brahma sthana) in the town is decided. Temple is usually in the center of village so that every villager has access to it. The entire arrangement is called grama vinyasa.

Then the size of temple is determined. For this, size of the image of main deity is to be known, since the size of a temple is always a fixed multiple of the size of image of main deity. Then wood/metal/stone is selected for the image. The icon has three parts, main icon (vigraha), pedestal (peetha) and platform (adhisthana or upa peetha). The tests to determine quality of stone are prescribed by the Agamas. There are three kinds of stone, male female and neuter. When hit with an iron rod if the stone produces good sound and spark, it is male and should be used for the main icon. If it produces sound but not spark it is female and should be used for pedestal. If it produces neither, it is neuter and should be used for platform. There are various standards for the relative proportions of image, gopura, prakara etc. and also the relative proportions of various parts of the vigraha. The units for measuring vigraha are tala, angula and yava. Tala is a multiple of angula and angula is a multiple of yava. More than the specific size of each unit, the multiplicity and relative sizes are important. The proportions of Head-Trunk-Arms-Legs of images are specified. The finer specifications like nose, nail, ears and their shapes are also mentioned. Generally the standard is to use dasatala (ten talas) for the height of image of male deity, navatala (nine talas) for His consort and astatala (eight talas) for bhakta.

Duties of temple administration are also specified in the Agamas - organizing festivals, encourage art forms and conduct shows to encourage artists, create accommodation for pilgrims from other towns, run hospitals, regularly conducting religious discourses etc.

Town planning, engineering, architecture, fine arts, civics, and many other subjects are dealt in the agamas, which relate to the various interests of people and involve them at different capacities and also direct their work towards a higher goal.

Steps in Temple Construction:

The procedure for building a temple is extensively discussed, and it could be expressed in short as "Karshanadi Pratisthantam", meaning beginning with "Karshana" and ending with "Pratistha". The details of steps involved vary from one Agama to another, but broadly these are the steps in temple construction:

Bhu pariksha: Examining and choosing location and soil for temple and town. The land should be fertile and soil suitable.

Sila pariksha: Examining and choosing material for image

Karshana: Corn or some other crop is grown in the place first and is fed to cows. Then the location is fit for town/temple construction.

Vastu puja: Ritual to propitiate vastu devata.

Salyodhara: Undesired things like bones are dug out.

Adyestaka: Laying down the first stone

Nirmana: Then foundation is laid and land is purified by sprinkling water. A pit is dug, water mixed with navaratnas, navadhanyas, navakhanijas is then put in and pit is filled. Then the temple is constructed.

Murdhestaka sthapana: Placing the top stone over the prakara, gopura etc. This again involves creating cavities filled with gems minerals seeds etc. and then the pinnacles are placed.

Garbhanyasa: A pot made of five metals (pancaloha kalasa sthapana) is installed at the place of main deity.

Sthapana: Then the main deity is installed.

Pratistha: The main deity is then charged with life/god-ness.

Before the temple is opened for daily worship, there are some preparatory rituals to be done, like:

Anujna: the priest takes permission from devotees and lord Ganesha to begin rituals

Mrit samgrahana: Collecting mud

Ankurarpana: Sowing seeds in pots of mud collected and waiting till they germinate

Rakshabandhana: The priest binds a holy thread on his hand to take up the assignment.

Punyahavacana: Purifying ritual for the place and invoking good omens

Grama santi: Worship for the good of village and to remove subtle undesired elements

Pravesa bali: Propitiation of various gods at different places in the temple, rakshoghna puja (to destroy asuric elements) and of specific gods like Kshetra palaka (devata ruling the town)

Vastu Santi: Pacifying puja for vastu (this happens twice and this is the second time)

Yagasala: Building the stage for homas, along with vedika.

Kalasasthapana: Installing kalasam

Samskara: Purifying the yaga sala

Kalasa puja, yagarambha: Woshipping the kalasa as god and propitiating deities through fire

Nayanonmeelana, Pratimadhivasa: Opening eyes of the god-image, installing it and giving it life.

