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

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

[[File:Pitruyanam upwards-page-001.jpg|thumb|538x538px|'''पितृयानमार्गः ।''']]

[[File:Pitruyanam upwards-page-001.jpg|thumb|538x538px|'''पितृयानमार्गः ।''']]

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 adhyatmik 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<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" />.   

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" />.   

The law of Creation is also explained in the  Bhagavad Gita<ref>[http://bhagavadgita.org.in/Chapters Shrimad Bhagavadgita]</ref> (Chapters 7 and 8) and in the third chapter of Yajna chakra. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that the Ultimate Reality has to be realised in both aspects, transcendent as well as immanent. The Yogi who realizes both has nothing more to know.<ref name=":3" />

The law of Creation is also explained in the  Bhagavad Gita<ref>[http://bhagavadgita.org.in/Chapters Shrimad Bhagavadgita]</ref> (Chapters 7 and 8) and in the third chapter of Yajna chakra. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that the Ultimate Reality has to be realised in both aspects, transcendent as well as immanent. The Yogi who realizes both has nothing more to know.<ref name=":3" />

This complete union with the Brahman is an extremely difficult task to attain. Of the millions of human beings, very few aspire for this union, and among those who aspire for it, few make efforts to achieve that union, and of the few who make efforts, few ever reach the pinnacle of spiritual realisation.

This complete union with the Brahman is an extremely difficult task to attain. Of the millions of human beings, very few aspire for this union, and among those who aspire for it, few make efforts to achieve that union, and of the few who make efforts, few ever reach the pinnacle of adhyatmik realisation.

Sri krishna then explains about the manifestations of the परमात्मन् ॥ Paramatma as the revealed universe and the power behind it. He speaks of these manifestations as His lower and higher manifestations (Prakrtis'')''. The lower प्रकृतिः ॥ ''Prakrti'' is made up of the five elements, mind, ego and intellect. The higher Prakrti is the  ultimate ‘Powerless Power’ which creates and upholds the universe, and causes its final dissolution. In the eight chapter, <blockquote>शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते । एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः || (Bhag. Gita. 8.26)</blockquote><blockquote>śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate। ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ || (Bhag. Gita. 8.26)</blockquote>Meaning: These are the bright and the dark paths (called the path of the devatas and the path of the forefathers in the Upanishads); by the one he departs who does not return, by the other he who returns again.

Sri krishna then explains about the manifestations of the परमात्मन् ॥ Paramatma as the revealed universe and the power behind it. He speaks of these manifestations as His lower and higher manifestations (Prakrtis'')''. The lower प्रकृतिः ॥ ''Prakrti'' is made up of the five elements, mind, ego and intellect. The higher Prakrti is the  ultimate ‘Powerless Power’ which creates and upholds the universe, and causes its final dissolution. In the eight chapter, <blockquote>शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते । एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः || (Bhag. Gita. 8.26)</blockquote><blockquote>śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate। ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ || (Bhag. Gita. 8.26)</blockquote>Meaning: These are the bright and the dark paths (called the path of the devatas and the path of the forefathers in the Upanishads); by the one he departs who does not return, by the other he who returns again.