#246 What happens after the body dies – 4 four possibilities

Decades ago, when a famous spiritual figure died, his followers said – Osho did not die. He appeared on the Earth from date of birth to date of passing. For the first time, I was introduced to the idea that maybe, just maybe death is not the end but an event in the journey of the jiva. And that too through an innocuous news magazine headline!.

The jiva, as we know, is the Atma who identifies with the body-mind and considers oneself to be limited. 

In the Vedic vision, when the body dies the following possibilities exist –

1. Rebirth may happen soon after death

2. The jiva may go to svarga or naraka for some time before rebirth on earth.

3. The jiva may linger around like a preta sharira

4. There is no more rebirth if the person has gained wisdom. The person had just appeared.

Possibility 1 – Rebirth may happen soon after death

Bhagavan Krishna teaches us

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही।।2.22।।

Just as a person gives up old clothes and takes up new ones, so does the self, the one who dwells in the body, give up old bodies and take others which are new.

This verse points to the fact that the jiva plagued by ignorance of one’s true nature is reborn. Just as different fixed deposits fructify depending on the duration of investment, our karma of punya and paapa fructify to give rise to another body.

The  law of karma presided by Bhagavan determines which karma will fructify. If a lot of punya fructify you could be reborn in a wealthy and cultured family like Bhagavan Krishna teaches us in the Gita or one could be born as an animal who has to suffer due to no freedom of choice.

The human birth is considered a blessed birth as one can get moksha in this birth, which is not possible in another life form like an animal or even in svarga.

Possibility 2 – The jiva may go to svarga or naraka for some time before rebirth on earth.

‘Svarga’ is often translated as heaven in English. But ‘svarga’ and heaven are not the same. In Abrahamic religions there are descriptions of heaven. To them, Heaven is the Kingdom of God which is eternal and only believers are allowed in, which is vastly different from svarga.

‘Svarga’ in Hinduism is a temporary realm of experience beyond our physical world.

If one does a lot of yajna-daana-tapas – fire ritual offerings, donations and contributions and ritual austerities one can gain so much punya which will take you to svarga.

The Śāstra mentions 14different lokas (realms with gradation in the level of evolution of the medium and the experiences that one has).

There are seven up and seven down from the standpoint of our world, bhuloka.

Bhuh

Bhuvar Loka

Svara Loka

Mahar Loka

Janah Loka

Tapah Loka

Satya Loka

There are glowing descriptions of svarga in the Mahabharata, Puranas and other works. In Kathopanishad – svarga is a place of delights – shokatigo modate svaraloke. Kaushitaki Upanishad implies that in svarga divine nymphs, apsaras, garlands, collyrium – kajal, fragrant powder, garments wait upon the fortunate denizens.

In Vanaparva of the Mahabharata chap.186, 6-7, the pleasures of svarga are described -that there are extensive lakes full of golden lotus flowers and fish and devoid of mud, that on the banks of those lakes dwell the meritorious good hearted people honored by Apsaras who apply fragrant cosmetics to their bodies, wear ornaments and have brilliant golden complexions. It is like having beautiful stylists and fashion designers and a spa available for you every day.

The Shantiparva states that there is neither hunger nor thirst nor weariness nor old age nor paapa in svarga and good people are seen as stars or become stars.

Vanaparva ch 261 verses 28-29 also says that there is only one great drawback in going to svarga – one simply enjoys the rewards of one’s good actions, no new punya is accumulated there. Once that store of punya or merit is exhausted, one has to fall down, the only good point about this being that one is born a person and can enjoy some happiness.

The Dharmashaastra tells us that if we do acts of paapa such as stealing, killing a Brahmin, abortion, sleeping with the teacher’s wife, drinking alcohol, or even keeping company with  people who do these acts, these are considered mahapaapa. Those who have committed one or more of these, endure terrible suffering when they leave this life and reach the path of Yama. They are dragged by the messengers of Yama.

In Naraka, they are devoured by dogs, jackals, crows, cranes, and other birds eating raw flesh, by snakes and scorpions that have fire in their mouths. They are scorched by fire, piereced by thorns, divided into parts by saws and oppressed by thirst. In some places they are boiled in oil, in others they are punded by pestles or ground in iron vessels. In some places they have to eat what is vomited or pus or blood or excreta. The description continues of more suffering but I will stop here. Suffice to say that it is a place of great suffering which the jiva undergoes and may continue to suffer if born as an animal.

