IF THE EMBODIED ONE MEETS WITH DEATH WHEN ‘SATTWA’ IS PREDOMINANT — In the scheme of the thought-development in Geeta, Krishna now gives us an idea as to the direction in which the mental-equipment of a dead one will move after death. This can be, to a large extent, scientifically determined by a close and intelligent observation of his mental behaviour even during life. A doctor cannot, all of a sudden one fine morning, start thinking of and solving a subtle architectural problem nor can an engineer overnight feel inspired to write out a prescription for cancer. The doctor has trained his mind for thinking on medicines and disease and the engineer has trained himself to solve the problems of constructive destruction! At any given moment, the mind of a doctor will be thinking of medicines alone, in conformity with his education and the type of thoughts his mind is trained to entertain.

Thus, there is a continuity of thought-life in this embodiment; this year’s thoughts have a continuity with our last year’s thoughts; this month’s thoughts are determined by the last month’s thoughts; this week’s thoughts are an extension of last week’s thoughts; today’s thoughts are continued tomorrow. And every moment is an extension of the previous moment’s thoughts. If, thus, there is a continuous development and growth observable in the thought-life, in its unbroken continuity connecting the past, the present, and the future into one unbroken flow, then, there is no reason why, at the time of death, this continuity should suddenly end. Death is only another experience; it will certainly colour the thoughts that follow it — but then all experiences have been colouring all our past thoughts, and our future thoughts are being coloured by our present experiences. Therefore, the type of thoughts entertained during our life-time should determine the type of thoughts we will entertain soon after our departure from this physical structure.

If the embodied one leaves the present physical structure — and therefore, his present environments and relationship — he should continue his thought-life. The direction in which it will make its flight is determined by the type of training it had acquired during its sojourn in its embodied state here.

If Sattwa predominates, then, HE ATTAINS TO THE SPOTLESS REGIONS OF THE “KNOWERS OF THE HIGHEST” — It is a concept in our Scriptures (Agamas) that the highest realm of abundant joy, unaffected by any excessive Rajas or Tamas, is the realm of the Creator, Brahmaloka — supremely happy and extremely creative.

WHILE IN ‘RAJAS,’ IF ONE DEPARTS:

Yada etc. Rajasi etc. When the Sattva is predominantly on the increase on account of increase on account on account of incessantly practising actions of the Sattva throughout the entire life-at that [time] having met dissolution [of body], one attains the auspicious worlds. Likewise whosoever has practised throughout his life the activities of the Rajas, he, by his [last] journey attains manhood for mixed enjoyment. Likewise : i.e. in the same order, if one practises action of the Tamas alone by one’s entire life, then [on his death] he is reborn in the bodies of the hell, of the animals, of the trees and so on. Those, who explain [the passage under study to the effect] : ‘These results [are for him in whom] the Sattva etc., have predominantly increased only at the time of death’ – these commentators have not correctly entered into (grasped) the behaviour of the embodied. For, nothing but delusion arises, by all means at the last moment, without exception in the case of one and all. However, with regard to our explanation [given above] these passages and other verses (Ch. VIII, 5ff) speak in one voice.