(Explanatory note at the bottom)
The Worlds Visible and Invisible. WE all know one world, the world around us, which we can see, and hear, and touch, and taste, and smell. Science tells us of many parts of this world, which our senses are not keen
enough to perceive, things too small for our eyes to see, too subtle to affect any of our senses. These parts of our world, which we cannot perceive but-
about which science tells us, are still physical, although invisible to us; they are parts of our world. Physical matter includes solids, liquids, gases, and ethers, all made up of atoms of the same kind.
But we have heard of other worlds, which are invisible and are not a part of this world, the worlds into which people go when they pass away from this earth by death. We read of the Triloka, the three worlds, and every one should know something about these, for in these three worlds the Jiva is bound to the wheel of births and deaths, and in these his evolution proceeds.
These three worlds are made at the beginning of immense period called a Day of Brahma, and perish at its ending. Four other great lokas, or worlds, complete the Brahmanda, but they last on through the life of
Brahma. We need not deal with them here.
There are also some sub-divisions within the great lokas, to which the same name of loka is given, such as, Pretaloka and Pitriloka in Bhiivarloka, and Indra-loka and Suryaloka in Svargaloka.
The three great lokas with which we are concerned, the Triloki, are: Bhurloka, the physical world, or the earth; Bhuvarloka, the world of “becoming” intermediate between the earth and Svarga; Svargaloka, the heaven world. Of these three, Bhurloka is partly visible and partly invisible
to us; Bhuvarloka and Svargaloka are invisible. In Bhurloka the Prithvi Tattva is the basis of all forms: it exists in seven modifications solid, liquid, gaseous, radiant, etheric, superetheric and atomic. These later four are spoken as “the ethers.” In Bhuvarloka seven similar modifications exist, but the basis is the Apas Tattva. In Svarga-loka there are also seven similar modifications, but the basis is the Agni Tattva.
The Jiva has three sheaths corresponding to these worlds the Annamayakosha, the Prftnamayaskosha, the Manomayakosha. The Annamayakosha, or food- sheath so called because it is built up out of the food we eat corresponds with the visible part of the earth and is composed of solids, liquids and gases.
The Pranamayakosha or Prana-sheath, corresponds with the invisible part of our earth and is composed of ethers. Prana i.e. the life-energy, and includes all the forces that science calls magnetic and electrical, but is much
more than these. Both these sheaths are connected with Bhurloka.
The Manomayakosha, mind-sheath, has two parts ; the denser part, in which the passions have their seat, is connected with Bhuvarloka ; the finer
part, in which play the emotions and thought, is connected with Svargaloka.
Other names are used for these sheaths, according to the object for which the classification is made, but the student need not become confused
by these, for as he advances, he will find that his increased knowledge makes them quite intelligible. We will only notice three names very commonly used.
The sthulasharira, or solid body, is the same as the Annamayakosha, made of solids, liquids and gases. The Sukshmasharira, or subtle body, includes the Pranamayakosha and the Manomaya-kosha; in addition to these, it includes another kosha, the Yijnanamayakosha, the knowledge
sheath, which connects the Jiva with maharloka, a loka beyond the Triloka in which his pilgrimage is carried on, one which is not destroyed, though it is rendered uninhabitable, at the close of the Day of Brahma. This part of the Sukshmasharira, the knowledge- sheath, is relatively permanent, and
lasts through the series of births and deaths.
A table may make these two classifications, and their relation to the lokas, clear:
Sharira. ……. irritation, and so on. The Jniinendriyas have also their centres in the Sukshmasharira, while their organs eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin are in the Sthiilasharira.
Now let us see what happens at death. First, the Sukshmasharira is separated from the Sthiila-sharira, the Jiva drawing it away by means of the
Pranamayakosha. This leaves the Sthiilasharira a mass of “lifeless ” matter ; that is, of matter from which the life that held it together is withdrawn ; there is plenty of life left in the cells of the body, and they begin to break away from each other, but the ruling life is gone. The Jiva remains in his Sukshmasharira. Very quickly he shakes off his Pranamayakosha and has then the denser part of the Manomayakosha as his outer-most garment. He is then called a Preta, and is an inhabitant of Pretaloka. If he has been a very good man on earth, he dreams away happily while in this condition ; but if he has been a bad man, he suffers while a Preta, craving for the earthly pleasures which he is no longer able to obtain.
After a shorter or longer time according to the strength of these cravings and the consequent length of time needed for their exhaustion the
densest part of the Manomayakosha falls away, and he goes as a l’itii into Pitriloka. Having spent there sufficient time to purify the Manomaya-kosha from all elements unfit for Svarga, the Jiva in the purified Manomayakosha goes on into Svarga, and enjoys there the fruit he has stored up. When this is exhausted, the time has come for his return to earth, and the purified Manomaya-kosha dissolves away, leaving the Jiva in the Yijnanamayakosha. He quickly puts forth his power to form new vehicles, and creates a new Manomayakosha for his coming life in the lower worlds. The Devas build for him a Pranamayakosha and an Annamayakosha, according to his karma, and he is again born into Bhurloka.
These are the recurring stages of the Jiva’s pilgrimage : life in the visible world, death, life in the invisible worlds, re-birth. This is repeated time after time, time after time. At last, the Jiva grows weary of these three worlds, and longs for higher, subtler experiences and more expanded life; he turns away from all these worlds can offer him, and finds delight in meditation, in worship, in the compassionate helping of the weaker; he no longer uses his vehicles to gain pleasure for himself, but only to do service to others, and, so used, they can no longer imprison him. He dwells in the higher lokas, guiding his lower vehicles as his instruments in the lower worlds, and becomes a co-worker with Ishvara, either retaining his vehicles for service or throwing them away and entering into Brahman.
” Now verily there are three worlds the world of men, the world of the Pitris, the world of the Pevas.”
“For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead ; therefore over the inevitable thou shouldst not grieve.
” Beings are unmanifest in their origin, manifest in their midmost state, Bhiirata, unmanifest in their dissolution : what room then for lamentation ?
” The people who know the Day of Brahma, a thousand Yugas in duration, and the Night, a thousand Yugas in ending, they know day and night.
“From the unmanifested all the manifested stream forth at the coming of Day ; at the coming of Night they dissolve, even in that called the un-
manifested.”
” The knowers of the three (Veda), the Soma drinkers, the purified from sin, worshipping Me with sacrifice, pray of Me the way to Svarga; they ascending to the holy word of the Deva Indra, enjoy in heaven the divine feasts of the Devas.
” Having enjoyed the spacious Svarga-world,their holiness withered, they come back to this world of death. Following the virtues enjoined by the three (Yedas), desiring desires, they undergo this passage to and fro.”
” At the end of many births the man full of wisdom cometh unto me :
‘ Vasudeva is all,’ saith he, the Mahatma, very difficult to find.”
(Explanatory note: