Tattva Prabha

The Planes (भूमिका)

अवस्थाभेदनिर्मात्री
चित्रबन्धा जगद्गति : ।
क्वचिद्गुप्ता क्वचिद्व्यक्ता
चिन्मयी क्वचिदुल्बणा ॥४२॥

42) Consciousness modified institutes varying conditions (or states of itself), becomes the World-movement in variegated structures, and is here veiled, there revealed, and elsewhere quite manifest for ever.

In the first section and subsequently also it was stated in unequivocal terms that Consciousness is fundamental to all existence. It is this first principle of the Vedanta that provides a broad base for the structure in all its details for the comprehensive system of this philosophic thought. Static, indeed, is the basic aspect; but the power of Self-manifestation brings out in its wake the Cosmic movement in a graded structure. It is the self-conditioning poise that produces the varying states and creates conditions in an order of successive steps of the movement that commences from the Pure Existence, the Absolute Beyond and comes down towards the formation of Material Existence. Corresponding, then, to the stress and modes of Consciousness are their fields conditioned, formed and constituted by the creative force that is its inalienable right in the active mood. This movement is not, and of course cannot be, uniform in its grades which are separate and different from one another, and variously constituted and formed and have their own predominant principles, distinguishing features and outstanding powers in different degrees. The term world-movement Jagatgati connotes the movement of the Cosmos and is not restricted to this world. The variegated structures in the Cosmos denote the colourful and variously constituted and conditioned existence in the ordered steps of the movement. That the Consciousness is not the same everywhere in the Manifestation is stressed here when it is affirmed that it is here veiled etc. It is veiled, but exists as the substratum in the lowest grade of Matter, what is called the Inconscient; it is unveiled in the higher grades as in the mind-levels, ‘quite manifest for ever’ in the Supermind, in the Eternal triple existence.

In order that it may not be supposed that the same thing that is stated about the sevenfold world in the previous section is repeated here, the text avoids the mention of the worlds here and proceeds to describe the character of the states of consciousness and the corresponding planes of being. It must be noted here that the worlds and planes are neither synonymous nor interchangeable terms. There is a distinction which must be clearly understood. Planes are grades, levels of being and consciousness; they are steps in the Cosmic Existence and at each step, or each level of being there can be many worlds. For a world is after all an organisation constituted in a settled poise of the Spirit to work out a general relation between the experiencing spirit and the powers of the Cosmic becoming. From this it would be clear that the worlds of the different planes are differently constituted and each has its own laws and government. The seven worlds spoken of in the previous section are on the seven levels or planes of Consciousness. Stress is laid on the fact that the true character of these planes or levels of existence is consciousness which in its power of becoming is featured in the sevenfold condition of Existence. These planes are likened to series of steps in a ladder in the next verse.

परस्मात्प्रस्थिता सेयं भूमिकानां परम्परा ।
सोपानकल्पिताकारा निःश्रेणिरिव निर्मिता ॥४३॥
ईशस्य तद्विसृष्टस्य जगतश्चान्तरे स्थिता ।
ऊर्ध्वाधोगतिकक्ष्येयनुभयीं कोटिमास्थिता ॥४४॥

43) (These conditions of Consciousness are) the series of Planes that start from the Supreme and are framed like a ladder in ordered steps.

44) Between the Lord and the world released from Him lie the series of planes in a vertical pose reaching the two ends.

Since the origin of the whole Cosmic movement is the Supreme Spirit, the hierarchy of planes of Consciousness starts from above, from the height of Being, in the Sat-Chit-Ananda, the Supreme; it gradually comes down and lapses in the world and plane of Matter, in the apparent total absence of consciousness, what we call the Inconscient. Hence these steps in the hierarchy are likened to a ladder, as the movement is vertical from high on downward here. At the summit of this Cosmic existence is the Supreme Lord, Ishwara; at the lower end here is the world of Matter. Between the two ends stretch the planes and worlds built by the Energy of the Cosmic movement that starts from the Supreme Will above. In between the two poles, one the supreme above—the Consciousness, the other here—the Inconscient, are stretched the planes of Being where Consciousness varies in its force-movement, in degree and intensity in accord with the constitution of the particular level that is its field; these lie like the rungs of a ladder that is the passage that leads on from the Earth plane here to the higher regions of the Spirit above. Apart from the nature of the Cosmic structure that is briefly characterised as the passage between the two ends of Existence as formed in the scheme of this creation, this formation of the planes as a passage has a great utility and is of the utmost importance to the Yogin of this persuasion. And this is stated in the next verse.

