Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 66: Daśaratha’s Ministers Preserve his Body
Text 2.66.15
न तु संकलनं राज्ञो विना पुत्रेण मन्त्रिणः।
सर्वज्ञाः कर्तुमीषुस्ते ततो रक्षन्ति भूमिपम्॥
na tu saṅkalanaṁ rājño vinā putreṇa mantriṇaḥ
sarvajñāḥ kartum īṣus te tato rakṣanti bhūmipam
na tu = did not; saṅkalanam = the final rites; rājñaḥ = of the king; vinā putreṇa = in the absence of his son; mantriṇaḥ = the ministers; sarvajñāḥ = knowing all [about dharma]; kartum = to perform; īṣuḥ = want; te = they; tataḥ = so, rakṣanti = preserved; bhūmipam = the king [in this manner].
Knowing all [about dharma], the ministers did not want to perform the final rites of the king in the absence of his son. So they preserved the king [in this manner].
Why did they not perform the antya-saṁskāra? That is answered in this verse. It is implied that this is not an adhārmika activity.
It is understood that when the dead body is immersed in oil, it does not decay and [thus] defective [for the purpose of performing the final rites].