Here is a simple overview of post‑death (antim sanskār / post‑death ritual) in Śvetāmbara Jain tradition for laypeople (śrāvaks/śrāvikās). (Customs can vary a bit by region and sub‑sampradāy.)

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1. At the moment of death

• Family members try to keep the atmosphere peaceful and sattvic.
• People often recite:

- Navkār Mantra - Mangalik sutras like “Chattāri Maṅgalaṃ”, “Icchāmi Khamasu”, etc.

• Aim:

- To remember the soul’s true nature (jīva is separate from body) - To help the departing soul with shānti, non‑attachment, and good bhāva.

Crying loudly, clinging to the body, or saying “hamārā sab kuchh khatam ho gayā” etc. is discouraged, because it increases rāga‑dveṣ (attachment‑aversion).

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2. Preparation of the body

Common Śvetāmbara layperson practices (details vary by region):

• Eyes and mouth are gently closed.
• The body is washed and cleaned, often with simple water.
• Nails may be trimmed, hair/beard may be cleaned/adjusted.
• The body is dressed in clean, simple white clothes (not showy).
• Some families:

- Tie the big toes together with a white thread. - Put a small tilak of chandan on the forehead.

• The body is placed on a simple bier or in the coffin, usually with the head towards east (or as local ācārya/guru advises).

Near the body or photo, people recite Navkār Mantra and stavans, keeping the mind in smaraṇ of Tīrthaṅkaras, not in worldly talks.

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3. Before taking the body for cremation

• Short prayer/bhakti is done:

- Navkār Mantra (often 3 times or more) - Small sutras for maṅgal and kṣamā (forgiveness)

• Many Śvetāmbara families do “Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ” in their heart:

- Seeking and granting forgiveness to the departed jīva.

• Family members try to sit in silence or with soft stavan, avoiding gossip and unnecessary crowding.

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4. Cremation (antyeṣṭi)

In Śvetāmbara tradition today, cremation is the usual practice:

• The body is taken to the cremation ground.
• While lifting / moving the body, people often chant Navkār Mantra or other Jain stavans.
• At the cremation place:

- Short prayers are recited. - The eldest son or close family member may perform the formal act of starting the cremation (as per local civil rules & custom), keeping Navkār on the lips.

• There is no belief that ritual itself pushes the soul to heaven or moksha.

In Jain dharma, only the soul’s own karma and bhāva decide its next birth.

Ashes:

• Some Śvetāmbara families collect ashes and then:

- Either keep them briefly and then bury them in a respectful way, or - Immerse them in water where it does not cause hiṁsā or pollution (many Jains avoid polluting rivers).

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5. Immediately after cremation

• Family members often return home in silence, continuing Navkār or mental prayer.
• Some will clean up, bathe, and then sit quietly for a short sāmāyik / prarthanā, reading from Jain texts (e.g., Ratnakar Pañcāmi Kalpa, Uttarādhyayan Sūtra, Pravachan books etc.).
• The emphasis is on:

- anitya‑bhāvanā (everything physical is temporary), - saṃyam, dayā, dharma‑chintan.

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6. Mourning period (śok‑kāl)

Śvetāmbara Jains generally keep this simple:

• For a few days (often 3, 10 or 12 days, depends on community):

- Family avoids celebrations, music, parties, heavy socializing. - They continue Navkār, pratikraman (if they already do), and listen to pravachan. - They may invite a sadhu/sādhvī or upadhyāy for pravachan, paath of Jain scriptures.

• Some families observe:

- No new clothes, no jewellery, very simple diet. - More swādhyāy (scripture study) and dān (charity) in memory of the departed.

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7. Memorial / “termu”, “bāru”, etc. (varies by region)

Different Śvetāmbara communities (Marwari, Gujarati, etc.) have slightly different names and days, but the spirit is the same:

• On a decided day (often 10th, 12th or 13th day, or sometimes 3rd + 13th):

- Family organizes pūjā, sāmāyik, swādhyāy, or a small satsang. - Dān is given: - to sadhus/sādhvīs, - to Gauśālā, Jain institutions, hospitals, schools, etc. - Food distributed is kept as simple and non‑violent as possible.

• The day is used to remember the virtues (guṇa‑smaraṇ) of the deceased:

- Their dharma, dān, sadāchār (good conduct), etc.

• There is no Shrāddha / pitṛ‑tarpaṇ concept in Jainism like in orthodox Hinduism.

The idea is not to feed ancestors’ souls but to do punya‑karma in their memory, which may indirectly benefit them if done with right bhāva and nishkāmatā.

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8. Annual remembrance

• Some Śvetāmbara families quietly note the tithi / date:

- On that day, they do Navkār, prarthanā, sāmāyik, dān in memory of the deceased. - Again, very simple, without superstition.

• Often they avoid turning it into a large social event; the key is self‑improvement and dharma‑anushtān (practice of dharma).

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9. Difference in spirit from other religions

In Jain dharma (Śvetāmbara as well as Digambar):

• Ritual is secondary; bhāva is primary.
• The soul’s next birth is decided by its own karmas at the moment of death, not because of external offerings or elaborate post‑death ritual.
• Post‑death rites are mainly for:

1. Shānti and right vision for the living relatives. 2. Creating punya through dān, prarthanā, and dharma‑chintan with the bhāva: “May this punya be a cause of kalyāṇ (spiritual welfare) for all souls, including the departed one.”

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For a short, simple write‑up on Jain post‑death rituals, you can also read here: