English
The clouds appear and disappear in space, even as the universes appear and disappear in Brahman. Of all forms, the common element is the only reality. But the forms seem to have an existence of their own independently of the primal element. The threads that form the cloth look separate from the cloth itself. All that appears as cause and effect is unreal, for there is interdependence, and there is both beginning and end. The transformations can not exist without the light of Atma. If they are self-manifest however, they are not in any way different from Atma itself. Do not think Atma is many, (as there is Atma in every being). It is ignorance to think so. The space confined in a pot and the limitless space are one and the same, even so the sun and its image in water, the air inside and outside. Men call gold by different names, according to the different or- naments it forms. So the language of the Vedas and the language of ordinary men give different names to Bhagavan. The cloud that is generated by the sun, that appears by the light of the sun, that is in fact rays of the sun so transformed stands between the eye and the sun. Even so Ahankara, proceeding from Brahman, manifested by Brahman, even a part of Brahman, eclipses the percep- tion of Brahman by Jiva. When the cloud disappears, the eye perceives the sun. When Ahankara, the upadhi of Atma, disappears by discrimination, then the Jiva perceives "I am Brahman." When by discrimination, such as this, the tie of unreal Ahankara is cut as under, and the unfailing perception of Atma becomes fixed, it is called Atyantika Pralaya. (Atyantika is from Atyanta = ati+anta, the very last. After this Pralaya, which is individual and not general, one does not return to life in the universe. It is the final liberation of a man from the limita- 454 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana tions of life in Brahmanda). Every day all beings, from Brahma downwards, undergo accord- ing to some seers of subtleties states of beginning and end. These beginnings and ends are caused by the changes in states of all beings subject to transformation, changes that follow the flow of time. (One does not grow adult or old in one day. The change must be going on constantly. The fruit does not ripen in one day. But the process of ripening day by day is not perceptible. Water flows in a continued stream but the water particles constantly change at a given space. So the lamp burns and the flame looks one and the same though the particles that ignite do constantly change. Even so our body is not the same from day to day. There is a change going on every moment of our life. Particles of the body are rejected every day and they are replaced by new particles. There is the beginning with our new particles, and an end or Pralaya with the old particles.) This is called NITYA Pralaya. (Nitya means constant). Pralaya is thus fourfold—Nitya, Naimittika, Prakritika and Atyan- tika. Such are the stories of Bhagavat as related in the Bhagavata Purana. Rishi Narayana first related the Purana to Narada, Narada related it to Vyasa and Vyasa to Suka. Suta heard the Purana from Sukadeva, when he related it to Raja Parikshit, and he expounded it to the as- sembly of Rishis at Naimisha, headed by Sounaka. THOUGHTS ON PRALAYA. Prakriti changes its forms and states. The body disintegrates into particles, particles into molecules, and molecules into atoms. Solid becomes liquid, liquid becomes gaseous and gaseous becomes ultra- gaseous. Life manifests itself through the endless varieties of Prakriti and becomes manifold in its manifestations. The hard mineral matter does not admit the mineral life to be expressed in any other way than by a fixed form. The more plastic vegetable matter shews vegetable life in all the activities of life and growth. Subtler matter appears in the animals and makes the sensing of the object world possible. Even sublter matter becomes the basis of brain activities. The Prakritic Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 455 basis of the mind is two-fold in its character Ahankara and Mahat. When the mind is capable of thinking only from the standpoint of one life and one birth only, it is limited by Ahankara matter. When that limit is overcome, mind is on the plane of Mahat. Individuality is not lost, but the individual has consciousness of all births, i.e. con- sciousness on the plane of the universe. Such consciousness does not normally exist in Triloki. When a man becomes normally conscious on the plane of Mahat, he is carried to Mahar Loka and becomes a Rishi. Bhrigu is such a Rishi. The acquirement of such conscious- ness is the object of life evolution in our solar system. When the solar system is destroyed, it is the Manasic consciousness that alone survives. The three Lokas—Bhir, Bhuvar and Svar are destroyed, The Prakritic forms and states of these