39 verses
Nārada said: O lord of lords! O creator of the living beings! O first born! You know that knowledge which reveals the truth about the ātmā and Paramātmā.
Please explain the truth about the characteristics of the universe, its shelter, the process by which it was created, into what it merges at destruction, on what it is dependent, and of what it is composed.
Speak the truth about this universe (idam) its characteristics (rūpam), its shelter (adhiṣṭhānām), by what ingredients it is created, in what it merges at destruction (yat saṁstham), upon what it depends (yat param), what it is made of (yac ca).
You, the master of all living beings in the past, present and future, know this universe; you know everything about the Paramātmā, jīva and matter. Thus, you understand this universe with detailed knowledge like an āmalakī in your hand.
You know everything. You know three things: Paramātmā, jīvātmā and the material universe. Because you are the master of all entities born in the past, of all born in the future, and all existing now, you know (avasitam) with detailed (vi) knowledge (jñāna) this universe like an āmalakī in your hand.
You, the source of your own knowledge, your own shelter, dependent on yourself, with your self as your soul, without help create the living beings with the elements coming from your own energy.
Let the universe be! Please explain something about yourself. You are your source of knowledge (yad-vijñānaḥ), your own shelter (yad-ādhāraḥ), dependent on yourself alone (yat-paraḥ) and you are your own ātmā. I think that you are the independent Supreme Lord. Ekaḥ means without help from anyone.
Situated in your own energy like a spider creating his web, without fatigue, you protect the living beings within yourself, without being destroyed.
You protect (bhāvayase) in yourself (ātman) these living beings. You do not get destroyed, just as a spider, situated in his own energy, creates his web. You are without fatigue (aklamaḥ).
O Lord! I do not know from where else everything can arise whether it is superior, inferior or medium, produced with name, form and qualities, gross or subtle.
Whatever is superior, inferior or medium in this world, created (bhāvyam) with names such as human, forms such as two legged forms, and qualities such as white color, whatever is gross and subtle (sad-asat), I do not know from where else it can come. I think that everything comes from you alone.
Though you are like this, you performed great austerities. By this you bewilder us. You produce a doubt that there is some other Lord.
Though you are like this, you produce the doubt that there is some other Lord.
O omniscient one! O lord of all things! Please consider and tell me everything that I have asked, so that after being taught, I can understand.
Considering carefully, tell me (vijānīhi) all the things indicated in my questions. Moreover, say it in such a way that, after being taught, I can comprehend completely. This means Give the answer without obstructions.
Brahmā said: O auspicious son! You are merciful to me. Your doubt is proper, because I was inspired on seeing the power of the Lord in creating the universe.
Brahmā is overjoyed with the question. O son (vatsa)! Your doubt (viciktisitam) is proper (samyak). You, in questioning me, though you have all knowledge, have been merciful (kāruṇikasya) to me, your father. Since you told me to consider (vijānīhi) and answer, please know that I was inspired by seeing the Lords power in creating the universe. For a moment I see that in my mind. In this way he rejoiced.
O son! What you say about me is not untrue, because people, not knowing the difference between me and the Lord say that I have that power.
Moreover, O son! It is not untrue when you say that I alone create the living beings (ekaḥ sṛjasi bhūtāni), because if one does not know the difference between myself and the Lord, it will appear that I am in that position. Using two different subjects for the participle and the main verb is poetic license. Or it can mean because of not distinguishing the Supreme Lord (param) from me (mattaḥ), people think me to be that Supreme Lord (etāvat). Though you are omniscient, you speak as they speak, just in order to educate them. It should not be said that Nārada speaks like this because he does not understand the difference between the Lord and Brahmā. It would be improper for Brahmā to think that Nārada was ignorant.
I manifest the universe which is manifested by the self-manifesting Lord, just as the sun, fire, moon, constellations, planets and stars illuminate only what the Lord chooses to illuminate.
