In Hinduism, impurity on death renders one ‘untouchable’ and one cannot perform religious rites. Generally, the impurity caused by death lasts through three nights or a maximum of ten nights. If a child dies within ten days of birth, the parents have to observe jananasauca. If a child dies before teething the sapinda-relatives have only to take a bath, while the parents have to observe asauca for three days.
In the case of a girl dying after betrothal (vagdana) and before
marriage, the sapinda relatives of her father have to observe asuacha for three
days. If a woman dies at her father’s house after marriage, her parents,
step-mother, full brothers and step-brothers have to observe asauca for three
days and her paternal uncle for one day.
A married woman has to observe asauca for three days on the death
of her parents or step-mother if ten days have not elapsed. On the death of her
paternal uncle, she only has to take a bath.
In all these matters the general rule is that a male whose
upanayana (initiation) has been performed and a married woman alone are subject
to asaucha for the death of any relative other than the parents.
On the death of a parent, however, a male, though without initiation,
and a woman, though unmarried , are subject to asauca.