LIFE AFTER DEATH: What happens to us after death? Find what Sikhism, Hindu & Greek scriptures have to say. Astonishingly all have similar essence.

We shall go through concepts of AFTER DEATH JOURNEY one-by-one in Sikhism, then Hindu and Greek scriputures. The water crossing is perhaps the most universal theme in all after death accounts. Be it an 'UNFATHOMABLE OCEAN OF FIRE & WATER' in Sikhism, 'VAITARNA RIVER' in Huindu scriptures or ‘STYX RIVER’ in Greek scriptures. The details of the soul’s crossing vary, but certain common threads emerge in these accounts. Typically the water represents a boundary between this world and the next, an obstacle that signals a spiritual test. The ordeal is cleansing and, ultimately, symbolizes the transformation one’s consciousness needs to make at death. What a vast subject. Let us start from the point of separation. We will at present only focus upon a natural, peaceful death and then we will take up other forms of death.

 asatpadee.

Ashtapadee:

jah maat pitaa sut meet na bhaa-ee.

Where there is no mother, father, children, friends or siblings

man oohaa naam tayrai sang sahaa-ee.

- O my mind, there, only the Naam, the Name of the Lord, shall be with

you as your help and support.

jah mahaa bha-i-aan doot jam dalai.

The path where the great and terrible Messenger of Death shall take you,

tah kayval naam sang tayrai chalai.

there, only the Naam shall go along with you.

jah muskal hovai at bhaaree.

Where the obstacles are so very heavy,

har ko naam khin maahi uDhaaree.

the Name of the Lord shall rescue you in an instant.

anik punahcharan karat nahee tarai.

By performing countless religious rituals, you shall not be saved.

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jih maarag kay ganay jaahi na kosaa.

On that path where the miles cannot be counted,

har kaa naam oohaa sang tosaa.

there, the Name of the Lord shall be your sustenance.

jih paidai mahaa anDh gubaaraa.

On that journey of total, pitch-black darkness,

har kaa naam sang ujee-aaraa.

the Name of the Lord shall be the Light with you.

jahaa panth tayraa ko na sinjaanoo.

On that journey where no one knows you,

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har kaa naam tah naal pachhaanoo.

with the Name of the Lord, you shall be recognized.

jah mahaa bha-i-aan tapat baho ghaam.

Where there is awesome and terrible heat and blazing sunshine,

tah har kay naam kee tum oopar chhaam.

there, the Name of the Lord will give you shade.

jahaa tarikhaa man tujh aakrakhai.

Where thirst, O my mind, torments you to cry out,

tah naanak har har amrit barkhai. ||4||

there, O Nanak, the Ambrosial Name, Har, Har, shall rain down upon you.

||4||

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bahut si-aanap jam kaa bha-o bi-aapai.

Even with great cleverness, the fear of death clings to you.

anik jatan kar tarisan naa Dharaapai.

You try all sorts of things, but your thirst is still not satisfied.

bhaykh anayk agan nahee bujhai.

Wearing various religious robes, the fire is not extinguished.

kot upaav dargeh nahee sijhai.

Even making millions of efforts, you shall not be accepted in the Court of

the Lord.

chhootas naahee oobh pa-i-aal.

You cannot escape to the heavens, or to the nether regions,

mohi bi-aapahi maa-i-aa jaal.

if you are entangled in emotional attachment and the net of Maya.

avar kartoot saglee jam daanai.

All other efforts are punished by the Messenger of Death,

govind bhajan bin til nahee maanai.

which accepts nothing at all, except meditation on the Lord of the Universe.

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ਮਃ ੧ ॥ मः १ ॥ Mėhlā 1. First Mehl: ਲਖ ਮਣ ਸੁਇਨਾ ਲਖ ਮਣ ਰੁਪਾ ਲਖ ਸਾਹਾ ਸਿਰਿ ਸਾਹ ॥ लख मण सुइना लख मण रुपा लख साहा सिरि साह ॥ Lakẖ maṇ su▫inā lakẖ maṇ rupā lakẖ sāhā sir sāh. Thousands of pounds of gold, and thousands of pounds of silver; the king over the heads of thousands of kings.   ਲਖ ਲਸਕਰ ਲਖ ਵਾਜੇ ਨੇਜੇ ਲਖੀ ਘੋੜੀ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ॥ लख लसकर लख वाजे नेजे लखी घोड़ी पातिसाह ॥ Lakẖ laskar lakẖ vāje neje lakẖī gẖoṛī pāṯisāh. Thousands of armies, thousands of marching bands and spearmen; the emperor of thousands of horsemen. ਜਿਥੈ ਸਾਇਰੁ ਲੰਘਣਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਪਾਣੀ ਅਸਗਾਹ ॥ जिथै साइरु लंघणा अगनि पाणी असगाह ॥ Jithai sā▫ir langẖ▫ṇā agan pāṇī asgāh. The unfathomable ocean of fire and water must be crossed. ਕੰਧੀ ਦਿਸਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਧਾਹੀ ਪਵੈ ਕਹਾਹ ॥ कंधी दिसि न आवई धाही पवै कहाह ॥ Kanḏẖī ḏis na āvī ḏẖāhī pavai kahāh. The other shore cannot be seen; only the roar of pitiful cries can be heard. ਨਾਨਕ ਓਥੈ ਜਾਣੀਅਹਿ ਸਾਹ ਕੇਈ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹ ॥੪॥ नानक ओथै जाणीअहि साह केई पातिसाह ॥४॥ Nānak othai jāṇī▫ahi sāh ke▫ī pāṯisāh. ||4|| O Nanak, there, it shall be known, whether anyone is a king or an emperor. ||4|| ******

In a simple, calm passing over, the link between higher and physical soul is cut so gently that often for a few moments the soul is unaware that it has passed over to the other side.

