The âgavataPurâexample was not lost on the world. The many-sided picture, that Râma presented, produced a spirit of enquiry, which has never been rivalled in this Kalpa. Men thought on different lines. They studied the Upanishads, which had been favoured by Râma. They could not forget also that Râma taught salvation for the performers of Vedic sacrifices. Then there was the teaching of his own life. The light was manifold. Independent schools of thought grew up, notably the six schools of philosophy. Each school tried to find its authority in the Upanishads and the divine scriptures supplied texts enough for all the schools. Every school found a part of the truth but not the whole truth. Yet each school regarded its own part as the whole. So they quarrelled. The Mimânsâkas said that the performance of Vedic sacrifices was all in all. It had the sanction of time-honored texts and of the most ancient Rishis. And Jaimini supplied the reasoning by which the practice could be supported. The Sânkhyas said that the chief duty of a man was to discriminate between the transformable and the non-transformable element in him, and when that was done, nothing more was needed. The followers of Patanjali said that mere discrimination was not sufficient, but a continued practice was required. The Vaiseshikas studied the attributes and properties of all objects and sought by differentiation to know the truths. There were others who worshipped the Bhûtas, Pretas and Pisachas, so that they might easily acquire powers. Others worshipped the dwellers of Svarga Loka. Some worshipped Íshvara. But mostly the worship of Siva was prevalent. Gifts and charities also were not unknown, in fact they were very extensive in some instances. But generally the object of all religious observances was self-seeking more or less.
Amidst this diversity of religious ideas and religious observances, seemingly so contradictory, Sri Krishna, the greatest of all Avatâras, appeared and He brought the message of peace and reconciliation. He laid great stress on the fact that the performance of Vedic sacrifices could lead us only to Svarga Loka, but when our merits were exhausted, we were bound to be born again on Bhûr Loka, our Earth. While on Earth, we form fresh Karma, which gives rise to other births. The performance of Vedic Karma does not therefore free us from the bondage of births, for, as the Lord said, there is object-seeking in these performances. Object-seeking for one's own self does not find a place in the higher Lokas. Its highest limit is Svarga Loka. So long as man remains self-seeking, he can not transcend the limits of Trilokî. In the higher Lokas, there is no recurrence of births and re-births. Once you are translated to Mahar Loka, you live for the whole of the remaining period of the Kalpa, passing through a gradual evolution to the higher Lokas. And if you form a devotional tie with the Lord of many Brahmândas, the First Purusha, even the Kâlpic period does not restrict your existence. Liberation is a relative term. It may be from the bondage of births and re-births in Trilokî. It may be liberation from the bondage of Bvahmandas or solar systems. Those who worship only material objects remain chained to this earth. Those who worship the dwellers of Bhuvar Loka (Bhûtas, Pretas, Pisachas and Pitris) or cultivate aspiration for them become allied to them and they pass only to Bhuvar Loka after death. Those who worship the Devas and cultivate this aspiration go to Svarga Loka after death. Those who worship Hiranya-garbha go up to Satya or Brahmâ Loka. Those who worship the Lord of all Brahmândas pass beyond even the Brahmânda.