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spiritual faculties. They could not however shake off the Asuric ele-
ment all at once. They were extremely fond of material joys, and
they devised all means, which human intellect could contrive, of grati-
fying material desires. That was right which gave material gratifica-
tion; that was wrong which militated against material enjoyment.
Bhuvar Loka is the plane of animal desires. The human
beasts go after death to Bhuvar Loka. They do not possess anything
which could take them to Svarga Loka.
The Svarga Loka is for those who develop in themselves the
faculty of discriminating between right and wrong, and who do or
attempt to do what is right. Far more it is for those who love others
and who do good to them. For service and love pertain to planes
higher even than Svarga. But in the higher planes, service is un-
selfish and love is divine. The lower forms of service and love pertain
to the plane of Svarga. In Svarga there is selfishness, but it is mix-
ed with spirituality. It is only the good, the virtuous, the devoted
that go to the plane of the Devas and there gratify their higher desires
to their heart's content. There are divine music, divine beauty, divine
objects of gratification in Svarga Loka allurements enough for a
man of desire. And if his merits be great, he enjoys the things of
Svarga Loka for an enormously long period.
But a man by bare intellectuality can not cross the threshold
of Svarga. The Devas reject the intruder. However much Trisanku
might aspire to have the enjoyments of Svarga, and however great his
intellect might be, he was not allowed to enter the coveted plane, with-
out the passport of spirituality. Humanity had still to learn the proper
means of securing life in Svarga.
Poor and chance spiritual acquisitions give only a passing life
in Svarga and that not of a superior character. So all the knowledge
as to attaining Svarga life had to be revealed in time.
The Rishis made great efforts to improve humanity by securing
for them a prolonged existence in Svarga, most of all Rishi Visva-
mitra, one of the seven sages of our Manvantara. Visvamitra failed
in his attempt to send Trisanku to Svarga. He then tried with his
son Haris Chandra. It is said he advised the Raja to make a human
sacrifice to Varuna. But we find the victim Sunah-sepha living after
the sacrifice, under the name of Deva-rata, or one given up to the
gods, and some of the Riks even were revealed to him. Haris Chandra
succeeded in entering Svarga. That was a great victory for Rishi
Visvamitra. The Vedas weie revealed to the Rishis and sacrifices
came to be known.
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