Actually I am very insignificant. I manifest the universe which is already manifested by the self-manifesting Lord (sva-rociṣā), like grinding what is already ground, just as the sun and other luminaries reveal what is already revealed by the Lord. The śruti says:
na tatra sūryo bhāti na candra-tārakaṁ
nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto yam agniḥ |
tam eva bhāntam anu bhāti sarvaṁ
tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṁ vibhāti ||
There, the sun, the moon, the stars, fire and lightning do not shine. They all shine only by following the shining Lord. His light illuminates all these. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 5.15
I meditate on the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, by whose insurmountable māyā people call me the guru of the universe.
But are you not known everywhere as the guru of the universe who creates the worlds? With surprise and derision he speaks.
The ignorant jīvas, bewildered by māyā who is ashamed to stand in sight of the Lord, boast about I and mine.
Are those who respect you as the guru of the universe and its creator bewildered by māyā? Yes. Those who give respect and receive respect without reference to the Lord are bewildered by māyā who is situated at the back of the Lord, beyond his vision. That is expressed in this verse. Knowing that she deceives, she is ashamed to stand in sight, like a deceitful woman, she stands behind the Lord. Bewildered by her, people boast. Being situated behind the Lord also indicates that she is not facing the Lord. Because she is not facing the Lord her influence does not approach him at all.
O brāhmaṇa! The elements, karma, time, svabhāva and the jīva are not different from Vāsudeva. Nothing but he exists in truth.
Ten questions were asked about the universe, starting with its characteristics (yad-rūpam). To answer this, first it is explained that nothing exists other than the Lord. Dravyam means the elements, the substance of matter (upādāna). Karma is the cause of birth. Kāla is the agitator of the guṇas. Svabhāva is the cause of the change in the guṇas. Jīva is the enjoyer. None of these exist apart from the Lord, because the items, except the jīva, are the effects of māyā, and māyā and the jīva are energies of the Lord. The universe is thus a form of Vāsudeva. Thus the answer to the question about the characteristic of the universe (yad-rūpam) is given.
The Vedas are dependent on Nārāyaṇa. The devatās are the born from the limbs of Nārāyaṇa. The planets and sacrifices are dependent on Nārāyaṇa.
Nārāyaṇa is the cause (paraḥ) of these. This is proof of the Lord, and also indicates his qualities such as omniscience. This affirms the statement śāstra-yonitvāt. Everything is nārāyaṇa-paraḥ because everything is situated in Nārāyaṇa and dependent on Nārāyaṇa. This answers the questions about the shelter of the universe and dependence of the universe.
Yoga is dependent on Nārāyaṇa. Austerity is dependent on Nārāyaṇa. Knowledge is dependent on Nārāyaṇa. Liberation is dependent on Nārāyaṇa.
Gatiḥ means liberation.
I am created by him. Inspired by the Lords glance, I create what is already created by the Lord -- the witness, the soul situated in all beings.
Then what do you do? I create what he has already created. Do you do this by your own decision? No, I do it by his glance, by his direction (īkṣayā). It cannot be otherwise since he witnesses what I do (draṣṭuḥ) and controls it, and he is the soul (kūṭa-sthasya) within all beings. This indicates that he is the Lord and Brahmā is a jīva. Śruti says:
eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūòhaḥ
sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntarātmā |
karmādhyakṣaḥ sarva-bhūtādhivāsaḥ
sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca ||
He is the one Lord situated in all beings. He is all-pervading, dwelling within all beings as their soul. He is the controller of action, the abode of all beings, the witness, the consciousness, pure, without any trace of material qualities. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
eṣa bhūtādhipatir eṣa lokeśvaro loka-pālaḥ
He is the Lord of all beings, the Lord of all planets and the protector of all planets. Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22
Because he is present in the intelligence of all entities, without distinction from Brahmā to the ant, and recognized as such, he is said to be kūtastha, uniformly situated.
The three guṇas of sattva, rajas and tamas, belonging to the Lord without guṇas, are accepted by the māyā of the Lord for creation, maintenance and destruction.
