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arises at first the three lokas of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra who originate and work in the seven worlds, Bhu, Bhuvar, &c., up to Satya. Then are in troduced the stories of the wily Indra, Chitta and a lad to exemplify the illusory nature of the universe. In the story of Sambarika, the Siddha, the illusory nature of time is also illustrated. Thus eight stories conclude this chapter wherein is traced the initial stage of the origin of " I" ; wherein is exemplified the fact that the universe arises out of the mere Sankalpa of the original creator, both the universe and Jiva, the intelligence arising as the illusory aspect of the one Sub stratum. STHITHI PRAKARAXA. This section deals with the Sthithi character or the pre servative aspect of the mind or the universe. In the first story of Sukra, the ego is made to pass after its origin through a series of births in a time appearing very short to his father Bhrigu who was then engaged in Nirvikalpa Sa- madhi near his son and hence was existing in higher planes. Students of esoteric literature know full well that, of all the planets, Sukra or Venus corresponds to our ego or the higher Marias. This higher Manas and the ray of Atma or Bud- dhi pass through the different forms of humanity as well as the lower ones. Having traced thus, the author next INTRODUCTION, XVI proceeds to'give out the curious story of D'ama and two others to illustrate how the " I'1 in man concretes itself in him after innumerable births with the Ahankara we find in him now. Once upon a time, there raged a war between the Devas and the Asuras. The latter, finding themselves worsted in it, creat ed through the M^yavic power of their leader three men with out Ahankara or the conception of " I" in them to fight with their opponents ; since one without Ahankara will be able to face his enemy without any the least fear, and regardless of the consequences of his actions. The Devas, finding their enemy too tough for them to deal with, applied to the higher powers for help. Vishnu advised them to adopt a rather queer plan. That was of again and again pretending to make war with their opponents and of again and again retiring from the field, when their enemy made onslaughts against them. Through this process, they were told by Vishnu that the " I" in the Mciyavic personages would be provoked and hardened and that those personages would grow terribly afraid of the re sults of the war and be discomfited through the generation of " I" in them. This procedure was adopted and the Devas gained the day. After this was over, three others of true Jndna and hence without Ahankara were created afresh by the Asuras and sent against the Devas, Finding them too hard to combat with, the passive powers of Devas again implored Vishnu for aid. In this instance, Vishnu came directly to the field of battle and took the 3 Maydvic personages away, as men of true Jn£na find their asylum in Him alone. Thus we find that the desires in the external world which have at first no hold on the subtle " I" in this world get a hold over it and concrete it through, as it were, a play of spiral game with it. It thus takes a long time ere the evils desires take possession of the heart. Likewise many births are required for their eradication. Both these stages are necessary to a progressing ego. The ego should first get into desires and be tinged with Ahankara, so that, through such a course, it may learn the lessons at their hands and after the lessons are learnt it no longer needs the desires and gets out of them. This is the reason why, in that, valuable work called 'The Light on the Path,' it says thus—' Seek in the heart the source of evil and expunge it. It lives fruit' c XV1U INTRODUCTION, fully in the heart of the devoted disciple as well as in the heart of the man of desire. Only the strong can kill it out. The weak must wait for its growth, its fruition, its death. And it is a plant that lives and increases throughout the ages. It flowers when the man has accumulated unto himself innu* merable existences." Then this Prakarana, having in all 5 stories, ends with those of Dhasoora and Kacha wherein it is sought to explain the position that, though the universe appears to be real in itself in this stage, it is nothing but Atmic Sankalpa or a mode of the consciousness of Atma. It is in this Prakarana that the three modes of Ahankara engendered are mentioned. The first is the stage where the man identifies himself with the physical body which is the lowest of Ahankaras and ought to be shunned. The second is where one identifies himself with a thread-like small wire. In the third stage, he finds he is all this universe. These three stages correspond to the gross, subtle and causal bodies of man and are the intelligences presiding over them. Beyond these is Turya, the 4th stage where one is above the universe and identifies himself with the Spirit itself. UPASA'NTI OR UPASAMA PRAKARANA. This is the section which deals with the quiescence of the mind after its sport in the universe. This Praka rana rejoices in nine stories wherein it is stated that the quiescence of mind can be obtained only after many births. To develop this state, many means are given out, such as the Lord's grace through Bhakti or devotion, the direct knowledge of Maya, Yoga, Atma-Vicha'ra or Atmic enquiry, and Chitta- Nirodha or the control of mind, Pr£nayama, &c. King Janaka sees all as ChidAnada and reaches a higher state. Punnya and PAvana reach the goal after the lapse of many births. Bali of the Trivikrama Avatar did his actions in a Nishkama manner without reference to their fruits. Prahlada was ever worshipping the lotus feet of Eswara. Gadhi, the father of Vi6wa~mitra had a direct perception of Mdya and thence of God, since the Absolute cannot be seen without overcoming MAya. Atma-Vichdra or Atmic enquiry was the ceaseless means adopted by UddhaMaka and Suraghu. BhAsa and VilSsa INTRODUCTION. XIX put an end to all their pains through the same course. Veethahavya resorted to Pr£nayama or the control of breath for the subjugation of his mind. The story of Gadhi is worthy of being reproduced here. Having been daily engaged in meditation in water, he one day wished to know the nature of Maya and was blessed by Vishnu the Higher Self, — here represented as a dark blue cloud — with the boon of seeing Maya directly and of over coming it. Some days after, as he was passing to the waters of a tank, his mind recurred to the boon of Vishnu ; and when he stepped into the tank, he was entranced and vividly remem bered, in his normal state, all the lives he had led during his Samadhi, as a Brahmin and as a Chandala (out-caste). Not knowing the reason why these visions arose, he returned home where he met with a guest who uttered some words which went to prove that his dream in the tank was a reality. So in order to verify the same, he went to the many places pointed out by the guest and found all the events of his dream realized as an actuality in the waking state. This story illus trates the fact that the many lives we are going through in our present state of Ajnana are like so many dream lives which, though they may appear as true like our waking states, are yet not so, when a high stage of spiritual development arises. In the story of Veethahavya with which this Praka- rana winds up, the different stages of his development on the uttering of the sacred word, Pranava, are described. To pro duce a control of the mind, two things are essential, Prana* Nirodha and Sanga-Tyaga, viz., the control of Prana and renunciation of Sanga or association. By the latter is meant not disassociation with the world but only with the longing after, or the attraction towards, the objects of the world. By Prana-Nirodha, the author expressly .states that he does not mean it in the Hata-Yogic form but only in the Raja-Yogic way. NlRVA'NA-PRAKAKANA. This last section has 14 stories in it. The ego in this stage reaches the Turya or fourth state, after the developed one has crossed "the three Halls" and is able to have a commanding view of the lower stages. This Prakarana begins with the story ofBhusunda, the great Yogi. Busunda, meaning a crow, ty- XX INTRODUCTION.