Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2711

c8.2711

(ii) Aparavidyopāsana. There are some people who do not consider performance of religious rites as important but worship Brahman. They do not treat Brahman and jīvātmā as one but view them as separate entities. Such devotees are called Aparavidyopāsakas. Their souls as soon as they leave the body move towards aparabrahman. The path to aparabrahma is through Agni, Jyotis, daytime, Śuklapakṣa (the white fortnight), Uttarāyaṇa (the passage of the sun to the north), samvatsara (year), Sūrya (sun), Candra (moon) and Vidyut (lightning). The dhanyas (blessed ones) who attain Vidyut go to Varuṇaloka, Indraloka and Prajāpatiloka and then merge with parabrahma (the supreme being). This path is called Devayāna. Since for both Pitṛyāna and Devayāna the jīvātmā has to depend upon Candra it is to be surmised that there is some special connection between jīvātmā and Candra. Those who attain Aparabrahma by the path of devayāna do not come back to earth. They have no rebirths. Those who have merged with aparabrahma attain Brahman by the end of a lifetime of Brahmā. Thus those who attain Brahman and do not believe that jīvātmā and Brahman are one and view them separately attain Parabrahma through the merger with aparabrahma. This is called Kramamukti. Some sages are of opinion that those who attain aparabrahma enjoy prosperity by mind. Those who live attached to worldly pleasures but not do things prohibited by the Vedas attain Pitṛloka by the path of Dakṣiṇāyana. After enjoying all the accrued 'puṇya' there, they come back to earth to be born again.