Siva Gita – Chapter 11 – The Transmigration of the Soul and the Importance of Meditation – Slokas 1 – Slokas 45, Uttara Khanda, Padma Purana

Shri Bhagawan uvācha, “O tiger among kings! Listen to Me carefully. I will tell you about the migration of the jeeva from one body to another after death and its journey to the other world.

 

From the essence of that which is eaten and drunk here, a fresh bond is forged between the gross body and the subtle body. By that, the sustenance of life is guaranteed.

 

The jatara agni is impeded by disease and old age through phlegm. Therefore, it does not sufficiently digest the food or the drink consumed.

 

The stores of strength in the body dry up because of the lack of essence of food and drink. The vital airs flow in the body on the virtue of the essence of food and drink.

 

It is called samāna because it balances the stores of strength. When old age sets in, the absence of essence creates damage to the fresh bond to the body.

 

Like how a pumpkin becomes heavy when it reaches maturity owing to nourishing essences and falls to the ground on its own, similarly, the subtle body abandons the gross body.

 

Withdrawing the residual impressions of the senses from their respective focal points, the subjective and external beings attain oneness in the lotus of the heart.

 

The principal vital air accompanied by the other nine airs travelling along this path move upwards. All these nine airs become one with the principal vital air.

 

Following the path of the nādis through the eyes or the pinnacle of the head, aided by meditation and action and combined with imprints and depending on the self intelligence, the intelligent jeeva leaves the body.

 

Just as a pot taken from place to place carries the same ether within it there too, likewise ether that is everywhere within the pot gets called as the ether in the pot like it is different from the ether that is all-pervading. Similarly, the subtle body of the jeeva appears to look different from the Supreme Brahman.

 

The jeeva goes to another body in accordance with its past deeds. It continues its journey in this manner till liberation like a fish moving between the two banks of a river.

 

One will assume the body fit to experience the hellish worlds as per the command of the messengers of Yama if one has to undergo the experiences of sins.

 

One who performs religious and social acts goes to the world of manes guided by the officers of Yama by the path of smoke.

 

One who has performed religious and social duties will proceed on death along the southern path characterized by smoke and darkness in the dark night of the Krishna Paksha to the world of the ancestors or manes. Thereafter, they attain a divine body and travel to the world of the moon to enjoy the meritorious world.

 

There in the world of the moon, the jeeva lives till the fruits of these good deeds are exhausted. He then will enter the earthly world by the same path as per the remainder of his past deeds.

 

Abandoning the body which enjoyed the pleasures in the world of the moon and entering the earthly world, the jeeva attains the ether. It then attains air from this ether and moves to water.

 

Attaining the clouds from water, it gets into the rains. Then, it enters the eatable food grains. The jeeva is born as per the past.

 

These jeevas go to the other wombs to get bodies. Some attain gradual liberation in accordance with their deeds and scriptural learning.

 

Attaining the nature of the food, the jeeva is consumed along with the food by the father and mother. Becoming the seminal fluid of both the mother and father, it enters into the womb of the mother by coitus.

 

In accordance with the past deeds, the jeeva is born as a male or female or eunuch. This is the transmigration of the jeeva. I will now tell you about mukti.

 

One who is always devoted to peace and tranquillity and takes delight in meditation will go to the world of Brahma by the path of the gods.

 

Becoming light, the seekers leave the body in daytime in Shukla Paksha and in Uttarāyana and attain the world of Saṃvatsara.

 

The jeeva goes from the sun to the moon and thereafter, to the world of lightning. Then, a celestial personality comes from the world of Brahma.

 

Bestowing a divine body on the jeeva, the celestial personality leads the jeeva to the world of Brahma.

 

After enjoying the desired pleasures in the divine body for a specific length of time, the jeeva is released along with Brahma.

 

But one who has realized the Supreme Brahman does not go anywhere. His vital airs merge with the five elements (pancha bhutas) like the lump of salt in water.

 

Just as the creations in the dream disappear on waking, the world also disappears in the same way for one at the dawn of knowledge of Brahman, The Supreme Truth. A person devoid of either rituals or meditation goes to the third position.

 

After experiencing the agonies of the frightful hellish worlds, the third class of people are born as creatures as per the remainder of their deeds.

 

This class attain birth on earth as mosquitoes, pests, lice and others. Thus, has been described the destiny of the jeeva. O Rama! What else would you like to hear?”

 

Prabhu Shri Rama uvācha, “O Lord! Supreme Being! It has been stated by you that the respective jeevas on the basis and result of meditation and rituals enjoy the pleasures in the world of Brahma and the world of the moon respectively.

 

How does the enjoyment result in the worlds like that of the Gandharvas? How is it that one obtains the status of a celestial being while another the status of Indra?

 

It may be the result of past deeds or meditation. Please tell me. O, The beloved of the daughter of the Mountains! There is a great doubt in me regarding this matter.”

 

Shri Bhagawan uvācha, “Results in accordance with the achievements of excellence in the performance of rituals or meditation will get accumulated. One becomes a handsome youth, brave, healthy and strong according to the ritualistic acts or meditation.

 

If such a young prince rules the entire earth with its seven continents without any hindrance, the pleasure of that prince is said to be one unit of human bliss. A hundred times of that joy is said to be the joy of the man becoming a Gandharva through austerity.

 

A hundred times of this joy is said to be Deva Gandharva. There is no doubt in this.

 

In this way, the joys of the forefathers dwelling for long in their worlds and the gods who attained their status through the grace of their rituals increases hundredfold at every higher state.

 

Thus, the joys of the gods, Indra, Prajapati and Brahma is hundred times more than that of the preceding one.

 

The excellence of joy in the heavenly worlds is due to the excellence of ritualistic acts and meditation only. One who has mastered the Vedas is sinless and is unconquered by lust and is known as dwija.

 

O son of Dasaratha! To this knower of the Truth, all the increasing joys accumulate at the same time. Therefore, there is nothing higher and greater than the Supreme Truth.

 

The one who has realized the Truth does not grow or decline by ritualistic acts. If there is such a wise man, then he will remain untouched by sinful acts.

 

The wise man is born superior to everything with the full knowledge of his past births. He does his duties knowingly and those acts will yield inexhaustible fruits.

 

Whatever benefit a mortal being gets by feeding ten million Brahmanas, the same will be obtained by serving food to a person who has realized the Supreme Truth.

 

One who hates the dwija who is in possession of wisdom and knowledge that leads to mukti is the lowest of human beings. He dies by disease. Hence, the wise man is Ishwara Himself.

 

Therefore, the one who meditates on Me does not fall into the depths of sorrow. O King Rama! Taking joy in meditation, be happy.”

 

[Siva Gita – Chapter 11 – The Transmigration of the Soul and the Importance of Meditation – Slokas 1 – Slokas 45, Uttara Khanda, Padma Purana]