Vishal: Namaste Guruji, I like to know how does soul travel 12 days after leaving the body. Soul can not act without body then How soul travels and where it goes 12 days and purpose behind this travel.
Swami Ram Swarup: Namasteji. In this connection, I paste my article as under-

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.

Anna Daan/Shradh to departed soul

Vedas are eternal knowledge which emanate direct from God at the beginning of every universe. Being the knowledge direct from God, each statement of Ved mantra is also eternal truth.

Thirty-ninth chapter of Yajurved states about death. The soul when leaves the human body remains under control of a divine air named “Sutratma vayu”. Mantras tell that after wandering unconsciously for thirteen days in the space and planets like Sun, moon, etc., soul comes again on this earth inside the vegetation. Then either the soul enters the male living being’s body according to pious deeds and sins through pores or is duly mixed within vegetation and taken by a male person. Then the soul takes rebirth through parents.

This process is an eternal truth. However, if soul is religious and has done hard tapasya then the soul gets salvation. Only soul has to face the result of previous lives’ deeds through living being’s body. Since soul is alive whereas body is non-alive matter. So body does not face the result of deeds. When soul has gone out of body then how the soul will see, hear, taste, smell or touch or will be benefited of any pious deed etc.? therefore Vedas do not tell about the present system of shradh etc.

However, the pious deeds done to remember the departed soul by means of devotion or organising the holy Yajyen with Ved mantras, its result never goes in vain and the family is benefited.

Departed soul never meets again please. Even departed soul, when take rebirth, forgets every event of his previous life. As regards dreams Atharvaved states that dreams of departed soul are not good so it is in your interest and welfare that you do not see dreams.

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.

Anonymous: Swami jee charan sparsh karta hun . swami jee yajurveda 1/18 mein shatruaon ka (enemies) ka vadh karna chaiye ? aisa likha hai ? kya ye thoda hinsak nahi ho gaya . ? kripya thoda matlab samjhayein .Dhanyvaad
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you, beta. Han! Shatruon ka nash karne ke liye mantra mein Ishwar se prarthna kee gayee hai. yeh sansar Ishwar ka banaya gaya hai aur yahaan Ishwar ke hee niyam chalte hain. Aisa hee vedon mein niyam hai ki desh ke andar ke dushmanon , gundon , nari se dushkarma karne wale papiyon ,choron, dakaiton, hatyaron aadi ka nash karne ke liye, police kee vyavastha kee gayee hai aur seema par desh kee raksha ke liye sainik tainaat hain, wahaan yadi koi shatru aata hai to unko pakadne athwa mrityu ke ghat utarne kee agya swayam Ishwar ne dee hai atah isey hinsa nahi kaha jaata. Jo sajjan purush hai dharma par chalne wale hain yadi unko sataya jaye to usey hinsa kehte hain.