Garuda Purana :The Soul’s Journey After Death and the Call to Righteous Living (part 2)

This discourse continues Part 2 of the brief discussion on the Garuda Purana, following  Part 1. This continuation comes at a spiritually significant moment—the final day of ancestral rites (Pitru Karya) and the threshold of Navratri, which begins tomorrow. Part 1 episode explored how the soul is formed, how consciousness awakens through subtle stages, and how hunger and thirst arise together from the tenth point of embodiment. Today, the focus shifts to what happens after death, as described in the Garuda Purana—a scripture that powerfully affirms that the soul continues to exist even after the body falls away.

The Soul’s Departure and the Thirteenth Day

The Garuda Purana explains that on the 13th day after death, the soul begins its solitary journey toward Yamalok, bound by karmic forces—likened to a monkey tied and driven onward without refuge.

• The soul must travel alone.

• It proceeds along the path of Yama, accompanied by fear, remembrance, and karmic weight.

• The distance to Yamalok is described as 86,000 yojanas, traversed at roughly 247 yojanas per day, continuously through day and night.

This journey is not merely physical—it is experiential, shaped entirely by one’s deeds.

The Sixteen Subtle Cities

On the way, the soul passes through sixteen extraordinary cities that exist in the subtle realm, much like towns on Earth but far more intense in experience. These cities include:

·       Saumyapur, Suryaputra, Nagendra Bhavan, Gandharva Pur, Shailagam, Krouncha, Vichitra Bhavan, Rudrapur, Sutapta Bhavan, Udyampuri (the abode of Dharma Raja)

Each city reflects karmic impressions and awakens memories of attachment—wealth, family, pride, regret.

The Painful Path of Sinners

When Garuda asks Lord Vishnu about the sufferings of sinful beings, the response is stark:

• There is no shade, no water, and no rest on the path.

• The sun burns relentlessly; icy winds strike without mercy.

• Thorns pierce the body; poisonous serpents torment the traveler.

• Fierce dogs, fire, monks, and terrifying beings attack from all sides.

The mind is forced to confront every unresolved attachment and wrongdoing.

Terrifying Realms and Illusory Realities

The scripture describes hellish regions such as:

• Forests of razor-sharp leaves

• Blind wells

• Mountains of glass

• Scorching copper paths

• Rain of embers and lightning

• Burning mud and molten ground

These experiences are described in ways that resemble modern virtual reality—intensely real, immersive, and psychologically overwhelming, even if the physical body no longer exists. Just as VR can make a person feel they are falling or standing at great heights, the subtle body experiences karmic realities as absolutely real.

The River Vaitarani

At the center of this journey lies the most feared crossing: the River Vaitarani.

• Hundreds of leagues wide

• Filled with blood, flesh, bones, and filth

• Infested with crocodiles, serpents, insects, and flesh-eating creatures

• Waves echo with the cries of suffering souls

Those who never gave charity, especially cow donation (Vaitarani Daan), are said to drown repeatedly in this river for ages. Those who performed righteous charity are aided across.

The Role of Offerings (Pind Daan & Monthly Shraddha)

The Garuda Purana emphasizes the power of offerings made by descendants:

• Monthly offerings by sons and grandsons sustain the soul

• These offerings provide strength to move forward

• Without them, the soul weakens and suffers more intensely

Thus, ancestral rites are not symbolic—they are energetic support systems.

Reflection, Repentance, and Shame

As the soul is beaten by Yamadutas and dragged forward:

• It remembers its wasted human life

• Regrets not practicing dharma

• Regrets ignoring compassion, charity, service, and devotion

• Laments neglect of cows, Brahmins, elders, and the needy

Human birth, the Purana reminds us, is attained only through great merit—and wasting it brings unbearable remorse.

A Message for the Living

Though these descriptions are intense, their purpose is not fear, but awakening.

• Listening before death inspires good deeds

• Charity is the only currency that travels beyond Earth

• Wealth, status, and power do not cross realms

• Compassion, service, and righteousness do

Modern times may have changed, but karma has not.

Beyond Fear: The Path of Light

For awakened souls, there is reassurance:

• The soul is supreme light

• It can cross universes in an instant

• Those who live righteously do not suffer these paths

• This knowledge is for awareness and meditation, not anxiety

We are human only temporarily. The true destination is the ultimate abode of light.