History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.210

v7.c95.210

The Kauṣītaki Up (I)²⁵²⁰ sets out rather obscurely the doctrine of the two paths as part of the Pañcāgnividyā taught by Citra Gārgyāyani (v. l. Gāṅgyāyni) to Śvetaketu, son of Āruni. It is passed over here for reasons of space and as not of material importance except one passage which runs 'He (Citra) said that all those that depart from this world go to the moon; in the bright half the moon is increased by their spirits, in the dark half the moon sends them on to be born again. The moon is verily the door of the heavenly world. Now if a man disowns the moon (i e is dissatisfied with life there) the moon sets him free But if a man is not dissatisfied then the moon sends him down as rain here (on the earth). And according to his deeds and according to his knowledge he is born again here as a worm, a locust, a bird, a tiger or a lion or a fish, or a snake, as a man or as something else in different places.' Then I 3 begins by referring to Devayāna and I 4 ends by saying, 'being freed from good deeds and from evil deeds, he, the knower of brahman, (neuter) moves towards brahman alone'