Part 69 (2/2)

To the devotees, he is greater than the Purusha manifestation.

He now appeared as the preserver of the Universe, the embodiment of Satva, the force of ascent. And the Tatvas had to be wedded to him, so that they might acquire the energy of higher evolution in them.

Unless there was change in the innate downward tendency of the Tatvas, the spiritual ascent of the universe was not possible.

The Lord brought about this change by permeating the whole universe with His Satva body, or becoming something like the spiritual soul in every being. Therefore Lord Krishna is in the hearts of all beings and can be perceived by all in meditation. He is everywhere, in every atom. Whether Sri Krishna is Bhagavat Himself or some manifestation of Bhagavat makes no difference whatever. By His works, He is Bhagavat. His wors.h.i.+ppers are bound for the abode of Bhagavat. They have not to wait in Brahma or Satya Loka, till the end of Brahma's life. Those who wors.h.i.+p. Hiranya garbha or Brahma cannot pa.s.s beyond the limits of Brahma Loka.

In answer to Raja Pariks.h.i.+t, Suka Deva delineated the Paths to be followed after death.

I. The Prompt Path of Liberation (Sadyo Mukti). Those who meditate on the abstract Absolute, called Brahma, attain prompt liberation. The All-pervading principle is abstracted from the phenomenal universe, there is no thought of man, no thought of fellow beings, no thought of the universe, there is the pure abstraction by the process of ”Not this.” ”Not this” liberates one from all phenomenal connections. This is Sadyo Mukti. (II. 2 XV. to XXI.)

II. The Deferred Path of Liberation (Krama Mukti), when one wishes to go to Brahma Loka or to the abode of the Siddhas. Where the eight siddhis are acquired, he retains the Manas and the Indriyas and goes all over the universe of Seven Lokas. II. 2 XXII.

With their Linga Sarira, these Lords of Yoga go inside and outside Triloki. II. 2 XXIII.

On their way to Brahma Loka, they are carried by Sushumna first to Agni Loka. Then they go to the farthest limit of Triloki, the Sisumara Chakra, extending over to Dhruva or the Polar star. II. 2 XXIV.

When at the end of a Kalpa, the Triloki becomes consumed by fire from the mouth of Sankarshana, they go to Brahma Loka, which lasts for two Pararddhas, and which is adorned by the chariots of great Siddhas. II. 2 XXVI.

There is no sorrow, no infirmity no death, no pain, no anxiety in Brahma Loka. But those who go there are, out of their compa.s.sion, afflicted by the endless miseries of those that do not know the path. II. 2 XXVII.

Then they pa.s.s through the seven Avaranas or covers of the Universe and, having the Vehicle of Mula Prakriti only, become full of Bliss and, when that Upadhi is destroyed, they obtain absolute bliss and do not return again. This is the attainment of the state. II. 2. XXVIII to x.x.xI.

Those who go to Brahma Loka pa.s.s through three different paths.

1. Those, who come with great merits acquired in life, get posts of duty according to their merits in the next Kalpa (_i.e._ they become Praj.a.patis, Lokapalas. Indras and so on.) 2. Those who go to Brahma Loka merely by force of their Upasana of Hiranya-Garbha become liberated, when Brahma becomes liberated at the end of his life ('extending over two Pararddhas.) 3. Those that wors.h.i.+p Bhagavat pierce the Brahmanda at will, and rise to the abode of Vishnu. The Slokas XXVIII to x.x.xI refer to the piercing of Brahmanda by the Bhagavatas. _Sridhara_.

The wors.h.i.+ppers of Sri Krishna attain the last state. The deferred path of Liberation is the path of all Bhaktas. It is the path of compa.s.sion, of service. The Bhaktas spurn all sorts of Mukti, even if they be offered to them. They become servants of the Lord in the preservation of the Universe.

In the Dvaraka Lila, we shall find Sri Krishna, as the greatest Avatara of the Kalpa, carrying out His work of Preservation.

The Purana does not speak of the Nara aspect of Sri Krishna as manifested in Arjuna. That is the subject matter of the Mahabharata. The study of the one is complementary to the study of the other, as the study of the Bhagavat is complementary to the study of the Gita. In one, we see the Evolution of Man, in the other we see the work of Bhagavat.

We see in both together the whole of our Lord Sri Krishna.

THE WIVES.

As Lord of the Universe, Sri Krishna became wedded to the eightfold energies of Prakriti, His eight princ.i.p.al wives, so that he might influence, through them, individuals formed by these divisions of Prakritis. These energies are: -

1. _Rukmini_ or Mula Prakriti, Buddhi.

2. _Jamba-vati_ or Mahat, Universal mind.

3. _Satya-bhama_ or Ahankara.

4. _Kalindi_ or Akasa-Tanmattra, sound, Akasa.

5. _Mitra Vinda_ or Vayu-Tanmatra, Touch, Air.

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