Chandogya Upanishad 5.10.1-8 Lecture 170 on 04 January 2026

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :

Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः

श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।

सर्वम् ब्रह्मोपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म

निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म

निराकरोद निराकरणमस्त्व निराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।

तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते

मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ

śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi.

sarvam brahmopaniṣadam mā’haṃ brahma

nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma

nirākaroda nirākaraṇamastva nirākaraṇam me’stu.

tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste

mayi santu te mayi santu.

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Translation

May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me who am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace be unto all.

Introduction to Upāsana

We are studying the Panchagni Vidya. Vidya means Upāsana, deep contemplation. Upāsana always means becoming completely one with the object of our meditation. So far, we have covered nine sections, nine of the fifth chapter. Now we have come to the answers to these five questions. First, the fifth question has been answered gradually. Other answers are being given.

The Nature of Death and Transition

We have to remind ourselves: there is nothing called death. It is a travel from one country to another country, from one world to the other world. Every day we undertake this journey. For so many hours, we are in the Jagrat Prapañca, the waking world. Then we enter into the dream world, Svapna Prapañca, where only we can know what we are experiencing. Therein the specialty is we have become the entire prapañca.

So like that, if somebody contemplates upon any aspect of God, any form of God, with the help of any name and form, he must become totally identified. The only difference: in the dream state, we may not know that it is we who have become the entire dream world. But through Upāsana, we actually experience it, realize it, know it without the least bit of doubt that we are everything by becoming one with our chosen deity. That is the difference. Otherwise, everybody would have been an enlightened person.

The Three States of Consciousness

Then, from the subtle world, dream world, we travel into the totally different, indescribable world called the deep sleep world. So that is how it is—not that after death only, but what we need to understand is that even while living this life, not only human beings, but every other creature also is continuously traveling.

And not only that, some of our Vedantic scriptures tell us that even within each state called the waking, dream, and dreamless, we are not staying in that world continuously for so long. We are one moment entering into the dream world (only it is called day dream), and we become, really speaking, continuously unconscious. The state between every two thoughts is such a state.

So it is not only these three palpably experienceable worlds, but every moment we can be in the waking loka, in the dream loka, or in the deep sleep loka. So what is the wonder? Every transition from one state to the other state is the death of the first state—or death or detachment from the first state—and entering into the second state and living there for some time, and then traveling to the third state.

The Unchanging Traveler

What is the specialty of this experience? The traveler is not changing. It is only the venue—the world is changing. And that is the analysis of some of our great Vedantic teachers. Exactly in the same way, even after so-called death, the fall of the body—and in fact, when we enter into the dream world, our physical body, as it were, had attained death, but we acquire a new body called the subtle body. And when we enter into the third state called Suṣupti, we are dead to this dream body and we acquire a new body. That's why it is called Kāraṇaśarīra, the causal body.

If we can understand this, and this is experiential by us every single day, then it would be very easy for us to understand: there is nothing called death.

The Journey After Physical Death

So we go from this gross world to some subtle world, either up or down. Both are subtle worlds. That's why, even if somebody has got the body of a spirit, a ghost, we cannot see it. Neither can they see us. Swamiji had explained this beautifully.

Supposing a person is living in a particular house in that called Ākāśa. So how many creatures, how many worlds are being experienced in that room? But we think we are the only ones who are living because we do not, or we rarely, very rarely encounter them. There are people who had experienced spirits and ghosts. There are pure people who experience, like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, Swamiji, the continuous presence of gods and goddesses. For them it is nothing strange. That's why they become fearless.

Whereas because we think only of the waking state, we are this physical body and not realizing we are totally dead as soon as we enter into the dream world, totally dead to the dream world. When we enter into the causal world, so also the physical body counts for nothing.

The Law of Karma and Rebirth

Like that, according to the, or dependent upon the actions that we do, whether they are righteous or unrighteous, dhārmic or adhārmic, the person goes and enjoys. The same thing we do in this world also. Somebody has worked hard, earned money, so he goes on a holiday—so like a holiday. But he cannot live there permanently. He has to come back and earn some more money. And then again he could afford to go. Like that, going and coming, here experiencing.

