The wisdom of how a Jiva is born and where the Jiva
ends up after death are enshrined in Hindu Thought. Two texts that speak about
this are Chandogya
Upanishad and Brahma Sutras. However Chandogya
Upanishad is the source of further deliberation of this topic in the Brahma
Sutras. In this article, let me delve on how or the process by which the Jiva
is born as a human being. Though I have written about it in different contexts
in nearly a dozen blogs so far, what provoked me to write this as an exclusive
topic now is an article in the Speaking Tree of Times of India published on 19th
July 2016 (reproduced at the end of this blog). In my opinion that article
missed out the important idea of birth of a Jiva that Chandogya Upanishad
explains through a process which also addressed the question of why births in
other forms such as plants, animals and even insignificant creatures such as
virus and bacteria happen.
This process of birth of a Jiva is known as Panchagni Vidya (Knowledge of Five-fires). Till the
time of Svetaketu, this knowledge was known only
kshatriyas (warrior class) and not to others. It was only when Svetaketu was
confronted with questions on what happens to the Jiva after death, what region
/ realm the Jiva reaches after death and why that realm is never full, the
first ever teaching of that knowledge to someone outside the warrior class was
made and through that to the entire mankind of all times to come.
The curious question here is why the warrior class
had known it in the first place. It may be due to the reason that embracing
death in the process of discharging Kula dharma / swa dharma as warriors had necessitated
them to seek the knowledge about death and after death. The knowledge of after
death helped in understanding the reverse process namely knowledge of ‘before
birth’.
The discussion in Chandogya Upanishad takes this
route only – that of tracing what happens after death after espousing the Knowledge
of the Fire and then reversing it to show how the Jiva takes birth.
Panchagni Vidya.
Everything in Nature works in a chain process of one
begetting the other. When one is offered to the other, that is ‘yajna’ which
returns the thing offered in some other way. The popular version of Water cycle
is a series of Yajna which Shri Krishna explains
in Gita in the sloka starting as “Annaath Bhavanthi Bhoothaani parjanyaath
anna sambhavaha....” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3- verses 14 & 15).
When every act is done as an offering to the other, that is the ultimate way of
acquiring knowledge that releases one from suffering and rebirths.
It is in the spirit of Yajna, creation of a birth of
a human being is facilitated by the higher realms of the cosmos identified as the
Sun, the foremost Fire / Agni. What is born is
Moon, the mind (of the Jiva) that helps in defining / discerning thought and
then action. Now the Jiva driven by mind is ready to go the next level.
The next and the 2nd level is Parjanya, the rains. The rain is an Agni because water
is considered as Agni. As water is capable of dousing fire, it is said to
absorb heat and therefore it is Agni / fire. The Moon / Mind (of / and the Jiva)
is offered as an oblation in rains / parjanya. What results is that earth absorbs the rain
and also the Jiva.
The earth is the 3rd
level in this chain and earth is known as Agni as it traps heat. The rain water
(as also the Jiva) is the oblation given to earth and the result is food that is
formed in a variety of plants.
The food is consumed by man in whom the food and the
Jiva enter the semen. The Man is the 4th
Agni in the chain of Panchagni (Five fires). In the semen, the man creates his
own replica as sperm.
It can be said that this man himself becomes the 5th oblation when he offers the food / Jiva
that entered him through this process from the Sun, to the woman. The Woman is the 5th agni when she receives the
oblation that finds a physical form in her womb.
Throughout the process of Panchagni, some element of
Nature enters into another at each level and undergoes successive
transformation and evolution until it becomes suitable to form the basic elements
of human body. In all this the Jiva is a passive traveller to whom the elements
cling or who clings to the elements. Once the ultimate seed of human body is
reached, the Jiva starts reacting – propelled by karma and vasanas (attitudes
and attributes acquired from previous experiences in previous births) it is carrying.
The human body that grows within the 5th Agni is designed and
defined by Karma and vasanas carried by the Jiva.
The 5th Agni is the woman / MOTHER who is
the ultimate Homa kunda in the process of Creation as her body does the
wonderful job of the Creator in giving a shape and sheath to the Jiva. The
Mother is therefore apt to be called as the Prathyaksha
Deiva – the visible God. She is just one step below the Creator God and
no wonder Thirumangai Alwar recognises this in
his verse “Pettra thaayinum aayina seyyum” Narayana!
Narayana, the Creator God can do what one’s mother can’t do. By this the Alwar
brings mother closer to God and that only God can do what a mother can’t do.
This is the knowledge of Panchagni.
Those who had the knowledge of this understood the
vanity of births and suffering and therefore aimed to reach a state of no return
through this Panchagni. Their level of awareness and the subsequent care in not
accumulating karma and vasanas led them to the ultimate Brahman.
