Vinay: Pranam Maharaja, soul is present from the beginning (Annadi) so, where we are before coming to this earth and after death were we go?
What is the main purpose of life?
What is Moksha/liberation means?
Maharaja humbly requesting you to through some light on me by answering these questions.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you.
Yes soul is immortal, alive matter, the purest but is bond by the deeds done in previous lives. Due to the attraction of soul through five senses, towards worldly matters-pump and show and therefore indulging in illusion, the soul has forgotten his real above form, so, every soul is immortal, eternal and everlasting.
After death
Yajurved mantra 3/55, says, “DEVAIYAH JANAH NAH PUNAH MANAH DADATU” i.e., by blessings (preach and true education of Vedas) may learned Acharya give us next birth of human being so that we may again be able to learn the truth of Vedas and to get salvation. So one must always adopt true path by which he gets rebirth of human being to continue the real spiritualism to get salvation etc., because Atharvaved mantra 9/10/16 further says that human being who has done pious deeds and adopted true path they get pious human body in the next birth, otherwise soul gets the lowest/contemptible body, like animals, birds etc. Mantra is APAANG PRAANGETI SWDHAYAA GRIBHITAH AMARTYO MARTYENAA SAYONIHI. TA SHASHVANTA VISHUCHINA VIYANTA NYA NYAM CHIKYURN NI CHIKYURNYAM.
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 Yajurved 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 Yajurved 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 Atharvaved 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 Yajurved the process of this cremation is mentioned. This process is also called as “NARMEDH YAJYEN”, “PURUSH MEDH YAJYEN” and “DAH KARAM” and “ANTEYESHATI KARAM”. Atharvaved mantra 10/8/26 says “YEH CHAKAR SAH JAJAR” means He (God) who makes the body, He destroys the same one day. Sense of Yajurved 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). Yajurved 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. Rigved 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.
About Ghosts
There is no existence of ghosts. But mostly the people who want to earn money or try to take enjoyment make it popular through falsehood and self- made frauds. They only spread such false worship of ghosts. They only promote the said worship by giving false proof of existence of ghosts and people are attracted and accept the same as if it is true.
In short I give two instances:
A poor man met me. He was suffering from acute stomach pain. He told me that his relative had taken him so many times to a baba who used to do treatment of ghost. The man was beaten badly there number of times, to accept that there was a ghost in him. The poor man said to me that at last helplessly, he (poor man) accepted that the ghost is within him, only to save himself from beating. But the fact was that he was having acute stomach pain. When such person accepts existence of ghost under pressure then the people who are present there, accept and start saying that they are eye-witness when the person accepted the existence of ghost.
This is what the false worshippers of ghosts want. They actually thus achieve the result of beating of the poor people. I suggested him some medicine and yoga asan and he became all right soon.
Second instance is that one of my followers brought a gentleman to me. He told that his friend’s daughter is caught by five witches. He further told the story that when the girl goes to bathroom in the morning, there the five witches slap on her upper arms and the sign of slaps of fingers exist on arms. The girl faints. So this story also looks a true one. But a learned person of Vedas, who is aware of the fundamental law of nature never accepts such stories at any cost to be a true one.
According to Yajurveda chapter 39, the fundamental law states that when alive soul leaves the human body, the soul remains under control of sutratma Vaayu by the power of God. At this time the soul always remains in sushuptwastha i.e., like in comma till rebirth. So how a soul can be a ghost? And in a stage of comma (sushuptwastha) how a soul can give harm to anybody?
I thought if I will straightaway refuse the existence of ghost, then the problem will not be solved, because the father of the girl was firm believer of ghost. So I told that this girl must come to me along with her parents daily at least for 10-15 days then she will be okay.
When first day the girl came to me, I asked her to tell all about the witches/ghosts etc. She repeated the story and told that her parents had spent lot of money to cure her. Her parents used to take her to such persons who dealt with such cases of ghosts. The persons used to ask her parents to offer wine, chicken etc., which her parents provided. She used to sit before them continuously for full night also. She was beaten by them with iron chains a number of times.
The second day I started giving her preach of Vedas. After one week, with the result of preach of Vedas, I was able to make her understand that there is no existence of ghost on the earth and she agreed.
Based on fundamental law of God I already knew that there is no ghost on the earth and the girl is telling all lies. Then in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere I told her that O daughter! When you have understood the fact of non-existence of ghosts then tell me truly about the story of witches and the signs of slaps with five fingers on the upper arms and what about fainting. I myself made a promise to her that I shall never tell her statement to anybody. Then she told that she is a student of class 9th and she never wants to go to school. But forcefully her parents used to send her to school then she thought to play such game.
When she was about to go to school in the morning she used to enter the bathroom and used to beat herself on both the upper arms leaving the signs of fingers thereon. She used to do the acting of fainting and afterwards she used to tell her parents that in the bathroom she saw five witches who beat her. With the result of such drama she used to enjoy the remaining day as holiday.
