Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s1.99

c7.s1.99

Many superstitious rites were performed before and after the removal of the corpse from the house, to make sure that the spirit of the dead man did not return.³ For about ten days (the exact number varying according to caste rules) the house was considered to be ceremonially impure. No food was cooked or fire burnt in the hearth and the relations provided the family with subsistence. The family slept on the floor on a bed of leaves. The dead man was not neglected; in fact, during this period many ceremonies were performed to help the disembodied spirit in obtaining a spirit form or *preta* body which carried it to its further destination. For this purpose, the nearest relation, who had lighted the fire for the cremation of the dead body, lived only on rice pudding these ten and two succeeding days, thus imparting vigour and strength to the new spirit body of the deceased. At the end of this period, on the thirteenth day, the soul was sufficiently invigorated to undertake the journey. At different intervals during the course of one year, *Sraddha* ceremonies helped to provide it with further sustenance until at last the soul of the deceased had assumed another body and was re-incarnated in the world according to *Karma*, the ‘Law of the Deed’.¹