PASSAGE OF THE SOUL BETWEEN DEATH AND REBIRTH
The soul migrates with the astral body, or Sukshma-Sarira or Linga-Deha. This astral body
is made up of nineteen Tattvas or principles, viz., five organs of action, five organs of knowledge,
five Pranas, mind, intellect, Chitta (the subconscious), and Ahankara or egoism. This subtle body
carries with it all sorts of Samskaras or impressions, and Vasanas or tendencies, of the individual
soul. The subtle body moves towards heaven. When the fruits of good Karmas have been
exhausted, it gathers for itself a new physical body and reincarnates on this earth plane.
Those whose conduct has been good attain good births and those whose conduct has been
evil are thrown into sinful wombs or lower births.
THE DEVAYANA AND THE PITRIYANA
When aman who has practised meditation and worship dies, he first goes to light, then from
light to day, from day to the bright half of the moon, from the bright half of the moon to the six
months when the sun goes to the north, from that to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun
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to the moon, from the moon to the lightning. When he comes to the sphere of lightning, he meets a
person who is not human. That person leads him to the Karya Brahman or Hiranyagarbha. This is
the Way of the Devas or Devayana.
He who has done works of public utility and alms, first goes to the smoke when he dies,
from smoke to night, from night to the dark half of the moon, from the dark half of the moon to the
six months when the sun goes to the south; and from that, he goes to the region of the forefathers,
from the world of the forefathers to the ether, from the ether to the moon. He lives there so long as
his good works will allow. When the effect of the good works is exhausted, he comes back to this
earth by the same route. He first becomes ether, and then air, and then smoke, and then mist, then
cloud, and then falls upon the earth as rain-drops. Then he gets into food which is eaten up by man,
and finally becomes his child.
He passes through the various existences of the mineral kingdom, of the plant and of the
animal realms—the Udbhijja (born of seed), the Svedaja (born of sweat) and the Andaja (born of
eggs), before coming into the Jarayuja (viviparous or of placental origin).
HOW TO BREAK THE BOND OF SAMSARA
The chains that tie you to this wheel of Samsara or Bhava-Chakra or round of births and
deaths, are your desires. So long as you desire objects of this world, you must come back to this
world in order to possess and enjoy them. But, when all your desires for the mundane objects cease,
then the chains are broken and you are free. You need not take any more births. You attain Moksha
or the final emancipation.
You wander in this Samsara as you think that you are different from the Lord. If you unite
yourself with Him through meditation and Yoga, you will obtain immortality and eternal bliss. Cut
the bonds of Karma through Knowledge of the Eternal and enjoy the Supreme Peace of the Atman,
thy innermost Self and Inner Ruler. You will be freed from the round of births and deaths. Freed
from sin, freed from passion, you will become a Jivanmukta or liberated sage. You will see the Self
in the self and see the Self as all.
THE CONCEPT OF AVATARA
Avatara is the decent of God on earth for the ascent of man. The Lord Krishna says:
“Though unborn, the Imperishable Self and also the Lord of all beings, yet brooding over nature
which is Mine own, I amborn through My Own Power. Whenever there is decline of righteousness,
then IMyself come forth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the
sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age” (Ch. IV-6, 7, 8).
THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE
The Bhagavatas had their own scriptures called the Pancharatra Agamas which expounded
the cult of Vasudeva and which were, therefore, looked upon by them as being equal to the
Upanishads. Their religion was based on God’s Grace to erring humanity. It, therefore, greatly
emphasised the doctrine of Avatara or incarnation and popularised the immortal stories which were
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afterwards collected together in the Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. If you
study these books, you will clearly know about the glory of Lord Krishna.
You can attain God-realisation through worship of Avataras like Krishna and Rama. Many
have already attained God-realisation. Tukaram, Ramdas, Surdas, Mira Bai, Tulsidas and several
others have seen God face to face. Their powerful writings bespeak of their high spiritual
attainments.
DEGREE OF GOD’S MANIFESTATION
There are Purna-Avataras (full incarnations), Amsa-Avataras (partial incarnations),
Avesa-Avataras (inspirational incarnations), etc. The Lord Krishna has sixteen rays. He is a
Purna-Avatara. He still exists. There are His Nitya-Lilas in Go-Loka or Celestial Vrindavana.
It is only ignorant, deluded souls who speak against the doctrine of Avatara, who say that
the Lord Krishna was a human being only. They have not studied properly the holy scriptures. They
are Tamasic persons with little understanding. They cavil and carp. The Lord Krishna says: “The
evil-doing, the deluded, the vilest men, they come not to Me, they whose wisdom is destroyed by
illusion, who have embraced the nature of demons. Such is their fate.”
