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