Similarly, another person, he can go to a costly restaurant and spend a greater amount of money, hopefully enjoy better type of food. But as soon as he comes out or visits a second time, he has to pay. Each time, the payment will be squeezed from that person. It is exactly the same way.

The Downward Path

And if somebody is dull—dull means most of the time impurity; impurity means evildoer—they also, after the death, they also go to other lokas, but not necessarily higher lokas. They will go to the, what in Vedanta we call it, Naraka loka, hellish worlds. Every religion accepts it.

So life is a continuous journey and we will not be freed from this journey until we reach the final destination, which is to go back from where we have come. The effect must become merged in the cause, and that is called Satyam, that is called Jñānam, and that is the state of infinity which includes infinite joy.

This is just to remind—we have discussed these points many times.

The Tenth Section: The Three Classes of Souls

Now we are entering into the tenth section.

Tat e ittham viduḥ—all that we discussed earlier: that after the death there is nothing called real non-existence. A person, according to the merit or demerit, creates a special type of results of actions called apūrva. Either he goes up or he goes down, but at the end of that experience, in accordance with the results of his past actions, he will have to come down.

The First Class: Righteous Souls

Only point we have to keep in mind: somebody had led a very dhārmic, righteous, pure life. Then his mind attains to higher state of consciousness, which is natural and belonging to that particular state. All that happiness he experiences. Then he has to come down. When he comes down, the same way he has gone up, the same way he will come down, and he will have to take another birth until he has that knowledge: "I am Brahman."

But when these righteous people come down, after exhausting their puṇyaphala, meritorious actions, then they will be entering into very suitable higher births. And that is the first class type of people.

The Second Class: Mixed Souls

The Upaniṣad describes three classes. These are the first one just now we discussed. The second one will be: they are not bad people. They do something very good. So they will attain to higher lokas, which are not too high, not Brahma loka. Experience the results, enjoy things there, then they come down and they are born again to get another opportunity, but they will be given another chance. They will be born in more or less good families.

The first class people get best families because best families offer the best opportunity for further progress. Second type of people, in accordance with their karma, they get another opportunity, but not so much like the first class people.

The Third Class: Evil Souls

But there are downright evil people and they will go down, experience intense suffering, and then they also will be given another choice, like a person who is jailed and then he will be released at the end of his period of punishment. Hopefully, he would not repeat what he had done because of which he was thrown into the jail. Exactly like that.

Karma Bhūmi: The World of Action

Everybody will return to this karma bhūmi. Our earthly world is called karma bhūmi, where we can create new karma. Hopefully, everybody will, after some experience of suffering, will turn towards good life, dhārmic life, Vaidika life, etc.

So even the evil people, when they come down, what type of birth they will have? Because of the evil deeds, the opportunities are negative. Therefore, they will be born as insects, as birds, as animals, higher or lower. Sometimes they can be like snakes, like Nahuṣa, ancestor in Mahābhārata. And this is all absolute. Etat sarvam satyam—as discussed in Pañcakopaniṣad, I think, seventh mantra. All these rituals, they are guaranteed to give their results.

So these are the few points we have to keep in mind. So this evolution will not stop until we are reborn again and again. Then wake up to the truth, then turn towards our Homa mother, like Homa bird—that is, which is God—and then start climbing back, which is called sādhana. And ultimately, by God's grace, by our sincere effort, we receive the grace of God and we become liberated.

The Path of the Gods (Devayāna)

In this background, let's enter into this tenth section.

Tad ya ittham viduḥ, ye ca ime araṇye śraddhā tapaḥ iti upāsate, te arciṣam abhisambhavanti, arciṣaḥ ahaḥ, ahnaḥ āpūryamāṇa pakṣam, āpūryamāṇa pakṣāt yān ṣaṭ māsān udaṅ eti, māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaram, saṃvatsarād ādityam, ādityāt candramasam, candramasaḥ vidyutam, tat puruṣaḥ amānavaḥ, sa enān brahma gamayati, eṣa eva ayanaḥ panthāḥ—a description of how people who led a great dhārmic righteous life are led after death, after the fall of this physical body only.

