The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v2.c34.s2.52.2

v2.c34.s2.52.2

The real view was doubtless less complicated, and in the same passage Āçvalāyana presents us with a different idea: a pit, knee deep, is to be dug north-east of the Āhavanīya fire, a water plant, Çīpāla, is put there, and with the smoke the soul thence goes to the heaven. This latter view, which looks at the earth as the place of the dead, is also supported by various other considerations. When a man is near to death, a spell is used to bring him from the lower to the upper earth to the protection of Aditi, sun and moon.³ When a pit is dug, as often in the ritual, it is called the place of the Fathers; what is dug down has the Fathers as its deity;⁴ Yama⁵ even is lord of the earth; the darkness of the abode of the dead is referred to in passages where we cannot see any reference to the punishments of hell;⁶ a spell of the Atharvaveda⁷ seeks to send his enemy to the place of Yama; the dead are mentioned as living at the roots of the plants; the dead man in the funeral ritual is spoken of as being laid to rest in mother earth, which is to be kind to him. The path of the gods is often distinguished from the path of the Fathers,⁸ the presence of the dogs⁹ on the way shows that the road was a special one, and not the peaceful path of the gods;