1 gate to hell and 7 gates to heaven

Mahabharata Adiparva Sambhavaparva section 85-91
Sri Sadgurbhyoh namah

Yayati, after installing his son Puru as king , retires to forest and lives there with severest penances. This lifestyle is called 'Vanaprastha' (retirement to woods). He is admitted to heaven after 1000 years of penance and Yayati enjoys there for many years.

Once, King of heaven, Indra, asks Yayati "Tell me Yayati , when you installed your son as King, what advice you have given ? To this, Yayati answers "I told Puru that forgiveness is greatest virtue, be gentle in speech, and never hurt anyone with speech. Always give, but never beg".

Indra again asks " and also when you were doing penance, did you find anybody equal to you".

Yayati answers "I didnt find anybody among men, gandharvas, celestials, and rishis equal to me in virtue". Indra says "Yayati you have shown disregard to your superiors, equals, and inferiors due to vanity, so your spiritual merit has come down. you will fall from heaven." Yayati requests Indra that he be born among virtuous and honest. Indra throws him out of heaven and Yayati starts falling.

On the return path from heaven, Yayati is accosted by a royal sage named Ashtaka, who enquires who Yayati was, why he is falling.

Yayati replies "Vanity is the 1 gate to hell called Bhauma (earth-hell). I was a King on earth who entered heaven on my meritorius deeds. I stayed there for 1000 years. then I entered the region of Brahmaji, a region of peace where I stayed for 1000 years, then I entered the Vishnu loka called Nandana, where I stayed for many years. Capable of taking any form I visited many celestial regions and enjoyed. One day the celestial messenger came and told me that merits have diminished by shouting "Ruined ruined ruined" and I started falling. As I requested that I should fall among virtuous people, I have fallen amongst you."

Ashtaka asks "After death, the body is burnt. How is one reborn". Yayati replies "After death, teh being will be in subtle form retaining his rememberences of his acts as if in a dream and enters another body quicker than air. "

Ashtaka asks "How to attain that region, attaining which there is no return."

Yayati says " There are 7 gates to heaven, they are asceticism, benevolence, tranquillity of mind, self-command, modesty, simplicity, and kindness to all creatures. All these can be destroyed by one and only gate to hell and that gate is vanity."

My Commentary :

This dialogue is an excellent summary of Pitryana and Devayana (path of pitrs and devas after death). There are two path one can take after death, Pitryana and Devayana as explained in Gita and Upanishads. Pitryana is one where a soul be in subtle existence after death. Karma guides it to take next form or body. Devayana is that of light and soul goes to elevated lokas like Heaven, Gandharva etc. Even though Yayati took Devayana , because of he entered the gate of hell called vanity , he has to come back to Bhauma (Earth-hell). He traversed both paths viz devayana and pitryana.

There is a third path called 'Jivanmukti' attaining which there is no path further.

Peace

Prasad