वैद्युतेनैव ततः, तच्छ्रुतेः ॥ ६ ॥
vaidyutenaiva tataḥ, tacchruteḥ || 6 ||
vaidyutena—By (the superhuman) guide connected with lightning; eva—alone; tataḥ—from thence; tat-śruteḥ—that being known from the Sruti.
6. From thence (the souls are guided) by the very same (superhuman) person who comes to lightning, that being known from the Sruti.
After they have reached the deity identified with lightning, they are led by that very superhuman person who takes charge of them from the deity of lightning to Brahmaloka through the worlds of Varuna, Indra, and Prajapati. This is known from Chh. 4. 15. 5, 5. 10 . ] and Brih. 6. 2. 15. Varuna and others do not actually guide the soul like the earlier guides, since the superhuman person guides them all through after lightning up to Brahmaloka. They only favour the souh either by not obstructing or helping them in some way.
Therefore it is established that by flame etc. deities are meant.