Transmigration in the Mahabharatha and Siva Purana, Part 4

Krishna said, “Oh Son of Pandu! One who lives according the Dharma (Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha), stays away from Jeeva – Himsa (i.e. practices Ahimsa), remains always in the service of gurus, parents, family, friends and those who depend on him/her, one who shows respect and affection to the Sattvically behaved, one who gives to the Sattvic, one who especially patronizes those among the Sattvic, who know the Vedas; one who  has hosted sumptuous meals of the highest quality to the Sattvic (vegetarian) will travel in comfort on the road to Yama Loka. One who ensures that the Sattvic are well-stocked in life; umbrellas, footwear, beds, furniture, clothes and jewelry for the Sattvic womenfolk will all travel under cool, golden umbrellas, on gloriously adorned horse-drawn carriages over the sun-scorched road to Yama-Loka.  Those who give cows or pure milk from well-tended cows, yoghurt, ghee, cane sugar and honey to the families of the Sattvic will travel on golden flying machines over this difficult road. Those who give the gift of water to the Sattvic (open wells,  deep-pit wells, storage tanks, ponds, canals and irrigation channels) will fly in chariots drawn by swans over this road. Those who give sesame to the Sattvic will travel in flying vehicles with a great shining light emanating from them.

For those interested in reading further on, into this discussion between Krishna and Dharma Raja, if you look up the appropriate chapter, the following topics are discussed: Jala, Anna, Athidhi Satkara Mahima: The Great Gifts of Water,  Food and Guest Service. Subsidiary Topics: Lobham,  Ajnanam, Narakam

ACCOUNTS OF THE TRANSMIGRATION JOURNEY OF THE SOUL IN THE SIVA PURANA

(We pick up the reading of the Siva Purana midway, to a discussion of this specific topic…)

Sanath Kumara said to Sage Vyasa, "Oh Vyasa, the Great Rishi! Here! I shall give you a short summary of the different kinds of activities that make one a future denizen of Hell. Listen while seated comfortably! To deliberately set out to attract another's mate; To seek to cheat another out of (his/her) wealth; to habitually wish ill of others; to unreasonably cling to a determination to succeed at tasks in ways that are either plainly impossible or harmful to others; These are the four kinds of Culpable activities and can be called the lower or injurious modes of the mind.

Habitual bragging & bombast; Habitual lying; Habitually speaking in way that is hurtful to others; Spreading false rumors about others on the sly; These are the four kinds of the Culpable activities that maybe labelled the lower or injurious vocal modes. Desire to consume that which must not be; Engaging in the physical abuse of pranis (living beings); To be habitually engaged in acts of no consequence; Acts of theft of another's wealth; These are the four kinds of Culpable activities that maybe labelled the lower or injurious physical modes.

Therefore twelves modes of injuries in the mental, vocal and bodily realms have been given here. As we make our way across the Samsara Sagara (the journey of life across the ocean we call the world) we must guard our ego from becoming bigger than the manifestation of the Yagna (sacrifice) of the world. Surely the mortal ocean segues into the Ocean of Hell itself if the size of one's ego exceeds the Sacrifice in the world. It is the sacrifice of the Universe that enables us to be here. For our ego to exceed it, is for us count ourselves bigger than the sum total of the Sacrifice of the Parabrahmam itself. This is a demonstration of one's ignorance only and of an extreme kind, that will result in the person becoming a denizen of Hell.

Those who commit the murder of the Sattvic; those who give themselves away to drink; those engaged in the theft of gold; those who consummate a relationship with their teacher's partner; Those who associate with the above four categories of people, will acquire Culpability through association, enough to enter the 5th row of Hell purely from the knowing association alone.

In anger or greed; In fear or hatred; To assist or suggest a plan  to kill a Sattvic person under the influence of the above four passions (four of the eight Arishadvargas) is equivalent to the Sattva Hatya.

One who offers a Sattvic person a life- or dignity- saving favor, and then betrays the person or asks for it back; one who offers false evidence to help convict an innocent person knowingly in a  court of law resulting in the loss of wealth, freedom or life of that person; such a person is equivalent to the one who would commit murder of a Sattvic person.

Many Severe Transgressions fall into the category of Sattva Hatya: 1) One who practices slandering of a Sattvic person, accusing them or spreading rumors about them, resulting in character assassination and loss of wealth of the targeted Sattvic person and falsely praising themselves, attributing great qualities to one-self that one does not possess; 2) One who insults a scholar in full court, in the presence of the King and makes the scholar feel humiliated; 3) One who creates difficulties that do not exist and prevents the mating of bulls and cows; 4) One who encroaches or steals the land set aside for the grazing of the cattle; 5) One who steals the wealth of the temple; 6) One who has become wealthy through anything other than the legitimate way of fair trading; 7) One who constantly takes up and gives up vows; 8)  One who does not perform any of the Pancha(five) Maha Yagna; 9) One who gives up his/her life for drink; 10) One who casts away his/her dutiful mother and father; 11) One who gives false evidence; 12) One who enters the forest and kills all manner of innocent creatures; 13) One who sets fire along the path of cows (with the intent to harm them), in the forest or the village; 14) One who steals the wealth of the Sattvics,; 15) One who manipulates the Will of a dead person; 16) One who sells away garden, forests, lakes, women or men; 17) Men who serve one woman while dishonestly telling another that they serve them; 18) One who fails to aid a woman in extreme (injurious or life-threatening) distress; 19) One who constantly ‘tries’ other’s duties without meditating upon one’s own; 20) One who performs his daily ablutions in or next to temples, cow-halls, in a live fire,  in water, on the public street or the public gardens; 21) One who moves the stones marking the borders of one’s own or another’s land. 22) One who lets one’s men/women, children, friends, old or eager or relatives starve while he/she eats to their fill; 23) One who says he is a sanyasi and then lives with a house and possessions;

The Pancha(5)  Maha Yagna are: Deva Yagna (worship of Devas); Pitr Yagna (worship of ones forefathers);Manushya Yagna (worship of fellow humans); Bhuta Yagna (worship of other beings); Bramha Yagna (worship of knowledge)