Then specific worship is done to deity, as prescribed. For instance in the case of Siva, this is followed by astabandhana and kumbhabhisheka.

Temple Design:

From the proportions of the inner sanctum to the motifs carved into the pillars, the traditional temple takes its first form on the master sthapati's drawing board. The architect initially determines the fundamental unit of measurement using a formula called ayadhi. This formula, which comes from Jyotisha, or Vedic astrology, uses the nakshatra (birth star) of the founder, the nakshatra of the village in which the temple is being erected matching the first syllable of the name of the village with the seed sounds mystically associated with each nakshatra and the nakshatra of the main Deity of the temple. This measurement, called danda, is the dimension of the inside of the sanctum and the distance between the pillars. The whole space of the temple is defined in multiples and fractions of this basic unit.

The Shastras are strict about the use of metals, such as iron in the temple structure because iron is mystically the crudest, most impure of metals. The presence of iron, sthapatis explain, could attract lower, impure forces. Only gold, silver, and copper are used in the structure, so that only the most sublime forces are invoked during the pujas. At especially significant stages in the temple construction (such as ground-breaking and placement of the sanctum door frame), pieces of gold, silver and copper, as well as precious gems, are ceremoniously embedded in small interstices between the stones, adding to the temple's inner-world magnetism. These elements are said to glow in the inner worlds and, like holy ash, are prominently visible to the Gods and Devas.

The ground plan is described as a symbolic, miniature representation of the cosmos. It is based on a strict grid made up of squares and equilateral triangles which are imbued with deep religious significance. To the priest-architect the square was an absolute and mystical form. The grid, usually of 64 or 81 squares, is in fact a mandala, a model of the cosmos, with each square belonging to a deity. The position of the squares is in accordance with the importance attached to each of the deities, with the square in the center representing the temple deity; the outer squares cover the gods of lower rank. Agamas say that the temple architecture is similar to a man sitting - and the idol in garbagriha is exactly the heart-plexus, gopuram as the crown etc.

The construction of the temple follows in three dimensional form exactly the pattern laid out by the mandala. The relationship between the underlying symbolic order and the actual physical appearance of the temple can best be understood by seeing it from above which was of course impossible for humans until quite recently.

Another important aspect of the design of the ground plan is that it is intended to lead from the temporal world to the eternal. The principal shrine should face the rising sun and so should have its entrance to the east. Movement towards the sanctuary, along the east-west axis and through a series of increasingly sacred spaces is of great importance and is reflected in the architecture. A typical temple consists of the following major elements

1) an entrance, often with a porch

2) one or more attached or detached mandapas or halls

3) the inner sanctum called the garbagriha, literally 'womb chamber'

4) the tower build directly above the garbagriha.

Significance of the number eight in temple design:

Vastu Shastra describes the inner sanctum and main tower as a human form, structurally conceived in human proportions based on the mystical number eight. According to Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, Senior Architect at the Vastu Government College of Architecture, the vibration of the space-consciousness, which is called time, is the creative element, since it is this vibratory force that causes the energetic space to turn into spatial forms. Therefore, time is said to be the primordial element for the creation of the entire universe and all its material forms. When these vibrations occur rhythmically, the resultant product will be an orderly spatial form. This rhythm of the time unit is traditionally called talam or layam.

Since every unit of time vibration produces a corresponding unit of space measure, vastu science derives that time is equal to space. This rhythm of time and space vibrations is quantified as eight and multiples of eight, the fundamental and universal unit of measure in the vastu silpa tradition. This theory carries over to the fundamental adi talam (eight beats) of classical Indian music and dance. Applying this in the creation of a human form, it is found that a human form is also composed of rhythmic spatial units. According to the Vastu Shastras, at the subtle level the human form is a structure of eight spatial units devoid of the minor parts like the hair, neck, kneecap and feet, each of which measures one-quarter of the basic measure of the body and, when added on to the body's eight units, increases the height of the total form to nine units. Traditionally these nine units are applied in making sculptures of Gods.

