Swami Answers Questions of Smt. Chhanda on Mula Prakruti, Mahat and Purusha

[Smt. Chhanda asked:- Paadanamaskaram, my Lord. Your gift ‘Rajiiva Gita’ is really another wonderful gem to us. I just can’t express my feelings after going through each and every chapter of this Gita. They are perfectly logical and at the same time so close to heart. This is indeed blissful and proves that it is coming from none other than Lord Himself. In this regard, this insignificant soul wants to get more enlightened on some topics that You have told in Chapter 10 (Link here).]

1. Please elaborate on how Mahat (intelligence) is evolved after Mūla Prakṛti? Is it the second item in the sequence really?

Swami replied:- Mahat is intelligence or Buddhi. Mahat also means God. Being very close to God, the intelligence always does perfect analysis like God. Intelligence is always impartial like God. Hence, intelligence is also called by the name ‘Mahat’, which is used for God. One should not say that intelligence is the second item or some n^th item in the sequence of creation because all items in this imaginable world are created in co-ordination with two sequences. One sequence is of awareness: God – mula prakriti – intelligence – mind – five jñānendriyas – five tanmātras – five elements. Another sequence is of the physical world: God – space – air – fire – gas – liquid – solid – plants – food – awareness. Both these sequences are simultaneously inter-mingled with each other, making a general co-ordination so that one cannot have only one strict sequence.

2. How does the ego of Sattvam generate the mind and ten senses?

[How does the Ahaṅkāra (ego) of Sattvam generate the mind and ten indriyas? I would also like to know how Ahaṅkāra (ego) of Tamas generates five Tanmātras and five elements.]

Swami replied:- As told above, both types of sequence are simultaneously inter-mingled with each other. The confusion arises when both are seen separately.

3. What is the Puruṣa, the 25^th item, in the chain?

[You are telling Puruṣa is the last 25th item in this chain. What exactly is this last item Puruṣa? Are You saying this item same as God, His incarnations and Yogis being detached from their activities? Please explain this. I could not understand how this item can be God or His incarnations? In this chain, it is the last created item. Is it not? It must be awareness and it represents me, not You (God)? At Your divine lotus feet always, Chhanda.]

Swami replied:- Ego or Ahankara is the last product of the chain of creation. But, Purusha is not the last product of the chain of creation. Purusha means God. He is the creator. God is either mentioned as the first item or the last item to indicate Him as a separate entity beyond all the items of creation. We should not be confused just because the word ‘Purusha’ is mentioned at the last. Purusha is mentioned as the last item to clarify the important point that Purusha is beyond all the other 24 items. Purusha can easily be understood as God because in His close presence only Prakruti creates this world. When He is far, the creation is dissolved. The Gita also says that Purusha is God. Purusha is told as the creator and Prakruti is told as creation (Purusham prakrutim caiva…).

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