Passing In Light
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O best of the Bhārata, I shall now explain to you the
different times
When passing away from this world, one returns or does
not return.
Those who pass away from the world during the
influence of the fire god, during light, at an auspicious
moment, during the fortnight of the waxing moon and
the six months when the sun travels in the north,
And those who have realized the supreme Brahman do
not return.
The mystic who passes away from this world during the
smoke, the night, the fortnight of the waning moon, or the
six months when the sun travels in the south,
Having done good deeds, goes to the cosmic layer and
returns.
According to the Vedas, there are two ways of passing
from this world —one in light and one in darkness.
When one passes in light, he does not return; but when
one passes in darkness, he returns.
In these few verses, Kṛṣṇa describes at what time one can achieve enlightenment, how one can achieve enlightenment and how to reach that state. He also talks about how people come back into this cycle of birth and death.
He says:
Those who know the supreme Divine attain that Supreme by passing away from the world during the influence of Agni, the fire-god, during light or at an auspicious moment of the day, also during the fortnight of the waxing moon or during the six months that the sun travels in the north, referred to as uttarāyaṇaṁ.
Understand, these are not chronological calendars. If it were a chronological calendar, then at uttarāyaṇaṁ time, all of us can commit suicide and be done with it!
All these things have metaphorical meanings. When He says uttarāyaṇaṁ, He means when our mind is totally balanced. In the Mahābhārata war, in the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, it is said that Bhīṣma waits for uttarāyaṇaṁ to leave the body. Don't think he waited for January. He waited until his mind settled down from the agitations.
He had fallen in battle and was down on a bed made of arrows. He must have felt agitated. He must have felt, ‘My grandson, for whom I did everything, did this to me.’ He would have been disturbed. So he waited until the agitation settled down. That is what is meant by the words, ‘he was waiting for uttarāyaṇaṁ.’
Don't think these are chronological concepts. If they were then the millions of people who die in those six months will become enlightened. Enlightenment is not an accident! It is a pure conscious choice.
So be very clear, when He says agnir jyotiḥ suklaḥ, He means if we are conscious... agnir jyotiḥ... means when your being is conscious... when your being is fully alive, awakened, naturally you go up. (suklah means going above, Kṛṣṇa means going down)
If we live, throughout life centered on the eyes, our energy leaves through the eyes. If we live throughout life centered on the tongue and eating, the soul leaves through the mouth. So if we live throughout life centered on higher consciousness, our energy leaves through the sahasrāra, the crown cakra, the energy center on the top of our head.
Kṛṣṇa says brahma brahmavido janaḥ. He means that if we have always lived with our attention focused towards higher consciousness, we will travel in that path and disappear into Brahman. We will become enlightened.
So be very clear, these conditions are psychological. Bhīṣma waited until his mind settled. He waited until he felt completely peaceful, till he was able to forgive everybody and reach conscious awareness. Then he entered enlightenment.
Next, Kṛṣṇa says that the person who passes away from this world during the night, the fortnight of the waning moon or those six months when the Sun travels in the south, referred to as dakṣiṇāyanam, reaches the Moon but comes back again.
Again, this is also psychological. They can't say that in these six months nobody can become enlightened. They can't say, 'During the six months of dakṣiṇāyanam the enlightenment gates are locked, no entry. Only at uttarāyaṇam time, the gates are open. Come at that time.' No! They can't say, 'Dakṣiṇāyanam time is non-working hours and only uttarāyaṇam time is working hours.' There are no working hours for enlightenment. It is purely because of the conscious choice of one's being.
Kṛṣṇa says that according to the Vedas, there are two ways to pass from this world: one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not return, but when one passes in darkness, he comes back again.
What does Kṛṣṇa mean by light and darkness? They refer to the levels of consciousness one has reached. If a person leaves the body without knowing what drove him all along - his saṁskāras, his desires, fears, guilt, etc., which we call engrams - then this ignorance is what He refers to as darkness.
When we become aware of these and are free from them, we leave the body and become liberated. This is what He means by light. He says that when this happens, the being does not return to the body.
