There is a belief that chromosomes are responsible for the reproduction. It is held that a series of chromosomes are responsible for identifiable hereditary traits. The trait causing genes are located in chromosomes They get transmitted ftom parents to offspring. Each chromosome has an individual nature and controls different vital process. Sperm and egg have 23 chromosomes each ,and the offspring receives 23 together from both the parents. Thus with 23 chromosomes containing more than 50000 genes a child is born.
We feel that we are indebted to our forefathers for what we are and as a matter of duty or rather to express our gratitude we perform certain rites known as pitru yagnam which includes sraddha, tarpana and homa. It is a matter of faith that our forefathers accept our offerings with grace and wish us well.certain. purana has ordained sraddha to be performed daily; but in practice it is done once a year and the brahmin community does tarpana every month in general. All ancestors from the paternal and maternal sides are remembered during such rites. Apart from the monthly performance of tarpana and yearly sraddha, there are a few other occasions in a year when special sraddha/tarpana are performed. One such sraddha is known as 'nandimuka' .This sraddha is performed before occasions like upanayanam and it is meant mainly to get favours from such ancesstors.Sraddha probably gained its name by the fact that its performance should be with an sincerity (smddha) and tarpana is an act to satisfy the pitrus (tripyanti pitham yena) There are tarpanas for rishies as well as for devas apart ftom tarpana to pitrus. During the dark half month ofPurattachy special sraddhas are performed. It is preferably dope on the particular thithi of on's ancestors. As per panchamtra tmdition Lord Vishnu is given the utmost importance and the successful outcome of sraddha depends on Lord Vishnu alone. On such sraddhas, food is first offered to Lord Vishnu and then only to Pitrus. The fate of the Pithru ancesstor is handed over to Lord Vishnu (another form of saranagathy). Devas, sages and pitrus are gratified in smddha/tarpana through water, water and rice and through water and sesame seed respectively. Rice balls are offered in sraddha to father, grand father, great grandfather- the first in the image of earth, the second as sky and the third as heaven and thus the rice balls are offered to satisfy the entire universe.
Now, certain thoughts regarding rebirth: Scientists, psychologists, certain religious sects as well as rationalists claim to have conducted survey and collected statistics to prove their view point regarding rebirth. Nothing is conclusive and there is no consensus regarding details of their findings in the survey. Hindu religion believes in rebirth. Death is considered as separation of Atma ftom the mind-body structure and the subtle body-mind carries vasanas in the form of sanchita and agami karmas. To carry out those kannas another birth with a different body takes place. The life principle in the rebirth is one and the same Atma -Similar to changing the dress, atma again and again expresses in different forms. There is no death for the atma. According to Buddhists who also believe in rebirth, there is an interval between one birth and another for the subtle mind to come into another body. Probably with similar belief the Hindus perform rites like sraddha/tarpana to appease those ancestors who are in subtle body -(otherwise known as pithros ),. Buddhists believe that the intermediate state is only for 49 days -known as 'bardo' and soon after that they are attracted to a new body. They also believe that rebirth can take place in any form not necessarily in human form. Hindus have objection to the system of burial of the dead as is done by other sects. Hindus believe that the subtle mind -body would linger so long as the physical body remains without being cremated. However the bodies of enlightened persons (jeevan mukthas) are not cremated probably for the reason they don't carry vasanas of agami and sanchita karmas and so they don't have a subtle mind to take birth again. Their souls (atma) occupy places above pitru loka (bhuvar loka). In respect of those jeevanmuktas, no sraddha is performed. Hindus also believe that while living they should surrender themselves to Lord thereby their accumulated kamlas get destroyed and there is no scope for another birth. Such persons go to the Abode of Lord and remain their doing kaingaryam to Lord. This is the concept of Visishtadwaitha in Hinduism. Adwaithins expound the theory from the relative as well as absolute stand point. Those who got enlightened -atmasakshatkaram -spend the rest of their life after enlightenment as a Jeeva-sakshy. They get a status in the loka known as 'maha' which is above swarga. Certain others of this category occupy a place in the higher lokas such as 'jana' 'tapa' and 'satya'. Saints, sages and maharishies come under this category. They, while living in this world, would have got 'Ishwara sakshatkaram ' i.e. becoming one with Iswara.
It may be mentioned here that while bhur loka is for us the living, bhuvar loka is for pitrus and 'swarga loka' is for devas -a spl category who reap the benefit of their good deeds while they were in this world. After exhausing those benefits they also have to come again whereas the enlightened have no coming back. The enlightened are categorised as ' brahmavid ' , brahmavidvaran ' 'brahmavidvareeyan ' and 'brahmavidvarishtan'. They all are jeevan-mukthas with differences only in their external outlook.
While explaining krima-srishty and pralayam it is said that dissolution of the prapancham is tenned as pralayam and we can assume that death of an individual is also a kind of pralayam although viewed as death by the common man. For that matter even our entering the deep sleep stage is a kind of pralayam for a shortest period, v.Tith continuity .In death the physical structure enters the elements, anthakaranam, indriyas and pranas enter the respective gunas in maya and jeeva merges v.Tith the atma chaitanyam. Our intellect has the faculty to do vichara on this aspect and to face death philosophically. Death of death happens on the realisation of the Ultimate Reality apart from which there is no separate existence. In death the jeevas get freedom from the body cage. The individual who is dead does not know that he is dead and gone. (A man entering the sleep is not aware of the waking stage from which he has entered the sleep) Cant we welcome death as we welcome sleep if only we have the concept of rebirth. We must remember that the Ultimate which has given us birth v.Ti11 absorb us finally. It is better to remember that the death is over our head like a Damocles sword. The causes of death are many. Think over who is causing it? We are concerned with the death of human beings only. How many other lives die each day? Mass death happen consequent on flood, earthquakes, fire and other disasters caused by elements. When death happens in a neighbor’s house or to unknown persons, however tragic the death might be, we take it as an incident. When it happens to our own kith and kin, we feel it and experience it.We are afraid of death as we grow old. More suffering is caused by the fear of death than by death itself because-the dead is no more there to experience and convey the fear. Life eternal is imprisoned in the body and every death is the release of Jife on parole to come back to the prison-body on rebirth. We are afraid of death because of too much of attachment to our body and the world around us. In this age of fust-food we desire everything to happen fast except death!
A remedy for all these fear and anxieties. Have faith in God. Think of God constantly. Believe that everything happens as it should and not as we wish. With this wisdom knowledge we shall have Peace -Shanty;Shanty;Shanty!
There is a declaration in Katopanishad "Look back to how it was with those who went before and look forward to how it will be with those who come hereafter. A mortal ripens like a corn" like a corn he springs up again."' Shri Shankara has said' Death or fear I have none" nor mother nor even a birth". There is a tamil saying to convey the meaning: 'those dead don't speak of what is happening to them and those living, in the absence of experience, have no authority to speak about that state. 'There is a story in Mahabharatha. For Yaksha's question as to which is the most surprising in the world" '8harmaputra replied 'we know everyday thousands die; yet we hold the view that we are eternal!
Whatever so far discussed are only concepts -sankalpas -with which man is bound in this world to a limited or a wider extent. A hyper-orthodox and a rationalist stand on different platforms. But an Absolutist with a wider vision stand on the firm conviction that all sankalpams are vivartham -but have enough reality to cause fear and make the common man run here and there like our viewing the serpent on the rope. Once we have the true understanding about the Absolute Truth, neither birth nor death affect us in anyway. They come and go like the waves of the Ocean and the water remains as water only whether in the form of ocean or wave! !
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