This is an article series. Please read all previous articles before reading this article. The URLs for all previous articles are located in the www.special thoughts section.
Last week’s article involved some elaborations on Vishvaksena, Kubera, and Ashvini Devata-s, who are all in the level 18. Let’s continue with some more Devata-s who are in the same level.
Vishve–Devata-s
It has already been mentioned in one of the previous articles titled “Bhagavaan And Devataa”, that at death, it is only the outermost Gross body that separates from the other 2 bodies which wrap the Jeevaatma. There are many questions about death, and understanding these would be really helpful. Let’s look at this basic and most common question. What are the possibilities for a Jeevaatma after death?
While the possibilities are endless, they can be broadly grouped into seven possibilities.
- The first possibility is that the Jeevaatma can reach Deva Loka. First of all, what realistic idea should we have about Deva Loka? My take is… We see many billionaires in this world. We can see some videos on social media about their houses, don’t we? They are huge palace-like mansions spanning several acres of land with several bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, private pools, air strips, helipads, and so many amenities. Watching videos of such palaces and mansions on social media is one thing. How about getting an invitation to a private meeting with a billionaire in his/her mansion/palace? That is a humongous privilege, isn’t it? We will need to have accomplished something superlative, meaningful, and of immense value to earn such rare privileges. Similarly, Deva Loka is the personal space of a particular Devata. Devata-s earn such humongous amounts of Punya that they may end up living in their own personal private Loka-s. As per our Shaastra-s, there are many such Loka-s, such as Agni Loka, Chandra Loka, Soorya Loka and so on. Entry to Deva Loka requires us to have earnt enormous amounts of Punya through Karma that resulted in Loka Kalyaana (betterment of the world). We see some people, such as Sanyaasi-s, Yogi-s, and some leaders, who strive to make the lives of everyone better. They make many personal sacrifices of an extremely high order and dedicate themselves to social service. Our hope and wish is that such people will have earnt enough Punya to reach Deva Loka. But this privilege is mostly unlikely for mere mortals in this day and age.
- The second possibility is that the Jeevaatma can reach Swarga Loka. Again, what realistic idea should we have about Swarga Loka? My take is… we hear about people visiting exotic vacation spots such as the Bahamas, Cancun, the famous Theme Parks, or places such as Manali, Ooty, Lakshadweep, and so on. People who visit such spots are not really extremely rich or with superlative accomplishments. Instead, they may be like upper-middle-class families or some commoners who saved up for a vacation. They go to the vacation spot, stay there for a week or so, until the money runs out… and then return home.
Similarly, Swarga Loka is a resort and also a common meeting point for all Devata-s. A Jeevaatma will have to have earnt enough Punya to earn a visit to the Swarga Loka but not so much Punya as might be needed to reach the Deva Loka. And, like in a resort, once the Punya runs out, the Jeevaatma has to return to earth. In rare cases, the Jeevaatma may get stuck somewhere… but in most common cases, the Jeevaatma will return to earth.
- The third possibility is that the Jeevaatma ends up in Yama Loka. Once again, what idea do we have about Yama Loka? In this world, only those who violate the law of the land are produced in the court where a Judge hears arguments both in support of and against the individual, evaluates the merits/demerits of the case, and pronounces a judgment either absolving or punishing the individual. The law followed in the courts on earth will change from time to time. What was illegal in the past may be acceptable today and vice versa. Judgment pronounced will be as per the currently accepted laws. Those punished will perhaps have to serve a jail sentence. When one goes to a vacation spot and if the amenities are not up to the mark, he/she can complain. But when one goes to jail, he/she cannot complain that the jail has no A/C, bathrooms are stinky, food is not good, and so on. No one will care for such complaints. Nor can he say that he/she will go back because the place is horrible. The guilty will have to stay there until the jail term is over. However, a prisoner can be let off for good conduct while in prison.
Similarly, Yama Loka is a court. But the law in Yama’s court is Sanaatana (eternal) and does not change from time to time. The Jeevaatma’s deeds are evaluated in this court. Unlike in the courts on earth, not just the guilty but every Jeevaatma which reaches Yama Loka will be evaluated. Good deeds result in rewards, such as a visit to the Swarga Loka (heaven) and bad deeds result in suffering in one of the 8.4 million Naraka Loka-s (hell). What the survivors, relatives, friends and people in the society think and say about the Jeevaatma who passed away will be taken into consideration in the evaluation process.
