[S.T.D.]

Adhi Sankara promised to his mother that he'll return back when she is on her deathbed even though he took sanyas and should not have any contact with family.true to his word, he came to see her when she was in her deathbed.
she died soon after and he was supposed to perform the last rites.the namboodiri brahmins protested saying that he has taken sanyas and he should not perform last rites etc. and refused to help him.Adhi sankara was too weak to carry the dead body of his mother and so he cut the body into pieces and then took the pieces one by one to funeral ground and performed last rites.it seems he cursed the namboodiri brahmins and hence even today, among this particular caste, the dead body is cut into pieces before funeral.