Sarma Sastrigal
APARA KARMA or ANTYESHTI
(A page from the chapter in Sarma Sastrigal’s book ‘The Great Hindu Tradition’)
There is a great deal we need to know about our Dharma and Karmas and about Hindu culture and tradition. We also need to continually clarify our questions and doubts in these subjects. One such subject that is important is Apara Karma, also known as Antyeshti and Charama Samskara – the religious duties to be performed upon the death of one’s near relatives.
These duties or rituals are collectively referred to as Apara karma.
What is given here is intended for believers in samskara who want to do their karmas religiously but do not know how to, or know peripherally but seek more clarity. This is not meant for nonbelievers who do not want to do their karma.
This section of the book tries to clarify doubts that come up often, and to answer some FAQs. I must add here that the subject is truly vast, and this chapter is just a summary. To know more, to get into the intricate details, you can approach your elders or contact me.
Death is inevitable :
We all understand one thing: from the moment a person is born he is moving towards death. The mind does not easily accept it when a person close to us is ‘no more’ – and believes that he has in fact attained paraloka, that jiva (the soul) cannot be destroyed though the sarira (the body) can be.
This is correct. A sinner suffers the effects of his bad deeds by going to hell, and a saintly person realises the results of his good deeds and goes to heaven.
In the after-life a person achieves saalokhya when he gets into devaloka; he achieves sarshtita when he can get the wealth of devas; and he achieves saayujya when he becomes a deva himself.
The necessity for Apara karma:
While the deeds of a person when alive have a great deal of impact on his station after death, the apara karmas done for him after his death by his son or the karta have an equally crucial impact. Regardless of how the person conducted his life, if his (or her) Charama samskara is not done properly, his ‘preta’ is not released from his body, because he continues to suffer from the same sensations that prevailed during his life. He will feel the sadness from the shortcomings in his Apara karma, and that is good neither for him nor for his family.
When a grahasta dies, two kinds of death rites are possible.
• Brahma medha samskara
• Paitru medhika samskara
Brahma medha samskara is a specialised variety that is performed when the deceased person himself had done Veda adhyayana and the Karta is also familiar with Veda mantras.
Paitru medhika samskara which is discussed here is the general ritual, for all the others.
The essence of Apara karma:
Apara karma, which spreads over 12 days, should be done by a dutiful son or the Karta properly, and under suitable guidance of the Purohit and elders. He can repay his debt of gratitude to his parents in no better manner than doing their death rites with sincerity, devotion and above all complete faith. In essence, the objective of funeral rites is to facilitate the migration of the soul of a dead person from the status of preta to the abode of the pitrus.
Apara karma is done in two phases: the rites during 12 days immediately after death, called Apara Karma; and the performance every month thereafter for 12 months on the same day (tithi), called Maasika. In addition, there are Sodakumba Sraaddhas, four Una masikas to the performed over the year.
( hari krishnamurthy K. HARIHARAN)"
” When people hurt you Over and Over
think of them as Sand paper.
They Scratch & hurt you,
but in the end you are polished and they are finished. ”
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