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and comes back. The soul which under the influence of pure karma is compelled to journey by this path, is required to come back to its original earth consciousness after the experience of. joys and sorrows in different spheres in consequence of its actions. It will be clearly observed that both the paths are associated with action-one in which Jñāna is prominent and action is subservient to it and the other in which jñāna is altogether absent. In case of the soul which reaches Brahmaloka it generally continues there till the end of kalpa. That is still the universal destruction of the world when it merges into the unity of pure Brahman. In any case such a soul has not to come back to earth consciousness for the simple reason that the necessary karma is wanting and the little auspicious karma which is left behind is exhausted by the experience of power and joy in the Brahma-loka. In the case of the dark path, return to earth consciousness is inevitable, there being no knowlege in the soul. The bright and dark karmaic traces are exhausted through the life of the soul in the heavenly regions or hells. The residual karma or seśakarma compels the soul to resume a human body again accordingly to the nature and intensity of the karma. Of course, we are familiar with a third state also in which the soul does not go either by the bright path or by the dark path. This is practically what happens in the case of sub-human creatures. The Upanișadic dictum jāyasva and mriyasva ( Be born and die ) is applicable in such cases. People are inclined to think that even ordinary people who have not risen up to the level of karma or moral responsibility belong to this group. In this connection it may be pointed out that the word Brahmaloka is a generic term intended to cover all auspicious places on the other side of earth consciousness. These places as the goal of the departing soul are determined by the mental attitude of the dying person. Viewed in this light Brahm-a loka might equally stand for Sivaloka, Vişnuloka or any other plane. It may be pointed out in this connection that in the course of gradual ascent of the soul on the bright path, the dark karmas diappear and the bright karmas are experienced as joy and power more and more till it reaches the Brahmaloka where the remaining
