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Does the scriptures say where they go after death? Do animals go to heaven like humans?

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All of us go through millions of births in sub-human forms before getting human form. So animals ultimately get a human body. Animals don't go to heaven or hell or attain moksha. Only humans can go to heaven or hell or attain moksha.

In the eighty four lacs of bodies of creatures one does not acquire true knowledge anywhere unless one is born as a man.

Here, after thousands of crores of births a creature obtains human form only sometime due to aggregate of virtue.

Having obtained a rare human form he should endeavour for moksha. If he does not endeavour for it, there can be no greater sinner in the world.

Born in the most beautiful human form he incurs the sin of slaying a Brahmin if he neglects his self.

Without human body it is not possible to obtain the supreme goal. One should be, therefore, very cautious to guard wealth in the form of his body and perform good actions.

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So far as this body remains intact he should practice dharma. One is a perfect fool who digs a well only when the house is on fire.

[Garuda Purana, Dharma Khanda, Chapter XLIX]

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  • Thank you for the valuable information. Which English translation of Garuda purana do you think is the best unabridged version? ... Is the one translated by Manmatha Nath Dutta a complete version? ... Also is it safe to read and keep Garuda purana in the house? I've heard that it should be read only after someone passes away.
    – The Crimson Universe
    Nov 14, 2021 at 9:52
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    I have the Garuda Purana translated by Manmatha Nath Dutta and edited by Prof Pushpendra Kumar. I have kept it in my house for about 10 years and read it long time ago. Nothing has happened. A book cannot harm any one.
    – Pradip Gangopadhyay
    Nov 14, 2021 at 11:42
  • That's a relief :) Now i can buy my copy ... Btw I once visited the Ramakrishna mission website and there in an article it was written that animals take birth to exhaust their karmas (probably past human life karmas) and it was written that animals don't produce any new karmas ... Is this true? ... If animals don't produce any new (good or bad) karmas, then what is the factor that decides whether they'll have a human birth in the next life?
    – The Crimson Universe
    Nov 14, 2021 at 13:14
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    @TheCrimsonUniverse, you have asked what decided whether an animal will have human birth. An animal who was a human being would again become a human when all the bad karma is exhausted. It is not clear how animals who have never been a human get a human form since animals don't have any karma. I think one has to go through a fixed number of animal births in order to become a human.
    – Pradip Gangopadhyay
    Nov 15, 2021 at 6:01
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    Thank you Mr.Pradip :) Your answers are always enlightening.
    – The Crimson Universe
    Nov 15, 2021 at 8:17

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