The term Krama-Mukti is used in different ways depending upon which particular tradition or scripture is using it. The Sanskrit word krama means "gradual" or "sequential," while mukti means "release." So in the context of what we study here, the term would accurately apply to the spiral path followed by pratyekas and shravakas. However, when studying scriptures or teachings of other traditions, be aware that the term has been used in other ways. For example, amongst some devotees of the ancient Vedas and for example the Brahma Sutra, the term is used to refer to those who over countless aeons have such devotion to God that they slowly rise up to merge with the highest. This process does not require any particular spiritual effort; it is just a slow evolution through uncountable lifetimes. In the end, the soul merges with the divine, but has accomplished no mastery, self-knowledge, or self-realization. This is different from the spiral path, because the spiral path requires the creation of the solar bodies and some degree of self-knowledge.