Remember, we have still got four subtlest bodies: Prāṇamaya Kośa, Manomaya Kośa, Vijñānamaya Kośa, Ānandamaya Kośa. Only Annamaya Kośa requires a new Annamaya Kośa. And every loka will be provided an appropriate Annamaya Kośa. There will be no end to this vicious circle until we become one with God.

The Ascent to Brahmaloka

But how do these people go up? Earlier we have seen how those people come down. Now in this answer to one of the questions: how do the people, where do they go? And how do they go? Where do they go? And how do they go? It is being described here.

So among them, those who know thus—that is, this knowledge of the Panchāgni Vidyā—and do it. And those who are having intense faith and perform austerities in the forest. So very interestingly, the Upaniṣad is using two words: Vana, Araṇya and Grāma. It doesn't mean a forest, it doesn't mean a village. Araṇya means where people are exclusively, more intensely engaged in performing this Panchāgni Vidyā with all their strength, etc. They can be Vānaprasthis, they can be brahmacārīs, they can even be saṃnyāsins.

So those who practice—what happens to them? So they have intense faith, they are exclusively devoting their life to this Panchāgni Vidyā, and that state is called Araṇya. Like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, "Now and then go into solitude." What is solitude? Araṇya. What is Araṇya here? Nirjana. Nirjana means complete understanding that I cannot rely upon any person. No one is capable of helping me. Only God can help. Rakṣiṣyati iti viśvāsaḥ, which is the third step in the Śaraṇāgati Gadya of Rāmānuja.

So those who practice—after the fall of this body, what happens to them? They go to light. From light to the day, from the day to the bright fortnight, from the bright fortnight to those six months during which the sun travels northward. And this is also called Uttarāyaṇa.

Understanding Uttarāyaṇa and Dakṣiṇāyana

When the sun starts traveling towards the north, usually from what is called March onwards, the summer season starts. That is called Uttarāyaṇa. When the sun starts traveling from the south to the north, then the warmth, the heat will increase gradually. When the sun travels in the opposite direction from the north to the south, he would be further away from us. Light will be less, heat will be less, cold will be more, etc.

Hindus have divided this into two. One is called Uttarāyaṇa, another is called Dakṣiṇāyana. And these two are also considered as two separate pathways leading to higher lokas, but one is highest loka, another is much lesser loka.

The Journey Through Higher Realms

So what happens to these people—first class people or class one people who exclusively practice this Panchāgni Vidyā or similar to that? Many other such contemplations are given. Agnihotra is one of them. So they travel after the fall of the body from light to day, from the day to the bright fortnight, from the bright fortnight to those six months during which the sun travels northward, from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, and from the moon to lightning.

When this righteous soul reaches the region of the lightning—and we have to understand not the lightning that we see; these are all symbols of higher and higher states of consciousness. Otherwise, moon for us appears to be a lower state. Lightning is still lower state. No. This is completely a spiritual viewpoint and what exactly it means. Nowadays we have completely lost.

And Swamiji, Swami Vivekananda, he also says, "I do not understand much about these two paths, Śukla Gati and Kṛṣṇa Gati." But he has given a beautiful spiritual interpretation which we will see at the end of this Upaniṣad, this Panchāgni Vidya.

The Divine Guide

So when this righteous soul reaches the region of lightning, a very high state—probably one state lower to the Brahmaloka—then a person who is other than human, not a human being—that means a God—comes and takes them by hand, causes them... That is, all the souls who have reached this state of lightning, existing there, and then he slowly takes them to attain Brahma. It is Brahmaloka. This is the brief description about the path of the gods, also called Devayāna.

The Nature of Spiritual Attainment

But then there are some people. So they may be householders, they may be naiṣṭhika brahmacārīs—those who have taken vows that they would not get married, they would not be saṃnyāsins, but they will lead equal to saṃnyāsin's life, a spiritual life. So these are the people who are entitled to the knowledge of the five fires.

