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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 Brahman. This path leads to salvation and takes the devotee to 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   

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

* Reaches the अर्चिर्देवाः || archirdeva (the Adityas) or light during उत्क्रमणम् || Utkramana time or during departing time.   

* Reaches the अर्चिर्देवाः || archirdeva (the Adityas) or light during उत्क्रमणम् || Utkramana time or during departing time.   

* The ब्रह्मज्ञानी || Brahmajnani continues on his journey through the daytime through the शुक्लपक्षः || shukla paksha (bright half of the lunar month).   

* The ब्रह्मज्ञानी || Brahmajnani continues on his journey through the daytime through the शुक्लपक्षः || shukla paksha (bright half of the lunar month).   

The human body is likened to the Cosmos. The ब्रह्मज्ञानी || Brahmajnani (the wise one) goes to the higher realm through heart veins which are beyond hundred, unlike the ordinary person who transits through the veins lesser in number.<ref name=":3" />

The human body is likened to the Cosmos. The ब्रह्मज्ञानी || Brahmajnani (the wise one) goes to the higher realm through heart veins which are beyond hundred, unlike the ordinary person who transits through the veins lesser in number.<ref name=":3" />

A critical question that arises is, how does he perceive through which veins he is passing through? Such discussion is unwarranted as one who has worshiped the परमपुरुषः ॥ Parama Purusha, is absorbed in the ultimate goal; the wise seeker who through his own education and by divine grace being illuminated, is able to recognize the veins that help him depart to a higher realm. Such an advanced soul can transit through the path of light and even if such a person dies at night or in दक्षिणायनम् || Dakshinayana, the ज्ञानी ॥ jnani will attain ब्रह्मलोकः || brahmaloka (Moksha).<ref name=":3">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

A critical question that arises is, how does he perceive through which veins he is passing through? Such discussion is unwarranted as one who has worshiped the परमपुरुषः ॥ Parama Purusha, is absorbed in the ultimate goal; the wise seeker who through his own education and by divine grace being illuminated, is able to recognize the veins that help him depart to a higher realm. Such an advanced soul can transit through the path of light and even if such a person dies at night or in दक्षिणायनम् || Dakshinayana, the ज्ञानी ॥ jnani will attain brahmaloka (Moksha).<ref name=":3">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

== पितृयानम् || Pitruyana (Path to the Realm of Pitrus) ==

== पितृयानम् || Pitruyana (Path to the Realm of Pitrus) ==

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 sacrifices such as 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 sacrifices such as 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" />