THE STORY OF LILA

An elderly gentleman, formerly a co-worker with B. V.

Narasimhaswami and author of some Visishtadvaita work,
visited the place for the first time. He asked about rebirths, if
it is possible for the linga sarira (subtle body) to get dissolved
and be reborn two years after death.

M.: Yes. Surely. Not only can one be reborn, one may be
twenty or forty or even seventy years old in the new body
though only two years after death.

Sri Bhagavan cited Lila's story from Yoga Vasishta.

(Talk No.129)

There was a reference to reincarnation. Reincarnation of
Shanti Devi tallies with the human standards of time whereas
the latest case reported of a boy of seven is different. The boy is
seven years now. He recalls his past births. Enquiries go to show
that the previous body was given up 10 months ago.

The question arises how the matter stood for six years and
two months previous to the death of the former body. Did the
soul occupy two bodies at the same time?

Sri Bhagavan pointed out that the seven years is according
to the boy and the ten months is according to the observer. The
difference is due to these two different upadhis (mental states).

The boy's experience extending to seven years has been
calculated by the observer to cover only 10 months of his own
time.

Page 224
Sri Bhagavan again referred to Lila's story in Yoga Vasishta.

(Talk No.261)

Once there was a king by the name of Padma, who was
wealthy and wise. He had a beautiful wife called Lila who was
devoted to her husband.Once she thought, "My Husband is
dearer to me than my life. He is young and prosperous. How
to make him remain forever young and deathless?"

She consulted learned pandits of the court. They advised
her,"All successful accomplishments are attained by religious
austerity, repetition of mantras and self-control, but immortality
can not be obtained on any account."

Having heard thus from the learned Brahmins, she
reflected, "In case I have to die before my husband, freed from
all agony, I shall happily rest in the Self and in case he precedes
me then his soul should not go out of this room. I shall worship
the Goddess Sarasvati and ask for boons."

Having resolved thus the queen, without telling her
husband, performed severe austerities as laid down in the
scriptures.

Goddess Sarasvati was pleased by the queen's austerities.

She appeared and said, "Ask for any boon and it shall be
granted,"Overjoyed Lila sang hymns of praise to the Goddess,
and asked for two boons," When my husband dies, the soul
of my husband, should remain here. Whenever I pray to you,
give me your vision." Accordingly, the Goddess granted both
the boons.

After several years Lila's husband passed away. The bereaved
queen placed her husband's corpse in a bed of flowers as instructed
by the Goddess. In great distress she asked the Goddess,"Where
does my husband reside? What does he do? What is his state at
present? Lead me to him. I cannot live without him."

Page 225
The Goddess taught Lila about Brahman (the Supreme
Spirit or Ultimate Reality) and narrated the existence of various
planes penetrating one another and existing quite unperceived
by the inhabitants of other planes. She also taught her the method
of seeing and visiting the various worlds interpenetrating one's
own. Lila abandoned her own body, and the Goddess took her
to the world of her husband's in which she saw him in an assembly
of kings. She was surprised to see him sitting on a throne, now
looking very young. Lila asked the Goddess for an explanation.

She was told about the delusion of creation. The Goddess
spoke as follows:

"Once there lived a virtuous Brahmin named Vasishta.

His wife was Arundhati who equaled him in all respects. Once
he saw the king passing by with his retinue and thought,
`Kingship is indeed delightful, blessed with all good fortune. I
wish that I were a king.'

"Vasishtha's death was impending and knowing this, his
wife took refuge in me. Like you, she prayed to me, ` May the
soul of my dead husband not depart from this place.' I granted
her prayer. The poor Brahmin died, his wife, Arundhati, being
unable to bear the pangs of separation from her husband, burnt
herself along with the body of her husband." Sarasvati told Lila
that all that had happened only a week ago, and that the Brahmin
pair had been born as herself (Lila) and her husband, King
Padma, in the world where he had just died after having lived a
long life, leaving Lila alone. Lila did not believe this story, because
the couple had died recently, whereas Lila and Padma were born
years before. Lila asked the Goddess whether one soul can
occupy two bodies simultaneously. Saraswati explained that the
two frames of reference were different and that a person's strong
sankalpa ^[?](determination or aspiration) can manifest as humans.

Page 226
The Goddess then took Lila to that world, and made her verify
the story from a son of the deceased pair. Through meditation,
she remembered all her previous births since her origin from
the Creator. Lila lamented, "Alas! Today I have remembered
hundreds of my previous births. Indeed, I have wandered much
in various kinds of wombs."

Both Lila and Sarasvati returned to the present world of
the king, who was called Viduratha, and found him in his 70th
year. His wife was also named Lila (let us call her Lila II). Lila
and Saraswati manifested themselves before the king in his private
apartment and mysteriously reminded him of his previous
existence as Padma. He entertained a desire to be Padma again.

His present wife, Lila II, propitiated Sarasvati to confer a boon
upon her to be the wife of Vidurtha even in his next life.

After a short time, there was a war in which King Viduratha
was killed. His soul, which was present, throughout, in the room
where the corpse of Padma was lying, reentered the dead body.

And lo! The soul rose again as King Padma, who found standing
before him his two wives, namely, Lila I and Lila II. "Let all
sorrows end and let there be endless happiness." So saying the
Goddess blessed them and disappeared.

Finally, all three of them- Lila, the second Lila and the
King- were liberated while still alive, and in due course, became
one with the Absolute by the grace of the Goddess.

Page 227