, rushes upwards, from a situation of distress,
leaving the embodied creature. It is even thus that the wind leaves the
body. Then is seen breathlessness. The man then becomes destitute of
heat, of breath, of beauty, and of consciousness. Deserted by Brahman
(for Jiva is Brahman), the person is said to be dead. By those ducts
through which he perceives all sensuous objects, the bearer of the body
no longer perceives them. It is the eternal Jiva who creates in the body
in those very ducts the life-breaths that are generated by food. The
elements gathered together become in certain parts firmly united. Know
that those parts are called the vitals of the body. It is said so in the
Sastras. When those vital parts are pierced, Jiva, rising up, enters the
heart of the living creature and restrains the principle of animation
without any delay. The creature then, though still endued with the
principle of consciousness, fails to know anything. The vital parts being
all overwhelmed, the knowledge of the living creature becomes overwhelmed
by darkness. Jiva then, who has been deprived of everything upon which to
stay, is then agitated by the wind. He then, deeply breathing a long and
painful breath, goes out quickly, causing the inanimate body to tremble.
Dissociated from the body, Jiva, however, is surrounded by his acts. He
becomes equipped on every side with all his auspicious acts of merit and
with all his sins. Brahmanas endued with knowledge and equipped with the
certain conclusions of the scriptures, know him, from indications, as to
whether he is possessed of merit or with its reverse. Even as men
possessed of eyes behold the fire-fly appearing and disappearing amid
darkness, men possessed of the eye of knowledge and crowned with success
of penances, behold, with spiritual vision, Jiva as he leaves the body,
as he is reborn, and as he enters the womb. It is seen that Jiva has
three regions assigned to him eternally. This world where creatures dwell
is called the field of action. Accomplishing acts good or bad, all
embodied creatures attain to the fruits thereof. In consequence of their
own acts, creatures acquire even here superior or inferior enjoyments.
Doers of evil deeds here, in consequence of those acts of theirs, attain
to Hell. This condition of sinking with head downwards, in which
creatures are cooked, is one of great misery. It is such that a rescue
therefrom is exceedingly difficult. Indeed, one should strive hard