Transmigration

 Death is the departure of the subtle body from the gross body. The gross body gets sentiency only because of the reflection of Consciousness in the subtle body. When the subtle body departs the gross body becomes insentient. The subtle body takes up another gross body. This process goes on until the dawn of Self-knowledge. Then, on the fall of the gross body when the praarabdhakarma is exhausted, the subtle body also ceases to exist and videhamukti is attained.

Br.up.4.3.35.S.B---itaH aarabhya asya samsaaraH varNyate-----ityaaha atra dr.shTaantam.

From here onwards transmigration of the self is being described. An example is given to show how the self passes from the present body to the next, in the same way as the self goes from the dream to the waking state.

tat  tatra yathaa loke------- ityaaha kaaruNyaat s’rutiH.   

Just as a cart, heavily loaded with various articles, moves rumbling under the load, so does the self that is in the body, i.e. the self that has the subtle body as its limiting adjunct, move between this and the next world, as between the waking and dream states, through birth and death, consisting respectively in the association with and dissociation from the (gross) body. It should be noted here that, when the subtle body, which has the vital force as its chief constituent, and which is illumined by the self-luminous aatman, goes, the self, of which it is the limiting adjunct, also seems to go. This happens when breathing becomes difficult, when the person is gasping for breath. Although this is an occurrence that is commonly observed, the upanishad mentions it only to stimulate a spirit of renunciation in us. Since at the time of death a man is in a helpless state of mind and cannot adopt the means for attaining the final goal of life, he must practise the means earlier, when he is in a position to do so. This is what the s’ruti indicates out of compassion.   

Br.up.4.3.36.S.B--- tasmaat rasaat ----- ---- karma s’rutaadivas’aat aadravati.  

Just as a fruit is detached from its stalk by the wind or by various other causes, so does this infinite being, the self identified with the subtle body, i.e. the self with the subtle body as the limiting adjunct, completely detach itself from all the parts of the gross body, such as the eye,etc. The word ‘completely’ indicates that the vital force does not remain in the body as in the state of deep sleep. The self withdraws the subtle body, including the vital force (praaNa) and departs again. The use of the word ‘again’ is to indicate that this subtle body has similarly gone from one gross body to another many times before, just as it has moved frequently between the dream and waking states. It goes to the particular gross body determined by the past work, knowledge, etc.

Br.up.4.3.37.S.B----- tatra asya idam s’ariiram parityajya -------- iti lokaprasiddho dr.shTaantaH uchyate.

Now a question may arise---- When the jiiva goes leaving one gross body, he has no power to take another by himself. Nor are there others who, like servants, would wait for him with another body made ready, as a king’s retinue waits for him with a house kept ready. How then can the jiiva get another body? The answer is: He has adopted the whole universe as his means for the realization of the results of his actions. Therefore the whole universe, impelled by his work, waits for him with the requisite means for the realization of the results of his actions. The S’atapatha Brahmana says-“A man is born into the body that has been made for him” (VI.II.ii.27). This process is illustrated by two examples in 4.3.37 and 4.3.38. These examples are narrated below.

Br.up.4.3.37.S.B-----  tat tatra yathaa raajaanam--------- tathaa idam aagachchhati ityevameva cha kr.tvaa pratiikshante ityarthaH.

Just as, when a king visits some place within his kingdom the leading citizens of that place, as well as certain others appointed by the king to perform specific duties, wait for him with food and drink and a palace kept ready for his stay, similarly, for the transmigrating self who is about to take up a new body, the elements that are necessary for the creation of that body, as well as the presiding deities of the organs, such as Indra and others, wait with the means of enjoyment of the results of his past actions, saying “Here comes Brahman, our enjoyer and master”.   

Br.up.4.3.38.S.B---- tameva jigamishum ----- maraNakaale sarve praaNaa vaagaadaya abhisamaayanti. Just as when the king wishes to go back, the leading citizens and others who had received him approach him in a body, unbidden by the king, and simply knowing that he wishes to go, so do all the organs approach the departing jiiva at the time of death.

Br.up.4.4.1.S.B--- It has been said in 4.3.36 –“This infinite being, completely detaching himself from the parts of the body”—In order to explain when and how that detachment takes place, the process of transmigration is described in detail in this section--- Sa ayam aatmaa sammuuDha ayamiti--- When the self becomes weak--- really it is the body that becomes weak, but its weakness is figuratively spoken of as that of the self. The state of helplessness at the time of death, which is caused by the withdrawal of the organs, is attributed by the ordinary man to the self. At this time the organs, such as that of speech, come to the self. Then this self that is in the body is detached from the parts of the body. How does this detachment take place and how do the organs come to the self? This is being explained: Completely withdrawing these particles of light, i.e. the organs, such as the eye, so called because they reveal colour etc. The word ‘completely ‘ shows the distinction of this state from sleep, in which they are just drawn in, but not absolutely, as in this case. The self then comes to the heart, i.e. the ether in the lotus of the heart; in other words, the consciousness is manifested in the heart. The self cannot, by itself, move or withdraw the activities of the organs. It is through the limiting adjuncts, such as the intellect, that all changes and activities are attributed to the self. When does it withdraw the particles of light? The answer is: the presiding deity of the eye, who is an aspect of the sun, being directed by the individual’s past actions, goes on helping the functioning of the eye, but withdraws this help and becomes merged in the sun when the person is about to die.  Br.up.3.2.13 says that the vocal organ merges in fire, the vital force in air, the eye in the sun, and so on, at the time of death. These organs again take up their respective places when the individual takes another body.

Br.up.4.4.2.S.B--- ekiibhavati karaNajaatam svena lingaatmanaa.