Friends! Worship Rama or Krishna at all times with all your heart and with all your mind.
Glorify Him in your heart. He will soon reveal Himself to you and you will feel His Presence. You
will attain immortality and eternal bliss. Glory to Avataras. Glory to the Lords, Krishna and Rama,
the Avataras of Lord Vishnu! May their blessings be upon you all.
CHAPTER 6
HINDU RITUALS
SANDHYOPASANA
Sandhyopasana literally means ‘worship at the junctions of time.’ It is a prayer and worship
offered to the Lord at the junction (Sandhi) of night and morning, forenoon and afternoon and at the
junction of evening and night. The Arghyapradana to the sun and the meditation on and recitation of
Gayatri, form the heart of the worship. Properly understood, the whole Sandhya is an earnest prayer
addressed to the Lord to forgive all one’s sins committed during one’s routine, daily activities and
to bestow illumination and grace.
Sandhyopasana must be performed at the proper Sandhyas. Then only the performer can
derive much merit. There is a special manifestation of force at Sandhyas. This force disappears
when the Sandhya is past.
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AN OBLIGATORY DUTY
Sandhyopasana is the daily religious practice of the Hindus whose investiture with the holy
thread has been performed. Sandhya is a Nitya Karma or an action that is to be done daily. Sandhya
is an obligatory duty to be performed daily for self-purification and self-improvement.
Sandhya should be performed by all followers of the Sanatana Dharma. Every Brahmachari
and every householder must perform it every day. If he fails to perform it, there is Pratyavaya Dosha
or the sin of omission. He loses his Brahma-Tejas.
According to the Hindu Sastras, a Brahmana, a Kshatriya and a Vaisya will get hell, if they
do not perform three times Sandhyopasana (Traikalika Sandhya) daily. It is for the purpose of
Sandhya only, the law of Yajnopavita-Samskara is laid down in the Yajnavalkya Smriti which says:
“The Brahmana in his eighth year, the Kshatriya in his eleventh year and the Vaisya in his twelfth
year are fit to be given Yajnopavita.” Because, only after this particular Samskara, they are
supposed to be worthy to worship Sandhya and take to Vedic rites. They should keep themselves
pure internally and externally. They can nicely understand the sacred glory of this divine science.
BENEFITS OF SANDHYOPASANA
Sandhya is a combination of Japa, Upasana, Svadhyaya, meditation, concentration, Asana,
Pranayama, etc. He who does Sandhya daily has Brahma-Tejas or spiritual lustre, in his face. A
man who performs his daily Sandhya, according to the prescribed rules, at the appointed time as
laid down in the scriptures, attains purity and success in his every effort. He becomes powerful as
well as calm. Regular Sandhya cuts the chain of old Samskaras and changes everybody’s old
situation entirely. It brings purity, Atma-Bhava, devotion and sincerity.
THE CEREMONY
The important features of this ceremony are: (i) Achamana or sipping of water with
recitation of Mantras (viz., Achyutaya Namah, Anantaya Namah, Govindaya Namah, etc.),
Marjana or sprinkling of water on the body which purifies the mind and the body, Aghamarshana
or expiation for the sins of many births, and Surya Arghya or oblations of water to the Sun-god, (ii)
Pranayama or control of breath which steadies the wandering mind, and silent recitation of Gayatri,
(iii) Upasthana or religious obeisance.
Arghya
The first part up to Arghya consists of hymns addressed to water and its benefits. The
sprinkling of water on the face and the head and the touching of the different organs (the mouth,
nose, eyes, ears, chest, shoulders, head, etc.) with wetted fingers, are meant to purify those parts of
the body and invoke the respective presiding deities on them. They also stimulate the nerve-centres
and wake up the dormant powers of the body.
The Arghya drives the demons who obstruct the path of the rising sun. Esoterically, lust,
anger and greed are the demons who obstruct the intellect from rising up. The intellect is the sun.
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Pranayama and Japa
The second part of Sandhya consists of Pranayama and Japa of Gayatri.
Suryopasthana
The third part of Sandhya is the Suryopasthana. It is a prayer for forgiveness, mercy and
grace. The prayer is: “Let me not go down to the earthly house. Have mercy, O Lord! My strength
was very weak, O Lord! I did wrong actions. Have mercy, O Lord!” These are Vedic hymns
addressed to the sun in the morning, noon and evening. The sun is the intellect in man. Ignorance is
the night. Knowledge is the light. When you rise up fr