How does this distinction between the jīva and īśvara come about? Is it because you are inspired and he inspires? Three verses explain the cause of distinction. The three guṇas belong to the Lord who has no material guṇas. How is this? They are accepted by māyā of the Lord for creation, maintenance and destruction. They are his guṇas since they are the guṇas of his śakti, māyā. Though māyā eternally possesses this form as the guṇas, the word accepts is used, as if it has a beginning. The usage is the same as tasyecchayātta-vapuṣaḥ: Kṛṣṇa accepts a body by his will. (SB 10.33.34) Actually Kṛṣṇa eternally has the form of a human. This simply follows common expression.
The guṇas -- the cause of matter, senses and the sense devatās -- binds the jīva who is associated with māyā, but who is actually composed of knowledge, with false identities of body, senses and mind.
These guṇas bind the jīva (puruṣam), a function of the Lords taṭastha-śakti, who associates with māyā (māyinam). By the logic of the previous statement, it is possible for the jīvas who are situated behind the Lord to be influenced independently by māyā who is also situated behind the Lord. The jīva is called eternally liberated because he has beginningless knowledge just as he has beginningless ignorance. This will be made clear at the end of the seventh chapter. How does he get bound? The states of the guṇas are present as adhibhūta (kārya), adhyātmā (kāraṇa) and adhidaiva (kartṛtve). The guṇas are the shelter or causes of matter (dravya), the senses (kriyā) and the devatās (jñāna). The guṇas bind the jīva by these identities. The order of jñāna and kriya in the text should be reversed for proper understanding.
The Lord, who is brahman, who is the controller of me and all beings, is not known because of the covering of the three guṇas on the jīva.
The Lord is the possessor of māyā-śakti. His nature (gatiḥ) is not known (su alakṣita) because of the coverings of the three guṇas on the jīvas. Or he is not known by the three guṇas. However he is known by his devotees with knowledge.
sattvaṁ na ced dhātar idaṁ nijaṁ bhaved
vijñānam ajñāna-bhidāpamārjanam
guṇa-prakāśair anumīyate bhavān
prakāśate yasya ca yena vā guṇaḥ
O Lord, cause of all causes, if your transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only by your presence can one understand the transcendental nature of your Lordship, who are the controller of material nature. Your transcendental nature is very difficult to understand unless one is influenced by the presence of your transcendental form. SB 10.2.35
The Lord of māyā, desiring to become many, by his own will, accepts time which was merged in himself, as well as karma and svabhāva which were merged in the jīva, through the agency of māyā.
It has been stated that the Lord produces the universe by means of his energy māyā. Now the process (yatḥa sṛsṭam idam) is given. The Lord, desiring to become many (vibubhūṣuḥ) by his own will (yadṛcchayā), accepts for creation (upāòade) time, which was merged in him (ātman prāptam kālam), karma (the fate of the jīvas) and svabhāvam which were merged in the jīva. This does not take place spontaneously, but by māyā.
The guṇas are agitated from a state of equilibrium by time. They are transformed into another form by svabhāva. The mahat-tattva appears by the karma of the jīvas. All this is under the direction of the Lord.
The functions of time and other factors are discussed. Time is the agitator of the guṇas. This means giving up equilibrium. Pariṇāmaḥ means attaining another form. Mahataḥ is mahat-tattva. Puruṣādhiṣṭhitād modifies all the three items.
From the transformation called mahat-tattva predominated by rajas and sattva, a substance predominated by tamas, ahaḍkāra, arose, composed of adhibhūta, adhyātma and. adhidaiva.
Mahat-tattva has all the three guṇas but there is a predominance of rajas and sattva, because of kriyā and jñāna śaktis. From this state of transformation, namely, mahat-tattva which has a predominance of rajas and sattva and which is produced by time, svabhāva and karma, a substance predominated by tamas (ahaḍkāra) arises. The word yaḥ can be added to connect this verse with saḥ in the next verse. Drayva refers to adhibhūtam, jñānam to adhidaivam and kriyā to adhyātman. These are three causes of illusion for the living entities.
That ahaḍkāra transforms into three types: derived from sattva, rajas and tamas, called jñāna-śakti, kriyā-śakti and dravya-śakti.
