Jagat Srushti Prakaranam (The Topic of Creation of Universe)

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1) Dravya cijjanakākāśaḥ, tejaḥ sṛṣṭaṃ tadarthataḥ |
Tenobhayaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ viśva—prakṛtiḥ kevalā hi tat ||

[It is a very clear point that creation of energy was the first process of God and hence, energy was the first item that was created by God. From energy, matter and awareness came out with the help of which various inert and non-inert items were designed by God resulting in this vast universe. Since space was the first created item, space itself is the subtle energy from which this world is developed by God. Space must be the first item because without space, nothing can exist even for imagination. If space is nothing or emptiness, further creation from space should have been a chain of nothingness only and we should not hear that something even exists. Hence, the first and fundamental item called energy was created by God and such process of creation of energy by the unimaginable God must be also unimaginable because in the world, there is no example for an unimaginable item producing an imaginable item. Both space and energy are said to be the first created item directly by God Himself as the direct cause (Ātmana ākāśaḥ…, tat tejaḥ…-Veda).]

2) Vyoma vāyu dyutis tārā-caritra pravadā śṛutau |
Dravya ciccaramā nānyā, dravyaṃ saṅkṣepatastataḥ ||

[It is told that from space, molecules of gaseous state of matter came out and then fire came out followed by liquid and solid states of matter. This looks odd since it would have been better if the chain told is space –fire – gas – liquid – solid – plants – food – awareness. The reason is that subtle energy or space gives gross energy or fire and then on condensation of energy, matter in three states results, finally generating awareness. But why this normal expected chain was not told? The reason is that the told sequence represents the history of the actual evolution of the universe. First, space or subtle energy was created and from space, galaxies of stars were generated. The stars contain molecules of gaseous state of matter radiating gross energy. Some say that plasma state containing ions existed, but ions are not different from the mono atomic gas molecules since an atom becomes ion by losing electrons. Hence, space – gas – fire indicates this astro-history. Afterwards, gas becomes liquid and solid on further condensation of energy. Since space or subtle energy generated gaseous state of matter directly, it is proved that matter is condensed energy.]

3) Oṣadhībhyo'nna mityāha, māṃsāhāra niṣedhakṛt |
Śvāsaḥ prāṇo na caitanyaṃ, ceto hiṃsā yathārthataḥ ||

[God said in the Veda that the solid earth generated plants and food is generated from plants. This clearly means that God is categorically saying that human beings must take vegetarian food only prohibiting non-vegetarian food. Some people say that even plants have life and hence, the vegetarian food must be also non-vegetarian food. It is true that plants have life due to respiration (inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon-dioxide). Respiration is only an inert mechanical process and not awareness at all. Food (Annamaya kośa) and respiration (Prāṇamaya kośa) are inert only and have no awareness. Only awareness (mind or Manomaya kośa and intelligence or Vijñānamaya kośa) can undergo suffering when harmed. Hence, sin does not come when a plant (a Botanical example) is eaten. Sin comes only when birds, animals etc., (zoological examples) are eaten. You can find neuro-spots (awareness) even in unicellular amoeba of zoology, but not in multicellular tree of botany.]

4) Hetvābhāse na saddhetuḥ, jaḍakṣetre'pi cidbhramāḥ |
Praticaryākhya siddhānte, dveṣa cinnānumīyate ||

[Some people say that there are some responses from plants for some actions, which indicate awareness in plants also. This is only falsity of cause through illusory inference (Hetvābhāsa). On seeing smoke, we infer fire, but on seeing fog smoke, the inference of fire becomes false. Even in the inert field, some actions appear as if the actions are guided by awareness. Newton said that there will be equal and opposite reaction for every action, which applies to inert items also and this does not mean that there is awareness in such items to react with vengeance! In a living zoological example, not only response to certain action is found, but also, the nervous system that causes motivation of awareness is physically found. In a Botanical example, such nervous system is not found even though certain actions and reactions are found leading us to the illusion of presence of awareness. In both botanical and zoological examples, the response of the reaction to action is common like the smoke and fog are one and the same water in the state of vapour. But, in a zoological example, the nervous system is found practically like fire is found through smoke. In a Botanical example, the nervous system is not found like the fire not found in the case of fog smoke.]

5) Viśvāvadhi cyuterajño, jīvaḥ sarvajña gauravaḥ |
Pārthadṛṣṭyā tu Kṛṣṇoktiḥ, Jñātā viśvāvadheḥ paraḥ ||

[In the process of creation, the boundary of the universe becomes infinite to the imaginable soul since the soul can’t touch it as the universe is constantly expanding with unimaginable speed. At the same time, the unimaginable God situated after the boundary remains unimaginable for the souls being beyond the space or universe. When Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that His creation is infinite, it refers to the soul Arjuna, even though for Kṛṣṇa, the space is finite by which Kṛṣṇa remains omniscient knowing everything including the boundary of the universe. The soul can’t be omniscient because at least, it does not know the boundary of space and the unimaginable God beyond it. This makes the soul to be disciplined in its life maintaining reverence to God based on such difference.]

