[Advaita-l] Q on soul journey

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sat, Jul 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM ramesh badisa via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Dear Advaita members,Namaskaram.
> It is said in Garuda Purana that all jivatma visit Lord Yama first before
> being sorted out to different lokas owing to their karmas. But Bhagawad
> Gita (8/24) or Bri. Up. or Chandogya Up. did not mention about it. Can
> someone please clarify whether all jivatma go to Lord Yama
> fist??namaskaram,ramesh
>


Namaste

'Going to Yama first' etc. are only imageries; not the way it happens.  In
the Brahma sutra bhashya there is discussion on how, in which path, in
which mode, the jiva (soul = sukshma shariram) travels, who are the
carriers, and how the jiva reaches the loka to which it is destined, based
on its karma. And after dwelling there for the destined period, the jiva's
exit from there and the path taken to return to this human loka, is also
discussed, based on the Brihadaranyaka/Chandogya Upanishads.  The role of
the deity Yama is not present in the Upanishads, except the Kathopanishat,
where he is presented as 'the God of Death'.  The messengers of Yama, like
the way they came to take away Ajamila in the Bhagavata Purana, are not
present in the Upanishadic discourse. Of course. Yama, mRtyu, is mentioned
as a deity in the cosmic management, in the Taittiriya Upanishat, but his
actual 'taking away' the jivas is not there in the Upanishads.  The best
read is the Brahma sutra bhashya for this post-death travel of the jiva.
This is my understanding.

regards
subbu

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