- The fourth possibility is that the Jeevaatma either comes back to Bhoo Loka, i.e., the world we live in OR it never left Bhoo Loka and is lurking around (such Jeevaatma-s which are lurking around without being able to go anywhere are referred to as Pretaatma or Preta). A Preta can go through a very lengthy struggle to get a human body, not knowing where to go and what to do… But we hope that the Jeevaatma was fortunate enough to be born with a human body yet again, thus getting yet another chance to pursue its way out of this seemingly eternal cycle of birth/death.
- The fifth possibility is that the Jeevaatma was not fortunate enough to take birth in a human body, but ended up taking birth as some animal or plant, either on land or in the sea.
- The sixth possibility is that the Jeevaatma was, unfortunately, caught by some Asura Shakti. It can be in some other world or this Jeevaatma got stuck with someone who has severe Asura Avesha. This will be like how it would be when a human is kidnapped, enslaved, arrested, and forced to do things against his/her will. Asura-s will force the Jeevaatma to do Adharmik
- The seventh and the worst possibility is that the Jeevaatma was extremely unfortunate and was caught by Pishaachi-s. A Pishaachi is a Taamasik Jeevaatma that enjoys and derives pleasure from torturing others, either physically or mentally or both.
Now, once a Jeevaatma exits its body, we have no easy way of finding out where it went. This is where we need some Devata who can help us find out where the Jeevaatma went after death. And the Devata-s who can help us are the Vishve-Devata-s. Specifically, 2 Vishve-Devata-s are invoked during Shraaddha. Their names are Puroorava and Aardrava.
Interestingly, they are referred to by the name “Vishve–Devata,” implying that they would be able to locate the particular Jeevaatma we are concerned about anywhere in the Vishva, i.e., the entire universe. I don’t know this for a fact, but my hope is that I’m not wrong. If I’m wrong, then my request to the Vishve–Devata-s is to forward my request to whoever can locate the particular Jeevaatma that I’m concerned about.
There is an important thing to take note of. Suppose I request someone to do me a favor… But that person turns around and asks me “Why? Why should I do this favor to you?” Then I should have something to say that can convince the other person to honor my request. Or, ideally, I should’ve lived my life in such a way that the other person should be glad to do me a favor. It pretty much works the same way with the Devata-s too. Devata-s may not ask us “Why should I honor your request?”, but we should imagine them asking us such a question and think whether we’ve lived our lives in such a way that the Devata-s think we deserve their grace, relent, and honor our request. No Devata will honor our requests unless we are aligned with Dharma, and something good is coming out through us that benefits society. In other words, we should be part of the Devata-s’ agenda, which primarily involves upholding Dharma in all the Loka-s. But in this world, they uphold Dharma through us. Therefore, as long as we humbly submit ourselves to them and are willing to be their foot soldiers in upholding Dharma, we remain part of the agenda of the Devata-s. And if so, then we need not be worried about the Devata-s honoring our requests. In fact, they already know what resources we need and will make them available at the appropriate time. And the Jeevaatma-s of our deceased ancestors will also be taken care of because the ancestors left their legacy on earth through their descendants, who are aligned with Dharma and are working to uphold it. As the famous statement from Draupadi goes, “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita,”, which means Dharma will protect those who work towards protecting it.
The above seven possibilities should give some background as to why Hindus do something called Shraaddha to their parents and relatives who passed away. The overall steps performed during Shraaddha Pooja address the above mentioned seven scenarios. Let’s start looking at these steps.
- If the Jeevaatma that passed reached Deva Loka, then that is a very tall accomplishment. One of the easiest ways to please the Devata-s is through Homa/Havana. Therefore, this is one of the steps performed during Shraaddha. This Homa is not very lengthy. Only Vishve–Devata-s and Pitru Devata-s are invoked to accept our offerings. In my opinion, if a Jeevaatma has reached Deva Loka, then the survivors have really nothing to worry or feel sad about. That Jeevaatma is all set and is in a great place. If the survivors are continuing to do Pooja at home regularly, and observe the various festivals and mandatory Vrata-s, and contribute their best in the cause of upholding Dharma, then doing Homa is really over and above. But, on the other hand, if the survivors don’t tread the path shown to them by the Jeevaatma that passed, then doing a Homa on the day of Shraaddha just for ritual’s sake may not be of much consequence to the survivors.