6) Śaṅkaro mithyayā sarge, vibhūtyā prāptasattayā |
Sadvinode jīvadṛṣṭyā, tau parau ca samanvitau ||

[The unimaginable God is the absolute reality and the creation is only a relative reality because one absolute reality can’t create and destroy another absolute reality. One absolute reality can’t perform any miracle in another absolute reality and this fact is proved since God does several miracles in this creation. Hence, creation is like the imaginary world of the soul for God and at the same time, creation is like the real world of the soul giving full and real entertainment to God. This simultaneous nature of the creation for God is possible due to the omnipotence of God. The soul can’t maintain such dual nature of its imaginary world and hence can’t get real entertainment with its imaginary world. Therefore, the creation is unreal by its essential nature and is absolutely real by its acquired nature (since the creation becomes absolutely real due to the gifted absolute reality of God). Hence, in the case of the omnipotent God, Śaṅkara (saying that creation is relatively real), and Rāmānuja and Madhva (saying that creation is absolutely real) are simultaneously correct. In the case of the soul, the creation is on par with the soul in the aspect of reality (since the soul is a part of creation). The relatively real creation becomes absolutely real for the relatively real soul since one relative reality is absolutely real for another relative reality. Hence, Rāmānuja and Madhva are correct about this aspect of reality in the case of the soul (who say that the relatively real creation is absolutely real for the relatively real soul). Śaṅkara is correct about this aspect of reality in the case of God (who says that the creation is only relatively real for the absolutely real God). The concept of Śaṅkara is apparent modification (Vivarta) like water modified as wave. The concept of Rāmānuja and Madhva is real modification (Pariṇāma) like milk modified into curd. When we say that world is unreal by itself and God is absolutely real by Himself (in the context of creation, dissolution and miracles), Śaṅkara is correlated. When we say that i) the world is absolutely real due to the gifted absolute reality of God giving full entertainment to God and ii) the world is real for the soul due to whole-part relationship, Rāmānuja and Madhva are correlated.]

7) Pariṇāme kapir na syāt, savālo mānavāyite |
Pāścātya vidvaco bhāti, kriyāyāṃ kartṛ dhīriti ||

[Scientists say that this creation happened by itself based on the concept of evolution. Scientists say that in course of evolution, the human being is developed from monkey. In such evolution, the tail is lost completely due to its lack of utility in view of well-developed hands and hence, the tail disappeared. The point here is that in course of evolution, all the monkeys should have disappeared because every monkey is developed into a human being. At present, we also find monkeys along with human beings and in these monkeys, the tails did not disappear. Hence, the theory of evolution can’t be taken as the completely successful doctrine. We don’t mind to agree to the theory of evolution provided you accept the existence of God as the supervisor. One western scientist told this point in a beautiful way, which is “we agree with all the theories of science in accepting that the coffee results from the process of mixing hot milk with hot decoction of coffee powder. We simply add just one more point, which is that there is a person doing all these works of heating, mixing etc., in the preparation of coffee for the sake of his enjoyment of a cup of coffee”. This means that no scientific law is refuted by accepting the existence of a supervisor, who is directing and controlling the experiment in the laboratory.]

8) Vivartaḥ prathame paścāt, pariṇāmas samanvitaḥ |
Vibhūtir na hi sarvatra, paripālana pāṇḍitī ||

[There are two views of creation. i) In one view (Vivarta), the creation is created like the magic show given by a magician (In this example, the magician is assumed as if creating the magic show without the help of anybody and anything through pre-arrangement. A better example will be that of a divine person or demon creating something just by will. In this concept, the magician or divine person or demon is both the intellectual cause as well as the material cause (Abhinna nimittopādāna kāraṇaṃ Brahma). ii) In the second view (Pariṇāma), both intellectual and material causes exist separately (A pot maker is the intellectual cause and the separately procured mud is the material cause.). To accommodate both views, the process of creation is divided into two steps: - i) When the unimaginable God created the first item called space or subtle energy, the first view is considered because before the creation, there was nobody and nothing except unimaginable God. ii) After the creation of space, all the subsequent items came one by one with the design work of God. Here the space or subtle energy is the material cause that was already created and available like mud, and God is only the intellectual cause like the pot maker. By both these steps, both the views are absorbed with correlation. This means that God created mud as the first item and then proceeded with the creation of mud pot following the process of technology. When technology is available, a good administrator will use it and he will not unnecessarily use his miraculous power again to create the mud pot without using the already created mud.]

