What happens after death?

The Upanishads describe reincarnation (punar-janma). In Bhagavad Gita, the Lord Krishna says that just as a man discards his old clothes and wears new ones,similarly the soul discards the old body and takes on a new one.

The belief is that the body is but a shell, the soul inside is immutable and indestructible and takes on different lives in a cycle of birth and death. The end of this cycle is called "Mukti"  and staying finally with supreme God forever; is "Moksha" or salvation.

According to Garuda Purana, the God of Death Yama sends his representatives to collect the soul from a person's body whenever he is due for death and they take the soul to Yama.

A soul after leaving the body travels through a very long and dark tunnel towards the South. This is why an oil lamp is lit and kept beside the head of the corpse, to light the dark tunnel and allow the soul to travel comfortably.

• The soul, called "Atman" leaves the body and reincarnates itself according to the deeds or Karma performed by one in last birth. 

• Rebirth would be in form of animals or other lower creatures if one performed bad Karmas ; or  in human form in a good family with joyous lifetime if one performed bad Karmas.

• Before re-birth a soul is also required to either face punishments for bad Karmas in "naraka/ hell" or enjoy for the good karmas in "svarga" or heaven for good deeds
• Whenever his or her punishments or rewards are over a soul  is sent back to earth/Mrutyulok/human world.

•  A person stays with the God or ultimate power or Paramathman  when soul do good work which satisfies supreme lord, this is  called as "Moksha".