Since the subtle space within our body is part of universal space, it is logical to say that the talam of our inner space should be the same as that of the universe. But in reality, it is very rare to find this consonance between an individual's and the universal rhythm. When this consonance occurs, the person is in harmony with the Universal Being and enjoys spiritual strength, peace and bliss. Therefore, when designing a building according to vastu, the architect aims at creating a space that will elevate the vibration of the individual to resonate with the vibration of the built space, which in turn is in tune with universal space. Vastu architecture transmutes the individual rhythm of the indweller to the rhythm of the Universal Being.

The Vastu-Purusha-Mandala:

The goal of a temple's design is to bring about the descent or manifestation of the unmanifest and unseen. The architect or sthapati begins by drafting a square. The square is considered to be a fundamental form. It presupposes the circle and results from it. Expanding energy shapes the circle from the center; it is established in the shape of the square. The circle and curve belong to life in its growth and movement. The square is the mark of order, the finality to the expanding life, life's form and the perfection beyond life and death. From the square all requisite forms can be derived: the triangle, hexagon, octagon, circle etc. The architect calls this square the vastu-purusha-mandala-vastu, the manifest, purusha, the Cosmic Being, and mandala.

The vastu-purusha-mandala represents the manifest form of the Cosmic Being; upon which the temple is built and in whom the temple rests. The temple is situated in Him, comes from Him, and is a manifestation of Him. The vastu-purusha-mandala is both the body of the Cosmic Being and a bodily device by which those who have the requisite knowledge attain the best results in temple building.

In order to establish the vastu-purusha-mandala on a construction site, it is first drafted on planning sheets and later drawn upon the earth at the actual building site. The drawing of the mandala upon the earth at the commencement of construction is a sacred rite. The rites and execution of the vastu-purusha-mandala sustain the temple in a manner similar to how the physical foundation supports the weight of the building.

Based on astrological calculations the border of the vastu-purusha-mandala is subdivided into thirty-two smaller squares called nakshatras. The number thirty-two geometrically results from a repeated division of the border of the single square. It denotes four times the eight positions in space: north, east, south, west, and their intermediate points. The closed polygon of thirty-two squares symbolizes the recurrent cycles of time as calculated by the movements of the moon. Each of the nakshatras is ruled over by a Deva, which extends its influence to the mandala. Outside the mandala lie the four directions, symbolic of the meeting of heaven and earth and also represent the ecliptic of the sun-east to west and its rotation to the northern and southern hemispheres.

The center of the mandala is called the station of Brahma, the creator of the universe. Surrounding Brahma are the places of twelve other entities known as the sons of Aditi, who assist in the affairs of universal management. The remaining empty squares represent akasha or pure space. The vastu-purusha-mandala forms a diagram of astrological influences that constitute the order of the universe and the destinies of human lives. When placed on the building site, along with astrological calculations, can the auspicious time to begin temple construction be determined.

The ground breaking ceremony :

From the diagram of the vastu-purusha-mandala the architect proceeds to develop the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the temple.

The plotting graphs of the temple are divided into two main sections-the ground plan and the vertical alignment. The square, the rectangle, the octagon and the pentagon are fundamental patterns in the horizontal or ground plan. In the vertical alignment the pyramid, the circle and the curve are most prominent. The subdivisions of the ground plan include the brahmasthana (the main shrine and smaller chapels) and the mandapam (balconies, assembly halls and auditoriums). The vertical plan consists of drawings for the gopuram, entrance ways, the vimana, the structure above the main shrine, and the prakara, walls.

The brahmasthana is the principal location in a temple and is where the seat of the presiding Diety will be placed. At the base of the foundation of the brahmasthana, located at the station of Brahma on the vastu-purusha-mandala, a ritual called the garbhadhana is performed called. The ritual invites the soul of the temple to enter within the buildings confines. During this ritual, a golden box is placed in the earth as part of the ground-breaking ceremony. The interior of the box is divided into smaller units exactly resembling the vastu-purusha-mandala. All the units of the gold box are first partially filled with dirt. In the thirty-two units representing the nakshatras, the units of Brahma, and the twelve sons of Aditi, the priest places an appropriate mantra in written form to invoke the presence of the corresponding Devata.

