Disciple:
Salutations, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Salutations, my child. Please, speak.
Disciple:
Gurudev, just as births happen every day, deaths also occur. In our Hindu faith, various afterlife rituals are performed. In fact, everyone—Hindus, Muslims, Christians—performs some form of ritual. So, if these afterlife rituals are not performed for someone, what happens?
Gurudev:
It causes a great deal of suffering. Without afterlife rituals, the soul's transition is hindered, and the body isn't properly purified. Our belief is that when the body can no longer endure the strain of life, it releases the soul. The soul then realizes this body is no longer useful and seeks a new one. Death is the only path, and sometimes it's driven by the soul's own will—feeling that it can no longer cope. Just as the soul desires death, it also desires a new body. If the old body is cremated, a new body can be formed. It takes ten months and ten days for a new body to mature. Modern science has reduced this to nine months via surgery, but full maturity actually requires ten months and ten days. As the saying goes, "Born in the womb after ten months and ten days; if you don't recognize the Divine then, you'll face the consequences later." That ten-month and ten-day period is essential for maturity.
Gurudev:
When someone passes away, they visit their home once. They stay near their body; some see them, some don't. Ten days later, the 'Dasha' ritual is performed. This can be done at a cow shed or on the banks of the Ganges. Nowadays, cow sheds are rare, so most people go to the Ganges. During this ritual, Brahmins prepare ten rice balls (pinda) and an effigy made of rice. This effigy is 'fed', and once consumed, the 'fetus' for the next birth is formed. The soul then chooses where to be born based on its desires. Some, however, attain 'Moksha'—the end of the cycle of rebirth. They live and die consciously, breaking free from the cycle of birth and death.
Gurudev:
As discussed before, there are four goals: Dharma (Righteousness), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desire), and Moksha (Liberation). Moksha means you won't be reborn; your soul merges with the Supreme Soul or resides near the Divine. With Moksha, there's no more birth or death. This is a state of supreme bliss.
Gurudev:
The Jagannath Bhagwat says that if one sees Lord Jagannath on the chariot and touches Him, they are freed from the cycle of rebirth. Similarly, those who regularly recite the Chandi Path or worship Shiva and Parvati attain Shiva-loka. There are fourteen realms (bhuban), with the realm of Radha and Krishna at the very top, radiating love. There's a Sanskrit verse that says: through the grace of Mahamaya, the soul that departs does not return, attaining the supreme abode of Shiva.
Gurudev:
The concept of 'Dosha' (sins or planetary influences) also plays a role. God doesn't easily accept those with many 'doshas'. It's only when one is free of these that the Divine welcomes them.
Gurudev:
After the 'Dasha' ritual, the soul is referred to as 'Pret' or 'Pretasya'. The rice ball fed during the ritual sustains the soul for an entire year; it needs nothing else. Then begins the journey to Yama-loka (the realm of death). It's a long path. Those who performed good deeds, who were charitable and kind, find the journey easy. People appear on their path to offer them clothes, delicious food, and garlands of flowers. They are escorted by the guards of Yama to the gates of his palace. There, Chitra Gupta opens his records. Whatever you did in life, Chitra Gupta has recorded it. You will be judged by the Divine, where no deception works.
Gurudev:
There is also the Vaitarani river to cross. For the sinful, it's filled with blood, pus, and crocodiles. But for those who were virtuous and kind, there is a boat to carry them across to the presence of Lakshmi and Narayana. This is called Vaikuntha. Based on Yama's judgment, one's next birth is determined—some are born sooner, others later.
Gurudev:
Some souls might choose not to go to heaven but to stay in their own homes. Yama might say he doesn't recognize them, and they might choose to remain in their husband's house, seeing that as their heaven. Others choose to go to heaven or hell based on their inner state. Hell is a place of great suffering, beyond imagination.
Gurudev:
Ultimately, after ten months and ten days, another ritual is performed—the one-year shraddha. During cremation, fire is placed in the mouth. A year later, that fire must be symbolically 'released' through rituals. Twelve such rituals are performed over twelve months. Once this is done, the soul is finally freed to move to its next destination. The person who performed the last rites must also observe the Ekadashi fast—both the dark and bright fortnights—for that entire period.
Gurudev:
This process has been followed since time immemorial, as mentioned in the Garuda Purana. Sage Aurobindo and the Mother have also spoken of this journey to Yama-loka and the subsequent judgment.
Disciple:
Today we've learned about the journey from birth to death, and then from death back to birth.
Gurudev:
Yes, only the one who has passed away truly knows this path. We might think death is the end, but the soul must journey for ten months and ten days, crossing the Vaitarani and reaching Yama-loka. As I said, the virtuous are reborn later as they seek the right womb, while the sinful are reborn quickly into troubled circumstances.
Gurudev:
I'll conclude with this: the four goals—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha—are divine creations. While much is said about rebirth, few talk about what truly happens when one attains Moksha. Everyone must eventually face Yama-loka, whether they are a saint or an ordinary person.
Disciple:
Thank you, Gurudev. That was very enlightening.
Gurudev:
You're welcome.
Spiritual Insight
This profound teaching illuminates the complete cycle of the soul's journey—from death to rebirth. The Dasha ritual performed on the tenth day after death is crucial: the ten rice balls (pinda) and the rice effigy that is symbolically "fed" create the energetic template for the soul's next physical form. The traditional period of ten months and ten days represents the natural gestation cycle, which modern medical intervention has compressed but not replaced in spiritual terms. The soul's journey to Yama-loka involves crossing the dreaded Vaitarani river—filled with blood and crocodiles for the sinful, but offering a boat to the virtuous who can reach Vaikuntha (the realm of Lakshmi-Narayana). The role of Chitra Gupta as the divine accountant who maintains precise records of every action demonstrates the absolute accountability that governs the soul's destiny. The mention of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother validates these ancient teachings through modern spiritual masters who have also mapped this after-death journey.