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In Chandogya Upanishad, in answer to these questions, the explanation about the Devayana and Pitruyana is given.  

In Chandogya Upanishad, in answer to these questions, the explanation about the Devayana and Pitruyana is given.  

== देवयानम् || Devayana (Path to the Realm of Brahma) ==

== देवयानम् || Devayana (Path to the Realm of Brahma) ==

The Devayana path also called as Northern path or the path of light is the path by which the student or साधकः ॥ sadhaka of Brahmavidya goes to ब्रह्मन् ॥ Brahman. This path leads to salvation and takes the devotee to ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ Brahmaloka. These sadhakas consider the worship of Brahman above the religious rites and are called अपरविद्या-उपासकाः ॥ Aparavidya upasakas<ref name=":1" />. The student who receives ब्रह्मविद्या || Brahmavidya with श्रद्धा || shraddha (devotion) while doing तपस् || tapa in the forest follows the path as described in Chandogya Upanishad (Adhyaya 5).<ref name=":2">Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AB Adhyaya 5])</ref><blockquote>तद्य इत्थं विदुः । ये चेमेऽरण्ये श्रद्धा तप इत्युपासते तेऽर्चिषमभिसम्भवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाँस्तान् ॥ १ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.1)</blockquote><blockquote>tadya itthaṃ viduḥ । ye ceme'raṇye śraddhā tapa ityupāsate te'rciṣamabhisambhavantyarciṣo'harahna āpūryamāṇapakṣamāpūryamāṇapakṣādyānṣaḍudaṅṅeti māsām̐stān ॥ 1 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.1)</blockquote><blockquote>मासेभ्यः संवत्सरँ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत्पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवयानः पन्था इति ॥ २ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.2)</blockquote><blockquote>māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaram̐ saṃvatsarādādityamādityāccandramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tatpuruṣo'mānavaḥ sa enānbrahma gamayatyeṣa devayānaḥ panthā iti ॥ 2 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.2)</blockquote>It can be summarized as follows   

The Devayana path also called as Northern path or the path of light is the path by which the student or साधकः ॥ sadhaka of Brahmavidya goes to ब्रह्मन् ॥ Brahman. This path leads to salvation and takes the devotee to ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ Brahmaloka. These sadhakas consider the worship of Brahman above the religious rites and are called अपरविद्या-उपासकाः ॥ Aparavidya upasakas<ref name=":1" />. The student who receives ब्रह्मविद्या || Brahmavidya with श्रद्धा || shraddha (devotion) while doing तपस् || tapa in the forest follows the path as described in Chandogya Upanishad (Adhyaya 5).<ref name=":2">Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AB Adhyaya 5])</ref><blockquote>तद्य इत्थं विदुः । ये चेमेऽरण्ये श्रद्धा तप इत्युपासते तेऽर्चिषमभिसम्भवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाँस्तान् ॥ १ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.1)</blockquote><blockquote>tadya itthaṃ viduḥ । ye ceme'raṇye śraddhā tapa ityupāsate te'rciṣamabhisambhavantyarciṣo'harahna āpūryamāṇapakṣamāpūryamāṇapakṣādyānṣaḍudaṅṅeti māsām̐stān ॥ 1 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.1)</blockquote><blockquote>मासेभ्यः संवत्सरँ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत्पुरुषोऽमानवः स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवयानः पन्था इति ॥ २ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.2)</blockquote><blockquote>māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaram̐ saṃvatsarādādityamādityāccandramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tatpuruṣo'mānavaḥ sa enānbrahma gamayatyeṣa devayānaḥ panthā iti ॥ 2 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.2)</blockquote>It can be summarized as follows<ref name=":6">Jha, Ganganatha. (1923). ''The Chandogya Upanishad and Sri Sankara's Commentary, Fourth Volume.'' Madras:The India Printing Works.</ref><ref name=":7">Jha, Ganganatha. (1942) ''The Chandogyopanishad (A treatise on Vedanta Philosophy translated into English with The Commentary of Sankara)'' Poona : Oriental Book Agency</ref>  

Those who know this (the philosophy of [[Panchagni Vidya (पञ्चाग्नि विद्या)|पञ्चाग्निविद्या ॥ Panchagnividya]]), and those who meditate upon faith and penance, follow this path   

Those who know this (the philosophy of [[Panchagni Vidya (पञ्चाग्नि विद्या)|पञ्चाग्निविद्या ॥ Panchagnividya]]), and those who meditate upon faith and penance, follow this path   

