Dilip Apte: Dear Swamiji, Its been long since I wrote to you last. How are you sir. I apologise for intruding on your time but something about punurjanma and the last rites Hindus perform is disturbing me. I am sure you will shed light on it as a ritual we perform the Dashkriya vidhi of Pind-dan. We believe that the departed soul has come in the form of a crow to accept our offerings and bless us. Now each and every living being on this earth has a “Atma” according to our scriptures. Likewise the crow who has come also has an ‘Atma’ of his own. Our beloved has died only 10 days ago.
Dilip Apte: Dear Swamiji, Its been long since I wrote to you last. How are you sir. I apologise for intruding on your time but something about punurjanma and the last rites Hindus perform is disturbing me. I am sure you will shed light on it as a ritual we perform the Dashkriya vidhi of Pind-dan. We believe that the departed soul has come in the form of a crow to accept our offerings and bless us. Now each and every living being on this earth has a “Atma” according to our scriptures. Likewise the crow who has come also has an ‘Atma’ of his own. Our beloved has died only 10 days ago. The crow ever since it was born had his own atma, so how come the departed persons atma entered the crow to accept our offerings? If we say the atma immediately enters another body when it leaves the first one, how can it exit that body which is 10 days old, enter the body of the crow to satisfy us. have tried asking this question to many learned people but am yet to receive a satisfying answer. Can you quell my curiosity or jignyasa?
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. No conflict, please. Yajurveda mantra 40/ 15 states “ Vayuranilam Mritmathedam bhasmantang shareeram”, i.e., the prann vayu and the panch bhoot body mixes with its original, indestructible matter. So, the body must be burnt.
Next day, the ashes of the dead body must be collected. The ashes may either be buried on the banks of river or any suitable place or may be flown in water. So actually, the function gets over in two days but the havan.yajyen must be performed at least for 13 days so the no bacteria generated from dead body may be harmful to any one. Arya samaj may take three days and on third day, it will be good if some relative, friends etc., are gathered to perform havan etc. Otherwise God has told to finish the function etc., the same day by burning the dead body and the next day by collecting the ashes.
The procedure to pind daan, Shradh is totally against the Vedas. But, to do the Yajyen/hawan for the departed souls is beneficial. Now, the question arises, as to why? The answer is that to do such hawan/Yajyen is an order of Almighty God vide Atharvaveda mantra 11/1/19. But to do the shradh has not mentioned in Vedas. So, we have to follow Vedas, which is the order of Almighty and which always proves to be beneficial to us.
There are three matters in the Vedas which is called “Traitwad” first Almighty God , second – souls, third – Prakriti.Almighty God and souls are alive whereas Prakriti is non-alive from which God creates universe. So, there is not only atma (souls) but Almighty God and Prakriti are also there. Souls (Atma) are several but God is one. Soul takes living being’s body based on his previous lives’ Karmas – good or bad so human being’s bodies , animals and birds’ body etc., are taken by souls.
So, God states in Vedas that services to mother, father , learned atithi, learned acharya of Vedas and Yoga philosophy are required to be rendered when they are alive only and not after death.
You are most welcome, my son. I would also like to advise you to study some of my books to get the Vedic knowledge, if possible. The list of books is available on the site.
Rebirth is not a matter of belief. Actually, it is a fact which one must find in Vedas and then trust. However reincarnation i.e., avtar of God is quite impossible.
Soul according to its good or bad deeds(APANGETI) takes bodies of animals, birds, insects etc., and (PRANG) bodies of Rishis, Munis, i.e., (uuch Yoni) best bodies after leaving the present body. The soul (SWDHAYAA GRIBHITAH) duly attached with its own power of taking birth according to pious deeds and sins, enters other bodies (AMARTAYAH) though the soul is away from death, being immortal but after death of bodies, takes new bodies. These ideas of Vedas has very well been mentioned in Bhagwad Geeta shlok 2/20 wherein Yogeshwar Shri Krishna says (AJO NITYAH SHASHWATOAYAM PURAANNO NA HANYTE HANYAMANNE SHARIRE ) i.e., the soul is (AJAH NITAYAH SHASHWATOH) never takes birth and is eternal (NAHANYATE HANAYMANNE SHARIRE) in fact after death of body too soul is never dead being immortal. (TASHASHVANTA) this process of death and birth of bodies and souls is eternal.
(VISHUCHINA VYANTA) soul and bodies go far away to different directions [soul goes to Savita etc., {given below} according to Yajurveda chapter 39 and then takes birth and gets another body and five elements of body go to space and are mixed within air, fire etc., according to Yajurveda mantra 40/15] (ANYAM NICHIKYHU) many learned know about this fact (ANYAM NICHIKYHU) another who lack knowledge of Vedas, do not know the fact, i.e., we mostly know our body but not ourselves, i.e., soul. Death is sure i.e., the body will have to be cremated one day.
In Atharvaveda mantra 8/8/11 ‘Yamdut’ means = ‘YAM’ means God, and ‘dut’ means storm, cyclone, flood, earthquake, heavy rains, etc., etc., in mantra the air is Yam. So when a soul is to leave the body then by the power of God, sutratma air enters the body and takes the soul out of it then goes to Savita, etc.
In 39th chapter of Yajurveda the process of this cremation is mentioned. This process is also called as “NARMEDH YAJYEN”, “PURUSH MEDH YAJYEN” and “DAH KARAM” and “ANTEYESHATI KARAM”. Atharvaveda mantra 10/8/26 says “YEH CHAKAR SAH JAJAR” means He (God) who makes the body, He destroys the same one day. Sense of Yajurveda mantra 39/5 is that when the soul leaves the body then the soul wanders in so many places, takes another body according to its previous deeds (karmas). Yajurveda mantra 39/6 says that the soul after leaving the body, on the first day goes to Savita (sun), second day agnihi (fire), third Vaayu (normal air), fourth Aditya, fifth chandrma (moon), sixth ritu (seasons), seventh marutah, eighth brihaspati (tiniest air), ninth mitrah (breathing), tenth varunah (udan air), eleventh indrah (electricity), twelfth Vishvedevah (in all divine qualities). Then, after wandering in sky, gets body according to previous deeds. So these twelve days are completed, then after 13 days the soul takes another body. Rigveda mandal 10 sukta 135 says that normally soul after getting body faces the result of its past lives’ deeds and under influence of illusion (duly attracted towards illusion) does sins and again gets birth to face the sins. The soul is immortal and always separate from body. When an aspirant meets with a learned Acharya and gets spiritual education, then the fourth mantra says that the soul gets salvation.
Latha: For going to foreign land there is mantra which should be done in akshaya tithi. Will tell me which is that mantra?
Swami Ram Swarup: In Vedas, there is no such mantra please. But, it is the preach of Vedas that whenever you do any pious deed or you’ve to start any journey etc., or before commencing such deeds, one should perform pious/holy Yajyen to get the blessings of Almighty God for protection and help.