Those who fail to realise the chain process of the
birth through these fires, are re-born. Here the Upanishad explains the route
of birth for the Jiva.
Birth of Jiva through
Panchagni process.
"Having dwelt there in the lunar world till
their good works are consumed, they return again the same way they came.
They first reach the akasa and from the akasa the air. Having become air,
they become smoke; having become smoke, they become mist;
"Having become mist, they become cloud; having become cloud, they fall as rain−water.
Then they are born as rice and barley, herbs and trees, sesamum and beans.
Thence the exit
is most difficult; for whoever capable of
begetting children eats that food and injects semen, they become like unto him.” (Chand- Part 5 -10
Verses 5 & 6)
Brahma Sutras
(part 3) give further elaboration of this passage from Chandogya
Upanishad.
From clouds to rain to earth, the Jiva travels down.
Once it enters the earth, the reversal or return to previous location is
difficult. That means if the Jiva does not want to be born when it is in the
previous states, it is possible to go back. But once it has entered the earth through
the rain water, it cannot go back. It has to necessarily pass through the chain
till it reaches the 5th agni, the woman’s womb.
The idea of the Jiva passing through the clouds and
rains finds resonance in modern day's experiments on after-life experiences and
hypnotic regression. Many people who have had hypnotic regression have recounted
that they were floating with the cloud and were fused with the cloud. They could
not remember what happened after mixing with the cloud. A kind of trance sets
in once the process of descent begins.
Once inside the earth, the Jiva gets into the plants
along with the water and gets fixated in the fruits / edible parts some of
which the Upanishad mentions – as rice, barley, sesame, herbs etc. In all this,
the Jiva is not attached to the plants nor does it undergo any karma on account
of that.
This information from the Upanishad is an important
one as Plants become an
important carrier for the Jiva to take birth. Further movement of the
Jiva into a man’s body cannot happen without the man eating the edible part of
the plant. This is something the
non- vegetarian lovers must take into account before finding fault with
vegetarian food as being violent (himsa). The plant having its own Jiva is not
killed. Only the edible part of the planet which will be ultimately shed by the
plant carries the Jiva. Man has to eat that part to facilitate the movement of
the Jiva into his body and to settle down in a sperm.
Elsewhere in the same Upanishad a dialogue comes on
where Atman / Jiva resides. If someone strikes at the root of a large tree, water
oozes out, but the tree continues to live on. If the middle part is struck,
then also the tree survives as only water oozes out. If the top of the tree is
struck then also the tree would continue to live. Because it is pervaded by the
Jiva, the tree continues to live by drinking water. But if a branch is cut off,
the Jiva of the tree leaves the branch but continues to live in the tree. The
tree does not suffer death. (Chand- 6 -11-1)
In the same way, the edible part housing the Jiva (many
times not housing the Jiva), when plucked off, the tree / planet does not suffer
death. There is no himsa to the tree / plant when the edible parts are cut for
consumption. Therefore it is absolutely ridiculous on the part of the
non-vegetarian lovers to accuse vegetarianism as subscribing to himsa. In the
case of non-vegetarianism, the jiva of the animal is made to leave the body
forcefully by the act of killing the animal for human consumption.
The above passage from Chandogya Upanishad also
shows how plants are an integral part of not only the
food chain of man but also the birth chain of the Jiva.
This is the same Upanishad and the only sruti text
that says that Himsa (violence) is allowed only for the purpose of Vedic
austerity. When we read these passages
in the light of Panchangni Vidya, we understand why the Upanishad has
incorporated both the ideas - on Jiva of the tree and the exception clause on
himsa to Jiva.
Continuing with the passage on Panchagni Vidya, the
Upanishad says that those with good conduct will be born in good families /
people etc. Those having bad conduct will be born as animals. There is a
discussion on ‘good conduct’ of this passage in the Brahma sutras. What is being
talked here - good karma or good conduct? There is a difference of opinion
between sages Krishnajina and Baadari. In real
life we find that even people of good conduct / nature suffer a lot due to
their bad Prarabdha karma. By their good conduct they overcome the bad karma in
the right spirit (of sthitha prajna etal) and continue to rise in their
spiritually evolving ladder. Therefore good conduct / good thought is a must
for getting birth in good wombs / or being born to exalted parents.
The Upanishad continues to say that
“Those who neither practise meditation nor
perform rituals do not follow either of these ways. They become those
insignificant creatures which are continually revolving and about which it may
be said: ‘Live and die.’ This is the third place. "Therefore that world
never becomes full. Let a man despise this course.”