पद्या योगविदां हृद्या तमःपारमहोदया ।
सोपानक्रमसम्पन्नाऽऽरुरुक्षोरधिरोहिणी ॥४५॥

45) This is the passage pleasing to those who are aware of Yoga, whose sublime origin is in the shore beyond Darkness, which is rich with a series of steps, a ladder for those who wish to ascend (to the summit).

It must be noted here that all spiritual realisations are not of the same kind or order. It is perfectly true that whatever path one may tread and follow—successful, it does lead ultimately to the One Divine, Sat-Chit-Ananda. But the aspect on which stress is laid is determined by the path of one's choice. Devotion, Knowledge, Works, some or all of them combined or each severally yields the right result ultimately. But we may speak of two lines of realisation. The one broad distinction between the two is this. Whether through devotion developing into love for the Divine or through knowledge, one gets God-realisation or direct perception of the Reality—and this experience can be of such a radical nature that it becomes a permanent feature of the devotee's life or the Jnanin's, the man of knowledge—such realisation, dvaitic or advaitic or any other, can come suddenly or gradually growing into a sudden realisation. But that need not be related to the Cosmic manifestation. Even when it is related to it, the tendency is to attach less and less importance and value to distinction leading more and more to the unitary Existence, i.e. Brahman, the Divine, the Self.

But if one pursues the path of Yoga, especially this Yoga (which does not exclude devotion and knowldge, on the contrary they become indispensable elements from the very beginning or at some stage) the development of the Yogin takes place in such a way that there is gradual unfoldment of the closed centres of consciousness which are linked to the planes above the Material. For the dominant principles of these planes above the Earth, Life, Mind, and still higher and subtler and spiritual principles are already centred in the individual, asleep, half-awake, half-asleep, and by Yoga when they are opened, they can be switched on by practice to the corresponding planes proper. The Yogin's inner realisation of the Spirit, Self or the Divine grows towards the enrichment of the various parts of the being which take their places in the Cosmic and universal plan, as they too learn to be real and realised parts of the whole, purposeful limbs of the ensouled spirit, instruments and focii of the Cosmic planes in the individual. Therefore it is stated that this ladder of planes is a passage pleasing, nay, indispensable to the Yogins. For each rung in the ladder represents a particular centre of the plane proper; and by ascending the ladder through the opening of these centres, one gradually reaches the summit. This is what is meant by the statement that this Yogic realisation is related at every step to the Cosmic manifestation. But such an opening of the centres, even though it may be possible without a radical spiritual realisation, cannot be of enduring value. For it is only against a spiritual background that these realisations can endure, and their value and unfaltering functionings are assured only in the achievement of a stable and central experience of the Spirit.

Through these centres opened the Yogin reaches the shore beyond Darkness where the hierarchy of planes begins. The Yogin who desires liberation from ignorance can arise and climb the ladder and need not wait till the dawn of the essential spiritual realisation which can come at any suitable stage. While the supreme importance of the constant experience of the soul in contact with the Divine within or the Divine in the Cosmic existence or the Divine as the origin and support of all manifestation is given its due place and fully recognised, the ascending order of progress towards the Divine at the head of the Cosmic existence is presented to the Yogin through the opened centres of consciousness linked to the rising planes from below upwards as has been already mentioned.

Now in concluding this topic on the hierarchy of planes, the next verse reiterates the real character, so as to avoid a possible misconception that the planes and worlds are outside the Supreme whence they start as the Cosmic movement.

चिदियं परमेशस्य कक्ष्याक्रमविभासिनी ।
भिन्नशक्तिगुणा ह्येषा भिन्नमाना च सर्वतः ॥४६॥

46) This is the Consciousness of the Supreme Lord, shining as planes in order which everywhere vary in the measure of Force and quality and bulk.

This is the concluding statement. Having dealt in the very beginning with the nature of the Consciousness with its inherent force of movement a reminder is made here that these planes, parts of the Cosmic movement are but formations of the Chit, rather the Chit-shakti, of the Supreme Lord himself. For the soul in ignorance, growing from the earth-consciousness upwards beyond ignorance to the heights these planes are outside of itself, but the whole Cosmos with all the levels of Being dwells as grades and varied forms of and in the Consciousness of the Supreme Lord. And the very fact of the variety implies the difference in the structure and form and characteristics as well as in the size and shape and dimensions.