In each religion, ceremony for funeral, caste and belief, there is a certain arrangement of “DOs and DONTs” after the demise of a nearby family member. These faiths and convictions determine the execution of last rites which further guarantee the peace, solace, salvation and pride of the departed soul.
Although these rituals in Hindu after death are diversified, they hold the ultimate motivation behind a dignified farewell for the deceased person. Here we will apprise ourselves of one such distinct conviction, “Can a Son-In-Law perform last rites or attend the funeral of his In-laws? If not, What are the compelling reasons behind this notion?”
Why in Hinduism, son in law is not allowed to perform last rites and participate in the funeral?
In a Hindu ceremony for funeral, the final rites and mourning period are viewed as the mediums that pave the way for the emancipation of the departed soul from all common attachments. “Who will perform these ritualistic offerings?” plays a pivotal job according to the Vedic sacred writings of the Hindu religion. Other than this, the family of the deceased person should also be aware, “Who can not perform the ceremony for funeral?”
According to the sacred writing of the Hindu religion “Garudpuran”, the principal right of offering all the dignified final rites has a place with the elder son of the deceased person. In any case, in the absence of the son, a couple of other family members can take the onus of executing all the final rites.
The compelling notion behind carrying out all the obligations related to the final rituals by the son is “Putra” which comprises two letters ‘Pu’ and ‘Tra’. Here the part ‘Pu signifies the damnation and Tra conveys free or emancipation.’ Therefore the son is liable to perform all the rituals in Hindu after death.
The status of a son-in-law is very venerated in Hinduism. The parents of a daughter do not drink the food and water of their son-in-law’s family and do not accept any kind of financial aid from them. It is firmly restricted to touching the coffin of their in-laws as well as any family member belonging to their in-laws’ family.
It is trusted that if the son-in-law performs any last rite of his mother-in-law or father-in-law, he is lessening the chances of attaining productive results of their great deeds.
Which religions and orders allow the son-in-law to take part in the funeral and other last rites?
Unlike the Hindu ceremony for funeral, other religions do not apply rules, for example, the “disallowance of son-in-law’s participation in the funeral, burial and other last rituals” on the family members of the deceased person.
We should realize what are convictions of other groups and subsects are regarding the participation of the son-in-law in his in-laws’ family demise.
- In Muslim Families –
In the Muslim ceremony for funeral, the family members of the deceased person perform a dignified burial ritual to say goodbye to the departed soul. In the absence of the son, the son-in-law can perform all the last rites and he can try and pay for the costs of funeral arrangments, burial, and other rites.
- In Sikh Families –
The faith and conviction of Sikhism are very similar to Hinduism. The Sikh families also do not allow the son-in-law to participate in the funeral and cremation of the departed person. Apart from this, their participation and contact with the body of the deceased person are also not allowed in a few Sikh families who harshly follow their convictions.
- In Christian Families –
The final rites in Christianity are performed under the guidance of a very much learned and experienced minister “Father”. There is no limitation on touching, performing administration and paying for the funeral and other final rites for son in law of Christian families.
Which changes are embraced by society in the execution of the final rites?
However following and respecting the convictions referenced in the sacred texts pass on a meaningful message, and a few changes are oftentimes striving to create room among them.
Take a glance at a couple of them.
- Any nearby family member including son-in-law can take charge of serving their in-laws after their demise by performing the funeral, cremation, and other last rites.
- These days daughters are also respecting their parents after their demise through performing final rituals.
- The funerals are at this point not the snapshot of expressing only sorrow after losing a darling person.
- The families of the deceased have initiated “celebrating the life” after death.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several reasons why a ceremony for a funeral is not performed by the son-in-law in Hinduism. However, death is an integral part of the pattern of life’s excursion. To tackle this heart-aching end with energy, all the family members should add to the final rites of the departed spirits.
Precisely, if the departed one has shared areas of strength with any family member, he/she can participate in the last rites. Here, the bonding and feelings take a front seat.
Have you also lost a loved one recently? Do you want to know the basics of how to perform their final rites? Connect with kaashimukthi, the best funeral service provider in India. Call our funeral manager at 9845819660 and book your personalised services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q – Who is not allowed to perform the funeral and other last rites of a family member?
A – According to the Hindu ceremony for funeral, any female, son-in-law and his family members can not perform the last rites of the deceased person.
Q – Why Hindu families do not allow their son-in-law to offer last rites like “Mukhagni” to the human remains of a deceased member of the family?
A – According to the Hindu convictions written in the sacred texts, the parents of the daughter do not accept any kind of help from their son-in-law and his whole family. Therefore it is precluded for son in law to participate in the last rites of his in-laws.
Q – Why the elder son or only son is preferred to perform the last rites of the parents?
A – The faiths and convictions of Hinduism convey that if the son cremates the dead body and offers other rituals to his parents, the departed soul attains peace and nobility.
Q – In which religion, son in law can perform the last rites?
A – The Muslim and Christian families do not confine sons-in-law from participating in the final rites.
{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “BlogPosting”, “mainEntityOfPage”: { “@type”: “WebPage”, “@id”: “https://kaashimukthi.com/the-reason-behind-why-son-in-law-doesnt-go-to-the-funeral/” }, “headline”: “The Reason Behind Why Son In Law Doesn’t Go To The Funeral”, “description”: “Discover the poignant reasons why the son-in-law chooses not to attend the funeral. Unveiling emotional complexities in justifying his absence”, “image”: “https://kaashimukthi.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Death-anniversary.jpg”, “author”: { “@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Harsha .”, “url”: “https://www.linkedin.com/in/harsha-bh2023/” }, “publisher”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “kaashimukthi”, “logo”: { “@type”: “ImageObject”, “url”: “https://kaashimukthi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/kaashimukthilogo-2048×626.png” } }, “datePublished”: “2024-01-22” }