Talk:Major Steps in Hindu Funeral Cremation Ceremony: Alms Giving
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
The family members should also fulfill the last wishes of the dead person and fulfill any duties and obligations that he may have left unfulfilled. This relieves the soul of any guilt and remorse. When someone meets a traumatic or violent death, he may not have time to prepare for his onward journey to the afterlife. It is then the duty of his children to offer worship on his behalf, give alms, and organize recitations of scriptures in the hope that the departed soul will derive comfort from these actions, till it finally proceeds onward.