9) Ākāśa daiva vijñānaṃ, cidabhāvānna yujyate |
Ciddaivasya na mūle'pi, sarvaśaktes cidādahat ||

[Science treats the subtle energy itself as the creator in the place of God. Unless some awareness exists, the inert items can’t form this beautiful and well-designed universe just based on the probability of actions and reactions. Moreover, when energy is an imaginable item, it demands the existence of its cause since the imaginable items of the creation are fitted in an endless chain of cause and product. It is the wisest logic to take the unimaginable item or God as the ultimate cause having unimaginable awareness. If we take the unimaginable item as the ultimate cause, such unimaginable item cannot have birth and therefore it can’t have a different item as its cause and this will end the problem of ad-infinitum. If we say that God is having imaginable awareness, it becomes absurd since before creation, matter and inert energy were absent to create imaginable awareness. The intelligence and thinking of God need not to be attributed to imaginable awareness because the unimaginable nature or power of God indicates omnipotence with the help of which unimaginable awareness is possible. This means that God need not have the imaginable awareness to think because He can think due to His omnipotence. Similarly, He burns all the creation due to His omnipotence and He need not be fire or radiant energy to burn the world.]

10) Sarvśakteḥ samaṃ sādhyam, na tarkāvasaraḥ prabhoḥ |
Vṛdhā vyayaṃ cānucitam, vinā'vasara mātra dhīḥ ||

[Since God is omnipotent, all impossible ways are possible for Him and hence, there is no need of the application of worldly logic to God and the Veda says this very clearly (naiṣā tarkeṇa matirāpanīyā). Any logical or illogical way can be accepted in the case of God and the only criterion is that God will act in anyway provided that way brings the climax of greatness to God to keep up the meaning of His name Brahman. Brahman means the greatest (Bṛhi-vṛddhau). We shall not use the omnipotence of God everywhere blindly. A wise administrator is he, who breaks the rule whenever there is no other way. If things can be achieved through rules, a foolish administrator blinded with ego breaks the rules to do even normal things that can be done in a normal way following the rules. Omnipotence shall not be exhibited to do an improper action. A person is capable of cutting anything with his knife and when somebody asks him whether he can cut the head of his child, the foolish person shall not cut the head of his child to prove his omnipotence to cut anything! Hence, with these two logical limitations, omnipotence of God can be used to achieve the greatest greatness for God.]

02 October 2022

11) Māyāvī na bhramaṃ kuryāt, asanmātro na cāparaḥ |
Mano bhramakaro 'pyevam, eka dharme'pi sopamā ||

[A magician is taken as an example or simile in explaining the creation of the world by God. A simile can be given even if there is one similarity and hence, we shall not expect a total similarity. The magician is impressing the minds of spectators as if he has created a new item by his will force. Actually, he has not created any new item because he exposes a hidden item as the created new item. Based on the false impression of spectators, this simile is given due to this single similarity. The magician is also not creating any illusion in the minds of the audience because he is not showing the real rope and is not creating the illusion of snake on it in the minds of spectators. Illusion is created provided the natural set up creates ignorance. In the twilight due to obscure vision of the rope, the illusion of serpent is created and the ignorance of the rope is formed in the mind of the spectator naturally and not due to influence of any other person. Even a hypnotizer cannot create an illusion in the mind of the person hypnotized because he is not showing a real rope. He is merely brain-washing the other person by repeatedly saying to imagine a rope and that the rope has become the serpent. Both the rope and the serpent are imaginations only and no item is real.]

12) Sthūla sūkṣma sthtī bhāvye, bhāga grāhāt parātmanaḥ |
Vilīna sāndratā grāhye, pralaye'vyaktavat jagat ||

[The world is given the absolute reality by God because God needs real entertainment through real creation only. But, this gifted absolute reality is not the inherent absolute reality of God. Hence, this gifted absolute reality can be withdrawn by God totally or partially. When the dissolution of the world takes place, God does not withdraw 100 % absolute reality from the world. He withdraws only 99% of the gifted absolute reality so that 1% reality is leftover with the world. 100% gifted absolute reality is called gross state and 1% gifted absolute reality is called subtle state. If you are rigid in saying that 0% gifted absolute reality is non-existence (unreal) and even a little trace of gifted absolute reality is existence (reality), we say that 99% of the gifted absolute reality is withdrawn to make the world subtle, which clearly means that the gross state is of very high concentration and the subtle state is of very low concentration. Concentration can be reduced by the disappearance of major uniform bulk.]

