The spiritual meaning of immortality should be understood at this stage. It was just mentioned in the preceding paragraph that on an individual's demise, the mortal remains are consigned to fire and flames.

Way to immortality

Indeed one can become immortal by doing good deeds for fellow human beings and other living creatures in this world. If we turn pages of Indian history, we find that great rishis and munis are remembered many thousand years after their physical death. It is so because they contributed to the good of human beings. Their motive was absolutely philanthropic and they had no axe to grind. It is the name and fame of an individual that survives much after the soul has left the body and the mortal remains have been consigned to flames.

The spiritual meaning of immortality should be understood at this stage. It was just mentioned in the preceding paragraph that on an individual’s demise, the mortal remains are consigned to fire and flames. Obviously this means that there is something immortal too and that immortal entity continues to maintain its independent existence even after the mortal remains merge and mix with the Panch Tattava, that is kshiti, jal, pavak, gagan and sameer. The body is reduced to ashes and merges with the five elements of nature as has been mentioned just now.

Bhasmantam Shariram, so says the shastra. Pray, what is it then that survives this process and maintains its identity?

Immortality of soul

Soul or the jeevatma continues to exist and is reborn until, through good deeds, it attains moksha or liberation from the shackles of cycles of birth, death and rebirth. Thus it is the jeevatma that is neither born nor dies. In simple language, when a soul enters a body, it is called a birth. When the soul leaves the body, it is termed as death. Of course, the birth or death is related to the body and not to the soul. Frankly speaking, a soul is neither born nor it dies. Thus it is immortal. Had the Chinese emperor realised the immortality of the soul, he would not have died a worried man. As the legend goes, the Chinese team of warriors and botanists who went to the uninhabited but beautiful islands of Japan, never returned and settled down there. The Chinese people, thus, take credit for bringing Japan into existence as a nation.

What else is immortal besides the jeevatma? Well, there is a Ved mantra that leads a researcher to the philosophy named as the Vedic Trinity. God (Parmatma), soul (Jeevatma) and Matter (Prakriti) – these three are eternal. God creates a universe, only the soul in an embodied form partakes of its goodies and it is the prakriti that is used for thee creation by Parmatma or God. Thus these three have always been in existence and will continue to be in existence. The philosophy of Vedic Trinity is based on the divine knowledge named the Vedas. Vedas are not human creation but divine ones. Having understood what is immortal and what is mortal, no man should go into depression at the mere thought of his soul leaving the body, causing it to be consigned to flames.

An individual should be happy that the soul gets new bodies and also an opportunity to do the karma and reap the karma phal. As you sow so must you reap.