The sanskrit mantras chanted by the priest are as important as the actual mandala. The mantra infuses the mandala with spiritual powers. The mantras are the subtle form of the mandala and therefore the two are inseparable.

In the unit of Brahma, Ananta, a golden serpent with many raised hoods is placed. It is then surrounded with nine precious jewels or navaratna. Ananta represents the energy of God in which the universe rests in space. The nine jewels invoke the astrological influence of the nine planets and are composed of a diamond, emerald, ruby, pearl, yellow sapphire, blue sapphire, red coral, cats-eye and jade.

A gold lid with the seven continents of the earth engraved on it is placed on top of the box following which the agni-hotra, or sanctification ceremony. During the agni-hotra the priest offers clarified butter, the symbol of religious principles, into the fire, which represents the mouth of the Cosmic Being. Along with the offering of clarified butter five types of grains-rice, wheat, barley, rye and dhal, are also offered with the chanting of mantras.

Use of Cows in identifying the Location for the Primary Deity's Idol : ( Specific to Southern India and Srilanka only ) 

Hindus revere cows as very sacred animals and consider the cow as equivalent to a mother . All ancient texts in Hinduism are replete with mentions of sacred cows . Kamadhenu being one of the most supreme manifestations of A Sacred Holy Mother in the form of a Cow. Multiple other names have also been given to Kamadhenu , such as Surabhi , Nandini etc etc . 

Cows have been used for identifying the sacred spot in a site which is being considered for the Temple construction as the direct indicator of whether a particular site selected is preferable for a Temple construction or not ? 

Hindu priests would pray to the cow , anoint it with flowers , sacred clothes , sandal paste or sindoor paste and pray to the cow to inspect the site and provide her approval or disapproval of the site. 

The Cow is then released onto the site and given time to inspect the site by herself. The Vedic would then inspect the behaviour of the cow. This whole affair happens in the midst of a crowd of people. Hence the cow is always in the eyes of the crowd and similarly the cow understands , it is being hoarded and surrounded by people. Inspite of such a crowd , if the Cow is obeserved to be in a calm and happy behaviour , it is accepted that the Cow approves the site for the Temple Construction. If the cow is observed to be disoriented in her behaviour at the site , then the Whole site is given away and a fresh site for the Temple Construction is sought for. 

So, is the Temple You visited a Vedic Temple or a Hindu Temple is the Question ? 

THE MYSTERY OF VEDIC CREMATION 2 : THE MYSTERIOUS SECRET BEHIND MUNDAN CEREMONY ?

Hinduism for many people is a very easy going religion. For some others , it is considered as a way of life. Many people would have observed , Hindus do not have a definite date in a week for special prayers like the Abrahamic cults do. For ex. Christians observing Sabbath on Sunday , Jews observing it on Saturday and Muslims observing it on Fridays. For the Hindus , almost every day of a week is a Good and Holy Day. Out of the days , however, Thursday is most commonly observed as a day of fasting, while other exceptions on fasting can be any other day as well. So technically , Hinduism is a philosophy, where the adherent is subjected to a spiritual inclination on any specific day , the adherent feels it is a special day , including the day of birth in some cases being considered as the most Holy day . 

So far , I gave you a little insight into How Hinduism , which looks very simple from the outside , is far more complicated a philosophy that most people actually realize. The whole concept of Hinduism is based on the predicament that the adherent has to finally find Self Realization. 

So what self realization are we talking about ? 

In this article , I will try to specifically answer a unique sacrifice which Hindu Sons are made to undergo , after the cremation of their parents . The Shaving of the Hair from their Head. For many , it might look like an ordinary tradition which the ancient Vedics prescribed and this age old practice is still being followed. For others, it might seem like an un-needed activity and a complete waste of time. There might be even some, who might say " We all are going to die, so what's the fun in unneccessarily shaving off the head ? ". 

As I already mentioned, Hinduism is much maligned as a religion filled with obnoxious traditions is very difficult for a layman to understand , if the same person has not tried understanding the Vedic philosophies ingrained in the Ancient Texts . 

