The Spiritual Import of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavadgita : Ch-12.14.

Chapter 12: The Entry of the Soul into the Supreme Being

Part-14.

The departure of the soul, therefore, is through various passages. Particular mention is made in the eighth chapter of what are commonly known as the devayana and the pitriyana margas, the Northern Path as it is called, or the Southern Path—the path of light, and the path of smoke or the path of darkness.

There is departure, which means to say there is movement.

The necessity for movement of the soul arises on account of the distance that exists between itself and the destination that it has to reach.

If we accept that there is such a thing called distance, space and time, we also have to accept the necessity for travel.

We already take for granted that there is such a thing called space, and therefore we have to also accept what is called distance. Space is distance, dimension, and measure, and all of us here perhaps have faith and the need to accept the distance of God from us in some way.

It may differ from one person to another person, as far as the nature of the concept is concerned, but we accept that there is some sort of a difference and distance between ourselves and the Supreme Being, whether it is a qualitative distance or difference, or it is a quantitative one—sometimes it is both.

Our conviction and acceptance of the fact that there is a distance between us and God is the reason for the departure of the soul from the body in some direction, and the direction that it takes depends upon the thoughts it entertained in this life.

Generally, the deciding factor is the nature of the desire.

"Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram, tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah."

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued  ..