The lokas in the lower half are called

Patala

Rasatala

Mahatala

Talatala

Sutala

Vitala

Atala

Going through suffering makes one aware of the consequences of one’s actions and hence more responsible. In naraka, one exhausts one’s pāpa by suffering. Both svarga and naraka are temporary.

The Shantiparva states that the wise do not regard the other world whether svarga or naraka as directly seen by anyone. One just has shraddha in svarga and naraka as it is revealed by the Veda. You cannot prove it nor disprove it.  The Brahmapurana and Vishnu Purana also state that svarga is what causes happiness to the mind, naraka is what causes unhappiness to the mind and that doing acts of punya are designated as svarga while doing acts of paapa are designated as naraka.  The question is – For how long can the jīva remains in svarga?

Bhagavad Gītā teaches us,

तेतंभुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालंक्षीणेपुण्येमर्त्गलोकं विशन्ति।

एि त्रयीधमगमनुप्रपन्ना र्तार्तंकामकामा लभिे।।9.21।।

These people having enjoyed that vast svarga, enter the world of mortals when their puṇya is exhausted. In this manner, following the rituals in the three Vedas, those who are desirous of various ends, gain the condition of (repeated) going and coming, saṁsāra.

Then, the jīva is reborn either on earth or on some other plane depending on which unique combination of puṇya-pāpa, fructify. Even if one goes to svarga, it is not permanent. The happily-ever-after ending eludes us even in svarga. The sense of separation and hence loneliness that plagued the jīva on earth is likely to continue in svarga although it might be numbed due to celestial entertainment.

Pujya Swamiji would say that svarga is like a tourist destination and once your credit card of punya runs out, you have to return!

Possibility 3: The jiva may linger like a preta sharira.

The Jiva  along with pranas, the mind and the senses leaves its former body and is a preta sharira, a tiny version of oneself. The jiva takes with himself avidya, the karma bundle and impressions left by previous births. Before a possible rebirth, the form is disembodied and hence shraadha karma is very important as offerings are made for the formation of the different parts of the body. Sometimes due to the shock of death, the preta sharira may try to reenter its own body or be around the house especially when there are too many regrets and unfulfilled wishes. Hence it is important for family to perform the cremation and offer prayers for the onward journey of the jiva. Our prayers transform into punya for the jiva.

It is so important to live a complete, fulfilling life and be ready to go whenever the time to go comes. If one is consumed by binding ragas and dveshas, unless those binding desires are fulfilled it is difficult to let go and hence some preta shariras linger into what are popularly called ghosts. This may manifest as pitr dosha for family members who experience delays and difficluties in life. It is good if this is known as we can perform our responsibilities towards our pitrs and help them move forward by doing the required rituals.   

Possibility 4 : There is no more rebirth since the person has gained wisdom.

Since svarga is temporary and the jiva is still plagued with avidya , a human life is considered a great blessing because Mokṣa, freedom while living is possible only in this realm after which there is no more rebirth.

Death is sometimes colloquially referred to as moksha because the person is free from the body but the real meaning of the word moksha is freedom from a sense of bondage here and now.

One need not wait for or after death.

Moksha is freedom from a sense of bondage while living and such a person is called a jivanmuktah.

We don’t have to die before moksha. If the person has been studying Vedanta with a traditional guru and has self knowledge there is no more rebirth for the jiva as the karana sharira which was made up of avidya is no longer present as the seed. Only this lifetime continues. After death of the physical body, the jivan mukta, the person who was free while living, is one with Bhagavan and hence can be worshipped. 

With no more ignorance, there is no more karma left which can fructify for another body.  

There is another possibility that is mentioned in the Vedas. Satya loka is where Brahma ji lives and teaches Brahmavidyā. If one does a lot of puṇya karma and meditations one could reach Satyaloka. Still, one will have to wait until the end of the kalpa, a duration of 4.32 million years before Brahmaji becomes free to teach you.

To conclude, what happens when you die depends on how you live life.

How you live life depends on the choices you make.

Will you choose your binding desires to rule your life?

Will you choose svarga? 

Will you choose moksha?

The choice is yours!