- If the Jeevaatma that passed reached Swarga Loka, then that is also a very tall accomplishment. Another easy way to please the Devata-s is through feeding the learned and wise individuals, who strive to keep a good connection with the Devata-s, referred to as Braahmana-s. Therefore, this is also one of the steps performed during Shraaddha. Usually, there will be 2 Braahmana-s representing each of the 2 Vishve-Devata-s, and 3 other Braahmana-s with one representing the 8 Vasu-s, the next representing the 11 Rudra-s and another representing the 12 Aaditya-s. More about the Vasu-s, Rudra-s and Aaditya-s later. If such an elaborate arrangement is not possible (because the person performing Shraaddha is old or unwell or doesn’t have the means and/or wherewithal to arrange it), then 2 alternative steps are suggested.
First, offer some grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, some cloth, and some money to a deserving wise one (either a priest or someone who you find to be wise). Such a Daana or offering is called Swayam Paaka. Many such people in society really don’t ask anything from anyone. They focus on studying the Vedic scriptures and improving their knowledge. They will greatly appreciate your offerings. A Braahmana, who accepts such a Daana should accept the responsibility to pray for the wellbeing of the departed Jeevaatma in whose memory the descendants the food was offered to him.
Second, offer some grass and fruits to some cows. Cows are said to have Sannidhaana of all the Devata-s in them. This should explain why, among all the mammals, it is the cow that is chosen for milk all over the world. This should also explain why killing a cow is equivalent to attacking the Deva Loka, which is what the Asura-s enjoy doing. To the Asura-s, Dharma seems incorrect, and Adharma seems correct… everything good seems incorrect, and everything not good seems correct. So, anyone who feels like killing a healthy cow is subconsciously inclined to harming the Devata-s, who do everything for us without expecting anything in return. This can’t be correct. Such people can be considered to be under the influence of Asura-s.
3. If a Jeevaatma ends up in Yama Loka, then what really matters for the Jeevaatma is the legacy it left behind. The legacy may be the children, the students, the temples or organizations founded or served in, and so on. The Jeevaatma is perhaps undergoing an evaluation of its recently concluded Janma. The survivors, who benefited from the departed Jeevaatma in some way and therefore are indebted to the departed, ought to recount the good things that he/she did, forgive any wrongdoing, insults, etc., and pray that the Jeevaatma get another human body soon. Pinda Daana is offered with this intention.
Our body has 5 Kosha-s, namely Annamaya Kosha (made of Pruthvi, Aapa, Teja), Praanamaya Kosha (made of Vaayu, Aakaasha), Manomaya Kosha (comprising of Manas, Buddhi, Ahankaara), Vijnyaanamaya Kosha (Chitta) and Aanandamaya Kosha (Chetana). Getting another body basically means getting an Annamaya Kosha. Perhaps symbolizing this, the Pinda is made of cooked rice and black sesame seeds. As you may’ve noticed, the Prateeka (icon) we use to invoke and offer Pooja to Devata-s is made of materials that aren’t easily destructible even when buried, or immersed in water or put in fire. In contrast, the Prateeka we use for invoking and offering Pooja to Pitru Devata-s is made of cooked rice that perishes very quickly, thus reminding us that the body that a Jeevaatma takes is short-lived and perishable. The black color of the sesame seed should remind us that the Jeevaatma is still in darkness as long as it is stuck in the cyle of birth/death. The size of the sesame seed should remind us how tiny the Jeevaatma really is in the grand scheme of things. The presence of many black sesame seeds in each Pinda should remind us that many Jeevaatma-s will be striving very hard to get into one body.
One becomes eligible to offer Pooja and Pinda Daana to Pitru Devata-s after he loses a parent. Three Pinda-s are offered, one each for the parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent (excluding anyone who’s still alive). Parent represents the Vasu-s, grandparent represents the Rudra-s, and the great-grandparent represents the Aaditya-s (more on this in the next article).