The three divisions are described: that derived from sattva-guṇa (vaikārikaḥ), from rajoguṇa (taijasaḥ) and from tamoguṇa (tāmasaḥ). The qualities in verse order are drayva, kriyā and jñāna śaktis. The dravya-śakti has the capacity to produce the five gross elements starting with ether. The kriyā-śakti has the capacity to produce the senses. The jñāna-śakti has the capacity to produce the sense devatās. O Nārada (prabho)! You know all of this. The state of equilibrium is pradhāna. By the agitation of time, the predominance of sattva produces the mahat-tattva. Predominance of rajas produces the sūtra-tattva, a type of mahat-tattva. Predominance of tamas produces ahaḍkāra. The effect of ahaḍkāra, with predominance of tamas and with rajas and sattva elements in much less amount, produces the five gross elements. In this covering on the jīva (ahaḍkāra), there is a predominance of tamas.
From the darkness of false ego, the first of the five elements, namely, ether (sky), is generated. Its subtle form is the quality of sound. This arose before ether. Sound represents objects unseen (or objects from the past) and seen in the present as well. From ether arose the subtle touch and the element air. Air also holds the previous quality of sound. Air is the cause of prāṇa, which gives strength to the senses, mind and body.
This describes the details of ahaḍkāra in tamas. Is it not well known that, first, sound arises from this mode? That is true. That is the subtle form (mātrā) of ether. That is its distinguishing quality (guṇa). By sound, ether is produced. This should be understood for the other verses concerning the elements as well. The quality of sound is described. It represents things unseen in the past and things in the present or future. Because it is modifying liḍgam, yad is in the neuter form.
||26 ||
nabhaso tha vikurvāṇād abhūt sparśa-guṇo nilaḥ |
parānvayāc chabdavāṁś ca prāṇa ojaḥ saho balam ||
Ether is the cause of air. Air contains the previous quality of sound. The character of air is the prāṇa, which supports the body. Ojas is sharpness of the senses. Sahas is sharpness of the mind, and balam is health of the body. Prāṇa is the cause of these.
Under the influence of time, karma and svabhāva, by a transformation of air, arose the subtle aspect called form and fire. Touch and sound also exist in fire.
Fire, as well as form, possesses sound and touch, the causes of ether and air respectively. Water and earth also possess the subtle forms of the previous elements in them.
From the transformation of fire arose taste and water. Water contains form, as well as touch and sound from the previous elements.
Ghoṣaḥ means sound.
From the transformation of water arose smell and earth. Earth contains the subtle aspects -- taste, touch, form and sound -- of the previous elements.
Viśeṣaḥ means earth.
From ahaḍkāra in sattva arose the mind and it deity as well as the ten presiding deities of the senses: the directions, Vāyu, the sun, Varuṇa, the two Aśvini-kumāras, Agni, Indra, Upendra, Mitra and Prajāpati Dakṣa.
From ahaḍkāra in sattva arose mind, and its devatā the moon. The other sense devatās are mentioned: directions for ear, Vāyu for the skin, the sun for the eyes, Varuṇa for the tongue and the two Aśvinis for the nose, Agni for the voice, Indra for the hands, Upendra for the feet, Mitra for the anus and Prajāpati for the penis.4
From ahaḍkāra in rajas arose the intelligence (the śakti of the five knowledge senses), prāṇa (the śakti of the five action senses), and the ten senses. The ten senses are the ear, skin, nose, eye, tongue, voice, hands, feet, anus and penis.
From the transformation of ahaḍkāra in rajas arose the ten senses. The śakti of the five knowledge senses is intelligence (buddhiḥ).5 The śakti of the five action senses is prāṇa. Buddhi and prāṇa arise from ahaḍkāra in rajas, and buddhi becomes particularized as the five knowledge senses. Prāṇa becomes particularized as the five action senses. It should be understood that air in the form of prāṇa arising from the ahaḍkāra in tamas is also an effect of ahaḍkāra in rajas. Doḥ means hands. Meòhra is the penis. Pāyuḥ is the anus. They are not in proper order.
tadā saṁhatya cānyonyaṁ bhagavac-chakti-coditāḥ | sad-asattvam upādāya cobhayaṁ sasṛjur hy adaḥ || O best of the brāhmaṇas! As long as the gross elements, senses and mind were not mixed together, it was not possible for them to produce material bodies. Coming together by the impulse of the Lords energy, accepting primary and secondary forms, they created the body of the whole universe and the individual bodies in it.
