Hindu prayers and readings offer comfort and spiritual support during the end-of-life journey and funeral ceremonies. Below are traditional verses, mantras, and readings commonly recited during these times, providing peace and invoking blessings for the soul’s transition. Each entry includes translations and interpretations to provide deeper understanding.
Hindu Prayers and Readings for the Dying
Prayers for the dying are recited to provide comfort, healing, and a sense of peace. These sacred words often help the soul prepare for its journey and reassure the grieving family of the eternal nature of life.
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe (Mahamrityunjaya Mantra)
Original Sanskrit:
“Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat.”
Translation:
“We worship the three-eyed One (Lord Shiva), who nourishes and strengthens us. May He liberate us from the bondage of death and lead us to immortality, just as the ripe cucumber is effortlessly freed from its vine.”
(Full text)
Interpretation: This mantra is a prayer to Lord Shiva for liberation and healing, symbolizing the soul’s release from the cycle of life and death, akin to a fruit detaching from its stem.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verses 13-14
Original Sanskrit (Verse 13):
“Dehino’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati.”
Translation:
“Just as the body passes through childhood, youth, and old age, so too does the soul transition to another body after death. A wise person is not bewildered by this.”
(Full text)
Interpretation: This verse emphasizes the immortality of the soul and encourages detachment from the physical body, which is temporary, as the soul continues its eternal journey.
Gayatri Mantra
Original Sanskrit:
“Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat.”
Translation:
“We meditate upon the radiant divine light of the Sun (Supreme Being), which inspires our thoughts and leads us to enlightenment.”
Interpretation: The Gayatri Mantra is a universal prayer seeking divine enlightenment and guidance, fostering inner peace and spiritual awakening during difficult times.
Readings and Prayers for Funerals
Funeral prayers and readings honor the departed soul, offering peace and guidance as it transitions to the next phase of existence. These sacred texts also provide comfort and closure to family and friends.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 20
Original Sanskrit:
“Na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyam bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyah ajo nityah śāśvato’yam purāno na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.”
Translation:
“The soul is neither born nor does it die; it has never come into existence and will never cease to exist. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
(Full text)
Interpretation: This verse reassures mourners of the soul’s eternal nature, transcending birth and death, offering hope and comfort during loss.
Isha Upanishad, Verse 15
Original Sanskrit:
“Hiranmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitam mukham tat tvam pūṣann apāvṛṇu satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye.”
Translation:
“O Sun, the golden lid that covers the face of truth—please remove it so that I, who follow truth and dharma, may see the eternal essence.”
Interpretation: This verse symbolizes the quest for divine truth and the ultimate union of the soul with the eternal light, guiding the deceased toward liberation.
Om Namah Shivaya
Translation:
“I bow to Lord Shiva, the Auspicious One, who is the embodiment of cosmic consciousness.”
Interpretation: Chanting this mantra purifies the mind and creates a spiritual atmosphere, helping the soul transition peacefully.
Rigveda, Hymn 10.14.7
Original Sanskrit:
“Uttame śṛṅge girīṇāṁ saṁvasāno vyāṁ rajaḥ samanyānāḥ sabhāṁ pitaro na āyayuḥ.”
Translation:
“O departed soul, ascend the highest peak of the mountains, travel through the vast expanse of the heavens, and join the council of the ancestors who have gone before.”
Interpretation: This hymn guides the soul to the afterlife, blessing it to join ancestors and the divine realms.
Asatoma Sadgamaya
Original Sanskrit:
“Asato mā sadgamaya tamaso mā jyotir gamaya mrityor mā amritam gamaya.”
Translation:
“Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, and from mortality to immortality.”
Interpretation: This timeless prayer represents the soul’s longing for spiritual truth and ultimate liberation from the cycle of life and death.
Om Purnamadah Purnamidam
Original Sanskrit:
“Purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudachyate purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate.”
Translation:
“That (the ultimate reality) is complete, and this (creation) is also complete. From completeness arises completeness. When completeness is removed from completeness, completeness still remains.”
Interpretation: This mantra affirms the perfection and wholeness of existence, reminding mourners of the eternal balance of life and death.
