Death and Future State.—When a Hindu dies there are the inevitable tokens of grief amongst re latives; but women evince their emotion with great demonstrations and noise, proclaiming aloud the good qualities of the deceased, as they beat their breasts and mouths. The death-wail is heard far distant, and once heard is never forgotten. Naked he came, and naked has gone ; this dwelling place belongs neither to you nor to me.' Re latives and friends, on learning the melancholy tidings, go to the house of mourning to condole with the bereaved family, and the women join in the death-wail, which rises loud above all the other sounds of the busy world around. As death is drawing near, however, the attendants, after purifying the house with cow-dung, perform the Jiva Praias-chittam, by laving the dying man's body with water, placing in his mouth or causing him to drink a little milk, buttermilk, honey, treacle, and plantains (panchakavia), and then releasing a cow. Such an ordeal few men in weak health could withstand, and it may not be doubted that it is never performed without hastening the fatal event, for the attendants force the five things into the dying man's mouth. After demise the corpse is washed and dressed. The family priest pronounces certain mantra of purification over it, for every household has its own Brahman teacher. It is borne on a bier to the burning ground by four men, and followed by relatives and friends, both men and women. A large heap of firewood and dried cow-dung cakes has been already gathered together there, which are stacked up over the remains, and the son sets the pile on fire. It is their belief that as death parts the soul from the body, the god of justice, Yama, sends two angels with an invisible form to receive into it the flitting spirit, and convey it to Yama-locum, his hall of justice, to be tried there, and awarded its sentence of future punishment or reward. The secretary, Chatr-goputr, records the decree, and the disembodied spirit takes up its abode in Swarga, or in Narika, or revisits earth to be re-born, and afforded another opportunity of gaining release from mor tality. The day following the demise and incre mation, they revisit the spot. They pour milk or water, or milk and water, over the ashes, and make an offering of rice to the Preta, the departed soul. On the second, third, or fifth day, the son selects any small black stone, or three back stones, which he places against a pipal tree, Ficus religiosa, on the bank of a pond or tank. This represents the deceased, or rather his Preto. is supposed to be located in the stone, and where three stones are used, those also of his grandfather or great-grand father ; and each day, for ten days, the son offers to the stone or stones a water-sacrifice to quench the thirst of the departed. He also cooks rice there, and offers it to a crow, to satisfy the hunger of the deceased ; he continues this every morning till the tenth day, because it is the Hindu belief that the soul of the departed hovers about the house for ten or twelve days, and then takes up that future habitation which, according to their view of the transmigration of souls, may be its lot On the tenth day the stone is thrown into the water. The object of all this is their belief that the shade of the departed is occupying five separ ate beings and places,—one descends upon his son, a second rests on the place of incremation, a third in the house lie has left, a fourth in the stones that are raised to represent him, and the fifth in the crow to which the food is thrown. And if the crow refuse the food, the beholders deem it an augury of the ill life of the departed, or that some object of his life remained incomplete.
Widowed State.—If the deceased was a married man, the mangala sutram, or sacred thread, which was tied round the neck of his bride on the wed ding day, is now broken by other widows of the family. She ceases to wear a bodice or jewels, or flowers in her hair. She discontinues the use of turmeric when at the bath ; the red mark is no longer placed on her forehead, and in many cases the long black tresses are removed, for some classes of Brahman women have their head shaved. From this time their lives are one continued scene of misery. Restricted to the meanest of the house hold avocations, they are treated by their nearest relatives with contumely and neglect. Their very loneliness and bereavement, instead ,of being occa sion for sympathy and endearment, only calls forth ' harsh, often brutal, treatment. Their very condi tion is a term of abuse ; and, denied it on earth, many a Hindu widow seeks peace in the grave, for there the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest.
After-Death Ceremonies.—On the 11th day, among Brahmans, the son of the deceased selects two or three relatives, or several Brahmans, to be in the place, or representatives, of his parent. They are anointed with the oil of the oriental sesa mum. The son presents them with flowers, the sandal perfume, and new cloths, and then enter tains them. Until they finish their meal, no member of the household is allowed to partake of food. So soon as they rise, however, a morsel of rice is thrown to the crows, and the representat ives of the deceased are dismissed with betel-nut, new cloths, and presents of money, according to the son's means. All other relatives present are then entertained. For one year from this time this becomes a monthly ceremonial on the day of the deceased's demise. On the first anniversary of the deceased person's samvatsarikam, a Hindu, however poor, must, with much display, perform the ceremonies which are then required. This necessity is a great tax to all of them ; but where several deaths have occurred in a family, it is a ruinous burden, for the rules of their faith compel their performance, and if a person have not money of his own with which to perform this, he must beg for it or borrow it for the purpose. The religious importance to the deceased of the perform ance of this anniversary rite is considered very great, and it is this which occasions the great desire to have a son. If the family be what in law is called a united Hindu family, the ceremonial is conducted by the eldest son, hut where they have separated, each son must perform it separately. For those who have no sons, the widow can per form it, and the widower husband can do the same for his wife. On the future anniversaries the sradha only is performed.
Burial and Burning—Before the body is taken to be burnt, it is anointed with ghi, or clarified butter. Arrived at the side of the water, the nearest relation sets fire to the pile, which is soon in a blaze. It takes three cwt. of wood to consume the body of an adult. At the present day, the general practice of the Vaishnava Hindus is to burn their dead, but they also launch the bodies into the stream of the Ganges, or expose them on the open plains. After the incremation, using a branch of sami, and another of palasa (Butea frondosa), instead of tongs, the son or nearest relative first draws out from the ashes the bones of the head, and after wards the other bones successively, sprinkles them with perfumed liquids and with clarified butter (ghi) made of cow's milk, and puts them into a casket made of the leaves of the palasa (Butea frondosa). This he places in a new earthen vessel, covers it with a lid, and ties it up with a thread. Selecting some clear spot where encroachments of the river are not to be apprehended, he digs a very deep hole, and at the bottom spreads the cusa grass (poa), and over the grass a piece of yellow cloth. He places thereon the earthen vessel containing the bones of the deceased, covers it with a lump of mud, moss, and thorns, and plants a tree in the excavation, or raises a mound of masonry. Subsequently, the son or nearest relative repairs to the cemetery, carrying eight vessels filled with various flowers, roots, and similar things ; he walks round the enclosure con taining the funeral pile, with his right hand towards it, successively depositing at its four gates or entrances, beginning at the north gate, two vessels containing eight different things, with this prayer : ' May the adorable and eternal gods, who are present in the cemetery, accept from us this eight fold imperishable oblation. May they convey the deceased to pleasing and eternal abodes, and grant to us life, health, and perfect ease. This eight-fold oblation is offered to Siva and other deities; salu tation to them.' In the south of India, the ascetic followers of both Siva and Vishnu bury their dead ; so do the Vaishnava, Vairagi, and Sanyasi in the north of India, and the Saiva Jogi. The class of Hindu weavers called Yogi have adopted a similar prac tice, as also have all the castes in Southern India who wear the lingam. All infants and unmarried persons are interred, as also all the artisan tribes. At the Sanyasi devotee's interment no wailings or expressions of grief are allowed. The corpse, seated in a litter, is borne to the grave, preceded by musicians, and attended by persons who cast rose-coloured powder into the air, or demonstrate in other modes their joy. It is placed in the earth in a sitting posture, instead of being con sumed on the pile. A small platform raised over the spot, and exhibiting the sculptured feet of the deceased, commemorates his sanctity.