What Antyeshti means
Hindu tradition sees death as the soul leaving a worn-out body, as the Gita says, like a person discarding old clothes. The body, made of the five elements, is returned to them in the sacred fire, and the soul is helped on its way with prayers.
The rites continue after cremation — the gathering of ashes (asthi sanchayana), their immersion in a holy river, and the shraddha rites of the tenth to thirteenth days — and then yearly in Pitru Paksha.
How it is performed
- Preparation. The body is bathed, dressed in new cloth and laid on the ground; Ganga jal and tulsi are placed in the mouth.
- Procession. The body is carried to the cremation ground with "Ram naam satya hai".
- Cremation. The chief mourner lights the pyre with mantras; in many traditions kapala kriya follows.
- Ashes and immersion. Ashes are collected and immersed in a holy river.
- Shraddha. Rites on the tenth to thirteenth days (terahvin) and yearly in Pitru Paksha.
Mantras
Bhagavad Gita 2.20
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṃ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ |
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||
The self is never born and never dies; it did not come into being and will not cease to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not slain when the body is slain.
Isha Upanishad 17
वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं भस्मान्तं शरीरम् ।
vāyur anilam amṛtam athedaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram |
Let this breath return to the immortal air; this body ends in ashes.
Antyeshti today
Antyeshti is kept by almost every Hindu family. Electric crematoria are now common in cities; the core rites remain the same.
Rituals differ by Veda, region, community and family. For the ceremony itself, follow your family priest (purohit).
Frequently asked questions
Why do Hindus cremate the dead?
To return the body, made of the five elements, to them through the sacred fire, and to free the soul from attachment to it.
Who performs the last rites?
Traditionally the eldest son; otherwise another son, a daughter, the spouse or a close relative, according to family and community custom.
Why are ashes immersed in the Ganga?
The Ganga is believed to purify and help the soul toward liberation; Haridwar, Prayagraj and Varanasi are favoured places.