Before I answer this mysterious tradition which Hindus ( Male sons only ) follow after the cremation of either of the Parents demise , I will give you a short synopsis of what happens in a Vedic Cremation as an overview. Let me state it here that, I am just going to share a gist of the rituals and not go into elaborate traditions and rituals involved during the cremation or after the cremation. This article will revolve around the very same question of " Why are Hindu Sons required to shave off their hair ? ". 

Death and burial customs in the Hindu traditions provide a structure for honoring the deceased and offering comfort for the grieving family during the time of loss. As Hinduism upholds the belief of cycles of life through reincarnation, the rituals also prepare the deceased for the life to come.

The Hindu belief of karma affects the tone and practice of mourning rituals. By creating a positive atmosphere, the mourning family and friends pass on the merits of good karma to help prepare their loved one for a positive rebirth and future life.

If possible, many Hindu family members will attempt to be present during the last hours of the life of the loved one. This important event in the natural life cycle marks the beginning of the transition from one life to the next. The family members will provide support, prayers and mantras in hopes to honor and comfort the dying, support and encourage the family, and create good karma in preparation for the coming life cycle.

Once the Death Occurs: 

Unless the circumstances of the death or the situation of the family prohibit it, the procedures for the final respects and burial take place within twenty-four hours after the death. According to most Hindu texts, the last rites can only be performed by a male family member. When the oldest surviving family members performs the ceremonies, he is called the karta. Specific circumstances and even changing religious and cultural traditions may allow for participation by a female.

Most Hindu traditions will have the body cleansed immediately after death. Often this ceremonial bathing will be performed by the women in the family. Following the bathing, the body is dressed in simple clothing, adorned with marks of the family and community, and the sacred ash across the forehead. The deceased will usually be dressed in new white clothing. If the deceased is a married woman whose husband is still alive, or an unmarried younger female, the clothing will be either a red or yellow dress. A Hindu priest will be invited to the home to lead in holy mantras and prayers. Both the mantras and the prayers will vary by specific religious tradition.

The body will be prepared for cremation by placing it on a bier, or platform. Immediate family members will scatter flowers all over the body. In addition, they will fill the mouth of the deceased with rice, nourishing the departed soul, and place coins in each hand. The body then will be taken to the cremation center.

In some Hindu traditions, burial is an accepted form for the final resting place of the body. In addition, young children, saints and sanyasi, members of a Hindu religious order that are not permitted to own property, may be buried because they are considered pure. The teaching is that burying the body allows the departed soul to more quickly abandon any attachments to the previous life and move ahead to the next incarnation.

When Should It Be Held: 

A religious ceremony involving either the cremation or burial of the body is traditionally held within twenty-four hours of the death. In India, exceptions to this may be made, given the circumstances of the death or the individual needs of the family. This religious ceremony is simple and respectful, and usually only the immediate family members will participate.

How Should Respects Be Paid: 

After the death of a loved one, the family enters into a period of mourning. The first sign of respect for the grief is that no cooking will be performed in the family house until the cremation takes place. An old Hindu saying affirms that the fire in the house is not lit until the fire in the cremation pyre has gone out. Some traditions apply this teaching not only to cooking but to heating and lighting as well.

When hearing of the death, it is appropriate to call or visit the bereaved. Sympathy cards or notes can be sent and can provide a meaningful, lasting expression of compassion. Viewings at a funeral home are not a part of the Hindu tradition. The body will be kept at the family home until cremation or burial, which normally occurs within twenty-four hours.

Friends and extended family will visit the bereaved during the period of intense grief which in many Hindu traditions lasts 13 days. Men should dress casually and simply. No head covering would be necessary. Women also should dress casually, but clothing should cover the arms and legs completely. Modest jewelry is permitted for women. The customary color of mourning is white; black attire would not be considered appropriate in most Hindu traditions.

It is also appropriate for gifts of food to be brought after the burial or cremation, though Hindu traditions vary on the exact menu, especially for those involved in performing the last rites. Traditional Hindu food would be vegetarian, prepared without onion or garlic, and would be pure foods.