Now, they go there. This going is not a travel. This is beautifully described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, second chapter. So Brahmavid āpnoti param—"One who knows Brahman attains, reaches."

So Śaṅkarācārya, Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya comes to our aid and interprets. What is the final meaning of āpnoti? Since Brahman is everywhere, a person reaching to Brahman or obtaining Brahman—that doesn't arise. Only that which is not obtained, and there would be something which is not obtained—only in the dualistic world, Mithyā Jagat, not in the Brahman world, not Brahma world. Even Brahma loka falls within the dualistic concept only.

How do we know? Because the person comes down or he goes up from there to a still higher state, which is called Brahman. That is a different issue. That is called Brahma Mukti. We have discussed about it.

So this going is not like traveling from your—you step out of your house, go to your office, go to the market, go to the swimming pool, etc. No, it is knowledge, the transformation of the mind from a lower state to a higher state.

The Path of the Fathers (Pitṛyāṇa)

So these people, they may be monks or recluses or hermits, vānaprasthas or brahmacārīs, they will attain. Let us not go too deep into these things. This is the condition: what happens to people, those who practice Panchāgni Vidyā, and as I mentioned, two types of people, two classes of people—those who are 100% devoted to them, those some percent only they are devoted to this Panchāgni Vidyā. Both of them go to higher lokas. That means they enjoy higher happiness.

But the person or persons who reach Brahmaloka—that is described as the highest experience of bliss. But other people go to, as we are going to see in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, second chapter, Ānanda Vimāṃsa: from this world, Devagandharva, then Karmadeva, Deva, Prajāpati, Indra, Prajāpati, Bṛhaspati, etc., etc. We will see that one. But there are higher states of consciousness. That is enough for us to understand this one.

The Second Class Path

But there are people who are living in villages. What is a village? It doesn't mean a village. It means people who are evil people. They are supposed to be like a villager. In English language, when we say, "Oh, he is a village bumpkin, pumpkin or pumpkin or whatever it is." So village pumpkin means not only an illiterate person.

An illiterate person like Swami Advaitananda—in fact Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also—academically they don't have any qualifications. That is why we make fun of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa in the Ramakrishna order. If he wants to come and join this organization, it is beautiful. I would like to join. On four counts, he will be disqualified.

First of all, he is overage. Secondly, he is married. Thirdly, he is what is called a gṛhastha. So he is not qualified at all. Once married, he will not be qualified at all. But the highest disqualification comes because he is a saint. What? A saint will not be admitted. No, Ramakrishna Mission is not meant for saints. It is for those who want to become saints.

Otherwise, you just imagine, the general secretary tells Rāmakṛṣṇa, "And you go and look after the dispensary." Immediately, with a beautiful smile, he enters into Samādhi. And then what can the general secretary do? Better to avoid this problem by not admitting at all. Overage, underqualified, married, and finally God-realized. All these are four quality or disqualifications for joining any organization. That's why they cannot join; they cannot really behave in an organization. Individually, they are fine.

The Middle Path Described

So here, "villagers" is looking down upon the people, not only because they are illiterate. There are so many illiterate saints; we should not take them as villagers. They are the highest civilized persons on earth. But those who, living in villages, as unrighteous people, practice sacrifices and works of public utility and gift—they go to smoke, from smoke to night, from night to the dark fortnight, from the dark fortnight to those months during which the sun travels southward. From there, they do not reach the year like those going along the path of the gods.

But those who are not first-class people, about them, it is said here. So these people, they also practice, they do some amount of Panchāgni Vidyā, and then they do Iṣṭa-pūrta. Iṣṭa-pūrta—that means they do a lot of wonderful... Iṣṭa means that which is dear to gods. Pūrta means sacrifices, yajñas, yāgas, etc., of some lower types. But they also unselfishly perform some public utility which is called pūrta. Pūrta means digging wells, digging tanks, and constructing guest houses, etc., etc.

They also go through the, after the fall of the body, through the sādhāraṇa path, Dakṣiṇāyana, or it is also called Pitṛloka. So they go to smoke. Smoke means impurity. From smoke to night, even more impurity. From night to dark fortnight, from dark fortnight to those months during which the sun travels southward, Dakṣiṇāyana. So this is also—we have to understand—they also enjoy. Pitṛloka is considered to be a very lower loka. And that is what we have to understand.

