A Synopsis of the Account of Creation
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam
Lord Brahma sits upon the Lotus while he meditates upon the Supreme Lord
This article is humbly dedicated to our Most Revered Gurus, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,His Divine Grace Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja and His Divine Grace Bhakti Sundar Narasingha Maharaja. This article would not be possible but for the instruction given out of their causeless mercy.
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
"My prostrated obeisances to Sri Gurudeva who opens my blind eyes, removing dark nescience with the help of the eyesalve-stem of Divine Knowledge."
saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
"The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord, because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is the bonafide representative of Sri Hari (Krsna)."
Introduction
Creation, as it is described in the Vedic literatures (ancient Indian scriptures), especially in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, is very detailed. To present it in its entirety is not possible within the context of this short article. The points which will be presented here will hopefully bring to light those things relevant to a better understanding of Vaisnava, i.e. devotional consciousness.
Canto three, chapter five of Srimad-Bhagavatam (also known as the Bhagavata Purana) introduces a conversation between the greatly learned sage Maitreya and his disciple Vidura, who is actually an incarnation of Yamaraj, the controller of life after death. Vidura was previously cursed by Mandavya Muni to take birth on the planet Earth. One should take note, however, that due to his previous greatness, when Yamaraj took birth as Vidura, his situation allowed every opportunity to become a great devotee of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna (pronounced "Krishna"). The qualification for understanding spiritual truth is stated by Lord Krsna Himself in Bhagavad-gita, wherein He tells His disciple Arjuna:
sa evayam maya te 'dya
yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto 'si me sakha ceti
rahasyam hy etad uttamam (4.3)
"That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science."
Sri Krsna also gives this advice:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah (4.34)
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."
Therefore, we are informed that this very complex and esoteric subject matter could only be properly narrated and understood by dint of the super-excellent qualifications of both the speaker, Maitreya, and the listener, Vidura, who had adopted the proper submissive attitude toward the guru.
Creation of the Material Elements
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Maitreya Muni explains to his student how the material creation comes about due to the Omnipotent Will of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. The world of matter is actually the external energy of the Supreme Lord, and is acting under His direction. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate (9.10)
"Throughout all the energies of material nature there is the hand of the Supreme Lord as the final superintendent. Due to this supreme cause only, the activities of material nature appear planned and systematic, and all things regularly evolve."
The Supreme Living Being, as the transcendental Purusa incarnation, impregnated the material energy (maya) with the living entities merely by glancing over it.
bhutanam nabha-adinam
yad yad bhavyavaravaram
tesam paranusamsargad
yatha sankhyam gunan viduh
(S.B., 3.5.37)
"O gentle one, of all the physical elements, beginning from the sky down to the earth, all the inferior and superior qualities are only due to the final touch of the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
The Lord is described as viryavan, or "the most potent being." Due to the interactions of eternal time (kala-coditat), the sum total of matter known as the mahat-tattva became manifest. This mahat-tattva, or shadow of pure consciousness, is the germinating place of all creation. Mahat-tattva literally means "the great principle" or "the great causal truth" and can be understood to be the medium between the spiritual and material existences. It is at this junction point where the living entities assume a false sense of identification with the material world (ahankara or "false ego"), the first material element to appear. This illusory self-image manifests in three phases: the cause, the effect and the doer. It further manifests in three "modes" or qualities (gunas): sattva-guna (goodness), rajo-guna (passion) and tamo-guna (ignorance). From false ego come the intellect, and then the mind. These three comprise the subtle or mental aspect of the embodied living beings, who are originally sac-cid-ananda ("eternally existing, knowledgeable and blissful").
These mental faculties are resting upon the ethereal element i.e., material sky or space (akasa or kham) which contains the quality of sound (sabda). For example, there are many waves travelling through the ether, some perceivable directly as audible sound and others only indirectly such as x-rays, radio waves, microwaves, etc. All of these waves, and others not mentioned here, are in effect carrying information. By Vedic definition, they are, therefore, types of sound vibrations. Likewise, the vibrations of information within one's own mind rest within this ethereal element, and are also a kind of subtle sound.