Depending upon the good & bad deeds and individuals spiritual earnings, the collector of soul is finalised. If high spiritual earnings, then person’s Spirit guides, / Spiritual Guides worshipped / Shaheed Singhs / Saints / Gursikhs / Angels, are sent to collect & welcome with pride the returning soul. This being a dark age usually souls have account of bad & good deeds to be settled in the court of Yama - the Minister of Death. So usually messengers of Death - as you may name in different religions would arrive to collect the soul upon separation. We can confidently conclude that there is a THIRD ORDER which will be waiting to guide you upon death. The third order may be spiritual order or ministerial order that transports souls after death.

So in usual case the messengers of death - Yama guide you through the way, first comes a dread full ocean. What all good deeds we have done during our life time comes to our rescue to cross this ocean, Good dead may be of helping the weak, wealth donations to poor/ needy, charity, services rendered at place of worships. Most of our account containing good deeds is left empty while crossing this ocean.

If at all some good deeds left in our account are used while we reach the second destination - Dharam Raj in the court of Yam - the messenger of death. CHITRA GUPT, the registrar of YAMA takes up account and balance sheet is read out in good & bad deeds. Here too our good deeds if left would be help full in coming out without punishments.

CHITRA GUPTA write all the account of good and bad actions, but they do not look towards the devotees of the Lord. (Asa M. 5, p. 393) Meditating at the door of the Unknowable and Incom-prehensible Lord, one attained the Permanent Seat, where there is neither birth nor death nor transmigration, where the illusion and suffering ceases, where the script of Chitragupta is torn and the messengers of Yama do not have any power. (Sri Raga M. 5, p. 79)Closing the door and behind many curtains, one commits sin with the wife of another person, when Chitragupta asks for the account, then who will shield you? (Sorath M. 5, p. 616) Chitragupta is the scribe or registrar of Yama

Those who don't have such spirtual wealth would get in to the process of re births. To start with at CHITRA GUPT soul's full memory needs to be re-awakened and the soul views its every minute, every hour, every day of the soul’s physical embodiment & it reviews its life. This is the time when the soul has no physical embodiment which it can hide behind, no excuses, no escape; there is only a complete acknowledgement and taking responsibility for every moment. No, it is not an easy time for the soul. At this time the soul is not permitted communication with the physical world. After the review, however long it may take, the soul walks out of the chamber, very often regretful, remorseful, sometimes ashamed.

To go further from here towards THE LORD in SACH KHAND also called as DARGAH & DHUR, only spiritual wealth of BANI - NAMM - SIMRAN - JAAP done by us during life span comes to our use. The earned high spiritual wealth during ones life span, get their records of all deeds erased with CHITRA GUPT thus skipping the second step and straight meeting the LORD.

Having shown above the journey of a soul that desires a light. Now lets consider the other souls who do not desire light. The energy fields that we create, that you may create are all in vain, because the soul desires not to see the light, not to accept the separation from the physical world. The soul is left after a certain time. These are what you call ‘earthbound spirits’. Not all earthbound spirits are mischievous or desire to cause harm. In fact most are not. Many just wait in futile hope that they will be able to return to the physical world. This, dear ones, is ‘hell’.

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AS PER GREEK SCRIPTURES - River Styx

The Greeks held elaborate funerals to help the soul of the departed find his or her way to the afterworld. The underworld was sometimes called Hades in honor of the god of the underworld – Hades.

But it was not Hades who helped you reach the after world. They believed that the god Hermes - the messenger - acted rather like a host. Hermes led the soul to the shores of the mythical River Styx.

The River Styx supposedly separated the world of the living from the world of the dead. The deal was you had to cross the River Styx to reach life after death. The Greeks, true to form, created many a story about the perils of crossing the River Styx

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AS PER HINDU SCRIPTURES - Vaitarna river

· "One should next proceed to the Vaitarani capable of destroying every sin." — Mahabharat, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirta Yatra Parva: Section LXXXV.^[10]

· "O king, by creatures of sinful acts, and the miseries endured by those that fall into the river Vaitarani in the realms of Yama, and the inauspicious wanderings of creatures through diverse wombs, and the character of their residence in the unholy uterus in the midst of blood and water and phlegm and urine and faeces, all of foul smell, and then in bodies that result from the union of blood and the vital seed, of marrow and sinews, ..." — Bhishma. Mahabharat, Shanti Parva: Part III. Section CCCII.^[11]

· "..The torrent of blood excited fear amongst those who came to see it, as the river Vaitarani on the way to hell (the Lord of Death) is very fearful to the sinners. — Devi Bhagawatam, The Third Book, Chapter XV, On the battle between Yudhajit and Virasena.^[12]

· Vaitarna or Vaitarani (Vaitaraṇî) river, as mentioned in the Garuda Purana and various other Hindu religious texts, lies between the earth and the infernal world, the realm of Yama, Hindu god of death, or the Yamaloka and is believed to purify ones sins. Further while the righteous see it filled with nectar like water, the sinful see it filled with blood.^[1][2]. The sinful souls are supposed to cross this river after death.

