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 compassion, afflicted by the endless miseries of those that do not know the path. II. 2 XXVII. Then they pass 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 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 compassion, 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 principal 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. 6. _Satya_ or _Nagnajiti_, Agni-Tanmatra, Form, Fire. 7. _Bhadra_, Ap-Tanmatra, Taste, Water. 8. _Lakshana_, 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 energies 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). 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 Yajnavalkya's answer to Sakala Brihat Aranyaka Upanishad III. 9.) Hiranya 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 Upasana. 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 movement, 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 Amrita 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 disappearance, 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 Gayatri, which were represented by Akrura. 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 Devahuti. (III. 26 ). ------------------------------------------------------------------ _Upasya_ _Adhibhuta_ _Adhyatma_ _Adhideva_ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Vasudeva Mahat Chitta Kshetrajna ------------------------------------------------------------------ Sankarsana Ahankara Ahankara Rudra ------------------------------------------------------------------ Aniruddha Manas Manas The Moon god ------------------------------------------------------------------ Pradyumna Buddhi 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.