अन्त्यॆि - Funeral Ceremony –(funeral rite)This is also called pitRu medha antyeShTi antyakarma . It is an important rite and described in thePuranas . When Jiva along with his subtle body consisting of 17 elements (i.e. 5 senses, 5 organs ofaction, 5 vital airs, mind and intellect ) leaves the body which is called death, and he is immediatelygiven an airy body (वायवीय / वाय ) or आितवािहकशरीर (transporting body) which also protects thesubtle body. He is called पर्ॆत(preta) (literally departed from and not in the physical body) because he islight and swiftly moving. Having lived for long time in the physical body he might develop a specialattachment with it. This pulls him towards the physical body again and again . there fore the shraaddharites dasagaatra etc. are recommended by the scriptures for freeing the departed from the intermediatepreta state. During the performance of shraddha one says, in order to liberate the departed soul from thepreta state (पर्ॆतत्व िवमुिक्त कामः) both for the laymen and learned in scriptures. To wean him away fromthe dead body, the latter is cremated by Hindus, and himself propiated with water etc.

Scriptures do not prescribe / recommend cremation of a sanyasi’s body, for, he practiced even beforehe left the body detachment for the body and all other worldly things and relations.

A child’s body is also not cremated in Hinduism because it has not lived long enough in the physicalbody to develop attachment with it , and the departed soul has no obstruction to proceed in his way.Nor any elaborate) rituals are prescribed to prepare him mentally wean away from looking back .

Living as a preta or ghost is also possible. One dying in an accident such as drowning , fire accident ,road accident etc. becomes a preta with an airy body and continues to live in that state for some time.Preta desires to be associated with his property and the relations , and make them like him. By virtue ofhis airy body, he is capable of assuming a physical body like that of a snake, bull or buffalo or humanalso, but for only a short while. One continues to live as preta for some time until pretasaMskaaraH,dashagaatra-vidhaanaM, ShoDashashraaddha, sapiNDeekaraNa पर्ॆतसंस्कारः, दशगातर्-िवधानं, षॊडशशर्ा ,सिपण्डीकरण are done for him.

Animals and birds do not have well developed higher five koshas (except physical) hence they cannotdevelop any attachment with the body, family and circumstances, and therefore do not need any postmortem rites.

-Prakashanandendrasaraswati Swamiji[based on an article in Puranakathank of Gitapress P-69 -71]