Section X - The Path of the Departing Soul

Verse 5.10.1:

यदा वै पुरुषोऽस्माल्लोकात्प्रैति स वायुमागच्छति; तस्मै स तत्र विजिहीते यथा रथचक्रस्य खं, तेन स ऊर्ध्व आक्रमते; स आदित्यमागच्छति, तस्मै स तत्र विजिहीते यथालम्बरस्य खम्, तेन स ऊर्ध्व आक्रमते; स चन्द्रमसमागच्छति, तस्मै स तत्र विजिहीते यथा दुन्दुभेः खं, तेन स ऊर्ध्व आक्रमते; स लोकमागच्छत्यशोकमहिमं, तस्मिन्वसति शाश्वतीः समाः ॥ १ ॥
इति दशमं ब्राह्मणम् ॥

yadā vai puruṣo'smāllokātpraiti sa vāyumāgacchati; tasmai sa tatra vijihīte yathā rathacakrasya khaṃ, tena sa ūrdhva ākramate; sa ādityamāgacchati, tasmai sa tatra vijihīte yathālambarasya kham, tena sa ūrdhva ākramate; sa candramasamāgacchati, tasmai sa tatra vijihīte yathā dundubheḥ khaṃ, tena sa ūrdhva ākramate; sa lokamāgacchatyaśokamahimaṃ, tasminvasati śāśvatīḥ samāḥ || 1 ||
iti daśamaṃ brāhmaṇam ||

1. When a man departs from this world, he reaches the air, which makes an opening there for him like the hole of a chariot-wheel. He goes upwards through that and reaches the sun, who makes an opening there for him like the hole of a tabor. He goes upwards through that and reaches the moon, who makes an opening there for him like the hole of a drum. He goes upwards through that and reaches a world free from grief and from cold. He lives there for eternal years.

This section describes the goal and the result of all meditations. When a man who knows those meditations departs from this world, gives up the body, he reaches the air, which remains crosswise in the sky, motionless and impenetrable. The air makes an opening there, in its own body—separates the parts of its own body, i.e. makes a hole in it—for him, as he comes. What is the size of that hole? Like the hole ofachariot-wheel, which is of a well-known size. He, the sage, goes upwards (lit. upward-bound) through that and reaches the sun. The sun stands blocking the way for the prospective traveller to the world of Brahman; he too lets a sage with this kind of meditation pass. He makes an opening there for him like the hole of a tabour (Lambara), a kind of musical instrument. He goes upwards through that and reaches the moon. She too makes an opening there for him like the hole a drum, the size of which is well known. He goes upwards through that and reaches a world, that of Hiraṇyagarbha. What kind of world? Free from grief, i.e. mental troubles, and from cold, i.e. physical sufferings. Reaching it, he lives there for eternal years, i.e. for many cycles of ours, which constitute the lifetime of Hiraṇyagarbha.