Also, considering that the Jeevaatma goes through an evaluation process when in Yama Loka, the survivors conduct a Sabhaa that is called Shravana Aaraadhanaa. This is meant to give a chance to family members, relatives, friends, and community members to express their experiences about the departed. It is also a place to mention bad experiences (if any) and forgive the departed for the mistakes. Here, one has to use good rationale to distinguish between mistakes that ought to be forgiven and crimes that must not be forgiven. To err is human. Simply whining about every little mistake is not a good rationale. Likewise, simply forgiving everything is not a good rationale either. So, the survivors have to evaluate compassionately, forgive the mistakes, and pray that the Devata-s guide the departed Jeevaatma such that the past mistakes may not be repeated in future Janma-s.
4. If the Jeevaatma has already returned to (or never left) the Bhoo Loka and has successfully acquired another human body, then the survivors ought to pray for the well-being of the deceased ancestors. Accounting for this possibility, Vaayasa Bhojana is offered in the south direction of the place where the Shraaddha Pooja is being performed. Vaayasa means crow. The belief here seems to be that the Pitru Devata-s (Vasu-s, Rudra-s, and Aaditya-s) come in the form of crows to accept the offerings, be pleased, and, out of their compassion, take care of our ancestors who are now in a different body somewhere else. Crow is black in color, again reminding us of the possibility of the Jeevaatma still continuing in the cycle of birth/death.
5. If the Jeevaatma has already returned to (or never left) the Bhoo Loka and has ended up in an animal body, or some plant/tree somewhere, then again, the survivors ought to pray for the well-being of the deceased ancestors. Accounting for this possibility, Tila Tarpana is offered. Tila means sesame. Trupti means being pleased. Tarpana is a step taken to please someone above us. Tarpana is always offered with water (Udaka). There are 3 types of Tarpana. They are:
1. Tulasi Tarpana. Tulasi represents a lack of Abhimaana on anything, which is basically Vairaagya or Virakti. Attachment to the creator and detached attachment to his creation (this universe) is the simplest definition of Virakti. Therefore, Tulasi and Tulasi Tarpana is meant for Paramaatma, the creator, to earn his grace. Ideally, we are to do this at the end of our daily Pooja.
2. Akshataa Tarpana. Akshataa is basically rice. It is a grain that grows in a plant that produces the seeds only once and then dies. It lives only one season and is not perennial. This is regarded as a plant offering itself in its entirety for the well-being of others. Therefore, it is considered very high in Saatvik quality as denoted by the whitish color of the grain. Offering Akshata with water denotes our intent to please the Devata-s. We usually do this during various Devata Pooja-s.
3. Tila Tarpana. Tila (sesame) is a seed where the husk is black, but the seed inside is white. This aptly denotes the 2 states of a Jeevaatma, i.e., the black husk denoting the Jeevaatma which is yet to attain realization of the self and the supreme, and the whitish nutritious seed inside denoting the Jeevaatma attaining realization. Black sesame seed is used for Tila Tarpana since the Jeevaatma too is in an unrealized state by default. A Jeevaatma ending up with an animal or plant Janma means that there is no hope of realization and liberation from the cycle of birth/death in that Janma. However, one basic necessity that is extremely difficult to get for all animals and plants is water. The animals have to travel long distances just to quench their thirst. Most of the time, water holes are where predators assemble to find their prey. And plants have it even worse. Therefore, it is extremely important for the survivors to remember these difficulties and offer Tila Tarpana with prayers to the Vishve-Devata-s to set the Jeevaatma-s of our ancestors on a Dhaarmik track, be resourceful to the world even if they were born in animal or plant form.
In Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna refers to Pinda Daana and Tila Tarpana offered during Shraaddha as “patanti pitarohyeshaam lupta pindodaka kriyaa:” (ancestors, who represent the Pitru Devata-s. will experience downfall due to cessation of offerings of Pinda and water).
6. A Jeevaatma being stuck with Asura-s is, obviously, not good. What can the survivors do in such cases? Striving to please the Devata-s is a good thing. But how to please the Asura-s? Suppose someone has taken several people hostage at gun point, and another person goes in to the location to negotiate… then that negotiator is putting himself in danger, since the assailant can take the negotiator too as hostage. Getting stuck with Asura-s too is somewhat similar.