The insignificant creatures mentioned here are life
at lower level of evolution such as insects and micro organisms that keep
forming and dying endlessly. There is no 5th oblation in them. Man
is the 5th oblation according to this Upanishad. The lowly life
forms end up with food produced by earth. They follow the birth chain of 4
fires – until earth and food.
It is in the context of births like this (of those
who have not lived righteous lives and not done austerities) Brahma Sutras
speak about the seven hells. (3-1-15).
These beings are under the sway of Yama. Their abode is identified as “the third place” by the Upanishad (quoted above). The
first two places are Devayana and Pitruyana. The former is the solar path /
light achieved by the knowledgeable ones who are engaged in meditation and
austerity and who never return to earth for rebirth. The latter is the lunar
path / smoke which is attained by people who are aware of good and bad and try
to engage in austerities.
The third place is attained by evil doers who cause
sufferings to others and do not follow the path of dharma. They don’t get the 5th
oblation, which means they don’t get a body that can feel pain and pleasure.
Their evolution stops at the food level of the 4th Agni. The births
they take are supposed to be in the 7 hells. For example there is a kind of
bacteria living under the ground in an environment of very hot temperatures.
The heat of that environment is harmful for man but these organisms thrive in
those temperatures. They are like hell but they thrive – to work out the effect
of the evil karma.
Millions of other life forms are undergoing the effect of
hells described in scriptures. Most of them are killed or skinned alive or
roasted alive in the way the scriptures describe hellish experiences. All this
is being done by wanton act of man to satiate his appetite or just in blind
faith. Let those who consume such life forms after subjecting them to hellish experience,
think about themselves what is in store for them in future - in the third place
or in the other places.
The same verse also replies the query faced by
Svetaketu why the ‘that world’ (Devayana) is never full. It is because the evil-doers do not ascend from
the world of the Moon to the Sun but instead move within the lower fires of
rain and earth. They also do not depend on the 5th oblation which is
Man to get a body through which they can know about austerities and what is
good and what is bad. The Brahma sutras
further elaborate this point and say that getting a body is possible in plant
life, viviparous and oviparous life and from moisture. But there is the absence
of 5th oblation (Man) in their births which makes them belong to ‘the
third place’.
In this context, the Brahma sutras analyse the karmic
effect of killing animals in yajna and uphold the Chandogya Upanishad statement
of exemption only for Vedic purpose. In the current age of Kali, even that is
not sanctioned as there is none capable of austerities and meditation of the
kind that can hold such Yajnas in the highest order.
Given below is the relevant passage from Chandogya Upanishad on Panchagni Vidya.
Chapter IV − The Five Fires (I)
1 "Yonder world is the sacrificial fire, O
Gautama, the sun the fuel, the rays the smoke, daytime the flame, the moon the
embers and the stars the sparks.
2 "In this fire the gods offer faith as
libation. Out of that offering King Moon is born."
Chapter V − The Five Fires (II)
1 "Parjanya (the god of rain), O Gautama, is
the fire, the air the fuel, the cloud the smoke, lightning the flame, the
thunderbolt the embers and thunderings the sparks.
2 "In this fire the gods offer King Moon as
libation. Out of that offering rain is born."
Chapter VI− The Five Fires (III)
1 "The earth, O Gautama, is the fire, the year
the fuel, the akasa the smoke, the night the flame, the quarters the embers and
the intermediate quarters the sparks.
2 "In this fire the gods offer rain as
libation. Out of that offering food is born."
Chapter VII− The Five Fires (IV)
1 O Gautama, is the fire, speech is the fuel, the
prana the smoke, the tongue the flame, the eye the embers and the ear the
sparks.
2 "In this fire the gods offer food as
libation. Out of that offering semen produced."
Chapter VIII − The Five Fires (V)
1 "Woman, O Gautama, is the fire, her sexual
organ is the fuel, what invites is the smoke, the vulva is the flame, what is
done inside is the embers, the pleasures are the sparks.
2 "In this fire the gods offer semen as
libation. Out of that offering the foetus is formed."
Chapter IX − Birth and Death
1 "Thus in the fifth libation water comes to be
called man. The foetus enclosed in the membrane, having lain inside for ten or
nine months, or more or less, is born.
2 "Having been born, he lives whatever the
length of his life may be. When he is dead, they carry him to the fire of the funeral
pyre whence he came, whence he arose."
Chapter X − The Various Paths followed
after Death
1−2 "Those who know this and those who,
dwelling in the forest, practise faith and austerities go to light, from light
to day, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the bright half of the
moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the north, from those
months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from
the moon to lightning. There a person who is not a human being meets him and
leads him to Brahman. This is the Path of the Gods (Devayana).