three Lokas become destroyed and the different states of consciousness corresponding to those forms and states finally disappear. The harvest of Manasic evolution, which is the only harvest reaped by means of one solar system is stored in Mahar Loka. But when the three lower Lokas are destroyed, the flames of dissolution reach even Mahar Loka and all the gains of a Kalpa’s evolution are transferred to the higher plane of Jana Loka. This is therefore the highest plane of our consciousness. The highest evolved beings of the previous solar system could not after Pralaya go beyond Jana Loka, and their consciousness was the conscious- ness of Jana Loka. When our earth was formed and when they came down in time for further evolution, they brought down their high- est consciousness with them as a possibility, for it was obscured in their entrance to Triloki. As the soul gathers spiritual strength in Svarga Loka after death, so the disembodied soul after Prayala gath- ers spiritual strength in Jana Loka or the Loka of Kumaras. "When the three Lokas are consumed by fire from the mouth of Sankarshana, af- flicted by the heat, Bhrigu and others go to Jana Loka" III-II-XXX. The Lord of Yoga goes by means of Sushumna through the radiant path in his subtle body and at last reaches Mahar Loka, where Bhrigu and other Rishis who live for one Kalpa remain. "Then seeing the Triloki consumed by fire from the mouth of Ananta he goes towards that supreme abode, which is adorned by the chariots of great Siddhas, and which lasts for the whole life period of Brahma." (II-2-XXVI). Those who did not reach the Manasic state, in the last Kalpa were 456 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana no acquisitions to the higher planes of Brahmanda, which stand over the three mortal planes, where all experience is to be gathered. Those who developed the Manasic state were gathered to the third of the higher planes, Jana Loka, because further development was possible, nay it was a necessity, in the Triloki that was to come. But there were others, who did not quite reach the Manasic state, but they were still on the way to acquire such state, and in fact they acquired the human form. They were also preserved to carry out a certain purpose in the life evolution of the coming Kalpa which will be shortly mentioned. How they were preserved, the Puranas do not speak of. They became the Pitris of the present Kalpa. The Pitris reached different states of development and were therefore classed under seven heads. Some of them had developed the fire in them and some were without the fire. "Agnishvatta, Barhishad, Somapa, and Ajyapa are Pitris with fire; the others are without fire. They were all wedded to Svadha, the daughter of Daksha." IV-1-III. The mention of the word "fire" requires a little explanation. The Upanishads say that the three mortal Lokas of form Bhar, Bhuvar and Svar are the transformations of "Tejobanna" i.e. of fire, water and earth. The other two elements do not enter into the constitution of forms. The element earth predominates on the plane of Bhir or the material plane. Water is supreme on Bhuvar or the Astral plane. Our Kamic tendencies proceed from the presence of water in us. Fire is the element of Svarga or the Mental plane. Fire devas are therefore the highest devas of Triloki. The forty-nine forms of fire are therefore so many forms of consciousness. Some of the Pitris developed fire in them, i.e. they developed the principle of mind in them, in however rudimental a form it might be. Devas and Rishis were also preserved. Jana Loka is the Loka of Kumiaras. We shall therefore call the souls preserved in Jana Loka as Kumaras, or Kumaric souls. Commenting on the fourth sloka, twelfth chapter, Third Skandha, Sridhara says:—"Sanaka and others are not created in every Kalpa. The mention of their creation has reference to the Brahma Kalpa, i.e. the first Kalpa. In fact the objects of Mukhya creation and others are brought into existence in every Kalpa. Sanaka and others are only created in the Brahma Kalpa and they follow the other Kalpas." The Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 457 Mukhya creation has reference to chapter 10, Skandha III. It is the same as Urdha Srotas (p. 25). Sridhara means to say that plants, animals and men are only created in every Kalpa. The Kumaric souls of the last Kalpa that went to Jana Loka have to play the most prominent part in the present Kalpa and they are the heroes of our solar system. Their stay at Jana Loka was only a fit- ting preparation for the most responsible work of the present Kalpa. The Ishvara of our system, addressing Puranjana, said:—"Wishing to have an abode, drawn to earthly enjoyments, thou didst leave me. But, o great one, both I and thou were swans (Hansa) and friends in the Manas Lake. We dwelt there without any abode, for one thou- sand years." IV. 28 LIV.