Hereafter

The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next is there destruction for that person; for no one who does good, my friend, ever comes to a bad end.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते | न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ||६-४०||

If he desires the world of the fathers, then by his mere intention the fathers rise up, and having obtained that world of the fathers he is exalted.

स यदि पितृलोककामो भवति संकल्पादेवास्य पितरः समुत्तिष्ठन्ति तेन पितृलोकेन सम्पन्नो महीयते

Regarding sacrifice and gifts as the best, the deluded know nothing higher as good. Having enjoyed the height of heaven won by good deeds, they enter this world again, or a lower one.

इष्टापूर्तं मन्यमाना वरिष्ठं नान्यच्छ्रेयो वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः । नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृतेऽनुभूत्वेमं लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति ॥ १०॥

Then Śaibya Satyakāma asked him: "Sir, the one among men who meditates on the syllable Om until the end of his life — which world, indeed, does he win by it?" To him he said:

अथ हैनं शैब्यः सत्यकामः पप्रच्छ । स यो ह वैतद्भगवन्मनुष्येषु प्रायणान्तमोङ्कारमभिध्यायीत । कतमं वावस तेन लोकं जयतीति । तस्मै स होवाच ॥ ५१॥

When the embodied one meets death while sattva is predominant, then he attains the spotless worlds of those who know the highest.

यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् | तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ||१४-१४||

But those who in the village pursue sacrifices, works of public benefit, and almsgiving pass into the smoke, from the smoke into the night, from the night into the dark fortnight, from the dark fortnight into the six months during which the sun moves south. These do not reach the year.

अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसंभवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिꣳ रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासाꣳस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति

From those months into the year, from the year into the sun, from the sun into the moon, from the moon into lightning. There is a person there who is not human; he leads them on to Brahman. This is the path of the gods.

मासेभ्यः संवत्सरꣳ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत्पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवयानः पन्था इति

Now those who know this, and those who in the forest meditate on faith as austerity, pass into the flame, from the flame into the day, from the day into the bright fortnight, from the bright fortnight into the six months during which the sun moves north.

तद्य इत्थं विदुः। ये चेमेऽरण्ये श्रद्धा तप इत्युपासते तेऽर्चिषमभिसंभवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाꣳस्तान्

Whoever knows this and meditates thus wards off evil-doing, comes to possess the world, reaches his full lifespan, lives long, and his descendants do not perish. We serve him in this world and the next, whoever knows this and meditates thus.

स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकी भवति सर्वमयुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते

Whoever knows this and meditates thus wards off evil-doing, comes to possess the world, reaches his full lifespan, lives long, and his descendants do not perish. We serve him in this world and the next, whoever knows this and meditates thus.

स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकी भवति सर्वमायुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते

Whoever knows this and meditates thus wards off evil-doing, comes to possess the world, reaches his full lifespan, lives long, and his descendants do not perish. We serve him in this world and the next, whoever knows this and meditates thus.

स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्तेऽपहते पापकृत्यां लोकी भवति सर्वमायुरेति ज्योग्जीवति नास्यावरपुरुषाः क्षीयन्त उप वयं तं भुञ्जामोऽस्मिꣳश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिꣳश्च य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते

Those who eat the nectar of what remains from sacrifice attain the eternal Brahman. This world is not for one who does not sacrifice — how then the other, best of the Kurus?

यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् | नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ||४-३१||

Having dwelt there as long as a residue [of merit] remains, they return again by the very way they came: into space, and from space into wind. Having become wind, one becomes smoke; having become smoke, one becomes mist.

तस्मिन्यवात्सम्पातमुषित्वाथैतमेवाध्वानं पुनर्निवर्तन्ते यथेतमाकाशमाकाशाद्वायुं वायुर्भूत्वा धूमो भवति धूमो भूत्वाभ्रं भवति

From those months into the world of the ancestors, from the world of the ancestors into space, from space into the moon. This is King Soma. That is the food of the gods; the gods eat it.

मासेभ्यः पितृलोकं पितृलोकादाकाशमाकाशाच्चन्द्रमसमेष सोमो राजा तद्देवानामन्नं तं देवा भक्षयन्ति

"Do you know why that world yonder does not become full?" "No, sir." "Do you know how, at the fifth offering, the waters come to have a human voice?" "No indeed, sir."

वेत्थ यथासौ लोको न सम्पूर्यत३ इति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति नैव भगव इति

Now, whether or not they perform the funeral rites for such a one, [these knowers] pass into the flame, from the flame into the day, from the day into the bright fortnight, from the bright fortnight into the six months during which the sun moves north, from those months into the year, from the year into the sun, from the sun into the moon, from the moon into lightning. There is a person there who is not human; he leads them on to Brahman. This is the path of the gods, the path of Brahman. Those who go by it do not return to this human cycle—do not return.

अथ यदु चैवास्मिञ्छव्यं कुर्वन्ति यदि च नार्चिषमेवाभिसंभवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाꣳस्तान्मासेभ्यः संवत्सरꣳ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत् पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवपथो ब्रह्मपथ एतेन प्रतिपद्यमाना इमं मानवमावर्तं नावर्तन्ते नावर्तन्ते

Now if he is united in mind with the two moras of Om, he is led up by the Yajus verses to the intermediate space, to the world of Soma. Having experienced greatness in the world of Soma, he returns again.

अथ यदि द्विमात्रेण मनसि सम्पद्यते सोऽन्तरिक्षंयजुर्भिरुन्नीयते सोमलोकम् । स सोमलोके विभुतिमनुभूयपुनरावर्तते ॥ ५४॥

Those who know the three Vedas, who drink the soma and are purified of sin, worship me with sacrifices and pray for the way to heaven. Reaching the holy world of the king of the gods, they enjoy in heaven the divine pleasures of the gods.

त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः पूतपापा यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा स्वर्गतिं प्रार्थयन्ते | ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोक- मश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान् ||९-२०||

The year is indeed Prajāpati; it has two courses, the southern and the northern. Those who worship, thinking sacrifice and works of charity are all that is to be done, win only the world of the moon, and they return again. Therefore these seers who desire offspring take the southern path. This path of the ancestors is matter, rayi.

संवत्सरो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्यायने दक्षिणं चोत्तरं च ।तद्ये ह वै तदिष्टापूर्ते कृतमित्युपासते ते चान्द्रमसमेवलोकमभिजयन्ते । त एव पुनरावर्तन्ते तस्मादेत ऋषयःप्रजाकामा दक्षिणं प्रतिपद्यन्ते । एष ह वै रयिर्यःपितृयाणः ॥ १९॥