16 Vedic sanskars are like a chakra that goes on with time. It begins with a child’s origin inside a mother’s womb, continues throughout the life after his or her birth and ends with his death.
Our religious texts say that soul is immortal and travels from one body to another until it finds its ultimate place in the Almighty. In Hinduism funeral of a person is a ritual where prayers are offered for the sake of the dead person’s union with the god.
According to Vedic astrology, human body is made up of 5 prime elements namely, earth, water, sky, air and fire. After a native’s funeral these 5 elements go back in to their place and the soul finds a new form but it doesn’t get salvation. The Vedic astrology speaks of 2 types of funeral sanskars. These are 1. Presence of dead body and 2. Absence of dead body.
According to the Shashtras, a funeral rite doesn’t require any muhurat if the dead body is present. Astrology says that panchak yoga is formed when Moon is on Aquarius or Pisces sign. If a person dies in this yoga then he or she is afflicted with panchak dosha. As a solution the panchak dosha is pacified by making 5 dummy bodies and performing the sanskar at a time with the dead body. By doing this the panchak dosha comes to an end.
When the dead body is not present then a dummy body of the dead person is made by kush, palash and rice flour. Then the funeral sanskar is performed of this dummy body. Astrology says that for this sanskar muhurat is required.
Consideration of the nakshatra
While performing the symbolic funeral of a dead person astrologers consider muhurat. The placement of nakshatras is very important in muhurat of this sanskar. Shravan, Hasta, Swati, Ashwini and Pushya are good nakshatras.
Other normal nakshatras for this sanskar are Uttraphalguni, Uttrasadha, Uttrabhadrapada, Rohini, Anuradha, Purvaphalguni, Punarwasu, Vishakha, Mrigashira, Chitra and Ghanistha.
Consideration of week day
According to Vedic astrological principles the symbolic funeral of a person is good on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
Astrological restrictions
As per astrological beliefs the combust period of Sun and Jupiter are not auspicious for funeral sanskar. Except the days and nakshatras mentioned above, rest of them should be avoided. Bhadra dosha is malefic for this sanskar.
With the funeral sanskar the 16 Vedic sanskars come to an end.