It is appropriate to bring a gift of flowers to the home when visiting during the mourning period. If the body is still in the home before burial or cremation, the flowers may be placed at the feet of the deceased. If they are given during the thirteen day mourning period, they should be presented to the karta if possible.

The Antyeshti, or Hindu Funeral Rites: 

The Antyeshti, or final Hindu funeral rites, will vary slightly according to the religious sect or caste of the deceased. The rites have customs that take place around the body, including the covering of the body with flowers, a lamp placed at the head of the body, and incense being burned in the room. During the ceremony, often officiated by a Hindu priest or by the karta, prayers will be offered and hymns sung.

Water will be sprinkled on the body at various points in the service. Extreme care should be given by all mourners to avoid touching the body, an act of blatant disrespect and impurity. The body is then carried on a stretcher to the area of cremation or burial. People accompanying the body will offer the kirtan, mantras chanted in a hymn-like manner. For many Hindus, it is important that the skull be cracked, urging the departed soul to move on. This is sometimes a significant part of the ceremony.

Non-Hindus are often invited to attend the cremation service. They usually are asked to sit rather than participate, though it is becoming more common to allow guests to participate in any part of the ceremony in which they would feel comfortable.

Final Resting State:

The funeral rites are very similar within the various traditions of Hinduism. Most Hindus cremate the dead, though some communities allow burial. Those who cremate make exceptions for young children and devout older believers. These individuals are considered pure and are not needing the purification of burning.

It is customary that on the third day after cremation, the karta goes to the cremation service area and collects the ashes of the deceased. The karta would then see that the ashes were disposed of in a significant river. In India, many still travel to the Ganges River to scatter the ashes there. Today many other rivers have been approved by Hindu leaders for such purposes.

So far , I have explained you in simple , how the entire cremation event takes place. Now we will go to the question at hand. 

In Hinduism , the concept of Karma and rebirth is the end result. No Hindu yearns for a place in Heaven , as every Hindu knows , he/she will continue to be reborn as many times , until Nirvana is attained. 

After the cremation of either of the Parents demise , The Hindu Sons will be asked by the Vedics to shave their head. This is done because of the same concept of Karma. The Sons will have to obligatorily accept that the soul that has departed, is now no longer attached to them. The concept of Maya ( Worthly delusion of attachments to worldly pleasures ) has to be now disowned. By shaving their heads , The Sons bid adieu to the relationship of Maya ( Worldly Love ) that existed between them and their parent. The Sons have now officially declared that the Soul that has departed is now free to assigned a rebirth as per the departed soul's Karma. The Sons no longer claim attachment to the Soul and now the departed Soul can be born as a Child in another family's home as their child. 

This does not end here itself. Now the Soul is reborn. 

Incase , a Child has been newly born into a Hindu family , The Vedics will now ask the parents at a suitable age of 3/7 years of the Child to be shaved off his/her hair . The Old soul has received a new body as per the Hindu Karma concept and has been reborn, however as per the Vedics , the Old Soul has not disassociated itself from its previous family. The Vedics still consider this new child as an Old Soul , whose Sons have given up on their Worldly Love towards their Parent after the demise in his/her death , but as a new body in that same old soul , this new child needs to as well shed off his/ her association from his/her previous family and hence , the Child would also have to be shaved off his/her hair in this life and be made accountable as a Child of his /her new found Parents in his/her present life .

This Whole Process of Shaving of the Hair is called as " Mundan Ceremony " in Hinduism.

As I said in the beginning of this article , Hinduism might look as a simple to some , as a complicated to many and as an utterly dud philosophy , The Rituals and Traditions which Hindus follow , have an eternal connection to the Philosophy of respecting the Atman ( Soul ) of each and every living thing ( including animals /birds ) as a highly sacred small part of the One and Only Universal Soul ( Paramatman- The Divinity ).

THE MYSTERY OF VEDIC CREMATION : WHY DO HINDUS CREMATE THE DEAD ?

In this article , I cover a very unique ritual which is primarily followed by Hindus all over the World. It is an open secret that the Abrahamic 3 Cults follow burial of the dead . However , Hindus follow the Vedic rituals of cremation ( burning of the dead on a pyre of wood ). 