People unable to live a spiritual life, a life of meditation, having no knowledge whatsoever of the higher truths of life, yet have done पुण्यकर्माणि ॥ punya karmas (good deeds) in this world, with सात्विक ॥ satvika thoughts, deeds and charities, दानगुणः ॥ danaguna and who are परहितचिन्तकाः ॥ parahitachintaka (ie.who think of the welfare of others), accumulate the merits equivalent to that obtained by performing great yajnas. Such good people by means of virtue do not go along the path of light. Rather, they go along the Southern Path of Return.<ref name=":4" />

People unable to live a spiritual life, a life of meditation, having no knowledge whatsoever of the higher truths of life, yet have done पुण्यकर्माणि ॥ punya karmas (good deeds) in this world, with सात्विक ॥ satvika thoughts, deeds and charities, दानगुणः ॥ danaguna and who are परहितचिन्तकाः ॥ parahitachintaka (ie.who think of the welfare of others), accumulate the merits equivalent to that obtained by performing great yajnas. Such good people by means of virtue do not go along the path of light. Rather, they go along the Southern Path of Return.<ref name=":4" />

They embark on another kind of life journey which involves discharging one’s functional responsibilities or [[dharma]] and fulfilling material desires with no direction towards acquiring Brahmavidya and then eventually death. This is called धूममार्गः ॥ dhuma marga (the path of smoke) or दक्षिणयानपथः ॥ dakshinayana-patha (the Southern movements) which is, again, presided over by divinities as described in Chandogya Upanishad<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसम्भवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिँ रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासाँस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति ॥ ३ ॥(Chan. Upan. 5.10.3)</blockquote><blockquote>atha ya ime grāma iṣṭāpūrte dattamityupāsate te dhūmamabhisambhavanti dhūmādrātrim̐ rātreraparapakṣamaparapakṣādyānṣaḍdakṣiṇaiti māsām̐stānnaite saṃvatsaramabhiprāpnuvanti ॥ 3 ॥(Chan. Upan. 5.10.3) </blockquote><blockquote>मासेभ्यः पितृलोकं पितृलोकादाकाशमाकाशाच्चन्द्रमसमेष सोमो राजा तद्देवानामन्नं तं देवा भक्षयन्ति ॥ ४ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.4)</blockquote><blockquote>māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokaṃ pitṛlokādākāśamākāśāccandramasameṣa somo rājā taddevānāmannaṃ taṃ devā bhakṣayanti ॥ 4 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.4)</blockquote>This path can be summarized as follows.   

They embark on another kind of life journey which involves discharging one’s functional responsibilities or [[dharma]] and fulfilling material desires with no direction towards acquiring Brahmavidya and then eventually death. This is called धूममार्गः ॥ dhuma marga (the path of smoke) or दक्षिणयानपथः ॥ dakshinayana-patha (the Southern movements) which is, again, presided over by divinities as described in Chandogya Upanishad<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसम्भवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिँ रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासाँस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति ॥ ३ ॥(Chan. Upan. 5.10.3)</blockquote><blockquote>atha ya ime grāma iṣṭāpūrte dattamityupāsate te dhūmamabhisambhavanti dhūmādrātrim̐ rātreraparapakṣamaparapakṣādyānṣaḍdakṣiṇaiti māsām̐stānnaite saṃvatsaramabhiprāpnuvanti ॥ 3 ॥(Chan. Upan. 5.10.3) </blockquote><blockquote>मासेभ्यः पितृलोकं पितृलोकादाकाशमाकाशाच्चन्द्रमसमेष सोमो राजा तद्देवानामन्नं तं देवा भक्षयन्ति ॥ ४ ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.4)</blockquote><blockquote>māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokaṃ pitṛlokādākāśamākāśāccandramasameṣa somo rājā taddevānāmannaṃ taṃ devā bhakṣayanti ॥ 4 ॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.4)</blockquote>This path can be summarized as follows<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" />.   

* Those living in the villages, perform deeds of dharma, works of public utility. Such sadhakas during Utkramana time are received by the smoke (वायुदेवताः ॥ vayu devatas). From there they continue their journey at night time.  

* Those living in the villages, perform deeds of dharma, works of public utility. Such sadhakas during Utkramana time are received by the smoke (वायुदेवताः ॥ vayu devatas). From there they continue their journey at night time.  

