Table of Contents
Journey of the soul to Vaikuntha Loka
When a soul departs, there are two paths that decide…
- Whether the soul takes another body and returns to the material plane or…
- Achieves liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
These two paths are Archaradi Margam and Dhumadi Margam. Archaradi Margam is the path of light where a soul attains Moksha.
On the other hand, Dhumadi Margam is the path of Darkness where the soul returns back to the material plane to experience suffering.
Krishna says that if a devotee attains His Loka the jiva never returns back to Earth.
But, if a soul lands up in any other material Lokas like Brahma Loka and Swarga Loka, he must be born again and die again. Such a person does not achieve liberation and thus keeps enduring the cycle of birth and death on earth.
Soul Travel through Nadis
The Upanishads give a spectacular description of the soul’s journey through the Archaradi Marga to Vaikunta. It describes thus, there are uncountable, thin, tube-like channels that run throughout the human body.
These structures, which are thinner than a single strand of hair are called nadis.
But, out of the thousands of nadis, 101 are present in the heart, which is of prime importance. Sushumna Nadi is the 101st Nadi. When the soul holds on to the Sushumna Nadi and travels through it, the Archaradi Margam unlocks itself.
But, how can humans get access to the Sushumna nadi?
To this Veda Vyasa, in his Brahma Sutras says that the heart engulfed in darkness has within itself, the jivatma. With the aid of the spiritual knowledge he has gained throughout his life, the Sushumna Nadi gets revealed to the Jiva.
Bhagawan showers his blessings and lights up the path for the Jivatma through which he travels through the Sushumna Nadi. The Jivatma travels out of the body, after passing the Brahmarandra or the 10th door of the human body.
What is Brahmarandra?
This is the last door of the human body, after which the Jiva gets liberated from this material body and the material world. Brahmarandra(figure Above) is located on the top of the skull.
When a child is born, the Brahmrandra is open but with time, this door gets closed. So, in most individuals, this door is closed, which is why most individuals are ignorant about the spiritual world.
But, through Bhakti and Jnana, sincere devotees of the Lord pierce through this door, under the assistance of the Param-Atma, Bhagawan.
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Journey of the Soul to Vaikuntha, outside the body
Now, the soul leaves his material body. He travels on the Archaradi Margam along with Vazhitonai Perumal. Vazhitonai Perumal is the Lord who assists the Jiva on his journey to Vaikuntha.
His temple is located in Thirumohoor which is one of the 108 Divyadesams.
This personal guide, Vazhitonai Perumal is known by the name Kalamegaperumal. At this point, other assistants or Aativahikargal accompany the jiva to the Viraja River. Viraja River is the boundary that separates the material world from the spiritual world.
Throughout our journey on the Archaradi Marga till Vaikuntha, Kalamegaperumal sprinkles water to make the path cool, to comfort our spiritual journey.
What are subtle air currents?
Journey from Bhu Loka to Vaikuntha Loka. A devotee who has surrendered to the Lord goes to Vaikuntha via the Archiradi Marga. The five Lokas are Bhuvah, Suvah, Maha, Jana and Tapa Lokas.
Subtle winds cover these lokas, which fall above our planet (Loka) called Bhu (Earth). The subtlety of these winds is such that no mechanical instrument is capable of detecting their presence.
According to modern science, beyond the troposphere, a negligible percent of oxygen can be found. However, when we talk about winds in the scriptures, it refers to the subtle winds.
The subtle body operates and is nearly dependent on these wind forces. Anything made up of matter requires other support mechanisms to survive. It goes to say that our subtle body is matter.
The 5 Lokas, understood as five layers containing subtle air currents through and through denoting the limits of the material universe.
What does Ayurveda have to say about Subtle Air currents?
In Sanskrit terms, wind energy, essentially known as Prana Vayu. According to Ayurveda, the more we depend on subtler wind currents, our life span increases exponentially.
Oxygen is essential for life. But, we can make our better selves through the art of “subtle breathing.” Practices and advanced Yoga techniques like Hatha Yoga and allied practices regulate our body.
Healing currents within the body shall improve. But, on the contrary, Heavy breathing is a symptom of unregulated air currents. For a long lifespan, one must adopt healthy practices that aid in breath control.
The typical breath count for a healthy person is 16 breaths in about 70 seconds. However, if one is proficient in Yoga, his breath count automatically reduces to 12 in 70 seconds.
It assures better health and longer life.