The remedy suggested to us is Bhoori Bhojana, i.e., offering a sumptuous full meal to everyone. Why? Among the things we need to be alive, the air that we inhale has the highest Satva Guna, water is higher in Raajasa Guna, and solid food has higher Taamasa Guna. Therefore, a spiritual seeker is advised to take a limited amount of food and absorb the energy from the food to the maximum extent. Eating a very heavy meal will make us fall asleep. And sleep is like the safest Taamasik takeover that we all experience and can’t avoid. With this line of thought, the Shraaddha involves feeding a lot of people a sumptuous meal. If that’s not possible for whatever reason, then at least offer some food to the needy. The hope here is that the Asura-s fall asleep and let go of our ancestors so they can move on to get another human body, grow up in a safe environment with proper guidance, and continue to assist in the upliftment of Dharma. Our request and hope should be that the Devata-s will help our ancestors in this.
7. Lastly, when someone has Avesha of Pishaachi, then such people will be torturous. They enjoy gore and torturing others. A Jeevaatma being stuck with someone like that is horrible. So… again, how to negotiate with Pishaachi-s or someone with Pishaachi Avesha?
The recommendation is Ucchishta Bhojana or eating food such that your saliva touches your food. For example, when we eat with spoons, the spoon goes into the mouth and our saliva touches the spoon. Now, if you use the same spoon, without washing it, and dip it back into the food to pick up the next bolus, then that food item has your saliva in it. If we are eating with bare hands, then licking the fingers and then touching the food to pick up the next bolus… or biting the food items (such as Laddu) and putting it back on the plate… will get our saliva into the food. And once our saliva touches food, it can’t be offered to anyone else.
In some cultures, eating with spoons, forks, and knives is a normal practice. Also, the waiters will keep filling up the plate if they see that the plate is empty because an empty plate implies that the person may still be hungry. So, they leave some food on the plate as an indication that they are full so that the waiters don’t serve them more food. Worse yet, in some cultures, people eat from the same plate and such food has more than one person’s saliva in it.
So, in the Vedic way of life, normal practice is to eat with one’s own right hand in such a way that, when the hand reaches the mouth, it doesn’t touch the saliva in the mouth. The food being consumed should be solid enough to be dropped from the hand into the mouth without the hand touching saliva in the mouth. This way, the food on the plate remains worthy to offer to others. And no food is left behind in the plate. One has to know his/her food limits and speak up when being served. The thought behind it is that food is God’s gift to us. It is scarce. It should not be wasted or thrown in the trash. The food remaining on the plate should be worthy of offering to someone else who is hungry and deserving.
Wasted and/or saliva-smeared food is what pleases Pishaachi-s. Therefore, eating food with spoons, forks, knives or licking fingers while eating is allowable only in meals served as part of Shraaddha Karma.
In summary, we are to request help from the Vishve-Devata-s and the Pitru Devata-s and pray for the well-being of our ancestors. Our prayers may include the following thoughts:
1. May our ancestors be engaged in doing good Karma. We can’t do good Karma with soiled hands or, worse yet, blood-soaked hands. Good Karma requires clean hands, which requires water. So, may there be water available to our ancestors for washing their hands. This step is called offering Arghya.
2. May our ancestors live in a place rich in Saatvik We can’t step into such holy places with soiled feet or, worse yet, blood-soaked feet. Water is required to wash the feet. So, may there be water available to our ancestors to wash their feet (This step is called offering Paadya)
3. May our ancestors have water to drink and shower without having to face life-threatening situations. These steps are called offering Aachamaneeya and Snaana.
4. May our ancestors have Saatvik food and clothes necessary for survival, honor, and comfort. These steps are called offering Vastra and Naivedya.
5. May our ancestors have access to resourceful knowledge, guidance, and protection. May they not repeat the mistakes they made in their earlier lives. May they be situated in the path of Dharma and continue to strive to uphold Dharma, and thus be servants of the Devata-s.
Prayers with a line of thought such as the above will benefit both the ancestors and the survivors and ward off any ill effects of Pitru Shaapa (curse from the Pitru Devata-s), which is very common among everyone. Most Jyotishi-s site Pitru Shaapa to be the cause of marital rifts, constant bickering among family members, and so on. They may suggest some Shraaddha Pooja or Homa, or Teertha Yaatra.
The above line of thought is my humble offering to the readers while engaging in Shraaddha Karma-s. It should not be considered a substitute for scholarly guidance, nor am I claiming the above to be 100% accurate. However, I recommend using the above line of thought as a pre-read before seeking scholarly advice.
Next week, we’ll ponder about the 8 Vasu-s in particular and the Pitru Devata-s in general.
