"I have duly respected the Vedas, the teachers and the sacrificial fire,
I have put the sense of all the Vedas into the Mahabharata and have made
their sacred lore accessible to all classes of men. I have done all
this, nay, much more. Still I think my work is not fully done." So
thought Veda Vyasa, the adept author of the Kali Yuga, while meditating
on the sacred banks of the Sarasvati, and his heart became heavy with
something, he knew not what. At this time Narada appeared before him --
Narada, who knew all that transpired in the Triloki and who could enter
into the hearts of all beings. "Thou hast fully known," said Narada,
"all that is knowable, for thou hast written the excellent Mahabharata,
which leaves nothing unsaid. How is it then thou feelest dispirited as
if thy object were not gained?" What could Vyasa say in reply; he only
inquired from the seer Narada the cause of his uneasiness.
Narada entered into a free criticism of the Bhagavat Gita, the
philosophical portion of the Mahabharata, pointed out its shortcomings
and suggested to Vyasa what next to do. A few remarks will be necessary
to understand all this.
There are seven planes Bhur, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Jana, Tapas and Satya.
Bhur is the terrestrial plane.
Bhuvar is the astral plane.
Svar is the plane of Kama and desires.
These three planes, collectively known as Triloki, are the planes of
personality. Kama is the guiding principle of existence in Triloki, and
a recurrence of births and re-births its main characteristic. With every
Night of Brahma, this triple plane comes to an end, transferring its
energies to the next higher plane, and is re-born with every Day of
Brahma. Mahar is intermediate between Triloki and the three higher Lokas
of Universality.
The Vedic school laid great stress on communion with the Devas of Svar
Loka or Svarga or Indra Loka, and this was pre-eminently known as Vedic
Yajna. The performance of Vedic Yajna led only to a prolonged
gratification of kama in Svar Loka. But however long the period might
be, it was limited by the magnitude of the force (Apurva) which buoyed
up the individuality in the Svar Loka. As the Gita says, when the merits
are exhausted the observer of Vedic Dharma enters again into the
transitory plane. The course of births and re-births is then set up
anew, with constant transformations and with all the miseries of
existence conditioned by personality.
This was not Mukti or liberation. The followers of the post-vedic or
Upanishad school contended that liberation lay in crossing the triple
plane of individuality to the higher cosmic planes of universality. When
an individual reaches the higher planes, he does not again become
subject to transformations, and to the constant recurrence of births and
re-births. There is one continued life, one continued existence in the
higher planes, till the end of cosmos or the Life of Brahma. This life
is not measured by personalities but is the cosmical life, and the
individuality becomes a cosmical entity. Further there is life also
beyond the cosmos, in the highest plane, the abode of the Supreme.
The Gita only incidentally describes the highest plane in the following
sloka:
"That is my supreme abode, by reaching which (Jivas) do not recur (to
fresh births). Not the Sun, not the Moon, not even fire illumines that."
-- XV. 6.
Krishna also refers to that plane in VIII. 20 and XV. 4. 5.
The Gita lays down Nishkama Karma, or the unselfish performance of the
duties of life (Sva-dharma) as the first step towards reaching the
higher planes. The sense of separateness is killed by Nishkama Karma.
Then the Gita takes the disciple to Upasana or communion with the
Purusha of the highest plane, but scarcely a glimpse is given of that
plane and its surroundings. The Mahabharata does not throw any light on
the dwellers of the higher planes, nor does it give any details of those
planes. Without any distinct prospect of trans-Triloki life, one is
asked to adhere to the duties appertaining to one's own sphere of life
(Sva-dharma) and to perform those duties unselfishly. However transitory
the things of Triloki may be, there are attractions enough for the frail
sons of Manu, abounding in passions and desires. What can then bind a
man to the higher planes and the highest Purusha of those planes or
Bhagavan? It is only a description of the grandeur and the glory of
those planes and of Bhagavan. Such description begets Bhakti or holy
attachment, and it is this Bhakti which sets up a real communion with
Bhagavan. Frail as man is, the mere performance of duties makes him
attached to them, unless he is bound to the higher planes by the tie of
holy attachment. The Gita is however silent as to the attractions of the
higher planes and of Bhagavan. This was the defect pointed out by
Narada.
"O thou great Muni, as thou hast treated of Dharma and of other things,
so thou hast not recited the glory of Vasudeva". -- I. 5. 9.
"This universe is also an aspect of Bhagavan, for its creation,
preservation and end proceed from Him. Thou knowest all this thyself.
But thou hast shown to others only a portion of this truth." -- I. 5.
20.
"Salutations to Thee, Bhagavan, let me meditate on Vasudeva. Salutations
to Pradyumna, Aniruddha and to Sankarshana. He who, by naming these
_murtis_ in the _murtiless_, whose only _murti_ is mantra, makes
offerings to Yajna Purusha, is the complete seer." -- I. 5. 37-38. A
mystery lies veiled in this Sloka.
But who is this Narada? Why should we accept his authority? Narada was
therefore careful to give his own account, elaborated by the enquiries
of Vyasa. All students of occultism will do well to read carefully this
account which forms a fitting preliminary to the Bhagavata.