3 "But those who, living in the village,
perform sacrifices, undertake works of public utility and give alms go to
smoke, from smoke to night, from night to the dark half of the moon, from the
dark half of the moon to the six months during which the sun goes to the south.
But they do not reach the year.
4 "From those months they go to the World of
the Manes, from the world of the Manes to the akasa, from the akasa to the
moon. This is King Soma. They are the food of the gods. Them the gods eat.
5−6 "Having dwelt there in the lunar world till
their good works are consumed, they return again the same way they came. They
first reach the akasa and from the akasa the air. Having become air, they
become smoke; having become smoke, they become mist; "Having become mist,
they become cloud; having become cloud, they fall as rain−water. Then they are
born as rice and barley, herbs and trees, sesamum and beans. Thence the exit is
most difficult; for whoever capable of begetting children eats that food and
injects semen, they become like unto him.
7 "Those whose conduct here on earth has been
good will quickly attain some good birth−birth as a brahmin, birth as a
kshatriya, or birth as a vaisya. But those whose conduct here has been evil
will quickly attain some evil birth−birth as a dog, birth as a pig, or birth as
a chandala.
8 "Those who neither practise meditation nor
perform rituals do not follow either of these ways. They become those insignificant
creatures which are continually revolving and about which it may be said: ‘Live
and die.’ This is the third place. "Therefore that world never becomes
full. Let a man despise this course. To this end there is the following verse:
9 ‘ "A man who steals the gold of a brahmin, he
(i.e. a brahmin) who drinks liquor, he who dishonours his teacher’s bed and he
who kills a brahmin−these four fall, as also a fifth who associates with them.’
"
10 "But he who knows these Five Fires is not
stained by sin even though associating with Part 5 48 them. He becomes pure and
clean and obtains the world of the blessed−he who knows this, yea, he who knows
this."
******************
From
Jul
19 2016 : The Times of India (Chennai)
The
speaking tree
A King Becomes Guru To The Brahmin-Sage
The
Chhandogya Upanishad lays down a unique template which maps out each activity
in the universe through the prism of chants. The term `chandogya' is
etymologically derived from chhanda, poetic metre. Even as it presents a
five-to-seven fold chant structure, through which all human and natural
phenomena are seen, the Chhandogya, at another level, goes deep into the
metaphysical dimension of the empirical world. The Chhandogya posits the
Panchagni Vidya, the theory of the Five Fires, central to the understanding
of the laws of the universe.
The
doctrine of Panchagni is presented through the story of Svetaketu, the highly
learned and educated son of Sage Uddalaka, who, in the course of his travels,
turns up at the court of King Pravahana Jaivali. Having welcomed the learned
young man, the King poses some questions to Svetaketu to comprehend how much
the young man has learned.
His
first question, “Do you know where mortals go to after death?“ perplexes
Svetaketu, who is at a loss for words. The second question, “Do you know from
where people come when they are reborn?“ confuses Svetaketu. The third and
fourth question, “Are you aware of the two paths through which the soul
ascends?“ and “What is the reason this world is able to contain so many
people, yet not overflow?“ further stumps the young scholar.
The
last question, “Are you aware of the five oblations that are offered, and how
the fifth as water liquid becomes a human?“ leaves Svetaketu at his wit's
end. He realises that there are fundamental principles of which he is
unaware, despite his learning and scholarship. He turns back to his father,
but Uddalaka too has no insight into such matters. Uddalaka turns to the King
for answers.
The
King initiates Uddalaka into the principle of the Five Fires, in which the
cosmos sky is in itself metaphorically seen as a great altar, into which the
fuel of the burning sun is offered, from which rises the moon. The Upanishad
lays down this as the first Fire, stating that all existence follows this
cycle of fire. The next altar is of clouds, where the fuel is the air from
which arises rain.
The
third altar is Earth, where the fuel is time, from which arises food. The
fourth man, where the fuel is food, from altar is man, where the fuel is
food, from which arises semen, seed. The fifth and last altar is woman, to
who the seed is offered as oblation, and from whence arises the foetus.
The
Chhandogya views Creation at all levels as a sort of yajna, sacrifice, where
every activity is interconnected. The birth of a child is not just a simple
outcome between man and woman. The Chhandogya states that a child is
conceived from every cell of the universe. The notion of “my child“ and “your
child“ is a misunderstanding of the basic laws of the universe. The Upanishad
states that the interconnectedness of the universe and contemplation of this
principle through the theory of the Five Fires, is true meditation into the essence
of things. It prompts us to look beyond the obvious, to delve deep into the
fundamentals of whatever we see, hear or touch.