The Realm of the Moon

So again, this Pitṛ Loka, how the travel course is being described:

Māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokam, pitṛlokāt ākāśam, ākāśāt candramasam. Eṣaḥ soma-rājaḥ. Tat tu devānām annam. Taṃ devāḥ bhakṣayanti.

From the months, they go to the region of the fathers, Pitṛloka. From the Pitṛloka to Ākāśa, from Ākāśa to the moon, and this is the place where King Soma, the king of the Brahmanas, resides. This is the food of the deities. It is said the Devas always enjoy Somarasa. That is why Somarasa is offered to gods by those who perform this kind of sacrifices. And even we have seen for the first class people, when the person is coming down, the first thing is that this Soma is offered. Like that, here also Soma.

And here many deities reside. And these people become the food of the deities. The deities eat them. It doesn't mean like we eat food. It means they also are given the prasādam of the Devas and they enjoy there. So the sacrificer who goes to the world of the moon enjoys himself in that region and also becomes at the same time the object of enjoyment for the gods. So this person enjoys the gods and the gods also enjoy him.

An Analogy

Let us give a good example. Supposing there is a very rich family with all comforts, and a servant has good fortune of securing a job there. So this person stays there, enjoys all the sofas, etc., and he will be eating the same food that is cooked there, and he will not be experiencing that slum area atmosphere. So the masters also take the help of these servants. Servants also enjoy everything, but in their heart of hearts they know, "We do not belong to this house." So one day when the call comes, we have to get out. But so long as they are there, they will enjoy. That is the state of the people—the second type of people. That's what we have to understand.

The Return Journey

Tasmāt yāvat sampatam uṣitvā, atha etam eva adhvanam punaḥ nivartante yathā itam ākāśam, ākāśād vāyum, vāyur bhūtvā dhumaḥ bhavati, dhumaḥ bhūtvā brahma bhavati—so that is being described. It is very simple. We don't need to go into deep into it.

For every result, result of virtue, merit, it only lasts so long. And then once that is over, a person has to come back. And exactly in the same way that they have ascended, they will descend in the same way.

Residing in that region of the moon until they have exhausted the results of their righteous actions—because this is also a higher loka, higher enjoyment, far higher than what we could enjoy on this earthly world. But at the end of the exhaustion of that puṇya, then they return again the same way as they reached that place. They come to—from that world of Pitṛloka, etc.—they come to Ākāśa, from Ākāśa to air, and from air they become smoke, and then they become white cloud. Then they descend as rain. It is the same process—the highest people and the second highest people also.

Rebirth Through Food and Seed

Then that rainwater is now falling upon the earth, and then the combination transforms into food. That food is eaten. Again they will be reborn. So as I mentioned, just to remind, these second class people will be given further opportunity to progress or do whatever they want, but they will only get second class opportunity. But the first class people get first class opportunity.

In the Bhagavad Gītā also, we have seen—a person who has fallen from the highest yoga, but he had progressed a lot. When next he takes birth, he will be born in a spiritual family. At the same time, śrīmatāṃ—those who are well-to-do, wealthy families. Why wealthy families? Because the fall from the yoga is only because of certain desires. And those desires have to be fulfilled. Until it is done, they will not get 100% dispassion. So they will have to come down again.

But those who have very little desire left out, what happens to them? Such people, they will be born: athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām—they will be reborn in pure spiritual family like Balarām Bose's family. Why do I say that? Rāmakṛṣṇa certified. Even the maid servant in Balarām Babu's family is a highly spiritual person. From the time of getting up until the time of going to bed, they were all, as it were, swimming in the ocean of Harinām. That was Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's certificate to them.

The Case of Mathur Babu

But the other person, like Mathur Babu's family—because he had a lot of desires. How do we know? Because after his death, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa saw clearly that a chariot—that is a person like Brahmaloka—coming and conducting Mathur Babu to the Deviloka. Brahmaloka, Deviloka is same. And then somebody asked, "So does it mean he attained mukti?" Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa simply answered very quickly, "No, he had many desires and so he will be reborn. But in the next birth, he will finish all his desires, then he will attain mukti."

