There is one thing that is certain in this lifetime: eventually we all must die. This inevitable aspect of human existence has become a taboo subject in the western world. The difficulty that we have in discussing death leaves many people unprepared for what some believe is the end to their existence. This can lead to a great deal of fear and anxiety over what other cultures view as just the conclusion to a phase in the continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth. A belief in the cyclical reincarnation of the soul is one of the foundations of the Hindu religion. Death is viewed as a natural aspect of life, and there are numerous epic tales, sacred scriptures, and law books that describe the reason for death's existence, the rituals that should be performed surrounding it, and the many possible destinations of the soul after departure from its earthly existence. While the ultimate goal is to transcend the need to return to life on earth, most Hindus believe they will be reborn into a future that is based primarily on their past thoughts and actions. The lessons of these mythic Hindu texts about death are really lessons about the meaning of life, a life that that can be truly enjoyed once the mind is released from worrying about the fate of its immortal soul.

The diversity and complexity of the Hindu belief system has led it to be called "a way of life rather than a distinct religion" (Ma'súmián 1). Historically, Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and like many others its sacred texts claim to have "a unity existent from eternity and without human origin" (Knipe 728). Often called a "living tradition," its strength lies in its ability to adapt to a changing society. This flexibility has also led to the creation of a pantheon of gods and goddesses, all of which are said to be expressions of the one supreme godhead named Brahman. These numerous deities are worshipped in the homes, temples and open air of India, and their stories are woven into the many myths and legends of the land.

According to the Mahabharata, death was not always a fact of life. This epic story, which tells of the bloody battle between two related warrior clans, gives ample opportunity to contemplate such universal concepts as the meaning of life and death. The prophetic narrator explains that once there was a time when all humans were immortal and because they were human they naturally began to procreate. Eventually the "Earth could bear no more weight." Angry at the situation, Brahma saw no other option but to eliminate the populace, so he "filled the heaven, the sky and the Earth all with fire." Shiva saw this and begged him not to destroy the creatures he had created. When Brahma realized that the Earth might be destroyed in the process, he attempted to withdraw the destructive force into himself. "Yet when he did so, from the doors of the six senses of Brahma came a woman of red eyes and dark-tanned skin," named Death. She smiled at them and was about to depart when Brahma ordered her to "Kill all creatures including idiots and priests." This greatly upset Death and she burst into tears. Brahma pleaded with her, but Death avoided him and refused to do his bidding. He solved the dilemma by promising Death that she would not have to kill the creatures of the earth, instead they would come to her. Brahma declared, "I will make greed and anger and malice and shame and jealousy and passion." And since they will kill themselves with "disease and war," "only the foolish will weep over what none can avoid" (Buck 318-20).

The first mortal to meet his fate with Death was named Yama. This dubious honor makes him uniquely qualified to lead the way for others after death. The sacred scriptures of the Rig Veda, which call him King Yama, promise that all who have been good will receive "admission to Yama's paradise and the everlasting enjoyment of all the heavenly pleasures, include the restoration of a sick body, the maintaining of family relations and the highly desired apotheosis" (Holck 32). Yama is aided by two killer guide dogs that are described as the "four-eyed keepers of the path, who watch over men." These "two dark messengers of Yama with flaring nostrils wander among men, thirsting for the breath of life" (Doniger O'Flaherty, The Rig Veda: An Anthology: One Hundred and Eight Hymns 44). Yet, once they have secured their prey, they lead them back to their heavenly realm, where Yama directs them to their destiny.

In addition to being a guide to the Otherworld, Yama is also a great teacher. His most powerful lesson is retold again and again through the story of the Katha Upanishad. This is one of the ten principal Upanishads, which are expansions on the four Vedas that are usually delivered "at the feet of an illumined teacher" (Easwaran 11). While this Upanishad teaches about the meaning of death, it also explains the meaning of life and the secret to immortality.

