Parimala

When someone in a Śaivite Hindu family passes away, the whole community gathers with prayer, song, and remembrance. These aren’t just rituals for form’s sake — every word and every note is meant to comfort the living and guide the soul. 

Ambiga has been Mum’s go-to person for funeral songs. We asked her about the what and why’s around these traditions.  what is sung, why it matters, and how sacred sound plays a central role in the final journey.

Q What do Śaivite Hindus usually sing when someone passes away?

The music and chanting at a funeral are drawn from three main sources:

Vedic Mantras – The ancient Vedas provide some of the most powerful chants for this moment. The Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is perhaps the best known — it asks Śiva to release the soul from the grip of death. Families often repeat Om Namaḥ Śivāya, the mantra of total surrender, simple yet profound. Some also recite sections from the Śrī Rudram, a long hymn that praises Śiva in many forms.

Tamil Hymns
For Tamil Śaivites, the heart of the ritual often comes from the great devotional poems of the saints. The Tēvāram, sung by Campantar, Appar, and Sundarar in the 7th–9th centuries, is full of reflections on life’s impermanence. The Tiruvācakam by Maṇikkavācakar, especially the famous Śiva Purāṇam, is almost always sung — so central, in fact, that there’s a proverb: “Tiruvācakam ennum kaṭṭalai” — “If nothing else saves, Tiruvācakam will.”

Other Prayers
Alongside these, families may include other Sanskrit hymns, such as the Liṅgāṣṭakam (eight verses praising Śiva as the liṅga) or passages from the Śiva Purāṇa.

When these are woven together, they create a powerful atmosphere — one that’s believed to help the soul rise toward Śiva, while also reminding everyone present that life is fragile, and surrender is the path to peace.

Q Can you tell us more about the Tēvāram?

Absolutely. The Tēvāram is one of the cornerstones of Tamil Śaivism. It’s a collection of thousands of verses composed by three saints — Campantar, Appar, and Sundarar. Their poems, often sung in specific musical modes, were addressed directly to Śiva and linked to specific temples across Tamil Nadu.

At funerals, Appar’s verses in particular strike a deep chord. He often wrote about the body’s decay and the fleeting nature of worldly things. But these aren’t depressing poems — they’re reminders that all things pass, and that the only lasting truth is Śiva’s presence. Singing the Tēvāram in the house of mourning brings both tears and consolation.

Q And what about the Tiruvācakam? Why is it so important?

The Tiruvācakam, composed by the saint Maṇikkavācakar, is often seen as the most personal and moving of all Tamil Śaiva texts. Where the Tēvāram has the feel of temple hymns, the Tiruvācakam reads like the outpouring of a soul overwhelmed by longing for Śiva.

The best-known part is the Śiva Purāṇam, which begins with the line “Namasivāya vāzhga” — “Glory to Namaḥ Śivāya.” This is usually recited right at the bedside of the dying or immediately after death. The language is full of surrender, repentance, and devotion. Families believe that even if a person led an imperfect life, hearing the Tiruvācakamat the end ensures Śiva’s grace.

There’s an old Tamil saying that sums it up: “Tiruvācakam ennum kaṭṭalai.” It means that the Tiruvācakam is like Śiva’s command — if nothing else saves you, this hymn will. That’s why no funeral is considered complete without it.

Q  Why is sound — the actual vibration — so important in these rituals?

This is one of the most beautiful parts of Śaivite belief. In Śaiva philosophy, Śiva himself is identified with sound and vibration. The word nāda means primordial sound, and spanda means the vibration that gives rise to the universe. According to this view, the entire cosmos is a kind of music, and Śiva is the musician.

So when we chant at a funeral, we’re not just saying words — we’re aligning ourselves with the vibration of creation itself.

• For the departing soul, the resonance of mantras creates a kind of “sonic bridge,” guiding it toward Śiva’s presence and easing its passage.
• For the atmosphere, the vibrations purify the space, protecting the soul from negative influences.
• For the mourners, the sound has a calming, cleansing effect, softening grief and reminding them of what really matters.

That’s why the actual sound — the way a mantra is intoned, the way a hymn is sung in its traditional melody — is considered just as important as the meaning. Even if someone doesn’t understand the words, the vibration itself carries Śiva’s grace.

Q What’s so special about the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra?

The Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful Vedic chants. It addresses Śiva as the “three-eyed one,” and it asks him to release us from death just as a ripe cucumber falls from the vine — effortlessly, without pain.

At funerals, this mantra is often repeated slowly, with each vowel stretched out, creating a deep resonance that seems to fill the entire space. The sound itself is thought to surround the soul, easing fear and attachment. For the family, hearing it again and again is like a steady heartbeat of reassurance.

Q What if the family or mourners don’t understand Sanskrit or Tamil? Does it still work?

Yes — understanding isn’t required. In Śaivism, sound itself is sacred. There’s a saying that even if a parrot repeats “Namaḥ Śivāya,” it will reach Śiva.

So whether it’s a Sanskrit mantra or a Tamil hymn, the vibration alone is considered powerful. Many elders will say: “Don’t worry if you don’t understand — just listen, just let the sound wash over you.”

Q Do these rituals help only the soul, or also the living?

They help both.

• For the deceased, the hymns are like companions for the journey, guiding the soul into Śiva’s care.
• For the family, the words and sounds are reminders that death is part of the cycle, that worldly things don’t last, and that Śiva’s grace is the only true refuge.

In this way, the rituals transform grief. They don’t erase it, but they frame it in a larger truth — that every soul is on its way home to Śiva.

The long view

Śaivite Hindu death rituals are not only acts of farewell but also acts of deep faith. The Tēvāram reminds us that life is fleeting, the Tiruvācakam assures us of Śiva’s boundless mercy, and Vedic mantras like the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya carry the soul beyond fear.

Above all, it is the resonance of sound — the mantras, hymns, and songs filling the air — that gives these rituals their power. The belief is simple yet profound: to die with Śiva’s name in the heart, on the lips, or even just in the ears is to enter his eternal presence.

And so, through sacred sound, mourning becomes devotion, and the end of life becomes a passage into Śiva’s embrace.