MODULE 4: KNOWING VARIOUS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

PARSI - RITUALS

The Parsi custom of the disposal of the dead, which, however peculiar it may appear to the followers of other religions, appears to them to be the most natural and acceptable, supported as it is, even now, by the best scientific test of advanced sanitary science. At the bottom of their custom of disposing of the dead, and at the bottom of all the strict religious ceremonies enjoined therewith, lies the one main principle, viz., that preserving all possible respect for the dead, the body, after its separation from the immortal soul, should be disposed of in a way the least harmful and the least injurious to the living.

A short time after death, the body of the deceased is washed whole throughout with water, and a white clean suit of cotton clothes is put over him.

This suit of clothes is not washed by the washerman, but is, as we said above, generally, washed beforehand at home by some members of the family, when it is seen that death is imminent, It is afterwards destroyed and never used again for any other purpose. The "Kusti" or sacred thread is then girded round the body by some relative reciting the "Ahura Mazda Khodai" prayer. The deceased is then placed on a white clean sheet of cotton cloth spread over the ground. Then two persons keeping themselves in touch with him sit by his side and somebody recites an Ashem Vohu very close to his ear. The relations of the deceased now meet him for the last time.

After this time, nobody is allowed to touch or come into contact with the body, which, it is supposed, now begins to fall under the influence of the "Druj-i Nasu," i.e., the evil influence of decomposition. Only those who put on the clothes over the body and the corpse-bearers are allowed to come into contact with the body. The body is then entrusted to two persons who are generally trained to this work. They have, at first washed themselves, put on clean suits of clothes, said the requisite prayer up to the word "Ashahê". Then holding a "Paiwand" between them they enter into the house. The two relatives who are sitting by the side of the body now leave their places and entrust it to these two persons who now place the corpse on the ground on a white sheet of cloth and proceed to cover the whole body with cloth. The only portion kept uncovered is the face. In some parts of Gujarat, even the face is covered with a "padan". The body is then lifted from its place by these two persons and put on slabs of stone placed in a corner of the room.

The hands are arranged upon the chest crosswise. The body is never placed with its head towards the North.

After having thus placed the body on one side of the room the two persons leave the house still holding the "paiwand" and finish the rest of the "Srosh Baj".

The next process is that of making the "sagdid" (lit, the seeing of the dog). This consists of making a "sag" or a dog see the dead body. A four-eyed dog is spoken of in the Avesta in connection with the ceremonies of the dead. By the four-eyed dog is meant a dog with two eyes-like spots just above the two eyes.

After the "sagdid," fire is brought into the room and is kept burning in a vase with fragrant sandal and frankincense. It is believed that the burning of fragrant wood over the fire destroys the invisible germs of disease in the direction in which the wind carries the fragrance.

A priest sits before the fire and recites the Avesta till the time of the removal of the body to the Tower of Silence

The body is removed to the Tower of Silence any time during the day. As it is essential that the body should be exposed to the sun; it is strictly forbidden to carry it at night. If death takes place early at night the body is removed the next morning, but if it takes place late at night or early in the morning it is removed in the evening.

About an hour before the time fixed for the removal of the body to the tower, two Nasâsâlârs, i.e. corpse-bearers, clothed in perfect white, enter into the house, having performed the kusti beforehand. They have all parts of their body well covered; on their hands also, they put on what is called dastânâ, i.e., a cover for the hand. The only part of their body left uncovered is their face. They enter into the house holding a "paiwand" between them, and carry an iron bier called "gehân" on which the body is removed. Wood being porous, and therefore likely to carry and spread germs of disease and infection, its use is strictly prohibited in the funeral ceremonies.

A pair or the number two plays a prominent part in all the ceremonies for the disposal of the dead body; and that pair always holds a "paiwand" between them. After death, the body must never be left alone or in the company of only one person. After washing it, there must be always two persons sitting by its side. Again, the persons who put on the clothes and place it on the slabs of stone must be two. The corpse-bearers must be two.

We will see further on that the priests who say the last funeral prayers are also two in number. The persons who attend the funeral procession to the Tower also go in pairs holding a "paiwand" in the form of a handkerchief between them. A single individual can never attend the funeral procession. The injunction of having pairs in all these funeral ceremonies is intended to create a view of sympathy and mutual assistance.

The corpse-bearers place the bier by the side of the dead body and take the Baj. Then they sit silent by the side of the dead body. If they have at all any occasion to speak, they speak with a kind of suppressed tone without opening the lips, which is said to be speaking in Baj.

Then follows the "geh-sarnu" ceremony, i.e., the recital of Gathas, which is intended to give moral courage to the survivors to bear up with fortitude the misfortune of the loss of the deceased.

Two priests perform the kusti and after reciting the prayers for the particular Gah go to the chamber where the dead body is placed, and standing at the door or at some distance from the body and holding a paiwand between them, put on the padan over their face, take the Baj and recite the Ahunawad Gatha (Yasna 28-34). When the recital of the Gatha is finished, a sagdid is performed once more, and then the relatives and friends of the deceased, who have by this time assembled at the house, to have a last look at the deceased. They, out of respect, bow before the body, and this process is called sijda.

When all have had their last look and paid their respects, the corpse-bearers cover up with a piece of cloth on the face of the deceased, which was up to now open, and with a few straps of cloth secure the body to the pier so that it may not fall down while being lifted or carried. Then they lift up the pier and getting out of house entrust it to other corpse-bearers who wait outside the house. The number of these carriers varies according to the weight of the body to be lifted up. Before lifting up the body, the carriers also take the "Baj" and arrange themselves in pairs of two, holding the "paiwand" between them.

Immediately after the body is removed from the house, "Nirang," or the urine of the cow, is besprinkled over the slabs of stone on which the body was placed and over the way by which the corpse-bearers carried the body out of the house. It is believed that the "Nirang" possesses some disinfecting properties, and that therefore it destroys the germs of impurity and disease, if any, at the place where the decomposing body was placed so long.

When the pier leaves the house, out of respect for the deceased, the whole assembly or generally the elders follow the pier for some distance from the house or up to the end of the street. There they make a last bow to the deceased and stand by the side of the road. Those relatives and friends who wish to accompany the funeral procession to the "Tower of Silence" follow the pier at a distance of at least thirty paces, and the rest return to the house. Immediately, the family priest and other priests and sometimes the head of the family make salutations to the assembly by way of thanking them for their presence. The assembly then disperses.

All those who follow the pier to the Tower are clothed in white full-dress They arrange themselves in pairs of two, hold a paiwand between them, take "Baj "and silently march to the Tower.Two priests head the procession.

When the pier reaches the Tower, it is put on the ground and the Nasâsâlârs uncover the face of the body. Those who have accompanied the funeral procession pay their last respects and have a last look from a distance of at least three paces. Then the Sag-did is once more performed. In the meantime, the gate of the Tower, which is closed with an iron lock, is opened. The two Nasâsâlârs, who had at first brought out the pier from the house, now lift up the pier and carry it into the Tower. They remove the body from the pier and place it on one of the "pavis". They then remove the clothes from the body of the deceased and leave the body there.

The body must be exposed and left without clothes as to draw towards it the eye of the flesh-devouring birds and may fall an easy prey to them, so that, the sooner it is devoured the lesser the chance of further decomposition and the greater the sanitary good and safety. The clothes thus removed are never used for any purpose whatever, but are thrown in a pit outside the Tower where they are destroyed by continued action of heat, air and rain