Query:
What is believed to be the time between death and rebirth? Is it on the thirteenth day after death that the
soul enters the womb of a mother as believed or much later
?
Vijay Kumar:
Before discussing the concept of rebirth... one of the most controversial
subjects of Hinduism grossly misunderstood world over... we need to know the interrelationship between the
soul atman, the physical manifest life... the form of human beings And death of the body! The concept of
rebirth in Hinduism is totally flawed... it is not rebirth but a new manifestation by the soul atman
within!
Starting from beginning... it is our soul atman that is on its cosmic
journey of 8.4 million manifestations... a cosmic life cycle of 96.4 million earthly years! This entire span
is one single life for the soul atman within. After the death of a body... the soul atman manifests a new
body... a new journey of life!
Although the new body is directly and also indirectly connected to the
old body but the underlying crux is... the new body never comes to know of the old body. Alternatively, the
present body does not know the new form it shall manifest after the death of the body. The new form is taken
by the soul atman within based on the residual balance of karma of all the previous manifestations, the past
lives!
It is our soul atman that is the master and controller of the body and
not vice versa. It is not within the capability of the body to manifest a soul atman! The soul atman being
the ultimate controller of the body, the life cycle of the body... the living being is directly controlled
by... regulated by the doctrine of karma... the law of karma!
Finally it is the doctrine of karma... the law of karma that rules the
roost in the cosmic system! As is the residual balance of karma of the previous manifestations... accordingly
shall be the new manifestation... the new body taken by the soul atman within! If the residual balance of
karma demands our taking birth in the house of a laborer... the soul atman simply cannot manifest the form of
a prince!
In the cosmic crux of life it is not the parents but the residual balance
of karma that decides where the child would be born and when! It is quite possible owing to the heinous
crimes committed in past lives... the soul atman does get matching parents on Mother Earth! In the
circumstances the soul atman suffers in hell for eternity.
It is also quite possible based on residual balance of karma of previous
manifestations... the soul atman manifests an animal form again! If for some reason matching parents are not
available on Mother Earth... the soul atman hibernates either in heaven or hell. In heaven if residual
balance of karma is positive and hell if negative!
No sooner matching parents become available on Mother Earth... the
hibernating soul atman immediately manifests a body! It is quite possible that for years together matching
parents do not become available! All is dependent upon the residual balance of karma of all the previous
manifestations!
Life in the cosmic system is not as simple as it seems to be! If we
desire a good life ahead... the only recourse is earning Punya karma by performing positive karma all the
time. If we are born on the karma index of 45, our efforts should be to reach level 46 at the earliest! At
the karma index of 99 one reaches the stage of Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet
Mohammed!
The moment karma index becomes hundred... (One finally gains absolute
purity in the cosmic crux of life)... one reaches the karma index of 8.400000 finally... the last leg in the
cosmic life cycle! The journey of 8.4 million manifestations finally complete... the liberated soul atman
regains its original pure pristine form! One gains enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and finally salvation
(moksha) thereafter.
In the cosmic domain when the death does not occur... the entire life
span of 96.4 million earthly years is one single span of life... the question of rebirth of anything does not
arise! From manifestation to manifestation... from body to body... after the death of the body the soul atman
within simply manifests a new body, announcing the commencement of a new journey of life!
If matching parents are available at the time of death of the body... it
is not only possible... it simply becomes a reality that the released (not liberated) soul atman immediately
manifests a new body! By and large it is availability of matching parents that is in question!
It is rare but sometimes possible to recognize the old soul by the traits of character of the newborn child! If the
behavior... the signs match that of the old grandmother or grandfather that recently expired... it is quite
possible the soul of the grandfather or grandmother manifested the form of the new child!
A to Z of Death and Rebirth explained in words everyone can easily understand and
fathom. More on re-birth of the soul can be found at : Life after Death... Vijay Kumar - 13 June 2010.
Full text of query: What is believed to be the time between death
and rebirth? Is it on the thirteenth day after death that the soul enters the womb of a mother as believed or
much later ?