Why does only the son perform the last rites

There are many rules regarding cremation in Hindu religion. The son performed the last rites of one of them. That is, according to Hindu tradition, on the death of any member of the family, only the son or boy of the family can perform the last rites. Cremation of girls is strictly prohibited. Let us know the reason behind this from our astrologer Dr. Radhakant Vats.

• According to the information mentioned in the scriptures, all the rituals performed during the last rites are performed by the son of the deceased. Now the question arises that why only a son and not a daughter, the answer to this is also written in the scriptures.
• The scriptures say that the word putra is made up of two letters: ‘Pu’ which means hell and ‘Tra’ which means life. Thus, son means one who saves from hell, that is, one who takes the father or the deceased from hell to a higher place.
• For this reason, the son is given the first right to perform all the funeral rites. Another reason behind this is that just as the girl is the form of Lakshmi, similarly the son is considered a part of Vishnu.
• Here Lord Vishnu element means sustainer. It means a member of the household who takes care of the entire household and takes care of the household members. However, now girls are also able to take this responsibility.
• But nowadays girls also perform the last rites and after the death of an elder, they take full responsibility of the entire house and every member of the house. However, this practice still continues in many homes.