Corona induces Indianization of the whole world, cremation is the latest example of this.
Corona has spread its feet in the world and now it has reached more than 100 countries. The epidemic that started in China has now taken the shape of a catastrophe. When the virus turned into an epidemic in China, the Chinese National Health Commission immediately instructed the cremation (cremation of the dead body in the presence of fire) of the disease and burial or the corpse. The burying process was banned so that the virus would not spread any more. The process that China is adopting today on the coming of this calamity, Sanatan Dharma has been doing it for thousands of years, not centuries.
Rigveda, the world’s oldest book, also has a description of cremation. There are many hymns of Rigveda, which suggest that Lord Agni (fire of God) will purify the body. Not only this, in the Mahabharata, many times the description of funeral work comes. The funeral rites are described in detail in the Garuda Purana. Pandu’s dah-karma in Adi Parva; Drah-karma of Drona in Streeperva; Bhishma’s cremation in the discipline; Vasudeva is described in Mahaparva, other warriors in Stri Parva and in the Ashram Nashik Parva, the cremation of Kunti, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari is described. Not only this, in the Ramayana also, the funeral pyre of King Dasharatha was made of sandalwood and it had aguru and other fragrant substances; There were also fragrant wood of simple padmak, cedar etc. Kausalya and other women attended the funeral.
Funeral is a sacrament. It is one of the sixteen or more rituals performed by the Dwijs and is performed with the Vedic mantras by the views of Manu, Yajnavalkya Smriti and Jatukarnya. Not only this process continues in India even today. There are many reasons for this. Today, the world is adopting cremation. The cremation is not limited to just burning the corpse in a fire, but each process lasting 14 days after the cremation has its own significance.
On the one hand, Shri Krishna has said in the Gita that the soul is immortal, leaving only the old body and wearing a new body, there is neither the beginning nor the end of the soul. At the same time, science says that the soul is an energy that keeps transforming. In Sanatan Dharma, the last rites of the dead bodies are performed in the form of fire. It is also called cremation, cremation ceremony.It is a type of yajna in which the body is dedicated to the fire after death. One of the reasons for its recognition as sacrament is that it destroys dead bodies and protects the environment. It is considered to be the last of the sixteen rites performed by the Dwijs. The rite of birth and death is considered as a debt form for every human being.
The deceased is bathed in Ganga water and made a bier. It is carried by the relatives to the crematorium where the dead body is placed on the pyre and is lit by fire.
According to the scriptures, cremation of dead-body should be done within 24 hours according to the method and rules described in the Vedas. Not performing cremation on time or keeping the dead body in an open environment for a long time, many types of micro and infectious germs start spreading in the environment. It is known to all that this entire universe is made up of Panchatattva, in the same way our body is also formed by Panchatattva. These five elements are – earth (soil), water (vapor), air (air), fire (fire) and sky (nabha). This is the reason why the dead person is cremated so that he merges back into the five elements with the help of fire.
Not only this, it is possible that the person who died is suffering from some contagious disease, so it is best to burn the body because the temperature in which the body is burnt is to avoid any germ or virus. Are impossible.
After the ashes of the pyre are cooled, the ashes of the deceased are collected which are carried in the flowing water at the holy shrine. In North India, there is a tradition of flowing bones in the Ganges river. Bone immersion is also done by a Brahmin qualified by law and by offering prayers for the peace of the soul of the deceased.
After the body is completely burnt, a ritual called ‘Kapala Kriya’ is performed by the Brahmin. According to this custom, ghee is offered to the deceased’s head at the time of the cremation and thrice the skull is fired.
But there is one more thing that involves cremation and coming home after the dead body. There is also a belief in many beliefs of Hinduism that after the cremation it becomes necessary for the person involved in the funeral process to bathe. Our beliefs are not unfounded. There is a rationality behind them.
Immediately after death, the process of disintegration of the dead body components begins. The blood, stool, urine, cells, etc., located inside the body, start rotting very fast due to which all the people involved in the funeral procession are affected and can also become ill. Or in addition to this, it may also happen that the person who has died is suffering from some contagious disease, so the germs of his body get an opportunity to make a home in the body of the people present nearby. By taking a bath with clean water, the germs of the disease are destroyed or washed away with the running water. It is an anti-infection action. Bathing is essential to protect the body from infectious diseases. After bathing, the mind becomes stable and the state of mind also changes. Not only the baths but after the cremation, cutting, shaving, and bathing are done together to make the body clean again.
While burying any dead body causes many problems. First, with the increasing population, there is not much land left to bury those who die every day. If you add all the cemeteries in America, according to Dobscha, it would measure 1 million acres. The second burial also has a negative impact on the environment. At the same time, it also costs more. According to the Berkeley Planning Journal, 30 million board feet of hardwood, 2,700 tons of copper and bronze, 104,272 tons of steel, and 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete are used for traditional burials every year in the US. The amount of casket wood alone is equivalent to about 4 million acres of forest and can build about 4.5 million homes.
At this time many countries of the world are finding new avenues for the cremation of humans after their deaths. Because with the increase in population, land for other works has started to decrease. Funerals are also a major part of these works. The cremation rate is increasing all over the world now. According to the National Funeral Directors Association of America, in 2016, the rate of cremation was 50.2 percent, while by the year 2025, it is expected to increase by 63.8 percent and in 2035 by 78.8 percent.
The world is adopting the tradition, culture and every single method of civilization. Scientific reason is prevalent in one method, whether it is yoga or funeral. Be it any kind of disease, mental or physical, the answer of all is hidden in the Vedic life of India, the need is just to adopt.