· According to the Garuda Purana this river falls on the path leading to the Southern Gate of the city of Yama. It is also mentioned that only the sinful souls come via the southern gate.

However, other texts like the Harihareshwara Mahatmyain the Skanda Purana, mentions a physical river as well, that joins in eastern ocean and he who bathes in it is forever free from the torment of Yama. It first appears in the TirthaYatra Parva (Pilgrimage Episode) of the Mahabharat, where it is mentioned to be rising from the Vindhyas and falling into the Bay of Bengal after passing through Orissa as present Baitarani River. Apart from that it appears in Matsya Purana, and Vamana Purana, lastly it is the Padma Purana which reveals the etymology of Vaitarani in Vaitarani Mahatmya, where it is defined as Vai (truly) tarini (saving) and that related the legend wherein it was brought on to the earth from Patala, due to the penance of Parashurama resulting in a boon from Shiva^[3][4].

A STRANGE SIMILARITY IS FOUND BETWEEN HINDU BELIEF OF VAITARNA RIVER WITH THAT OF GREEK BELIEF OF ‘STYX RIVER’

Description of the river

This river is very frightening and when seen inspires misery. Even hearing an account of this river arouses fear. It is a hundred yojanas in width and it does not contain water. It is a river full of blood and pus with heaps of bones on its banks and mud of blood and flesh. It is impossible for a sinful soul to cross this river as he is obstructed by hairy moss and the river is filled with huge crocodiles and crowded with hundreds of flesh-eating birds. When a sinner comes near the river in an attempt to cross, it seethes and becomes overspread with smoke and flames like butter in a frying pan. It is also covered with dreadful throngs of insects with piercing stings and vultures and crows with metallic beaks. In addition to crocodiles it also contains leeches, fishes, turtles and other flesh-eating water animals. It is said that the hungry and thirsty sinful souls drink the blood flowing in the river. The sinners who fall into it wail with pain and fright. There is no rescuer for them. The hundreds of whirlpools in the river takes the ones fallen in to the lower region. They stay for a moment in the lower region and then they rise again.

The river was created only for the sinful. It is extremely difficult to cross and the other bank cannot be seen.

Ways to cross the river

There are a few ways to cross this river. It is important to note that as mentioned in the description of the river, only those souls who have sinned have to cross this river. The souls with good deeds or good karma do not travel on the path through which the Vaitarna River flows.

· The person who commits good deeds in his life and does not have to cross this river.

· A sinner who has done certain meritorious deeds can get a boat to cross the river after travelling on the terrible way of Yama for some time. These deeds include donating a cow, food, wealth or any sacrifice etc.

· It is said that even though a person is a sinner, if he is following a real spiritual guru, the sinner can cross the river holding his Guru's hand.^[7]

· If the sinner cannot cross using the above two methods, he has to wait many years till it is decided that he will cross or the servants of Yama drag him through the river.

· The descendants of the sinful soul can help him cross the river by chanting the name "Shree Gurudev Datta". This is the chant for the Hindu god Dattatreya.^[8]

Consequences of successfully crossing the river

After successfully crossing this river, the sinners reach the terrifying Southern Gate of the City of Yama. In this City the sinners along with the souls with good deeds are judged by the Lord of Justice (Yama or Yamaraja). The sinners are taken to hell and the better souls are taken to heaven.

If a soul cannot cross the Vaitarna River then he cannot be taken to hell. He is stuck at its shore. Thus this prevents him from getting reborn on earth as human or animal. These souls are considered as the ghosts who have not passed on and are stuck.

Another explanation

This is in fact a subtle sheath of the Absolute Cosmic Water element around the Earth region. This sheath itself is the river Vaitarna. After death, the subtle bodies (souls) take a dip in the Vaitarna and enter the Nether region. The remaining excretory gases and sub-vital energies related to the physical body accompanying the subtle body are discharged into the Vaitarna.

Thus the Vaitarna helps strip the subtle body (astral body) of the last vestiges of the gross body so as to make it subtle enough to make it possible for it to enter the Region of the Dead.^[9]

It can also be taken to mean that if one lives a sinful material life on earth, then one is subjected to the constant cycles of rebirth after death. Therefore when a man dies, the soul has to cross a river filled with blood, bones and tissues( symbolic of a mother's womb)in order to be born again. But if the man lived the riteous path then he does not have to cross the river meaning he can escape the cycle of rebirth, escaping also the pain and suffering.

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