The kāraṇa-sṛṣṭi has been described. Now the kārya-sṛṣṭi is described. When these ingredients were unmixed (asaḍgatā), and when it was not possible for them to make the bodies (āyatana), then the Lord entered them. They became combined by his compacting energy, and taking primary and secondary forms, created the body of the universe as a whole and the individual bodies.
After a thousand years, the Lord, situated in time, karma and svabhāva, brought to life the non-living universe which was lying in the water.
After a thousand years, the purusaḥ (jīvaḥ), the soul of the mass of jīvas (Hiraṇyagarbha), one who gives life, brought to life (ajīvayat) the non-living universe (ajīvam). This shows the connection of the universe with the Lord.
That puruṣa pierced the universe and went outside. There he resides with a thousand legs, feet, arms, eyes, faces and heads.
Everything is pervaded by the Lord. This puruṣa is the antaryāmī of the totality of jīvas (hiraṇyagarbha). Tasmād represents a missing verb participle having entered the universe. He, entering into the total jīvas, and being situated there (tasmād), pierced the universe, and became situated outside. How is he situated outside? His form without material guṇas lying on the Kāraṇa Ocean is described.
Within the universe, the wise imagine the planets as his limbs. The buttocks and below are the lower seven planets starting with Atala, and hips and above are the seven upper planets starting with earth.
Within the universe (iha) is the puruṣa made of the planets (loka-maya-puruṣaḥ) whose limbs the wise imagine to be the planets. This sentence continues until verse 41. Kaṭi means buttocks. Jaghanam means the hips. The lower seven planets start with Atala. Upwards are Bhū and the other planets.
The brāhmaṇas arose from the puruṣas head, the kṣatriyas arose from his arms, the vaiśyas arose from his thighs and the śūdras arose from his feet.
Incidentally, the varṇas also arose from his limbs. Literally the brāhmaṇas are his face. The cause, the face and the effect, the brāhmaṇas, are taken as non-different. Kṣatram means kṣatriyas. The śruti says brāhmaṇo sya mukham āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ: the brāhmaṇas were his face, and the kṣatriyas acted as his arms.
From the feet to the hips the planets from Pātala to earth are imagined. Bhuvarloka extends from the navel. Svarga is situated at the heart, and Maharloka is at the chest.
Showing the differences in imagining the planets for purposes of worship, two verses describe the body composed of seven planets. The planets from Pātala to earth are imagined to extend from the two feet to the two hips.
Janaloka is on the neck, Tapaloka is on the breast and Satyaloka is on the heads of that form. Above this is the Lords planet which is eternal.
For the purpose of worship it is not a fault to reverse the limbs (breast after neck). However, stana (nipple) can also mean the lips. Above Satyaloka is the planet of the Lord, Vaikuṇṭha. But this is not the object of meditation as a limb of the universal form because it is eternal. Though it exists within the universe it is like the Lord, eternal.
Atala is the buttocks of the Lord. Vitala is his thighs. Pure Sutala is his knees. Talātala is his shanks. Mahātala is his ankles, Rasātala is the top of his feet, and Pātāla is the soles of his feet.
Now the method of meditation on fourteen planets is described. The seven upper planets were already described. The seven lower planets are now described in two verses. Sutalam is considered pure because Prahlāda, Bali and other devotees reside there.
Earth and the lower planets are imagined extend from the feet. Bhuvarloka is at the navel. Svarga-loka is imaged to be the head. This is how others imagine the planets on the universal form.
Now the universal form is described in three parts. Bhūloka is considered with all the lower planets.
In the Fifth Chapter Brahmā explains the creation of elements to Nārada and the universal form with the planets as his various limbs.
Bhūta-bhāvanaḥ means he who creates the bodies of the living entities. Pūrva-jāh means he is born before Marīci and others, from who appeared my brothers. You know in detail (vijānīhi) that knowledge which reveals the truth about ātmā and Paramātmā. The imperative here stands for the present tense. Or it can stand for the causative, Please let me know.