In this article , I will not go deeply into the rituals followed in Vedic cremations . The Primary question, I am trying to cover in this article is " Why do the Hindus , do not bury the dead , but cremate them ? Is there a scientific explanation for the same ? "

In the Vedic texts - we are informed that 3 Major Life Events are of the most important for any individual on this sacred planet Earth . Every individual goes through a phase on this planet . However , according to the Vedics , the 3 Most important Events are - BIRTH , MARRIAGE and DEATH . The Vedics made very strict codes of ethics to be followed in the celebration of all these 3 Events . When a Hindu Child is born , series of Vedic rituals are performed by the family that begets a child . I will share in detail the rituals followed in another article later . Similarly , A Vedic Hindu marriage is a very elaborate affair . Hindus follow a lot of rituals in marriage too . Rituals can last for more than 1 month prior to the marriage to 6 months after marriage . Again , I will cover the Hindu Vedic marriage rituals elaborately in another article to be published later . 

Now , coming to Death . The Vedics realized that Death is a Supreme form of divinity . Hindus look upto death as a liberation from Worldly miseries ( Maya - Illusions of materialism ) . The major goal of a Hindu is to achieve Samadhi ( Nirvana - A Point where no further rebirths on this Planet is ever required ). Hindus believe in Rebriths based on Karma ( Actions performed in this Earthly Life ). It is believed that , Good Actions ( Karma ) would finally relieve an individual from the mundane episode of multiple rebirths on Planet Earth . Coming to rebirths , it is also believed that Bad Karmas in this eathly life , will lead to being reborn in a lower species in the next life - for ex - as an animal in the next life etc . The Concept of Karma is the sole factor influencing a Hindu individual . In Hinduism , there is no concept of Heaven or Hell , but Paramatman and Atman. Paramatman is the Universal Soul and Atman is the individual soul. Once a Hindu is able to liberate or achieve nirvana , it is believed that the Atman returns to become a part of the Universal Soul and never to be reborn again . 

Hence for the Vedics , the rituals pertaining to Death of a Hindu had also to be elaborate. 

The Vedics had analysed everything on this planet is interconnected with a siritual realm . Hinduism is based on a philosophy of self realization of the Supreme Paramatman residing within each and every living thing on Planet Earth , which is the Atman ( The Soul of the Individual / Living thing ). The Vedics never differentiated between the Souls of Animals / Birds/ Aquatic species or Humans. All life forms , including even the tiniest of ants is considered to contain the same Atman as a Human soul . The basic difference is drawn by the fact that , the Soul of an Ant is still in the process of learning and acquiring knowledge to fit in the next upgraded soul when it reborns possibly as a Higher species than the ant. 

Now that we have understood this part , let us proceed .

The Vedics knew , any action would create an equally opposite reaction . The Vedics were knowledgeable to understand The Fabric of Nature and how , any action on Nature can have dramatic results . We often see , Hindu Women praying to trees , tying sacred threads around the trees and making sacred offerings to trees. This has happened because of the knowledge of the Vedics , who realized Trees are the Custodians of survival on this Planet . Any Tree , where such sacred threads get tied is never touched by any woodcutter ( in ancient times ) or even today by Hindus who go out in search of woodlogs for household or even other business related requirements . Such a Tree remains standing till the day the Tree itself perishes . 

A unique situation of faith by the Hindu women , but a real time science by the Ancient Vedics to protect Trees from being cut down and used for fuel . 

Our environment is of great importance for enoying a healthy life on this Sacred Planet . The Vedics knew , they had to devise a technique , where The Dead amongst us , do not become a problem for our environment . 

From their accumulated learning VEDAS passed on over several thousand years , they had realized burying the Dead is a slow process of decomposing Organic matter . Here , I want to add another fact . It is world-wide known that Hindus can go to any extend to protect cows . I will not enter into the religious debate rather I will stick only to the scientific part of this debate. In India , for Thousands of Years ( even today in Rural India ) , Hindus have used cowdung as fuel. It is known to the Hindus that cowdung contains Methane , an amazing bio-fuel. 

