RG ST 12 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Upanishads, Lunar Phase, Pitrs
Document Summary
Failure condemns soul/ghost to eternal wandering families have lots of children in order to obtain a surviving son. Pitr (fathers; ancestors): intercede with gods for family that performs death rites properly. Preta (the departed; ghosts): turn against family that fails to do so (having a son) six degrees of separation. Living relatives up to six degrees of separation hinduism. In sacrifice, fire (=angi) transfer medium between worlds. In post-200ce death rites, water becomes a 2nd transfer medium. Yama: god of the dead he left this world travel along the milky way decided to stay; ended up being the world of the dead alternative afterlives. 1 direct transfer to world of the fathers: reincarnation (samsara, liberation (moksa, long journey to world of the fathers, and gradual construction of an ancestral body (revived system) doctrine of samsara. Coeval with buddhist doctrine lunar cycle pf rebirth. Soul goes from smoke of pyre -> Rebirth according to karma (if death rites successful) three debts.
