Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

Secondly, although many of these myths refer to the
high religion, the great tradition, and the priestly basis of
knowledge, they are actively transformed and transferred
into other spheres by others and common people with
less explicit knowledge of the cosmic origin and the
interrelatedness between the gods and temples. Even
though people might be unaware of the major body of
mythology related to each specific temple, or they may
have their own myths, traditions, explicit beliefs, and
explanations of the holiness of Pashupatinath, there is
one thing that unites all of these narratives: the
Pashupatinath temple complex is a materialisation and
condensation of space where cosmogony still happens,
which gives legitimacy to the devotional austerities and
worship.
It is assumed that Shiva took the form of a linga for the
very first time on the night of Shivaratri, and therefore it
is perceived to be the most holy night of the year (Jha
1996:26). In this sense it is the “birthday” of Shiva, or in
more cosmological terms, the day Shiva appeared on
earth in a visible form – a materialised incarnation which
the devotee’s could worship and turn to in times of
hardship and fatigue. The materialisations of myths are
not only a matter of where, but also when. Shivaratri is a
celebration in honour of Lord Shiva, and the festival
falls on the 14 th dark moon day in the month of Falgun
(February/March). Shivaratri is the most important
festival celebrated at Pashupatinath, and the festival in
the years 2001-2003 will be described and analysed in
the next chapter. The importance of the moon is
emphasised in the Hindu scriptures because the moon is
regarded as the presiding deity of the human mind. The
moon has sixteen different modes or movements which
influence the human minds. The fourteenth day of the
dark fortnight is seen as perfect because the mind is free
from prejudices, or it is seen as a kind of spiritual night
where both sides of one’s soul can be visualised.
The night of Shivaratri is, according to legend, also the
night when Shiva appeared for the first time in order to
save the universe from the threat of total destruction.
When Shiva swallowed the Halahala poison emanated
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from the intensive churning of the mythical milky ocean,
he became cosmically overheated and the whole
universe was threatened. It was so unbearable that he
could not resist the heat, and it is said that at that time
Ganges rushed to him to pour all her water on him, and
she has continued to do so forever. This story explains
the significance of the ritualistic offering of the holy
water through the Jalahari – the copper cup that hangs
right above the Shiva Lingam and from which water
drips down almost continuously (Deep 1999:116-117).
And this cosmic rite when Ganga offered water onto
Shiva’s head – the linga – is continuously repeated by
every devotee who brings water from Bagmati offering it
to Shiva’s head. The original creation is repeated, and
Bagmati has its origin from Shiva’s head (fig. 11.4).
One of the popular prayers to Shiva is “Oh, Lord Shiva,
the jewel of my Self, the Shiva residing in the Lotus of
my heart. I bathe Him with water of my pure mind
brought from the river of faith and devotion. I worship
Him with the fragrant flowers of Samadhi – all this so
that I may not be born again in this world”. The night at
Shivaratri symbolises the darkness of ignorance. The
devotees keep a fast and stay awake the whole night
chanting, “I am the Shiva”, meaning the conscious
which destroys ignorance. It is also very auspicious to
die on Shiva’s night, and a cremation during Shivaratri is
thought to release the soul from the material bondages,
and he will attain a place in the heavenly abode. Being
cremated at Pashupatinath on Shivaratri will secure the
deceased from further incarnation, and he will gain a
divine status. Thus, both the time and place where a
person is being cremated have the uttermost importance
regarding whether or not he or she will attain spiritual
freedom. The power of Shiva is unlimited, and the
importance of Shivaratri cannot be emphasised enough,
since Pashupatinath has a cosmological significance in
the transformation and creation of society and culture.
Thus, this place is the most auspicious locale to die in, to
be cremated in, and for the ashes eventually immersed
into the river in. In theory, the scene in set for
cosmogony, but the material realities were until 2002 in
stark contrast to the mythological origin.