11 Dec 2022

13) Vivarta parinaamaarthaa, Vupameyau dashaatraye |
Abhaavaa daadima ssattaa, Paramaarthaa tu bhaavagaa||

[Vivarta vaadaa or apparent modification of water into wave belongs to Shankara. Parinaama Vaadaa belongs to Ramanuja, which is real modification of milk into curd. There are three steps in the process of creation:- 1) Unmediated unimaginable God creating imaginable eternal space (subtle energy) or Parama vyoma in the absence of any second item other than God. 2) Mediated unimaginable God called God Datta occupying eternal space (a new energetic body and soul were created by the unimaginable God using some extra created subtle energy and both these energetic body and soul are merged with by the unimaginable God to become God Datta) creating some more space and subtle energy to create the creation for entertainment. 3) God Datta creating various items of the creation using the subtle energy like a pot maker creating a pot using mud.

The above said 1^st and 2^nd steps can be compared to Vivarta vaada and the 3^rd step can be compared to Parinaama vaada. We used the word comparison here because they are not exactly Vivarta and Parinaama. In Vivarta, there is no second substance other than water, and both water wave and space are imaginable and this is the similarity. But, water is imaginable whereas the unimaginable God is unimaginable. In Parinaama, God used subtle energy to create the world and a person used milk to create curd or used mud to create pot and this is the similarity. But, in preparing curd, a little butter milk is to be used and to prepare the pot, the hands of the pot maker and a wheel are to be used whereas in the case of God, just by His will, the subtle energy is modified into matter, awareness and other items of the creation. In the examples given, there is no need of any unimaginable power. But, in the concepts of the creation process, the unimaginable power of God is to be used. Hence, total similarity between the concept and an example is impossible in figures of speech like simile and metaphor.

Regarding the analysis of reality, in Vivarta, the created product came out from its absence and hence, the product was unreal without any separate material cause. But, on production, the product is absolutely real since God gifted His absolute reality to the product. Mud is the cause and pot is the product, which gains the absolute reality of mud from mud itself. This is understandable because mud and pot are imaginable. God is unimaginable whereas subtle energy is imaginable (vivarta). We can’t bring the simile of a magician doing magic here because magic is not real due to previously setup secret arrangements. We can bring the example of materialization of an object by an incarnation from the absence of the object and this is not a simile but the very concept itself since the incarnation is mediated unimaginable God. The subtle energy existing as an idea in the mind of God means the creation in subtle state with absolute reality. Before the creation of such an idea of subtle energy, there was total absence of subtle energy. Hence, in 1^st and 2^nd steps, the product was created from its absence only. Subtle energy as idea is absolute reality in subtle state whereas the same idea materializing as space is the same absolute reality in gross state. Space as idea is the most subtle whereas space expressed as the first element is lesser in subtle nature and such lesser subtle nature is called gross state in relative sense. When this expressed space becomes visible energy, the subtle nature becomes still lower so that we can call it as absolute gross state. Once creation started from the first element, we can apply Parinaama vaada stating that the absolute reality of space as idea continues to associate with the visible gross energy. But, this argument can’t be applied when space as idea (most subtle energy) appeared in the unimaginable awareness of the unimaginable God.]

14) Yadi dvau kapilau saamkhya—Yogayo riishvaraarthayoh |
Ekatvam giiyate saamkhye, Na dve Datto hyasangavaan||

[If you say that there are two sages with the name of Kapila, it is absurd because in such a case, there must be two Samkhya religions. If you say that there are already two Samkhya religions (Theistic Samkhya or Seshvara Samkhya and Atheistic Samkhya or Niriishvara Samkhya), the theistic samkhya is already attributed to the Yoga of Patanjali. The atheistic samkhya must then be divided into two schools. But it can’t be divided because the subject matter becomes common in both. To avoid this, you must say that theistic samkhya is the second school and it can’t be told so since it is already attributed to Yoga of Patanjali.

God Krishna says that both Samkhya and Yoga are one and the same and only ignorant people say that both are different (Samkhya yogau…, Ekam samkhyamca – Gita). In such a case, both should be theistic or atheistic. Gita is a theistic scripture and hence, both shall be theistic religions only. In Samkhya, the word Purusha denotes God Datta and not the soul because Purusha is said to be detached and unbound by the activity of the creation since creation is for entertainment only. If you say that Purusha means soul, it is always attached in worldly activities and cannot be told as detached and unbound.]

Chapter-1: Matāntarīkaraṇa Prakaraṇam

Chapter-2: Parabrahma Prakaraṇam

Chapter-3: Māyā Śakti Prakaraṇam

Chapter-4: Īśvara Prakaraṇam

Chapter-5: Avatāra Prakaraṇam

Chapter-6: Ākāśa Tejaḥ Prakaraṇam

Chapter-7: Vibhūti Prakaraṇam

Chapter-8: Sṛṣṭilakṣya Prakaraṇam

Chapter-9: Jagat Sṛṣṭi Prakaraṇam

Chapter-10: Jīvātma Tattva Prakaraṇam

Chapter-11: Matasamanvaya Prakaraṇam

Chapter-12: Yoga Vicāra Prakaraṇam