What happens after death according to Gurbani?

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“No one knows what happens after death.” (Guru Arjan, Ang 885) “In the world hereafter, social status and power mean nothing; hereafter, the soul is new.” (Guru Nanak, Ang 469) “In ego they go to heaven or hell.” (Guru Nanak, Ang 466) “His beings wander insanely through 8.4 million incarnations.” (Bhagat Kabir, Ang 1161) “Through it, one's light merges into the Light. ||2||” (Guru Amardas, Ang 1175) These lines do not present a single, literal timetable of the afterlife. Guru Arjan in Raag Raamkalee on Ang 885 begins with epistemic humility: no one knows what happens after death. Alongside that caution, Gurbani uses several spiritual frameworks. Guru Nanak in Raag Aasaa on Ang 469 says worldly caste and power have no standing hereafter, while on Ang 466 he connects heaven and hell with ego. Bhagat Kabir in Raag Bhairao on Ang 1161 evokes wandering through many incarnations, whereas Guru Amardas in Raag Basant on Ang 1175 describes one's light merging into the Divine Light. Read together, the lines emphasize the end of worldly distinctions, the consequences of ego, rebirth, and ultimate union, while cautioning against claiming certain knowledge of the after-death state.

What happens after death according to Gurbani?

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