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[ 317 ] matter or mahāmāya. These persons who are in the higher world are gifted with supernatural powers of knowledge and action and are placed at the helm of the adminstrative machinery intended for dealing with worldly affairs. They represent in a sense the executive side of the Supreme Divine and are recruited from advanced souls who have received illumination from the Supreme Divine at the beginning of a particular cycle or kalpa. These people who have become discarnate ( Videha ) at the time of universal destruction and have due to that special spiritual qualifications received the Divine Grace, are endowed with the glorious bodies ( Baindava Sarīra) and placed in charge of the
different departments of world administration. According to the - Tantras the higher Adhikarika Puruşas are Brahmā, Vişņu,
Rudra, īśvara and Sadasiva and the lower ones are those associated with Sudhavidyā, Išvara, Sadasiva etc. These higher gods if we may call them are really super-human beings or supermen but have not yet attained the absolute perfection. They are of different grades and meant for different purposes. All of them specially of the lower order have to engage themselves in avitiescti or karma in connection with world-administration.
Now this karma of the Adhikari personal is altogether different from the karma which is associated with the soul wandering in the mundane world. The mundane karma of the souls within māyā is as has been noted above impure being inspired by Avidyā and comes to an end when the world of impure matter ( Praksti and māyā) is crossed but the karma of these supermen is of a different character. The Siddhas are free from Avidyā as usually understood and can have no mundane karma like the ordinary human souls but still may have a karma and untill this karma is exhausted they cannot attain to perfection. This karma is the karma of a teacher or great adept which consists in the guidance of humanity. Behind this karma lies a sort of Sanskāra or Vásană which is unlike its namesake in the world of māyā. This Vāsanā is innate passion for rendering