How? Only one birth? Because you must imagine the unimaginably good fortune of Mathur Babu, who served Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wholeheartedly, obeyed him. Yes, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had to utter a word and it will be immediately executed. For 14 years he served like that. So the whole family was like that. Rāṇī Rāsmani was like that. Mathur Babu was like that. And his wife Jagadamba, she was like that. But Mathur Babu's first eldest son was also devoted like his father. But his second son, Purṇokyānāth Biswas, he did not have that faith, that devotion. So he caused some anxiety to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also.

The Process of Rebirth

But talking about these people, then what happens? The water, the watery cloud that is called megha, and it rains.

Te iha vṛkṣa yavā oṣadhi vanaspatayaḥ te lā māṃsaḥ iti. Athavā ikalu dhuta niṣpataram, yaḥ yaḥ hi annam atti, yaḥ retaḥ siñcati, tat bhūyaḥ eva bhavati.

They are born in this world as rice and barley, herbs and trees, sesame plants and beans. But the release from this is more difficult. For whoever eats the food and sows the seed, they become like him only. That means he will be born in appropriate families.

Teaching on Spiritual Progress

What we have to understand here is very, very important. What is important? We are given here the teachings: how to improve our life. And this teaching comes from the scriptures called Vedas in the form of Upaniṣads, in the form of Gītā, in the form of the teachings of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa like Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Gospel of Holy Mother, writings and lectures of Swami Vivekananda, and teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Nārada, Tulasīdās, Sūrdās, Kabīrdās—infinite, countless saints have been born, especially in India. And even Christian devotees, like he who has written Imitation of Christ. So many Sufi saints in Islam. Even now, saints are born. This process will not stop. So their teachings are nothing but God's words, which are called Vedas.

So follow any one of them. And all of them teach exactly the same thing, which Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say: "All jackals howl the same way." So find out a good teacher. Surrender yourself to him. Follow him. And who is a good teacher? He who talks nothing else excepting the word of God. Not misinterpreting, not teaching contrary to Vedic tradition, and whose life is an exemplary life. Such a person is called a good person, a guru. Close your eyes if you are lucky to find such a person and follow him.

The Three Classes of Rebirth

A description is going on. There is no need for us to go deep into it.

Tad ye iha ramaṇīya-caraṇāḥ, abhyāśāḥ ha yat te ramaṇīyaṃ yonim āpadyeran, brāhmaṇa-yonim vā, kṣatriya-yonim vā, vaiśya-yonim vā.

First and Second Class Rebirths

These two types of people—first class first, first class second—among them those who have good residual results of actions. Because we have to understand: puṇya saṃskāras, spiritual saṃskāras, will be there. Like an intelligent person goes to a hotel and forgets everything, enjoys his life, comes back—his intelligence is not exhausted. Only the result of his intelligence is exhausted. Like that, these people—saṃskāras—will be left behind. And then those saṃskāras again inspire those persons to perform the same things or even better things. Like that, sometime they have to go up and come down, go up and come down.

Then they wake up: "I don't want this going up and come down. I want to go to such a place where I will never again na punar āvartante, na punar bhavāmi—I do not want to be reborn again." Such people are called Ramaṇīya-caraṇāḥ. Ramaṇīya means very acceptable, beautiful conduct, behavior. Caraṇāḥ means ācaraṇāḥ—those who practice, abhyāsāḥ.

So that means what? Quickly, immediately, as soon as they are born—so yet Ramaṇīyam yonim—very beautiful womb. That means the parents will be good, family will be good. What type of families? They retain quickly after coming down: Brāhmaṇa yonim—a good Brāhmaṇa (not a quarrelsome, greedy, what is called cheating Brāhmaṇa; no, a really good Brāhmaṇa family), yoni means family; or a good Kṣatriya family, or a good Vaiśya family, but not Śūdra family. That is what it is. Śūdra means an impure person, nothing to do with birth.

