The upanishads mention 2 margas or routes by which a departed jiva journeys to enjoy the fruits of his karma. one is called devayana or arcirmarga and the other is called pitrayana or dhumamarga. Both the margas are presided over by divinities.
Krishna states succinctly thus in B.G chapter 8- ” agnir-jyotir-ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam| tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ| dhūmo rātris-tathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam| tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotir-yogī prāpya nivartate|” – “Light in the form of fire, the day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern course of the sun — the knowers of Brahman who take this path go to the Brahman. Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern course of the sun — the Yogi
who takes this path reaches the light of the moon and returns”
Krishna divides the populace into 2. Jnanis-who are the knowers of Brahman, those who meditate on him by following the prescribed methods, those who live the spiritual life of knowledge, those who practice austerities or Tapas with great faith or Shraddha-such vyaktis travel through the northern path/uttarayana/devayana/arcirmarga/path of liberation/path of freedom/path of light and reach brahman, never to come back or be born again. On departing from this world, such Jnanis are guided by various divinities who take them through their realms and pass them on to the next higher realm, starting with Agni, followed by deity of the day, the bright half of lunar month and by the deity of the six months during which the sun moves to the north taking the uttarayana. Then they go higher up to the deity who rules over the entire year. From their they reach the realms of sun and then move to regions which are cool with lunar radiance. Then a flash of lightening signifying the knowledge of reality happens and all efforts that a Jiva can take stop there. An amanava-purusha or a super-human comes along, takes the Jnani by hand through a path of light higher and higher till he reaches the abode of the supreme being.
Chandogya Upanishad states thus – “atha yadu caivāsmiñchavyaṃ kurvanti yadi ca nārciṣamevābhisaṃbhavantyarciṣo’harahna āpūryamāṇapakṣamāpūryamāṇapakṣādyānṣaḍudaṅṅeti māsāṃstānmāsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaraṃ saṃvatsarādādityamādityāccandramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tat puruṣo’mānavaḥ sa enānbrahma gamayatyeṣa devapatho brahmapatha etena pratipadyamānā imaṃ mānavamāvartaṃ nāvartante nāvartante ||” – “Then, for those who know this, whether proper funeral rites are performed or not, they go after death to the world of light. From the world of light they go to the world of day; from the world of day to the world of the bright fortnight; from the world of the bright fortnight to the six months when the sun moves northward; from there they go to the year; from the year to the sun; from the sun to the moon; and from the moon to lightning. There someone, not human, receives them and leads them to Brahmaloka. This is the way of the gods. This is also the way to Brahman Those who go by this path never return to this mortal world. They never return.”
The second division consists of Jivas who are good, do good deeds, are very philanthropic, very service minded, full of virtues, have accumulated merits of both ishta and purta – performing great sacrifices and and philanthropic deeds, but yet not able to live a highly spiritual life. Such vyaktis take the dhuma marga or the daskhina patha in which they are assisted by deities of smoke, night, dark half of the lunar month and six months when the sun moves towards the south. From there they go to the land of the fathers or pitru-loka and finally reach the chandra-loka/moon through the realm of akasa/space. In Chandra loka, they enjoy all the privileges of the gods and then return to earth once their meritorious deeds are exhausted.
Chandogya Upanishad states thus – ” atha ya ime grāma iṣṭāpūrte dattamityupāsate te dhūmamabhisaṃbhavanti dhūmādrātriṃ rātreraparapakṣamaparapakṣādyānṣaḍdakṣiṇaiti māsāṃstānnaite saṃvatsaramabhiprāpnuvanti || māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokaṃ pitṛlokādākāśamākāśāccandramasameṣa somo rājā taddevānāmannaṃ taṃ devā bhakṣayanti ||” – “On the other hand, those who live in the village and perform acts of public service, charity, and so on, attain the world of smoke. From there they go to the world of the night; from night they go to the world of the dark fortnight; and from the dark fortnight they go to the world of the six months when the sun moves to the south. This means that they never attain the world of the year. From the six months of the southern solstice, they go to the world of the ancestors, and from there they go to the sky. Then from the sky they go to the moon.”
Krishna concludes the discussion on the 2 margas or paths by declaring thus – “naite sṛtī pārtha jānan yogi muhyati kaścana | tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna ||” – ” No Yogi, O Partha, who knows these two paths is ever deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, at all times engage yourself in Yoga and reflect upon these 2 paths”
There is also a third path which some Jivas take in the process of their re-birth about which we will see in the next post.
mythological squirrel 