*SKANDHA II., CHAP. 2.*
When all desires are controlled by meditation, and the Yogi is lost in
the contemplation of Vishnu, he sits in proper posture, pressing his
feet against the anus and perseveringly draws the vital air upwards to
the six centres. He draws the air in the navel centre (Manipur) to the
cardiac plexus, thence to the plexus beneath the throat (Visuddha),
thence gradually by intuition to the root of the palate. (Sridhara Svami
calls this last the higher part of Visuddha chakra, and remarks that the
vital air is not displaced from that position. This may be called the
pharyngeal plexus.) Thence he takes the vital air to Ajna chakra, which
is situated between the two eye-brows. Then he controls the seven holes
(the ears, the eyes, the nostrils and the mouth). He then looks steadily
for half a Muhurta, and if he has not a trace of desire left in him
gives up the body and the Indriyas, passes out through the
Brahma-randhra and attains the state of Vishnu.
[It will be noticed above that six plexuses are mentioned other than the
Sacral and the prostatic.
In the death of the desireless Yogi, there is no record of thereafter,
for nothing is known beyond our cosmos.]
"But, O king," said Suka, "if the Yogi seeks for the highest cosmic
state or for the roamings of aerial Siddhas over the whole of cosmos, in
full control of the eight Siddhis, he will then take his Manas and
Indriyas with him. It is said that these Masters of Yoga can move both
inside and outside Triloki, for their Linga Sarira consists of the atoms
of air. The state attained by those that acquire Samadhi by Upasana,
Tapas and Yoga cannot be reached by Vedic Karma. In space when the Yogi
moves towards the Brahma Loka or Satya Loka, he first goes by means of
his Sushumna Nadi to Vaisvanara or the fire-god for the Sushumna by its
light extends beyond the body. His impurities being all washed away, he
goes upwards to the Sisumara Chakra of Hari (_i.e._, up to the highest
point of Triloki, as will be explained afterwards). Then crossing that
Chakra of Vishnu, which is the navel of the Universe, he reaches the
Mahar Loka with his pure Linga Sarira. There the dwellers of Svarga
cannot go. Mahar Loka is the abode of Brahmavids, where Bhrigu and other
adepts who live for a whole Kalpa dwell.
"The Yogi remains in Mahar Loka till the end of the Kalpa, when, seeing
the Triloki burnt up by fire from the mouth of Ananta or Sankarshana,
the fires reaching even Mahar Loka's he moves towards the abode of
Paramesthi (Satya Loka or Brahma Loka). This highest Loka lasts for two
Pararddhas and is adorned by the chariots of the kings of Siddhas. There
is no sorrow in Brahma Loka, no infirmity, no death, no misery, no fear
of any kind. But the Yogi suffers from mental pain caused by sympathy
with those that suffer for their ignorance of the supreme state in the
recurrence of births with their endless miseries.
"There are three courses for those that go to Brahma Loka. Some by the
excellence of their merits get responsible cosmical positions at the
next Kalpa. Others remain in the Brahma Loka till the end of the cosmos
or Brahmanda. The Upasakas of Bhagavan however may at their will pierce
through the cosmos or Brahmanda and reach the trans-cosmic plane of
Vishnu. The text goes on to say how this is done. The cosmos consists of
seven Patalas and seven Lokas, together forming the fourteen-fold
Bhuvana, which extends over 50 Krores of Yojanas (1 Yojana = 8 miles).
Surrounding this is a covering of the earthy principle, such as was not
used up in the formation of the cosmos, extending over one krore of
yojanas. (According to some this covering extends over 50 krores of
yojanas.) The second cover is of water, extending over ten times as much
space as earth, the third of fire, the fourth of air, the fifth of
akasa, the sixth of Ahankara, the seventh of Mahat, each covering ten
times as much space as the one preceding. The eighth cover is Prakriti,
which is all pervading. The Linga Sarira of the Yogi in passing through
the earthy cover, becomes earthy, through water becomes watery, and
through fire, fiery. With the fiery body he goes to the air cover and
with the airy cover to the akasa cover. He passes also through the
Tanmatras and senses them. He passes through Prana itself and becomes
all action. Having thus crossed the Sthula and Sukshma coverings, the
Yogi reaches the sixth covering that of the Transformable or Ahankara
Tatva, which is the absorber of the Tanmatras and of the Indriyas.
Thence he goes to Mahat Tatva and thence to Pradhana, where all the
Gunas find their resting place. Then becoming all Pradhana himself full
of bliss, he attains with the exhaustion of all _upadhis_ the
trans-cosmic Atma, which is Peace and Bliss.
"These are the two ways to Mukti, the one prompt and the other deferred
as sung in the Vedas."
The following Diagram may be of some help in understanding the above:
--
[Illustration: A diagram of concentric circles with P at the center and
M' the outermost, with the Key below working inwards.]