Tat
Tvam Asi is the grand chant of the Chhandogya, the Mahavakya that each of us
comes from, and are that Self, the Atman, nothing less.
|
14 comments:
Great understanding and exposition madam. Also i find your article close to the commentary of Shankara on the Chandogya upanishad.
On the point of kshatriya's being teachers to brahmins, in the same upanishad there is a discussion of the Udgita, which is the singing of saman singing in Shrauta sacrifices. I forgot the name of the 2 brahmin's who were discussing the Udgita. They hit a dead end on some point and go to the king Pravahana Jaivali or kekaya ashvapati(Not sure if correct). He offers to clear the doubt, but gives the honor of starting the debate to one of the brahmanas. Though as per the shastra teaching of the Veda is the brahmana's domain alone, esoteric knowledge was sought from all varnas. Remember the story of Dharma Vyada the butcher in the Mahabharata.
Not Udgita, it is Vaishvanara Atman. 5 sages approach Uddhalaka Aruni and with him they approach Kekaya Ashvapathi for upadesa on Vaisvanara. Panchagni Vidya was given by Panchala king, Pravahana Jaivali.
I didn't read any Bhashya for this upanishad. I used to read the text of the upanishad and try to understand the meaning. As the discussion on this topic is in Brahma sutras I read the relevant parts of Ramanuja Bhashya for Brahma sutras along with Panchagni Vidya given in Chandogya upanishad. When I read these parts after having the discussion on Naraka in part 2 of the Asthika darshana, I could see a definite plan in bringing the sutras on 7 narakas after Panchagni vidya ideas in the Brahma sutras. Naraka in that context is more meaningful and probable. I am waiting for the response of Mr rk on this.
I don't know whether any Bhashyakaras have written on why the knowledge of Panchagni Vidya and vaishvanara were with Kshatriyas initially. For Panchagni Vidya I have given my reasoning in the article itself. I have even heard that those take the food in Shraddha ceremony (Brahmanaartham) must know Panchagni Vidya to 'rid' themselves of the pitru who entered their body to eat the food. I don't think the people of today know of the austerity wrt Panchagni vidya.
About Chandogya Upanishad, it is so peaceful to read this upanishad. It has answers for many questions that are commonplace ones nowadays. I for one have used many ideas of this Upanishad to answer many issues in my blogs. Ushasti eating horsegram, Narada calling himself Shudra, mention of "rashi" for astrology in Narada's talks, Vaishvanara, reference to Gandhara, Panchagni Vidya, discussion between Svetaketu and Aruni, 16 kalas of the atman, the examples of banyan seed and salted water for exposition of Brahman, Brahmin not only by birth but also by way of life, Indra & Virochana getting upadesa, water as the clothing for atman etc have been used by me in different articles but relevant contexts. But this time when I read it to write the above article, I got a new insight on what Mr Hariharan had said in the comments on Astika darshana on tat-tvam-asi - that it is not a Maha Vakya as made out by Advaitins!
Thank you Madam Ji for a great scholarly article, as usual. I am unable to comment scholarly on Narakas as I am not as well versed in Shastras as many of you do. My basic opinion is Naraga and Swarga negates Karmic laws of Universe. If Narga is the place for experiencing pabha Karmas, then rebirth becomes meaningless. Might as well have Naraga and Swarga and do away with rebirths. A very Abrhamic concept, though they are not eternal here. The argument that certain deeds require and deserve Naraga and Swarga when there are Karmic laws of cause and effect in our Dharma does not SEEM logical. Plus you need some Rupa to experience these effects, as i have mentioned in my earlier comments. How one gets this Rupa? ( in whatever shpae or form) Obviously,I need to study more on Narga and Swarga. I admit my limitations.
""Tat Tvam Asi is the grand chant of the Chhandogya, the Mahavakya that each of us comes from, and are that Self, the Atman, nothing else""
Tat Tvam Asi , I believe, means you are That", the Atman,the, Realized Self,who is none other than the Brahman.
The Mahavakya of "Aham Brahamsmi" cannot be sidelined. Essentially everything is Brahman only. Realized Self dissolves in Brahman. Satyam Gaynam, Anatham, Brahmam. No boundaries. If Brahman is infinite, then it cannot have parts. If anybody is interested, I can post Sadanada Achayara ji's talk on Advaita of Shankara and Ramanuja's Vishistadvaita.
Thank you Ji once again.