Then I told her that if she does not want to go to school, whatever may be the reason, I will make her parents agree, but she should stop doing such acting. And I will not tell anything to anybody. She agreed.
Next day I called her parents without girl and told them that I have cured their daughter. Now the witches will not come again but in this process they should stop their daughter from going to school. I asked them to arrange her education privately. Now she is married having sons and daughters.
After a lapse of six years I told the above true story in one of my regular preach where my follower who brought the case to me, was sitting in the public. Now he is a retired Govt., servant from a higher gazetted post. He was very much surprised after listening the fact.
So we must follow the fundamental law of nature only then there will be no problem to understand the truth.
Offerings to departed soul
According to Yajurveda mantra 40/15, the last religious deed is daah karma (cremation) i.e., when dead body has been placed on pyre and burnt thereafter only the ashes are to be thrown in a flowing water. After that no deed is left to be done. However, Vedas tell that one should perform Yajyen. So, for the departed soul, we can only perform Yajyen every year which gives pious result and which is even the best worship of God. Next birth is totally based on our good or bad deeds as is also stated in Rigveda mantra 10/135/1 to 6. We are free to do good or bad deeds but the result is awarded by God as per Yajurveda mantra 7/48.
There is no other way to provide any offerings such as water, til, food, etc. to the departed souls as per Vedas. You see soul is totally dependent. Soul eats with mouth, sees with eyes, listen with ears, etc., and when whole body of the departed soul has been burnt on pyre and soul has taken next birth according to deeds then how the water , til or food can be taken by the departed soul. As stated above, after cremation, no deed is left to be done.
So pitr pooja, etc. is not according to Vedas. However, amongst five Yajyen –a daily Yajyen named Balivaishvadev Yajyen is performed in married life by the family. In the said Yajyen, a small portion of prepared food is placed on paper and is placed in open space where any bird/animal takes the same easily.
QUALITIES OF SOULS (JEEVATAMA)
Soul is alive. Soul has to face the result of his deeds. Soul takes body of human beings, animals, birds, trees etc., according to deeds of past lives. Soul feels sorrow, happiness etc., through body. When soul leaves body, it feels nothing but carries all karma to be faced in next birth through his chitta’s (chitta) vritti (vritti).
Souls are innumerable but are constant in number having similar qualities like being pure, immortal, alive etc. Soul is infinitesimally small, is invisible. The bodies of all living beings contain souls.
Not God but soul has desire, hatred/malice, merriment, sufferings, attachment etc. While attracting itself towards materialistic articles made of prakriti soul forgets his original form. As a result, soul recognizes himself as body. This is the stage of soul being unwise.
“NA TAM VIDATH YA IMA JAJAANANYUDYUSHMAKAMANTARAM BABHOOVA,
NEEHAREINN PRAVRITA JALAPYA CHASUTRIP UKTHASHASCHARANTI.”
(RIGVED MANTRA 10/82/7)
(TAM) that God (NA) not ( VIDATH) known (YAH) who (EMA) all worlds (JAJANN) creates and (YAT) from you (ANYAT) separate from other souls(YUSHMAKAM) from you (ANTARAM) with in all (BABHOOVA) is (NIHAREINN) fog like smoke (YAT) that God (PRAVARITAHA) covered (JALAPYAHA) baseless discussion (ASUTRIPAHA) satisfied only in Prann [breathing system] (UKTHASHASAHA) only paying lip service (CHARANTI) deals or behaves.
Meaning: Like an invisible matter which is covered with fog similarly dealing in only lip service and indulging in baseless discussion and are satisfied in their breathing system, Oh! Man-woman, you do not know the God who creates the five matters/universe and the God who is separate from other souls and who is within all.
Main purpose of human life is to follow vedic path as told by God in vedas and by following vedic path, doing worship and discharging all our moral duties, we must attain salvation. This happens when a needy person- aspirant goes under the shelter of a learned Acharya of vedas and Ashtang yog and follow the above quoted vedic path
Feeling of salvation
Salvation means eternal merriment but it is attained first by listening knowledge of Vedas deeply from an Acharya, performing daily havan/yaj, name-jaap and practice of Ashtang yoga. The result of the said worship, is awarded by God and a yogi attains Asamprgyat (Dharmmegh) Samadhi.
At this juncture the yogi realizes God and feels utmost permanent divine merriment/peace/bliss. Merriment means the experience of realizing God. So a person must do the said worship and why to waste time to enquire other questions please. The souls after attaining salvation always remain in space and get experience always of merriment by the blessing of God, being indulged in God.
Such souls only meet with a present yogi who attains Asamprgyat Samadhi. Yog shastra sutra 3/32 states that yogi sees the souls who have already got salvation like Hanuman ji, Vyas Muni, etc.
