Hindu views on aging, illness and death

Within Hinduism

Hinduism is a family of traditions, not one organized church. Practices vary by region, language, community and devotion to particular forms of God (such as Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Shiva or the Goddess). Families often follow the customs of their own community, guided by a family priest (pandit or purohit).

On aging

Classic Hindu texts describe four stages of life (ashramas):

1. Student (brahmacharya): learning.
2. Householder (grihastha): family, work and duty.
3. Retiring (vanaprastha, literally "forest dweller"): stepping back from worldly duties, handing over to the next generation, and turning toward spiritual life.
4. Renunciation (sannyasa): letting go, in preparation for liberation.

Few people follow these stages literally today, but the idea that later life is a time to turn inward is widely shared. Caring for aging parents is seen as a sacred duty (dharma) of their children.

On illness and suffering

• Karma. Many Hindus believe actions in this and past lives shape present circumstances. Some families see illness in this light. Others do not, and many teachers warn against blaming a sick person for their suffering.
• Acceptance and devotion. Illness can be met with prayer, puja (worship), fasting, pilgrimage and trust in God.
• Medicine. Seeking medical care is fully accepted. Some families also use Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine.

On what follows death

• The soul (atman) is eternal. It is not born and does not die. Only the body dies.
• Rebirth (samsara). The soul is reborn in a new body, shaped by karma, until it is freed.
• Liberation (moksha). The final goal is freedom from rebirth and union with, or closeness to, God (Brahman).

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna comforts the grieving warrior Arjuna. In paraphrase:

• As a person throws away worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the soul leaves worn-out bodies and enters new ones. (Bhagavad Gita 2:22)
• For one who is born, death is certain, and for one who dies, birth is certain. So do not grieve over what cannot be avoided. (Bhagavad Gita 2:27)
• Whoever remembers me at the time of death comes to me. (Bhagavad Gita 8:5) For this reason, many Hindus hope to have God in mind at the moment of death.

A well-known prayer from the Upanishads asks: Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28)

Near the end of life

• Family present. Many prefer to die at home, surrounded by family.
• Chanting and prayer. Family may chant God's name (for example "Ram" or "Om Namah Shivaya"), the Gayatri mantra or the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, or read from the Bhagavad Gita.
• Holy water and tulsi. A few drops of Ganga (Ganges) water and a tulsi (holy basil) leaf may be placed in the mouth.
• Lamp and images. A lamp may be lit and an image of the family's deity placed nearby.
• Lying on the floor. Some families wish to place the dying person on the floor or on a mat, to be close to the earth.
• A sacred place. Some elders wish to die in a holy city such as Varanasi (Kashi).

Right after death

• Family members wash and dress the body, often in new white clothes (or red for some married women), with sacred ash or sandalwood paste. Ask the hospital in advance if family can do this.
• The body is usually kept at home or at the funeral home until cremation. Many families prefer as little handling by strangers as possible, and may object to autopsy unless required.
• Organ donation is accepted by many Hindus as a gift (daan). Ask your loved one.

Funeral and mourning

• Cremation (antyesti, "last rites") is the norm, usually as soon as possible, often within a day. Infants, young children and holy persons are sometimes buried instead. In the U.S., cremation takes place at a crematorium; many allow the family to start the cremation as a ritual.
• Traditionally the eldest son, or another close relative, leads the rites. Many families today include daughters too.
• Ashes are often immersed in a sacred river, such as the Ganges, or in other flowing water or the ocean.
• About 13 days of mourning. The household may not cook certain foods, celebrate or visit temples. Rites called shraddha are performed to help the soul on its journey, ending with a gathering, often on the 12th or 13th day.
• Remembering ancestors. Many families perform yearly rites on the death anniversary and during Pitru Paksha, a fortnight for honoring ancestors.

Comfort in grief

Many Hindus find comfort in the belief that the soul goes on, and that loving remembrance and rites help the person who has died. Some teachers caution that excessive grief may "hold back" the soul. Others simply encourage mourners to grieve fully, supported by family and community.