* Such a soul moves to the realm of the कृष्णपक्षः || krsnapaksha (dark half of the lunar month) and then onto the southern direction. From here they do not go to the realm of the Samvatsara devatas but move in a different direction.  

* Such a soul moves to the realm of the कृष्णपक्षः || krsnapaksha (dark half of the lunar month) and then onto the southern direction. From here they do not go to the realm of the Samvatsara devatas but move in a different direction.  

* They dwell there (in the realm of Moon) till their karma is exhausted and these souls come back to पृथ्वीलोकः || Prthvi loka using the same path that they had used to go up, through the Akasha, Vayu, Smoke, Cloud and Rain.   

* They dwell there (in the realm of Moon) till their karma is exhausted and these souls come back to पृथ्वीलोकः || Prthvi loka using the same path that they had used to go up, through the Akasha, Vayu, Smoke, Cloud and Rain.   

* Determined by one’s कर्म || karma, the soul is reborn embodied through  औषधाः || medicinal herbs / varieties of roots, वृक्षः || vrksha (tree) form, अन्नम् || anna (rice, barley, wheat, sesame) which when consumed by man forms the पुरुषबीजः || Purusha beeja (Semen) and then through स्त्रीगर्भः || Stree garbha (Womb of a woman) takes rebirth on the earth.[[File:Pritruyana-page-001.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|841x841px|'''''Pitruyana Marg : The Jivatma (soul) coming back to the earth evolves from a plant to man in the above order.''''']]

* Determined by one’s कर्म || karma, the soul is reborn embodied through  औषधाः || medicinal herbs / varieties of roots, वृक्षः || vrksha (tree) form, अन्नम् || anna (rice, barley, wheat, sesame) which when consumed by man forms the पुरुषबीजः || Purusha beeja (Semen) and then through स्त्रीगर्भः || Stree garbha (Womb of a woman) takes rebirth on the earth.[[File:Pritruyana-page-001.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|841x841px|'''''Pitruyana Marg : The Jivatma (soul) returning to the earth follows the above path.''''']]

  <blockquote>तद्य इह रमणीयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते रमणीयां योनिमापद्येरन्ब्राह्मणयोनिं वा क्षत्रिययोनिं वा वैश्ययोनिं वाथ य इह कपूयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते कपूयां योनिमापद्येरन् श्वयोनिं वा सूकरयोनिं वा चण्डालयोनिं वा ॥७॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.7)</blockquote><blockquote>tadya iha ramaṇīyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte ramaṇīyāṃ yonimāpadyeranbrāhmaṇayoniṃ vā kṣatriyayoniṃ vā vaiśyayoniṃ vātha ya iha kapūyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte kapūyāṃ yonimāpadyeran śvayoniṃ vā sūkarayoniṃ vā caṇḍālayoniṃ vā ॥7॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.7)</blockquote>Meaning : By the power of धर्मः || dharma, कर्म || karma (दैवम् || daiva) and good conduct, through these grains, souls accept the wombs according to a definite principle and may be born either as a ब्राह्मणः || brahmana, क्षत्रियः || kshatriya or वैश्यः || vaishya. Such pious people are called as रमणीयचरणाः || ramaniya charana.  

  <blockquote>तद्य इह रमणीयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते रमणीयां योनिमापद्येरन्ब्राह्मणयोनिं वा क्षत्रिययोनिं वा वैश्ययोनिं वाथ य इह कपूयचरणा अभ्याशो ह यत्ते कपूयां योनिमापद्येरन् श्वयोनिं वा सूकरयोनिं वा चण्डालयोनिं वा ॥७॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.7)</blockquote><blockquote>tadya iha ramaṇīyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte ramaṇīyāṃ yonimāpadyeranbrāhmaṇayoniṃ vā kṣatriyayoniṃ vā vaiśyayoniṃ vātha ya iha kapūyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte kapūyāṃ yonimāpadyeran śvayoniṃ vā sūkarayoniṃ vā caṇḍālayoniṃ vā ॥7॥ (Chan. Upan. 5.10.7)</blockquote>Meaning : By the power of धर्मः || dharma, कर्म || karma (दैवम् || daiva) and good conduct, through these grains, souls accept the wombs according to a definite principle and may be born either as a ब्राह्मणः || brahmana, क्षत्रियः || kshatriya or वैश्यः || vaishya. Such pious people are called as रमणीयचरणाः || ramaniya charana.