From the ether comes air (vayu or anilam), which contains two qualities of sense perception, i.e., sound and touch. The primary quality of sense perception associated with air is that of touch (sparsam). For example, if one wishes to reach out to touch an object, he would experience that solid, liquid and fiery elements create different degrees of impedance towards accomplishing this task. If one moves his hand or body through the air, however, he is met with the least resistance and can easily touch the desired object.
From air comes the element of fire (agni). It is within the realm of our everyday experience that fire cannot exist without the prerequisite presence of air. This confirms the non-arbitrary nature of the Vedic sequence of the appearance of the elements. Fire contains three qualities of sense perception: sound, touch and visual form. The primary quality of fire is that of visual form (rupa). If one thinks carefully, he will notice that there is indeed no visual information ever acquired by mankind that has not been facilitated by the agency of fire. Everything we perceive with our eyes is due to the light from the sun (nuclear fire) or byproducts of the sun, such as electricity. One should not think that people of the ancient world worshipped the sun and moon due to primitive, superstitious thinking; rather, their deferential attitude was due to a justifiable and rational sense of respect, as well as other reasons beyond the scope of this article.
From fire comes the further evolute, water (salila or ambhah), which contains four qualities of sense perception: sound, touch, visual form, and taste. The sense of taste is the primary quality associated with the watery element. There is water in the mouth, in the form of saliva. If the mouth becomes dry, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the taste of different foodstuffs. Water, in its pure state, is tasteless; if it had its own taste, it would conflict with the taste of other things.
Finally, from water evolves the earth element or solid matter (prthivi), which contains five qualities of sense perception, i.e., sound, touch, visual form, taste and smell. Specifically associated with the earth element is the perception of smell (gandha). It is a fact that odor is carried to the sense organ via particles of solid matter. The odor emitted by a sewage plant, for instance, is transmitted by solid particles and not by liquid or air which may be the medium carrying these particles.
The Vedic literature is very scientific in its treatment of the topic of the creation, existence and dissolution of the material universe, and in it there are different philosophical systems containing knowledge of atomicity and other so-called "modern" conceptions of reality. The preceding system of information regarding the appearance of the material elements is known as Sankhya (the categorical analysis of the evolution of the elements from the most subtle to the most gross). Its greatest proponent is Devahuti Kapila, an expansion of the Supreme Lord. However, Srimad-Bhagavatam emphasizes the importance of knowledge of God, Who is the source of knowledge itself, and assigns an inferior role to knowledge of God's "external" energy, which is known as maya or matter. The Vaisnava, or devotee of the Lord, is not so much attracted by the mechanical workings of the material world. Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita:
atha va bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat (10.42)
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
The bhakta (devotee), therefore, concentrates his attention upon the spiritual world, which revolves around the Most Beautiful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Bhagavad-gita states:
yo mam pasyati sarvatra
sarvam ca mayi pasyati
tasyaham na pranasyami
sa ca me na pranasyati (6.30)
"For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me."
The actual position of the individual living entities (jivatmas) is that of spiritual consciousness, i.e., remembering God at all times. However, it can be clearly seen that some of the living beings, due to having been granted free will by the causeless mercy of Krsna, have the unfortunate propensity of being attracted to, and are ultimately trapped by, the flickering illusory combinations of the material elements. Consciousness is projected from the region of the heart throughout the material elements of the physical body in much the same way that electricity travels through copper wire. Just as different types of wire other than copper, such as tin, etc., create different degrees of resistance to electricity, so also the different material elements of the body place different degrees of limitation or resistance upon consciousness. Forgetfulness of God is the original cause of the soul's entanglement with matter, and in this artificial, embodied state, forgetfulness of God is perpetuated and increased. The spirit souls, enmeshed in this manner, travel blindly from one material form to another throughout time and space, sometimes experiencing happiness and sometimes distress. In the physical world, every action creates an equal reaction (karma). This karma follows the materially embodied being everywhere in the form of consequences of former deeds, both good and bad.
yonim anye prapadyante
sariratvaya dehinah
sthanum anye 'nusamyanti
yatha-karma yatha-srutam
(Sri Kathopanisad 5.7)
"Upon their demise most jivas (living beings) enter other wombs and thus obtain material bodies anew, while others enter inert substances. They obtain bodily coverings according to their deeds and the knowledge they have acquired."