@ Mr rk,
The Abrahamic faiths are mutilated versions of the already existing ideas in those regions which were originally influenced by Veda dharma. They have taken up a concocted version of Veda dharma with minimal understanding of why and how the original ideas were in existence before.Symbols, calendar, rituals, day- night reversals, sighting moon, festivals, astronomy based important dates and many more are vaguely adopted by the abrahamic religions from Veda dharma. Please read for more details my old article captioned 'Roots of Mleccha astrology and Mlecchas' to know about what were copied by abrahamic / mleccha religions from Veda dharma - https://www.scribd.com/document/22717150/Roots-of-Mlechcha-Astrology
How the stars of Jews and Christians and the idea of Solomon's key were taken from Veda dharma was earlier written by me in this blog - http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.in/2012/10/the-stars-of-jews-and-christians.html
Likewise, the idea of hell / naraka was taken from Veda dharma by them.
Coming to this particular topic, the chapter X captioned " The various paths followed death" in Chandogya upanishad quoted in the article above deals with 3 different destinations after death for 3 different kinds of people. In this context please recall the 4 gathis I wrote in the comment section of part 2 of Astika Darshanas:- Archiradhi gathi, Dhoomadhi gathi, Yamya gathi and Garbha gathi.
The solar path is Archirardhi marga / gathi that leads one to no-return state. The Lunar path of Dhoomadhi path that is pitru loka from where beings are born on this earth.
The 3rd place is mentioned in the upanishad in the above quoted chapter. That is Yamya gathi - under the spell of Yama. In that state, the Jiva passes through only 3 agnis and not 5 agnis. From the 3rd agni of plants / earth, the Jiva takes birth as beings which just live to die. These are births of plant, animals and micro organisms. What is described in Naraka are being experienced by most of the beings in these forms.
That this is the Yamya gathi - or the place of hell or Yama is known from Brahma sutras on the discussion of the same topic or Solar and lunar and third route as in Chandogya upanishad.
Check this website for Brahma sutras http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe48/index.htm
In that check 3rd adhyaya, fisrt pada verses 12 to 21.
For easy reading let me give the link for 12th verse from which you can go the succeeding verses.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe48/sbe48329.htm
This is Ramanuja Bhashya.
Let me give you Shankara Bhashya to the same verses too.
For that read
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe38/sbe38088.htm
The 4th gathi is Garbha gathi. It is human birth which happens through Panchagni. In that Man becomes the 5th oblation (and 4th agni). This 5th oblation (Man) is absent in the beings that are born in the 3rd world which is under the control of Yama. That is the import of these passages.
The other import is that Naraka is not a different physical domain. It is within the earth and refers to the experiences that beings which are not born through man and woman undergo.
Brahma sutras mention the exception of 5th oblation as in the case of Draupadi. In today's conditions test tube babies come under this exception.
It is not right to say that human beings suffer naraka and swarga in their existence as we normally tend to explain. As per Veda dharma, human births are categorized as Garbha gathi in which human beings experience pleasure and pain together and not one to the exclusion of the other.
Thank you Madam Ji. I will look up at those links
Came across this verse in Mahabharata while reading for my next article on Time. It reiterates the concept of 3 levels of birth as superior, inferior and intermediate, better known as swarga, naraka and earth. And also three kinds of deeds, good, evil and mixed. These three actions give their results in the respective realms mentioned in the previous line viz., swarga, naraka and earth.These are also signified as Dhoomadhi gathi, Yamya gathi and garbha gathi.
From Mahabharata 13- 158
"This world or human life represents his (Almighty - Krishna) car. He it is that yokes that car for setting it in motion. That car has three wheels viz, the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. It has three kinds of motion for it goes upwards or downwards or transversely, implying superior, inferior, and intermediate birth as brought about by acts. It has four horses yoked to it viz, Time, Predestiny, the will of the deities, and one's own will. It has three naves white, black, and mixed, implying good acts, evil acts and acts that are of a mixed character. "
Madam,
In regard to non-vegetarian food, during the period of Mahabharata, brahmins consumed meat - there are exhaustive references. And if kshatriyas were privy to panchagni vidya, they would have avoided meat - particularly Dharma Raja. But there is no such specific reference. Upanishads, particularly major upanishads precede Mahabharata.
In my opinion, only after intervention of Buddha, brahmins seem to have adopted vegetarianism.
@Mr Govindan,
I differ from you. Brahmins engaged in Brahmanic deties could not have consumed meat. I am yet to write on Vatapi - Agastya episode but I can establish that Agastya didnt consume meat. The only kind of violence that Brahmins did was in yajna but then even that was not ordained by Dharma devata. Refer this episode in Mahabharata http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/src-mbh-12:section-271
Wonderful Madam. Have some queries. Would be nice if you can clarify. Thank you.