Every organ becomes united with the subtle body of the dying man.

Br.up.4.4.2.S.B—tadaa upalakshyate devataanivr.ttiH karaNaanaam cha ------- nishkraamati.

This means that at the time of death the presiding deities cease to help the organs and the organs become united with the subtle body with its seat in the heart. The top of the heart, i.e. the nerve-end, which is the exit for the self, brightens. Through that top, brightened by the light of the self, the jiiva, with the subtle body as its limiting adjunct, departs. (This departure of the subtle body is what is known as death).  

Br.up.4.4.2.S.B—tatra cha aatmachaitanyajyotiH----------- gamanam iha vivakshitam.

In the subtle body the self-effulgent consciousness of the self is always particularly manifest. It is because of this limiting adjunct that the self appears to have birth, death and all activities. As the self (with the subtle body as limiting adjunct) departs, by which way does it leave the body?  Through the eye, if the individual has a store of work or knowledge that would take it to the sun, or through the head, if the individual is entitled to go to the world of hiraNyagarbha, or through any other part of the body, according to his past work and knowledge. When the individual self is about to depart to the next world, the vital force follows; and when the vital force departs, all the organs, such as that of speech, follow.

Br.up.4.4.2.S.B—karmaNaa tadbhaavyamaanena ------- vijnaanodbhaasitam eva ityarthaH.

Everyone gets, at the moment of death, a consciousness of his next life and goes to the body revealed by that particular consciousness.

The phenomenon of child prodigies explained

Br.up.4.4.2.S.B--- s’akaTavat sambhr.tasambhaara ------

It has been said that the departing self goes like a loaded cart, making noises. Now, as it leaves for the next world, what is its food on the way and for consumption after reaching that world, and what are the materials for making the new body and organs? The answer is: the self, journeying to the next world, is accompanied by all the knowledge acquired, the result of all actions (karma) and the impressions of past actions. These impressions are the cause of the initiation of fresh actions and the bringing to fruition of past actions. When the organs are prompted to work by the impressions of past actions, they can easily attain skill in certain spheres even without any practice in the present life. It is observed that some persons are skillful in certain activities, such as painting, from their very birth, even without any training in the present life (child prodigies). This is due to skill attained in past lives. Similarly, in the enjoyment of sense objects also, some are found to be skillful by nature and others are not. Hence it is said that these three—knowledge, work and past experience—are the food on the way to the next world (or next life) and after reaching there (i.e. taking a new body). Therefore one should cultivate only the good forms of these three so that one may get a desirable body and desirable enjoyments.

How the jiiva takes a new body

Br.up.4.4.3.S.B--- evam vidyaadisambhaarasambhr.taH-------------------- puurvaas’rayam vimunchati ityetasmin arthe dr.shTaantaH upaadiiyate.

Now the question is, when the self loaded with knowledge, etc, is about to take up another body, does it leave the old body and go to another, like a bird going to another tree? Or is it carried by another body serving as a vehicle to the place where, according to its past work, it is to be born? Or does it stay here, while its organs become all-pervading and function as such? Or do the organs remain contracted within the limits of the body as long as the jiiva remains in that particular body, but when the jiiva departs the organs become all-pervading, like the light of a lamp when its enclosure is removed and contract again when a new body is taken up? (These are the views, respectively, of the Jains, the Devataavaadins, the Saankhyas and Vedanta). The answer is: Though the organs are by nature all-pervading and infinite (in their form as the     presiding deities), since the new body is made in accordance with the person’s work, knowledge and past impressions, the functions of the organs also contract or expand accordingly. Therefore the impressions called past experience, under the control of the person’s knowledge and work, stretch out, like a leach, from the body, retaining their seat in the heart, as in the dream state, and build another body in accordance with his past work; they leave their seat, the old body, when a new body is made ready. An illustration on this point is given in 4.4.3.         

Br.up.4.4.3.S.B--- tat tatra dehaantarasanchaare----- ---- esha dehaantaraarambhavidhiH.

The following example illustrates how the jiiva passes from one gross body to another. Just as a leach, which wants to go from one leaf to another, stretches the front part of its body and takes hold of the new leaf and then draws the hind portion of the body away from the old leaf and onto the new leaf, so also, the jiiva takes hold of the new body and only thereafter leaves the old body. This is similar to what happens when going from the waking to the dream state. In the dream state the person identifies himself with his dream body and completely dissociates himself from his waking state body. The presiding deities of all the organs also take their places in the new body. The nature of the new body, whether it is that of a human being or of a god, or of an animal or other creature, depends on the past karma, knowledge and impressions (vaasanas) of the particular individual. The MuND. Up. says--”He who longs for objects of desire, thinking highly of them, is born along with those desires in a situation in which he will be able to realize those desires”(3.2.2). Desire is therefore the cause of repeated births and deaths. Total elimination of desire is the means to liberation.  

Regarding how a new body is formed, the example of a goldsmith taking an old ornament and converting it into a new one is given in Br.up.4.4.4.

Br.up.3.2.13.S.B--- karma eva aas’rayam --------

Karma is the cause of repeated births.

KaTha up. 2.2.7—The jiiva is born according to his karma and knowledge as a human being, animal, bird, tree, etc.

Proof of existence of past births

Ch.up.6.11.3.S.B---jiivaapetam ------ na jiivo mriyate iti.

When separated from the jiiva (soul), the (gross) body dies, but the soul does not die. From the fact that as soon as a creature is born, it hankers after breast-feeding and experiences fear, etc, it is clear that it has memory of similar experiences in past lives. Moreover, since rites like agnihotra have some purpose to serve, it follows that the soul does not die.

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