Do people come back to life after death? If so, in what form will the next birth occur? Is this determined solely by fate, or do our actions shape the path of the next journey? Ancient Hindu scriptures offer profound answers to these questions.
The Padma Purana mentions 84 lakh types of beings, while the Garuda Purana links the movement of a living being after death to its karma. Furthermore, in the context of certain great sins, reincarnations that might surprise an ordinary person are described.
Today, many claims regarding the 84 lakh species are circulating on the internet and social media. Some say that every soul must be born into all 84 lakh species. Others assert that a specific animal species is designated for every sin. But do our primary sacred texts truly state this? Or have some folk beliefs merged with the sacred scriptures over time?
This article examines where the 84 lakh species are mentioned, whether every soul must pass through all these species, how the movement of a living being after death is determined, how karma affects the next birth, and whether a person can be liberated from this cycle of birth and death.
Where are the 84 lakh species mentioned?
The Padma Purana contains a famous verse:
Jalaja nava lakshani sthavara lakshavishatiḥ.
Kramayo rudrasankhyakāḥ pakṣiṇāṁ daśa laksham.
Triṃśallakṣāṇi paśavaścatur lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ।।
According to this verse, various types of living beings are classified: 9 lakh aquatic creatures, 20 lakh immobile ones (plants and other stationary flora), 11 lakh worms and insects, 10 lakh birds, 30 lakh animals, and 4 lakh humans. The total comes to 84 lakh.
However, it is important to understand that the purpose of this verse is not merely to name the number of beings. It also demonstrates the breadth and diversity of the living world existing in the universe. Various forms of creation are described—from the depths of the water to plants, from microscopic organisms to birds, animals, and finally, humans.
Must every soul go through all 84 lakh species?
This is where the biggest misconception about the 84 lakh species arises. Although the Padma Purana verse presents a classification of species, it does not explicitly state that every soul must be born into all 84 lakh species sequentially.
Therefore, the assertion that every soul must first become an aquatic creature, then a plant, then an insect, and then go through all bird and animal species before becoming human, does not directly follow from this verse.
On what basis does the next birth occur?
In the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Lord Krishna explains the connection between the soul and the body, stating that just as a person sheds old clothes and puts on new ones, the soul leaves the old body and acquires a new one. This means the body changes, but the soul is not considered as transient as the mortal body.
Is the next birth determined by only one action (karma)?
Here, another important point needs to be understood. The next birth is not determined by just one action; such a simple rule does not reflect the entire essence of the teachings of the sacred texts. Important aspects in this discussion also include the accumulation of karma, life tendencies, sanskaras (impressions), and consciousness.
In the eighth chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Lord Krishna emphasizes the importance of memories and disposition in the final moments of life. Based on this, it is believed that the influence of the state and consciousness a person develops throughout life can be felt even at the last moment. Thus, the topic of reincarnation is related not only to counting one good or bad deed but also to the extensive path of the being's karma.
Does committing great sins lead to a special form of birth?
The Garuda Purana describes the fruits of karma in detail. It mentions severe consequences and various states for some serious sins. In religious tradition, killing a brother, stealing gold, and inappropriate relations with a teacher's wife are considered serious great sins. In the context of their consequences, various states such as hell, suffering, and rebirth are described.
But caution is also necessary here. The simple rule that a specific animal or bird species is assigned to every sin cannot accurately represent the entire teaching of the Garuda Purana. In many cases, suffering or hell resulting from the first act is described first, and then rebirth is mentioned. Therefore, it cannot be considered a direct conclusion from the sacred texts that 'upon committing such and such a sin, one necessarily becomes such and such an animal' in every case.
Why is human birth considered so important?
Now the question arises: if a being can be born in various forms, why is human birth considered so significant? One of the main reasons is the capacity for reason (viveka).
Basic instincts, such as eating, sleeping, fear, and reproduction, are observed in humans and other creatures. However, the ability of a human to contemplate righteousness and unrighteousness, choose their actions, and change the direction of their life is considered particularly important.
Humans are capable of acquiring knowledge, practicing asceticism, engaging in charity and service, as well as devotion, trying to control inner greed, anger, and egoism.
