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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. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 387 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 compassion, afflicted by the endless miseries of those that do not know the path. Il. 2 XXVIL. Then they pass through the seven Avaranas or covers of the Uni- verse 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 XXXI. Those who go to Brahma Loka pass 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 Prajapatis, 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 worship Bhagavat pierce the Brahmanda at will, and rise to the abode of Vishnu. The Slokas XXVIII to XXXI refer to the piercing of Brahmanda by the Bhagavatas. Sridhara. The worshippers of Sri Krishna attain the last state. The deferred path of Liberation is the path of all Bhaktas. It is the path of compas- 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 preserva- tion of the Universe. 388 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana 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 principal wives, so that he might influ- ence, through them, individuals formed by these divisions of Prakri- tis. These energies are:— 1. Rukmini or Mula Prakriti, Buddhi. 2. Jamba-vati or Mahat, Universal mind. 3. Satya-bhama or Ahankara. 4. Kdlindi or Akasa-Tanmattra, sound, Akasa. 5. Mitra Vinda or Vayu-Tanmatra, Touch, Air. 6. Satya or Nagnajiti, Agni-Tanmatra, Form, Fire. 7. Bhadra, Ap-Tanmatra, Taste, Water. 8. Lakshand, Kshiti-Tanmatra, smell, Earth. The Energies of Prakriti have a double tendency, one of lower transformation, of materialisation, of descent and another of higher transformation, of spiritualisation, of ascent. Sri Krishna, by His Avatarship, attracted to Himself the higher tendency of all the en- ergies of Prakriti. This is how he was wedded to all the aspects of Prakriti. Rukmini is the spiritual energy of Mula Prakriti. Read the talk between Krishna and Rukmini (X. 80). Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 389 The legend of the Syamantaka jewel is a mysterious one. It was the gift of the Sun-God. It used to produce gold every day. The Hiranya-Garbha Purusha of Vedic Upasana has its seat inside the Sun-God. "The Purusha inside Aditya." This Purusha is the Adhi- daiva of Bhagavat Gita, as explained by Sankaracharya. All the Devas proceed from Him. He is the one Deva, also called Prana. (Vide Ya- jnavalkya’s answer to Sakala Brihat Aranyaka Upanishad III. 9.) Hi- ranya is gold. Hiranya-garbha is that which has gold in its womb. The Syamantaka jewel gave protection against diseases, accidents, and other dangers. These are all the results of Hiranya-garbha Up- asana. Syamantaka represents Hiranyagarbha Upasana. Sri Krishna wanted that this Upasana should be replaced by the Upasana of Ishvara. The jewel was lost. It was carried away by some religious move- ment, represented as a lion. Jamba-vat snatched it from the Lion. Jambavat, the bear king, was one of the chief allies of Sugriva. He was the oldest in years and the wisest in counsel. "When Vamana stepped over the three Lokas, I made a respectful circuit round Him." Ramayana Kishkindha Kanda. Chap. 64-15. "When Vamana became an Avatara I moved round the earth twenty one times. I threw plants into the Sea which yielded Am- rita by churning. Now I am old." Ramayana Kishkindha Kanda Chap. 65-32. While Rama was about to ascend to heaven he addressed the old Jambavat, as a son of Brahma, and asked him to stay behind till the approach of Kali—Uttara Kanda. Chap. 121-34. Jambavat represents a very old religious movement, which was out of date even in Rama’s time. Hiranyagarbha Upasana became old and a thing of the past. But however hoary it might be with years, it was holy with the traditions of the Vedas and though Krishna had no direct hand in its disap- pearance, people thought the disappearance was the outcome of His Avatarship. To save His reputation, Krishna restored the jewel from Jambavat, but it could not long remain in the hands of Satrajit. Vedic Upasana did survive. But it survived only in Vedic Sandhya and Gay- atri, which were represented by Akrira. 390 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Krishna was wedded to Jambavati, the spiritual energy of Mahat. Satya-bhama is the spiritual energy of Ahankara. She holds the Vina, with the seven notes of differentiation. The Vedas proceed from these notes and also all departments of knowledge, Satyabhama is the goddess of learning. There is not much to say about the five other principal wives. The last of these wives, Lakshana, represents the spiritual energy of earth. Coming down to earth, we proceed to Naraka, son of Earth. The word Naraka literally means Hell, hence gross materiality. We have found that the Purana writers place Naraka below the Patalas. Sixteen thousand girls representing all earthly and material energies had been snatched away by Naraka. They all became wedded to Sri Krishna. Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. The following correspondences were given by Kapila to his mother Devahiti. (III. 26 ). Upadsya | Adhibhita| Adhyatma| Adhideva Vasudeva} Mahat Chitta Kshetrajna SankarsanaAhankara | Ahankara | Rudra Aniruddha Manas Manas The Moon god PradyumnaBuddhi Buddhi Brahma Chitta is transparent, without transformation, and calm, even as the first state of water. III. 26. XXI. "Transparent"—capable of of receiving the image Bhagavat. "Without transformation"—without indolence and distraction. Sridhara Chitta is the abode of Bhagavat, i.e. Bhagavat is perceived by Chitta. III. 26. XX. Differences cause many-sidedness and distraction. Ahankara Tatva brings differences into manifestation. Beyond the plane of Ahankara Tatva, is the plane of Mahat. Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 391 Mahat literally means big, great, universal. It is the plane of universal manifestation. The mind is universal on this plane. As soon as the One Pu- rusha wished to be many, Prakriti gave rise to the Mahat transfor- mation and Mahat took up the wish to be many. It was one, but it had the potency of becoming many. The whole universe that was to manifest itself was mirrored in Mahat, and was the subject matter of one thought, the thought of one who had the universe for his body. During the period of creation, Mahat soon transformed itself into Ahankara, the Tatva of differences. Ahankara gave rise to different bodies, different minds and different faculties; individuals appeared and they started on separate lines of manifestation and of evolution. On their homeward journey, individuals again reach the plane of Mahat, when they rise above all differences, lose all sense of person- ality and carry their experiences to the plane of the Universe. Their thoughts then become thoughts of the Universe, guided by one feel- ing, that of compassion for those that remain behind. There is no thought of self, no distraction, no impurity, it is all calm and tran- quil; such a mind is called Chitta by Kapila. This Chitta is the abode of peace, the abode of Bhagavat. Bhagavat, when reflected on Chitta, is VASUDEVA. He is the Pu- rusha seated on Ananta. SANKARSANA is Bhagavat as reflected on Ahankara. He is called Ananta or endless, as there is no end of individuals. He is Bhagavat as manifested in every individual and may be called, in one sense, the Purusha of Individual souls. Balarama is said to be an in- carnation of Sankarshana. As individuals proceed in their course of life journeys, they become crystallised into separate entities, with a strong sense of personality. The inner self, the real self, runs the risk of becoming swallowed up by the outer self, the Upadhi of in- dividuality. The point is reached, when individuals are to be drawn back to their homes, their real selves. Therefore Balarama used the plough to draw in others. This is a process of destruction. The ma- terial nature is gradually destroyed in us.