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6l pared the way for it, the new Lila became light and ascended the Akasa. Having crossed one after another the Mandalas (spheres) of clouds, Vayu, the hot Surya (Sun)and Nak- shatra (stars) and then Satyaloka and other divine lokas and then breaking open the Mundane egg and piercing through the septenary veils of (Ap) water and others, she reached soon the immeasurable and endless Reality of Chi- dakas at last. There she went into the harem where Padma's dead body was lying, after crossing the Jnana-Akas with its Avarnas (veils) in the midst of the many mundane eggs which are as innumerable as the fig fruits in a fig forest and which are uncrossable even in a long time with the speed of Garuda (eagle). Concluding that the dead body covered up with flowers, was her Lord's and that some how, through Saraswati's grace, she came ahead of him, she sat beside his body and fanned it gently. While so. the Jiva of king Viduratha was winging its way in the Akasa and without noticing the two ladies of Saraswati and Lila of Divine vision who were going behind it, reached the recess where Padma's body was lying. There these two ladies accompanied it and saw the new Lila before them. In the golden dome, the Jiva of Viduratha was arrested in its progress and prevented by Saraswati from getting ingress into the body of Padma. Then the old Lila look ed about for her former body and not finding it there, asked Saraswati as to what became of it. The goddess re plied thus — ''When you fell into a profound trance of medi tation, the ministers taking you for dead have disposed of it by consigning it to flames. If you stay on earth with Adivahika body, then it will only revolutionize the world with wonder that the deceased Lila came corporeally here from Devaloka. And as you have divested yourself of all Vasanas in this your Adivahika body, it is but right that you should abandon that Adibhoutika body of yours," Saras wati then willed in her mind that the new Lila should see her. Whereupon the latter was like one who had dis covered the hidden treasure of a long lost personage and then saluting Saraswati by falling at her two feet, eulogised her. 62 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. The two Lilas* bearing thus the company of Saraswati, the latter let slip the grip she had on the Jiva of Viduratha which therefore entered into the nasal orifice of Padma's body in the form of Prana and permeated the whole parched up body. Whereupon blood began to circulate freely throughout its fleshy tenement and the deceased king woke up, rubbing his eyes. With a thundering noise, Padma asked the by standers who those were, that were there. WTiereupon the old Lila prostrated herself before the king and saw that she herself was the wife congenial to him, that the new Lila was the offspring of his mind which thought of a form similar to hers and came to enjoy with him, and that the third person age was no other than the immaculate Saraswati. After she had pronounced these words, Padma fell at the feet of Saraswati who, laying her beautiful hands on the head of Padma, blessed him with a long life with his wives, an exalted fame and an ever increasing wealth in order to render people happy by extirpating vices and peopling the world with the great wise men. With these words, Saras wati withdrew unto her silent abode, when the king praised her with the following words — " May Saraswati. the Goddess, who presides over the tongues of all men and the departments of all knowledge, prosper long in this world." Then the Em peror Padma along with his wives wielded the sceptre over the earth for 80,000 years. With the blessing conferred by Saraswati, he shortened then and there the seven kinds of births and attained on earth the Jivanmuktt State. At last he attained the state of Videhamukti which never perishes, even though great Kalpas come to an end. THE STORY OF KARKATI. Summary. — Having- shewn fully that the universe is nothing but a diversity of Maya, being in its true state but Chaitanya (consciousness) per sc, which fact can be perceived through Divine Vision, the author in this story gives out the play of that Chaitanya in the present state. * It is thus clear that the two Lilas represent no other than the astral and the physical bodies of beings which are counterparts of one another. THE STORY OF KARKATI. 63 Now that thou hast heard the story of Lila which removes all belief in the reality of the visibles, know that Brahman alone is that which is the non-dual one and which is Sat, Chit and Ananda, but which manifests itself as this paltry universe. Therefore shake thyself free from this terrible burden of a universe subject to destruction. Know also that the eternal supreme Jiva is no other than theLight of Brahman, shining steady and quiescent like a lamp in a windless place or an ocean without waves and being, like Brahman, above speech, all-pervading, all-full, transcendant, immaculate and indescribable even by the cognizers of that Sat. Like small pieces of wood, which by attrition generating a little fire, ex pand into a vast flame, Jiva through its manifold experiences of many objects generates in itself the differentiated concepts of *' I," &c. Through its Sankalpa, Ahankara, is engendered, and by virtue of this Ahankara, different names such as Chitta, Manas, Prakriti, Maya and others have been super-imposed, by the wise, upon this all-full Jiva. This Manas which ex pands through Sankalpas and Vikalpas is generated thus with Brahman as its cause. All the universes which appear only through Manas are no other than its modes. Alone the ocean of Jnana shines with its countless grand waves of Vritti-Jnana (or mental modifications). The universe appears to be real through Manas only. This reality is only like a dream extending over a long period. Like the conception of a thief, arising out of the want of true knowledge, in a log of wood (lying by the wayside in a dark night), the conception of the reality of the universe arises in the absence of the knowledge that all is Brahman. Just as there is no difference between Jiva and the imperishable Brahman, when one forgets all about them, no difference at all there is between Jiva and Chitta. Simi larly there is not the slightest difference between the epheme ral Manas and the universes. Now hearken to the story of a powerful Rakshasa woman who lived in days of yore and questioned another through her ripe intelligence and then it will relieve thee from all thy doubts. She lived on the northern slopes of the Himalayas and was called Karkati. Being a Rakshasa lady, she was large- mouthed, crescent-teethed and lightning-eyed. It seemed as 64 YOUA-VA SISHTA. if the sable rocks themselves yielded their contents to frame her hands and legs wherewith to move and act. Her smile was like a thunder clap. Her eyes whirled in their sockets, like the finny creatures that circle round and round but do not run away. Her two thighs which were like big date trees sup ported a huge cumbrous body. Her nails able to pierce the clouds were of adamantine density. She afflicted the minds of all creatures on the face of the earth with her insatiate gastric fire of hunger which was blazing day and night like the Manwantaric flames. Even should all creatures ofjambu- dwipa fall a prey to her capacious stomach, she would yet find them a scanty meal, like an ocean in spite of its receipt of river-waters, and crave for more. Her gastric fire would be but slightly appeased like an autumnal heat with slight show ers. Now she wanted to appease this fire without any injury to herself and so made Tapas by propitiating Brahma for aid. For this purpose, she resorted to the Himalayas and having bathed, stood on one leg on the ground and concentrated her eyes upon the sun shining in the sky. After she had passed thus a painful Tapas for 1,000 years, the Lotus-seated Brahma appeared visibly before her. Are there any objects which cannot be acquired in this world even by the vicious through the performance of rare Tapas r" With the arrival of Brahma before her, she made obeisance to him mentally without stir ring from her spot and reflected thus—" In order to assuage my ever-increasing fire, if I transform myself into the form of an iron-like Jiva-Suchika (living needle). I can enter into the bodies of all in the world and consume as much food as I require." Whilst these thoughts were revolving in her mind, Brahma asked her the object of her wish.