History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.219

v7.c95.219

It may be stated here that the Bhagavadgītā (VIII 23-27) also refers to the two paths following one of which a yogin does not return to this world and following the other of which he returns to this world. These are called śukla (bright) and kṛṣṇa (dark) *gati* (in VIII. 26) and sṛti (in VIII. 27). The former is fire, light,²⁵²⁴ day, the bright half of the month, the six months of the northern path of the sun; those men who have realized *brahman* when going from this world go to brahman (the absolute)'. The latter path is 'smoke, night, the dark half (of the month), the six months of the southern path of the Sun; the yogin reaching the moon-light by that path returns to this world. The Śāntiparva²⁵²⁵ of the Mahābhārata refers to the northern and southern paths, the latter of which is attained by gifts, study of Veda and sacrifices (as in Bṛ. Up VI. 2. 16 and Chān Up. V. 10. 8). The Yājñavalkya-smṛti²⁵²⁶ also refers to those paths. In III. 195-196 it mentions the Pitryāna path, which is very like the one described in Bṛ. Up. VI. 2. 16 (except that Yāj omits ākāśa) and Chān. Up. V. 10. 3-7 (which mentions more stages than in Bṛ. Up.). Yāj III. 197 also states that those who do not know any one of these two paths (i e. do not perform the acts peculiar to those who go by these paths) become snakes, locusts, creeping insects or worms.