-----
1) IS there a gross structure for jiva? or it is only subtle?
a)I am fairly aware that subtle body(mind, pranas, indriyas, buddhi) plus causal body(karmas, vasanas) makes up the jiva
but dont know how they are linked? i.e. this set of karmas / vasanas belong to this jiva etc
2) Where do all the unmanifested jivas reside?
a) from the article I understand that the mind is formed in 1st level itself - which is 'sun' - perhaps that is why it is called
' Total mind"?
b) but the subtle body itself has mind which is continuing across births - so could not understand what exactly is formed here??
IS it activated for further movement?
c) so before this level, where is the jiva? ( i am just taking 1 jiva as an example)
i) I assume that this jiva was in either pitr loka or swarga loka before reaching here?
ii) all the jivas in 7 lokas below bhoomi do not end up here, I think; came to this conclusion after reading this article
many times? Am I right?
3) In the 2nd level, rain is formed; since mind is offered into the rain, the jiva is part of the rain and reaches the earth
a) This is what made me curious to find out what is the structure of the jiva? it is invisible to human eyes; So every rain shower
across land / water surface brings down so many jivas (who are ready to manifest in whatever form based on their karma...
Am I right here?
4) In the 3rd level, the jiva(s) would have fallen in land or water;
a) IN land, they can become plants (varieties), mirco organisms, animals, reptiles, birds or humans etc based on who eats
the food in which the jiva(s) are present;
In water, they can becomes plants, micro organisms, water based animals / reptiles
Is the above understanding correct? The 4th oblation (i.e man in case of humans) will hold good for any kind of species ?
And the 5th oblation too? i.e male to female? i.e. garbha gathi as you have mentioned in the q&a below the article
b) In plants which offer fruits, is each fruit a jiva?? and the whole plant itself is one jiva?? for example, coconut tree in its
lifetime gives many coconuts; but the tree lives longer
c) In plants, I assume that each seed will have a jiva trapped; when the seeds does not grow into a plant, the jiva is recycled
back to earth for the next birth? Am I correct?
d) In plants, when they die, the jiva and all the other jivas (in the fruits / seeds yetto be plucked) all leave as mentioned above?
e) Similarly in all animals (land / water), too the same process is followed? But in water, when the water evaporates,
i) is it possible for the jivas to reach the clouds?
ii) If yes for above, can they further move uP? i.e air / space and to where? linked to the query in (2)
Continued from previous...
5) Quoting the article - "Once it enters the earth, the reversal or return to previous location is difficult.
That means if the Jiva does not want to be born when it is in the previous states, it is possible to go back"
--- cannot understand how it is possible for the Jiva to go back in the previous states; is it similar to 4.e.ii ?
6) Quoting the article -"It has to necessarily pass through the chain till it reaches the 5th agni, the woman’s womb."
a) So if the jiva does not get a human birth when it falls in the earth, it continues to be in this earth's realm only , going
from 1 species to another till it becomes a food to the man (ie. 4th oblation)?
b) If yes, once a plant / micro organism / reptile / bird/ animal / water animal (anything other than human) dies, where does
that jiva go?? back in the earth only ?? If yes, it is invisible to us, right?
i) So how is it decided that it becomes something after it dies? NIYATI or OrDER? i.e a higher power.. that tracks the movement
of each and every jiva?? MINDBOGGLING for someone to do this at such a micro level...
c)It reaches the 4th oblation i.e. man but if he does not marry/could not beget children and he dies; what happens to that jiva
inside that man? Also, is there only 1 jiva or many jivas inside him? if many, will all manifest or whatever is to be manifested
alone will enter him??
7) In the 5th oblation, it reaches the woman's womb; but we hear about abortion - what happens to the jiva of that unborn foetus??
8) will the jivas of all human beings (except those pf jivan muktas) reach swarga loka or pitr loka or yama loka after death ? -
even for those who did not have the necessary rituals done according to hindu customs? what about those of other religions?
From the above, I can atleast appreciate very very well the saying 'arithu arithu manudaraai pirappadhu arithu'....
@ Aruna.
Here are my replies.
(1) Jiva (Atman) is subtle and nothing touches it, but only envelopes it. It is like a diamond stone, self- glittering. No dirt can spoil it but can cover it by which its sheen is not perceived. In the case of Jiva, it is the diamond stone and also the perceiver of the stone. As long as karma and vasanas are covering it as dirt, the perceiver doesn’t realise the self-glowing nature of itself. It has to gradually remove the dirt to realise itself.
This is the basic Thought.
