Who can do last rites for deceased parents? Can illegal son do?
Even Lord Krishna and lord Rama performed death rituals when their relatives died when they took avatars on earth.
They performed such rites to show the people that they too should perform them for their deceased relatives, particularly parents & grand parents.
The main aspect in those rituals is the dhaan, ie, donation of cash and kinds we give to the brahmanas who perform the rituals.
When those brahmanas get satisfied, part of the negative karma accrued by the deceased person gets reduced as those brahmanas accept them.
That is why, brahmanas are recommended to perform the practice of chanting Gayatri mantra that will clear the karma they accrue by doing these rites.
Ok, Now, we should know who should do the rituals for a person after his death.
Let us see all the cases:
THE LORD NARAYANA EXPLAINS THESE THINGS IN GARUDA PURANA:
Garuda worshipped the Lord Narayana and addressed him as `Jagannatha’, and told:
“Lord Jagannath, It is said in the sastras there are 10 kinds of son one can have. For example, one’s own son OR a son born to one’s wife OR a son through a ‘prosti….te’ and such other kinds too. Can the son born out of a ‘prosti….te’ do rites to his father? Further, if such a son does rites for him, can the deceased reach a good state and good world after accepting these rites? Kindly explain and inform me clearly these doubts”
(Death Rites & Rituals For Children & those who committed Suicide! READ HERE!)
On hearing these, the Lord Narayana who is always compassionate to his devotees looked at Garuda and told thus:
(I have numbered and written one by one for easy reading)
“Oh! King of birds!
(1) If a person sees the face of the son born to him through his legal wife, he does not have to see the hell called `puth’ after his death. If a properly wedded husband and wife get a son, the ancestors of his lineage become very happy. That happy generation bless the deceased and his family
(2) If a person begets 10 sons, out of them, only the eldest son gets the right to do the rites of his father. Rather, he is duty bound to do it.
(3) The other 9 sons are entitled to help their father for the life in this earth but have no rights and duties to perform rites to help their father for the onward journey after death.
(4) They (2nd son & beyond) can at the most do some lesser rites and shrardha for the departed.
(HOW CAN A SON LIBERATE HIS ANCESTORS FROM BIRTH & DEATH? READ HERE!)
(5) If a person dies after he sees his grand son, then he get blessed and his reaching a good world after death increases.
(6) If he dies after seeing his great grand child (child of grand son/ grand daughter), he will reach still better state after death.
(7) One has no Son, but only the daughter. In such cases, his Son in law can do the rites.
(8) If a person gets a “son in law” who accepted his daughter without accepting any money in marriage, when they beget a son, that son (grandson) will have the strength to help in crossing his lineages to a good state after death for 21 generations. (That means, a son born to such a good son in law who got no dowry or gift, will have more power to give good status to his 21 generations)
(8) A son born thus alone, will have the complete right to do the rites to one’s parents.
(What are the recommended Rituals for relief from Ghost body? READ HERE!)
(9) If one had a son through his lover, He can do only limited rites for his father. However, if he insists on doing all the rites, the son and the dead father both will reach hell. However, such a son can do shrardh every year ONLY FOR his father. But he is not supposed to do anything for his father’s ancestors. That means, the son thru one’s lover have no right to elevate his past generations beyond his father.
(10) He (the son thru lover, not wife) can do charities keeping his dead father in mind. But he is not supposed to give food for the Brahmins.
He can however supply raw rice and other things for making food.
(11) But he should never think of himself to be equal to the dead persons own son and hence he should not try to do all rites.
(12) The son born through immoralities with a “Prosti……te” have no right to perform rites for his father. Though he performs, it will not give good status for his father.
The Lord finished with these points.
Let us now see some extra cases and how they are followed in practice:
(13) Now, a question arises: What if a person had not married? In such cases, the eldest brother or father can do the last rites for him.
(14) What if a son is married, but has no children? In such cases, that wife should give rights to a brahmana thru some mantras giving power to perform rituals on behalf of her.
(15) If a person dies as orphan, any brahmana can take charge of that person and do rituals on his behalf.
These are a few rules about who can perform the last rites for deceased parents.
(Who need not perform the Rituals for ancestors and family God? READ HERE!)