Antyesti
funeral rites for the dead in Hinduism
Antyesti (IAST: Antyeṣṭi, Sanskrit: अन्त्येष्टि), also known as Antima Samskara, Antya-kriya, Anvarohanyya, or as Vahni Samskara, literally means "last sacrifice" or "final auspicious ceremony", and refers to the funeral rites for the dead in Hinduism, which usually involves cremation of the body. This rite of passage is the last samskara in a series of traditional life cycle samskaras that start from conception in Hindu tradition.
The details of the Antyesti ceremony depend on the region, social group, gender and age of the dead.
Etymology
Antyeṣṭi (अन्त्येष्टि) is a composite Sanskrit word of antya and iṣṭi, which respectively mean "last" and "sacrifice" or "auspicious ceremony". Together, the word means the "last sacrifice". Similarly, the phrase Antima Samskara literally means "last sacred ceremony, or last rite of passage".
Scriptures
The Antyesti rite of passage is structured around the premise in ancient literature of Hinduism that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe. The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. The human body and the universe consist of five elements in Hindu texts – air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and its origins.
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