In the beginningless beginning when Prakriti (of 3 Guna-s) and Purusha united forming the creation process, the kind of permutations that had taken place caused what each one / jiva carries. Based on the Guna combination, action automatically flows out giving rise to Karma. Karma binds the Jiva in re-birth cycle in which further karma is accumulated. Repeated karmic actions cause Vasanas. Both Karma and Vasanas attach to the Jiva, though the Jiva remains unstained. It is by realisation of one’s entrapment like this, the Jiva gradually becomes aware and sheds vasanas and karma.
(2) Unmanifest or unborn Jiva-s reside at realms in consonance with the Guna-karma- awareness level it has. The lokas are these realms. Now we are in the realm of Bhu Loka.
(a) no one knows
(b) Jiva has consciousness. Mind or manas is acquired as per the 26-element concept of Sanatan Thought. Can be read here https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2012/07/god-particle-is-purusha-25th-principle.html
(c) (i) and (ii) Jiva can be in any place and in any form of life. It can be born as a grass and then as an animal before taking human birth. After leaving the human body can be in any loka or born as any of these; Read this https://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/03/knowing-your-previous-birth.html
(3) Nothing touches the Jiva, even the water as it descends along with it.
Yes, after a rain you immediately see the growth of vegetation. From vegetation, jiva moves to other two – animals and man.
(4) (a) The Jiva enters the plants – sucked by the roots along with water. The Jiva doesn’t become a plant.
(b) The whole plant by itself is permeated by a Jiva how our body is permeated by Jiva. Do I say that the Jiva is in my hand, or in my leg? It makes the entire body its home. Similarly, a planet that germinates is life of Jiva permeating that.
(c ) A planet will not be a carrier of some Jiva all the time. Any birth is pre-determined. So, the Jiva that descends through water is pre-programmed to enter a planet and get fixated in the fruit of that plant that would reach the intended person.
(d) Death of a plant is similar to the death of a person – either by weakening – not getting nourished etc – or by getting pulled out – like death in accidents or murder or by withering with age.
(e ) The Jiva leaving the plant can reach any realm. The basic idea is the Jiva that is in human body can be born as a plant or animal. To work out the karma the jiva which was previously in a human body can be born as plant countless times before it takes a human birth.
Eg. Imagine the kind of rebirth a person like sandal-wood smuggler Veerappan would get. How many live trees he had felled? How many elephants he killed for ivory? Do you think he can easily get a rebirth in human form? He will be born as plants and trees in dry areas struggling to get water. He will be born as the elephant and be hunted in the same way. Remember the incident of an elephant in Kerala that was fed with a coconut filled with bomb? It exploded in its mouth and how it struggled for days before dying a slow and painful death? What kind of karma it had to get critically wounded in the region that are mercilessly cut off for pulling out ivory? Please join the dots as I don’t want to elaborate more with the context.
It is for us to be aware of Karma and at the same time become empathic to sufferings of any Jiva. So, I stop at this.
(i) and (ii) Only in immediate rebirth, the Jiva merges with the clouds and descends down. Otherwise, it would reach the realm in consonance with the karma it has done.
(5) Reversal means going back through the way it came. After it entered earth, it can not go back the water in rain and then to cloud. From earth it has to necessarily get into a vegetation and enter the designated 4th oblation or 5th oblation.
(6) (a) and (b) Since every birth is pre-planned, in other words, the journey of the Jiva is pre-planned, it will pass through the chain and be born alive or dead or dead mid-way depending on the programmed karmic plan.
(c ) Married or not, if the person is the designated parent, the Jiva will reach him and from him to the intended 5th oblation. The carrier man (4th oblation) will have no connection with the carried Jiva. It is part of the process.
(7) Wanton abortion is killing the Jiva. Fresh karma incurred by those involved in abortion. Natural abortion / miscarriage makes those connected, to discharge the accrued karma. The Jiva undergoes or discharges karma in both cases. Eg. One who aborts a baby may be born to be aborted. Losing life means losing the chance to be born to work out karma. How long the Jiva has to wait to work out the karma!!
The jiva that dies naturally in the womb is because of some karma it carries. In both the cases others (parents) also work out their karma. In my opinion, eating egg is the worst offence because by so eating one plucks out life. Today data says around 50% people have miscarriage atleast once. Those who eat eggs can’t get their eggs protected in their wombs.
(8) 99.99% of human beings are getting into rebirth cycle. No Jeevan muktas nowadays.
Yes Human birth is rare and precious.
Finally, the question, what happens to Jiva-s during Pralaya when worlds are destroyed?
They get fixated in Paramatman. Metaphorically as the snake on which Narayana is lying.
Thank you very much, Madam, for the valuable time you spent in replying to my queries. I have read it twice. Will need to read it a few more times to absorb it completely. The article has clarified my long pending doubt of how jiva enters the foetus inside the womb...
Post a Comment