So among them, those good residual results of actions, puṇya here and in this world, left as residue after the enjoyment in the region of the moon, quickly reach a good womb—a womb of a Brāhmaṇa or of a Kṣatriya or of a Vaiśya.

Third Class: Evil Rebirths

Now comes the description of the third class of people who are not good. On the contrary, evil—could be very evil, etc. That is being described here. But those who knowingly lead an evil, unrighteous life, their behavior goes totally against the scriptural injunctions. Such people, where do they go after death to experience the results of their what is called adhārmic actions, unrighteous actions?

So unlike some religions, there is no eternal hell. Temporary action, only temporary result. So he will be coming back. But again, as I said, they will be also going down, not going up. Going down means what? Not literally going down, but their states of consciousness become more and more covered up, more and more impure, dirty. So the reflection of happiness will be less and less and less. That means they suffer more. That is called hell.

Atha ye iha kapūya-caraṇāḥ abhyāśāḥ ha yat te kapūyam yonim āpadyeran—earlier, Ramaṇīya-caraṇāḥ. Kapūya means evil, abhyāśāḥ. Ha yet kapūyam yonim—impure families, impure, what is called mother's wombs, āpadyeran. So if their evil is less, they will be given another chance to be born in some low caste, evil families.

Always remember, low caste doesn't mean nowadays it has become an affair of birth. Even a Brāhmaṇa who leads a very, what is called, unhealthy, unspiritual, worldly, selfish life, he is not a Brāhmaṇa. He is only an asparśya. But persons, they may be illiterate, but they may be leading, because of the pūrvajana saṃskāra, a very spiritual life. We can perhaps quote Laṭu Mahārāj, Swami Adbhutānanda. What wonderful saṃskāras he had developed. And Ṭhākur realized it, kept with him, awakened him, took his hand and led him to the highest realization.

Lower Births

So what happens to these evil people? As soon as they had undergone that suffering, that would be the end of the result of their evil actions. Again they will come and quickly they will enter into—depending upon the intensity, percentage of their evil life—kapūyam yonim, evil womb, āpadyaram—may be human beings but of the lowest kind, or śvayonim may be into a dog's family, sūkarayonim or a pig's family or a caṇḍāla yonim.

Very wonderful words Upaniṣad is using here. So a dog's womb and a pig's womb may be far superior to a caṇḍāla yonim. Remember, Śaṅkarācārya addressed in Kāśī, one low-caste person, "Dūram apasarva re caṇḍāla." Here the Upaniṣad is telling who is a caṇḍāla: worse than a dog, worse than a pig, and certainly worse than a dog.

Why do I say? There are so many stories. Somebody had written marvelous research and he had written a book, The Dogs That Know When Their Masters Are Coming Home, and how many dogs saved the lives of so many of their masters. Once you start loving them, giving them a little type of food, whole life they will be jumping up and down. The moment they see, they cannot express their joy—they go on wagging their tails. Do you see any human being wagging? Even if you give your entire fortune, they will be wagging their fingers and pointing out, "You could have given more," or "I am just making fun, you could have died earlier. Why should I inherit? After so many years of suffering, you should have kicked the bucket 20 years back," etc.

So a person enters, and he will have to wait for a long time, and then another opportunity will be given. This is what we're talking about: the third type of result, people, third class people.

The Continuous Cycle

Tena asau lokaḥ na saṃpūriyate, tasmāt jugupseta. Tat iṣa ślokaḥ.

Very briefly, we will take up the meaning and then discuss about it in our next class. Then, by neither of those first class two paths do they go. They keep repeatedly revolving, being born as small creatures, subject to the saying. Their life is in vain. They are born, they die. Again, they are born, they die. So this is the third state.

Therefore, that region of the moon is never filled up. That means these people, they go up, they come down. That's why there will be people who go, who are moving all the time. And like the Eiffel Tower, or what is called... like that, some people get in and then they get out. New people get in, get out. They are coming and going. These are called saṃsārīs—that is, those who are traveling and again and again being born.

And this is a beautiful topic. I will talk about it in our next class.

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :

Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!