Why should we say OM SADGATI- the Vedic Epitaph, and not REST IN PEACE? A perspective based on- IS DIVINE ENERGY- By Dr. Vipin Gupta

Why should we say OM SADGATI- the Vedic Epitaph, and not REST IN PEACE? A perspective based on- IS DIVINE ENERGY- By Dr. Vipin Gupta

We often hear the phrase “Rest In Peace”, from people, while commemorating a deceased person. This expression is quite popular these days, as the first reaction that comes from people all over the world when one hears about someone’s demise. Ever wondered what does it actually signify and why it is in complete contrast with our Vedic expression of “Om Sadgati” or “Atma Ko Moksha Prapt Ho”, that people say in India, while epitomizing the dead

Let’s delve deeper into it with the help of some major insightful findings Dr Vipin Gupta has provided to us in his latest exemplary Research work- Project VIPIN’s first book of the series – IS DIVINE ENERGY.

Before we begin with our understanding of Moksha and Sadgati, we shall first understand what Dr Gupta means by Atman or soul, because we have to be born first to later die and attain Moksha.

Let us understand this in analogy with what is said about the soul and the cycle of life and death, according to the sacred Bhagwat Geeta. Lord Krishna says that The body is transient and perishable, but the soul is eternal and indestructible. Hence, one should not grieve for the death of anyone. The soul wears the body like cloth and discards it at the time of death. The soul is bound by karma and maya, and continues its journey from one janma to another towards final liberation – jivan mukti, living a liberated life, or moksha, emancipation from the cycle of birth and death, when it merges back into the cosmic consciousness.

Dr. Gupta elaborates on this by saying that our consciousness or soul or (Atman, 4) is a collection of “experiences” that “converge within us to produce a “personal force” (Soham, 4), comprising Mother Nature’s gifted maternal “consciousness” (Chaithanya, 4).” Dr. Gupta explains that the atman in the entity form collects these experiences during its existence on this Earth, while the earth is revolving around the Sun. The 360 days’ time each year of the Entity’s existence on the planet, is the total time “for an entity on Earth to experience all the dimensions of reality illuminated by the Sun’s different angular moments.”

This collective experience form, “The personal force” which “is a function of our past experiences that stay with us like a shadow, guiding our life. Therefore, the personal force works like our consciousness, i.e., our “soul” (Atman, 4)”. This technical and simple explanation by Dr. Gupta explains pragmatically what actually the soul or Atman is and becomes much simpler to understand. The past experiences are actually the karma or deeds that a soul gains during a lifetime, and are carried over in the soul’s next incarnation or birth.

Speaking about the cycle of life and death and how the Atman experiences a flow through all this, Dr. Gupta says “Each entity’s localized, converged experiences are unique. Each entity incarnates at a different time moment, following a different spatial path to enjoy a diversity of solar angular momenta. A soul defines each entity’s unique identity through a varying consciousness of the desired spatial path.”

The desired spatial path of the soul brings the experiences that define the length of the journey i.e the number of lives and deaths, of the matter or body that the soul embodies, till it is able to realise, What Dr Gupta calls the “universal freedom by breaking down the “institutional-effect” (Trivikrama, 24) that limits the “infinite SHEENY growth” (Vidhana, 2).”

The Universal Freedom here is the (Param Mukti, 16), which is the ultimate aim of a soul, to get emancipated from the cycle of life and death. This Param Mukti is the gateway to what Dr Gupta defined as, “freedom from the present-effect” (Moksha, 1600) and becoming an “absolute knower soul” (Paramatma, 1600).

Now, why in Ancient Indian wisdom we don’t wish the deceased eternal peace and instead wish for the departed soul, moksha-“freedom from the present-effect” or Sadgati- meaning an enhanced life form.

Rest in peace implies telling the buried corpse they have been buried in the soil, and on the day of the ‘Last Judgement,’ God will give the deceased justice. Thus the departed soul rests buried till the Judgement day, as the communities which bury the corpses do not believe in rebirth, unlike the Ancient Indian wisdom which is based on the cycle of life and death till the soul attains Moksha or Sadgati, The well-wishers pray for a peaceful stay of the dead in the graves, until the day, they will come out and seek penance or relief as per accumulated experiences on the Judgement day.

As we understand from Dr. Gupta’s work that by ascending the sentient energy and upgrading one’s soul’s consciousness, one can attain salvation or moksha. Dr. Gupta says- “Self-awareness of the “one undivided, original paternal spirit” (Vajra, 14) empowers one to be the “sentient consciousness” (Sachetan, 16) immanent within each entity, who has been incarnated by that “ever-performing” (Maha Vibhu, 14) original paternal spirit. By ascending that sentient consciousness, one can be the technological oneness with all beings, animate or inanimate, free of any transformative becoming”. Freedom from this transformative becoming releases a soul from the cycle of rebirths, which is the ultimate goal of a soul’s journey in Vedic wisdom, “Moksha”.

So next time you wish someone RIP, think twice, whether you wish the departed soul a long waiting time buried in the coffin, for the justice to happen on the judgment day, or you wish the person good luck in his journey towards moksha when he becomes free from the cycle of life and death and becomes one with Parmatma. We need more works like Dr. Gupta’s which are essentially based on logical, quantified, and scientific reasoning to help you seek your own answers and then decide, rather than just believing fanatically to what we are sermoned. Do grab a copy and seek answers to the most intriguing questions you always had.

-Ranjula Jain

31 July, 2021