The Vedics had ascertained in the Sanskrit texts about this . We need to remember , These same Vedics even mentioned that Vimanas ( Flying Ancient Vehicles ) used Mercury as a fuel . We might have not found out how this fuel was produced , but it does inform us that , they did know alchemy and did know about various types of minerals , metals and ofcourse Green House gases. Methane is a dangerous Green House Gas . A Gas that soaks in Solar Heat and its radiations and today our modern scientists confirm that Methane is one of the Green House gases that is creating Global Warming at a rampant speed . Scientists today are stating , that we need to reduce our Cattle Livestocks , because every time a Cow or Buffalo eats grass , the Cowdung is the resultant Methane . The higher the Livestock count , The Higher the emission of Methane gas . This has also lead to many scientists stating , become a vegetarian and avoid Beef . Because , if the beef industry declines , artificial insemination of cattle and livestocks will decline and hence a resultant effect of lower emissions of Methane .

I however quote , that Beef meat is not the largest contributor of Methane Gas . It is our daily use of Bio-Fuels like Petrol or Diesel or Coal which is the largest contributor. Having said that , we need to understand , how to manage and reduce the emission of Methane in our atmosphere and help in reducing Global Warming . Eating less red meat such as beef , would lower down the industry and hence as already stated will help reducing emission of Methane . 

Now , coming back to the Hindu Vedic Cremation . The Vedics did not arrive onto Planet Earth from Pluto . The evolved into Vedics with accuulated knowledge of Thousands and Thousands of years of Human evolution into becoming Humans. They would have known , in far off ancient times , which spans millions of years back, our ancestors buried the dead in Caves . They would have known this because the Vedas were being passed on from one generation to the generation orally for thousands of generations , until the Vedas got written down as texts . Their experience of metals, metallurgy is already being studied and is being researched by various scientific organizations across this Planet and in thousands of Vedic research centres worldwide today . And hence , we need to understand that this particular Hindu Clause that their Dead should be buried , would also need to be looked at from the Scientific point of View . Let us look at it that way now .

When , we bury an Individual , we are disconnecting the Body from Oxygen especially if buried in a Coffin. The body will start to decay , as microorganisms will infest onto it. We do not require rocket science to understand that a dead decaying body starts emitting a very foul smell . METHANE . 

Incase , you land up stepping onto cowdung and decide not to clean off your shoes and walk back home wearing those same shoes and put your shoes somewhere inside one of your rooms of your house , within a few hours the Whole House would start emitting a foul smell . METHANE . 

The Vedics realized that burying the Dead , not only wastes agricultural land , not only adds predators from digging into the grave but also adds a dangerous gas into the atmosphere - Methane . Now the question is " How to mitigate this situation ? " 

The answer that was agreed upon was to Burn the Dead or what we call as cremation of the body . However this was not an absolute technique . Burning the dead meant , Huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere . It is known Carbon Dioxide is also a dangerous Green House gas , which adds to Global Warming . So by mitigating , Methane for Carbon Dioxide, what benefit could actually be assessed ? 

The Vedics, knew Trees were the source of Survival on this Sacred Planet . Carbon Dioxide is a Green House gas that can be controlled by rampant Plantation of Trees and ensuring survival of Trees from being cut to the ground. When it comes to Methane , there is no way this Gas can be controlled . This Gas had to be mitigated by a different way . Every Living thing that dies is bound to decay. And anything that is going to decay , is going to release Methane into the atmosphere . 

The Vedics decided , what cannot be controlled as a creation , has to be reduced by means possible at hand, what can be controlled would be used as a solution at best . 

The Hindus , finally had a say. 

And Sandal Wood , Sandal wood paste , Sacred waters from the Ganga or any other Holy River to wash the body of the Dead , And various other rituals along with the spirit to say a Final Goodbye to that One Beloved Soul was devised.

The Pyre of Wood was where the Body of the Dead was put on and the Sacred Holy Fire (Agni ) was allowed to consume it . 


OM SHANTI