When looking at a piece of wood, one does not immediately see fire. It is common knowledge, however, that when you rub two sticks together with correct knowledge of the process, fire becomes visible. Even the existence of bacteria was not observed by our modern civilization until recent times, although it had existed all along. Inability to observe something by physical means does not necessarily negate its existence. Likewise, the soul buried under the various layers of subtle matter (false ego, intellect and mind) and gross matter (ether, air, fire, water and earth) is not necessarily visible to the living entity looking externally at the bodies of others, or sometimes even less so looking internally towards himself. However, we should not doubt the existence of the soul or the existence of God and their distinctly non-material nature merely because we cannot presently see them with our materially dulled senses. The Vedas are described as apauruseya, or "beyond human calculation," and contain knowledge of God, Who is transcendental, or beyond the purview of material sense perception.
Appearance of the Lord's Universal Form
At this point, the material elements were in a disassembled state; the shapes and patterns of everyday experience had not yet been formed.
kala-sanjnam tada devim
bibhrac-chaktim urukramah
trayovimsati tattvanam
ganam yugapad avisat
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.6.2)
"The Supreme Powerful Lord then simultaneously entered into the twenty-three elements with the goddess Kali, His eternal energy, who alone amalgamates all the different elements."
The sum total of the ingredients of matter are understood to be twenty-three. They are as follows: mahat-tattva (the total material energy), false ego, sound, touch, form, taste, smell, ether, air, fire, water, earth, ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose, hand, leg, evacuating organ, genitals, speech and mind. In the above sloka (Sanskrit verse) it is made very clear that the material elements in and of themselves have no capacity to act. The Supreme Lord utilizes His time energy, which is known as the dark goddess Kali (kala-sakti) to amalgamate the material elements.
In the Brahma-samhita it is stated:
eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami (5.35)
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda (another name for Krsna), Who is the original Personality of Godhead. By His partial plenary expansion (Maha-Visnu), He enters into material nature, and then into each and every universe (as Garbhodakasayi Visnu) and then (as Ksirodakasayi Visnu) into all the elements, including every atom of matter. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innumerable, both in the universes, and in the individual atoms."
The important point to understand is that all stages of creation are made possible, ultimately by the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna.
The creation of the material world does not occur just once. Because all the energies of the Supreme Lord are part and parcel of Him, they are completely spiritual, and are therefore eternal. Birth, temporary existence and death, or the material perspective of life, is an illusion created by the Lord's manipulation of His time energy:
kalo 'smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho
(Bhagavad-gita 11.32)
"Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds."
The difference between the spiritual and material energies of God is one of behavior. The spiritual energy is a realm of eternally existing, infinite variegatedness. The material energy also exists eternally, but merely imitates the infinite variegatedness of the spiritual energy by means of exhibiting a continual process of change. The ceaseless recombining of the atomic constituents, which is the basis of measurable chemistry, is the cause of our illusory perception of appearance, temporary existence and disappearance. Modern science gives various names to the forces that mediate the temporary combinations of matter. When referring to electro-magnetic processes, for example, the terms positive, negative and neutral are used. The Vedas categorize these forces as the previously mentioned modes, sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna, and conclusively state that these three are under the control of the Supreme Lord at all times. In fact, Sri Krsna (as Paramatma) is situated at the very heart of sub-atomic structure, as the force that holds matter together. Ultimately, it is Sri Krsna Who holds all things together, whether spiritual or material.
The unfortunate living entity, who becomes attracted to the ever-changing nature of the material world in the form of friends, family, pets, personal possessions, etc., is doomed to suffer when radical change occurs (death and decay). But in reality, jivatma (the living entity) is eternally existing and not subject to change and therefore requires eternally existing objects of sense perception (God and the spiritual realm) for peace of mind.
Due to the entering into the material elements by the Supreme Lord, the living beings are enlivened into different activities. The Srimad-Bhagavatam explains that the innumerable material universes are created, remain for some time and then dissolve back into a state of suspension or rest. Those living beings who retain a desire to interact with the material energy then remain in a state of unconsciousness for millions of years until the time of the next creation, just as a person resumes his work after waking from sleep. The living entity remembers his past inclinations, due to the all-merciful Lord, and resumes his activities at the very point where he last left off: