Where to soul goes

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna Maharaja, ___o_

 

> This question came to me, if anyone can help I would appreciate it.

>

> When living entities leave their bodies is there any difference

> among them regarding how long they stay outside the body. Is it

> different to various species of life? How long does it take for a

> soul to accept another body? In other words if Yamaraja take the

> soul for punishment how long does that last before it again accepts

> another body?

 

here are few quotes from Garuda Purana's 2nd (Preta) khanda (tr. J.L.

Shastri/A board of scholars, Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology

12-14, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi 1982). From our online GP excerpts:

 

2.10.86 "Just now, I have told you that it [the soul] obtains the airy

body immediately. Now, hear about the body it obtains belatedly. [73 -

....Body is obtained both immediate and late.]

 

2.10.87 "After some time [2.30.30 - 1 year], the jiva when reaches

Yamaloka, obtains the pindaja body.

 

2.10.88-89 "As directed by Citragupta, he suffers in hell. Having

suffered tortures there, he is born in low species.

 

2.15.67 "Within three days and nights the soul assumes a new body. On

the tenth day the embodies soul longs for food.

 

2.15.74 "On the eleventh day and the twelfth, the soul of dead eats to

his fill.

 

2.15.76 "On the thirteenth day, the soul of the dead is taken to the

High Way. Now he assumes a body of the pinda and feels hungry by day

and night.

 

2.16.49-52 "There [in Yama's city, Yamya] abide honorable and

respectable Sravanas, the sons of Brahma who know and report to

Citragupta whatever good or bad actions are performed by the mortals.

"The Sravanas are eight in number [2.17.13 - 12(?)]. They move about

in heaven, hell and on earth. They can see and hear from afar. Their

women are known as Sravanis who are identifiable by their individual

names. They are the presiding deities of mortals and have full

knowledge of their activities.

 

2.18.34 "Those who have passed several years in the dreadful hell and

have no descendants (to offer gifts) in their favor become messengers

of Yama.

 

2.18.34 "Yama sends them on errand and they share with the dead the

food and drink which their relatives offer them from time to time.

 

2.18.39 "Here [in Yamaloka] he [dead man] gives up his dreadful body,

of the measure of arm, which he derived within ten days from the ten

pindas gifted to him by his descendants. ...

 

2.18.40 "He gives up his previous body for the one derived from his

actions. He receives an airy body of the size of a thumb and reaches

the sword-edged hell.

 

2.20.15 "The ghost torments his family through the enemy. While he was

in human body he was affectionate to his people, now that he is dead

he becomes hostile to them.

 

2.20.17 "He who does not observe rites, has no faith in the sanctity

of the Vedas, hates righteous acts and indulges in falsehood, is

tormented by the pretas. By doing unrighteous acts, O Garuda, he

becomes a preta in this Kali age.

 

2.20.18 "From the beginning of Satya-yuga to the end of Dvapara,

nobody became a preta and nobody suffered from preta.

 

2.20.43 "O Garuda, a person becomes a ghost and undergoes sufferings

if he dies an accidental death or if his body is not cremated

properly.

 

2.30.30 "Listen to the course of a man dying on the earth. The first

stage is that of Ativaha (subtle body in transit); then that of ghost;

then at the end of a year that of pitr.

 

2.46.9-10 "When the expiatory and deterrent tortures in hell cease,

the living beings are born again in human (or animal - 28) form with

the characteristic traits of their sins. O foremost among birds, I

shall tell you what these signs are.

 

 

And so on, about ghosts, dreams, rituals, etc.

 

But it is not clear to me if these times etc. apply to all or only to

dvijas (like in Manu-samhita).

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Your servant, bh. Jan

 

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