The Katha Upanishad is actually the story of Yama and Nachiketa. Nachiketa is the pure-hearted son of a greedy man, who is in the process of performing a ritual designed to achieve "divine favor." This ritual requires that he give away all he owns, but Nachiketa notices that he is giving away only his most useless cattle. This leads to an argument in which his son points out that he too is one of his father's possessions and should be given away. His persistence pays off as his father angrily says, "Thee I give to Death!" This is the beginning of Nachiketa's journey to the "house of Death." When he arrives, the host Yama is not at home. For three days and three nights he waits without food, water or sleep, during which time Yama's servants begin to believe that he is a Brahmin. Finally, the King of Death returns and apologizes for being such a bad host. To make up for it, he offers the boy "three boons–one for each night" (Prabhavananda 19-21).

The first boon granted to Nachiketa is forgiveness. Concerned for his father's feelings, he requests "that my father be not anxious about me, that his anger be appeased, and that when thou sendest me back to him, he recognize me and welcome me." He then asks for his second boon, to learn the "fire sacrifice that leads to heaven." This Yama is glad to teach him. When the lesson is finished, the King of Death is so impressed with his eagerness to learn that he even grants him an extra boon. He officially names the sacrificial ritual after Nachiketa (Prabhavananda 21).

The third and most important boon requested by the young student is to know the secret of immortality. Yama is not as eager to hand over this knowledge, but eventually Nachiketa persuades him and he begins by teaching Nachiketa "the mystic sound which all scriptures praise–Om." He then goes on to explain that, "When the body dies, the Self (Atman) does not die! The secret of death is to realize the Supreme Self hidden in the heart, not by preaching, not by sacrifice, but through meditation and grace." Yama also stresses that immortality can only be achieved by "One who know the Self." This "realization," which is "called moksha (liberation), emancipates one from the vagaries of life's karma (action) and from samsara (the endless round of birth, death, and rebirth)." The story also explains that  "Those who die unaware of the Self are either reborn, or return to a lower evolutionary state as determined by their karmic life-actions" (Kramer 29-31).

To help Hindus lead a life of good karmic action, the Vedic scriptures spell out a series of suggested rituals called samskaras. These rituals begin before a baby is born and continue through such important events as birth, child naming, education, marriage, and retirement. The final samskara is the cremation of    the body.

While every Hindu may not practice all of the samskaras, most will end their life with the ritual cremation of the body. The only bodies that are not generally burned are unnamed babies and the lowliest of castes, who are returned to the earth. Cremation is a ritual designed to do much more than dispose of the body; it is intended to release the soul from its earthly existence. "Hindus believe that cremation (compared to burial or outside disintegration) is most spiritually beneficial to the departed soul." This is based on the belief that the "astral body" will linger "as long as the physical body remains visible." If the body is not cremated, "the soul remains nearby for days or months" (Kramer 39).

The standard cremation ceremony begins with the ritual cleansing, dressing and adorning of the body. The body is then carried to the cremation ground as prayers are chanted to Yama, invoking his aid. A first-hand description of the  "last sacrifice," or antyeshi, comes from Diana Eck's book, Banaras: City of Light:

It is the chief mourner, usually the eldest son, who takes the twigs of holy kusha grass, flaming, from the Doms' (the untouchable caste who tend funeral pyres) eternal fire to the pyre upon which the dead has been laid. He circumambulates the pyre counterclockwise– for everything is backward at the time of death. As he walks round the pyre, his sacred thread, which usually hangs from the left shoulder, has been reversed to hang from the right. He lights the pyre. The dead, now, is an offering to Agni, the fire. Here, as in the most ancient Vedic times, the fire conveys the offering to heaven.

After the corpse is almost completely burned, the chief mourner performs the rite called kapälakriyä, the 'rite of the skull,' cracking the skull with a long bamboo stick, thus releasing the soul from entrapment in the body. (341)

The evil man becomes born as an animal, among the worms, insects, moths, beasts of prey, mosquitoes, and so forth. There he is born in elephants, trees, and so forth, and in cows and horses, and in other wombs that are evil and painful. When he finally becomes a human, he is a despicable hunchback or dwarf, or he is born in the womb of a woman of some tribe of Untouchables. When there is none of his evil left, and he is filled with merit, then he starts climbing up to higher castes, Shudra, Vaishya, Kshatriya, and so forth, sometimes eventually reaching the stage of Brahmin or king of men. (Doniger O'Flaherty, Textual 120)