What Happens When One Dies? Part 2

The Third Place

Insects, Gnats, Cockroaches, Mosquitoes, flies, Worms, Bedbugs

The Sruti says that those who do not go by means of Vidya along the path of Devayana to Brahmaloka or by means of Karma along the path of Pitriyana to Chandraloka are born often in low bodies and die often. The evil-doers go to the third place (Tritiyam sthaanam). The Sruti passage says: “Now those who go along neither of these ways become those small creatures, flies, worms, etc., continually returning, of whom it may be said: ‘Live and Die’. Theirs is the third place. The sinners are called small creatures because they assume the bodies of insects, gnats, etc. Their place is called the third place because it is neither Brahmaloka, nor the Chandraloka.

“The souls return the way they went, to the ether, from ether to air. Then the sacrifices having become air becomes smoke; having become smoke he becomes mist; having become mist, he becomes cloud; having become cloud he rains down. The souls do not attain identity with ether, air, etc. They become only like ether, air, etc. They assume a subtle form like ether, come under the influence or power of air and get mixed or connected with smoke etc. The soul passes through them quickly.

“Having become cloud he rains down. Then he is born as rice, corn, herbs, tree, sesamum and beans. From them the escape is beset with most difficulties. For, whoever the person may be who eats the food and begets offspring, he henceforth becomes like unto them.” (Chhandogya Upanishad: 10.5.)

Before a Year Passes

The soul’s journey through the stages of the ether, air, vapour or smoke, mist, cloud and rain takes shorter time than its passing through the stages of corn, semen, foetus, which takes a much longer time of hard suffering. Naradiya Purana says: “He who has begun to descend will enter the mother’s womb before a year passes since starting, though wandering through different places.”

Souls Use Plants and Rice as Halting Stations

The souls are merely connected with rice and plants which are already animated by other souls and do not enjoy their pleasures and pains. They become connected with those plants. The souls use the rice and plants as their halting station without being identified with them. They do not lose their identity.

Chhandogya Upanishad declares: “Whoever eats the food and performs the act of generation, that again the soul becomes” (V. 10.6). The soul gets connected with one who performs the act of generation. The descending soul becomes again that food and that semen. The soul remains in him in copulation only till he enters into the mother’s womb with the semen injected. He has a touch with the seminal fluid created by eating such grain and ultimately attains a body in the womb.

Into Which Families Are They Born

He attains a fully developed human body in the womb of the mother which is fit for experiencing the fruits of the remainder of works. The family in which he is to be born is regulated by the nature of the remainder as mentioned in Chhandogya. Upanishad (V. 10-7): “Of these, those whose conduct here has been good will quickly attain good birth, the birth of a Brahmin, or a Kshatriya or a Vaisya.

Births of Dogs, Hogs and Low Birth

But those, whose, conduct here has been bad will quickly attain an evil birth, of a dog, or a hog, or a Chandala.” The whole object of teaching this law of incarnation is that you should realise that the Atman or the Absolute alone is the highest bliss. The Atman alone must be your sole object of quest.

You should get disgusted with this world of pain and sorrow and develop dispassion, discrimination and try earnestly to attain the eternal bliss of the Absolute.

O ignorant man! O foolish man! O miserable man! O deluded soul! Wake up from your long slumber of ignorance. Open your eyes. Develop the four means of salvation and attain the goal of life, the summum bonum, right now, in this very birth. Come out of this cage of flesh. You have been long imprisoned in this prison-house of body from time immemorial. You have been dwelling in the womb again and again. Cut the knot of Avidya and soar high in the realms of eternal Bliss.

Source: pgs. 14-15, What Becomes of the Soul After death