Chapter 24 - The Nature of Knowledge (jñāna-svarūpa)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This chapter gives a combination of the theistic Sāṅkhya theory of evolution of the universe as well as the Purāṇic concept of Viṣṇu creating Brahmā for the same.

Śrī Nārāyaṇa said:

1. Now I shall relate to you the nature of knowledge (jñāna-svarūpa) as determined by Sāṃkhya, whereby Kṣetra and others are known. That knowledge is being explained.

2. Vāsudeva is the Supreme Brahman in the great imperishable abode. At the beginning he was only one without a second and attributeless, with a divine (or refulgent) body.

3. Just as night disappears in the light of the sun, so the Primordial Nature along with its evolutes and Time became invisible in his imperishable light.

4. When the desire to create cosmoses or universes occurred to him, then that great Māyā along with Time manifested herself at the beginning.

5. Taking that power of Time, Vāsudeva with a desire to create, saw her with his Akṣara (imperishable) Self. Then she got agitated.

6. From her (Mahāmāyā) crores of Pradhānas (or Prakṛtis) and Puruṣas were born. Due to the will of the Lord those Puruṣas are united with Pradhānas (or Prakṛtis).

7. In them Puruṣas deposited foetuses. From them were born innumerable Brahmāṇḍas (Cosmic Eggs). Out of them, one is described.

8. From the golden semen of the Puruṣa, at first (the principle called) Mahat was born (evolved). From it (i.e. Mahat) was evolved Ahaṃkāra (i.e. Cosmic Ego). From it (i.e. Cosmic Ego) were evolved the three Guṇas—Sattva etc.

9. From (Guṇa) Tamas five Tamātras (i.e. subtle elements) and gross elements were evolved. From (Guṇa) Rajas were evolved ten organs (of sense and action), the great (principle of) Life along with Buddhi (intelligence).

10. From (Guṇa) Sattva are born the deities presiding over the organs (of sense and action) and also Manas (mind). Ordinarily what are designated as Tattva (principles) are called (here) Devas.

11. Impelled by Vāsudeva, they gave birth to (i.e. created) a divine body called Virāṭ, by contributing their individual parts. That (Virāṭ) was the resort of the movable and immovable.

12. That Vairāja-Puruṣa slept on the waters created by him. Hence he is proclaimed as Nārāyaṇa by Vedas and such other (scriptural texts).

13. From the lotus (grown out) of his navel was born Brahmā, characterised by Rajoguṇa. Viṣṇu of Sattva character was born from the lotus of his heart. And Hara characterised by Tamas was born from his forehead.

14. From these very places three Śaktis were born. Out of them Durgā was characterised by Tamas, Sāvitrī by Rajas, Śrī is characterised by Sattva Guṇa. All of them are adorned with garments and ornaments.

15. By the order of Vairāja, they betook themselves to Brahmā and others. Durgā resorted to Rudra, Sāvitrī to Brahmā and the last (Śrī) to Viṣṇu.

16. Thousands of Śaktis including Caṇḍikā were (born) from a part of Durgā; Śaktis of whom Trayī was prominent were born of part of Sāvitrī. Śaktis of which Dussahā was the chief one were born from a part of Śrī, O sage.

17. He who was Brahmā born of the navel-lotus of Vairāja and was staying in the lotus in that Ekārṇava did (could) not see (know) anything.

18. Not having acquired the knowledge of creation, he did not know himself. Meditating ‘who am I’, ‘whence have I come?’, he happened to see the Lotus which was his resort.

19. A period of hundred years elapsed while he entered the stalk of the Lotus, and went downwards to discover the root (of the lotus), but he could not get at the end of it.

20. Coining up again and feeling exhausted, he sat down. The Lord in his invisible form spoke to him, “Perform penance; perform penance.”

21. Having heard it and not being able to see the speaker anywhere, he performed penance for a period of one thousand divine years, as advised by the preceptor.

22. To him who was performing penance in the Lotus and was of purified soul, Acyuta showed his place of residence (called) Vaikuṇṭha while he was in profound meditation.

23. (Obscure) Where there are the three Guṇas, Rajas etc. evolved out of Pradhāna, there exists not the smallest, which has no fear from Kāla (Time, Death) and Māyā.

24. In that refulgent light brilliant like the simultaneous rising of ten thousand suns, there he saw Vāsudeva of beautiful, lustrous, dark form.

25. That Supreme Ruler had four arms holding (in each) an iron mace, a lotus, a conch and a discus. He wore a yellow garment and was adorned with a big crown set with jewels (and other ornaments).

26. He was resorted to by four-armed attendants like Nanda, Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) and others, by eight super-natural powers (like Aṇimā etc.) and by six types of good luck with their palms folded in reverence.

27. Bowing down to the great Lord who sat along with Śrī on the throne, God Brahmā, delighted in mind, stood before him with folded palms.

28. The Lord spoke to him: “O Brahman, I am pleased with you due to your penance. As you are dear to me, ask for any boon desired by you, from me.”

29. Addressed by him thus, Brahmā knowing him to be his director to perform penance, entreated him (to grant) the boon desired by him regarding the creation of the universe.

30. “Obeisance to you, O Lord! Give me the power to create. Do also to me such favour as will not bind me in that (act of creation).”

31. Then the Lord said: “Your desire will be fulfilled. Create subjects by conceiving through meditation your identity with me, Vairāja. If any task is not possible for you to accomplish, I should be remembered. I am the donor of desired objects.”

32. After saying Viṣṇu vanished. Brahmā, by meditating on his identity with Vairāja, saw personally all the regions (or subjects) which were merged formerly.

33. Having secured the creative power, Brahmā set his mind on creation. In the meanwhile, Āditya (Sun-god) full of the lustre of Brahman, manifested himself.

34. Having established him at the centre of Brahmāṇḍa (universe), he created by his mind which was extremely pure due to penance and devotion, the four primeval sages, the four Sanas (viz. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra, Sanātana).

35. He ordered them, “Create subjects”. Those who were prominent perpetual celibate (sages), did not accept his order. The creator of the universe got angry with them.

36. From the forehead of angry Brahmā was born Rudra full of the Guṇa called Tamas. Controlling his anger, he mentally created Prajāpatis (presiders over the subjects).

37. (They were as follow:) Marīci, Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Bhṭgu, Kratu, Vasitṣṭha, Kardama, Dakṣa and Aṅgiras.

38. He created Dharma from his heart, Adharma from (his) back, sexual desire (Kāma) from (his) mind, Speech from mouth and Anger from his eyebrow.

39. Then from his four faces (mouths) he created the feet of Dharma, viz. Purity, Penance, Compassion and Truth.

40. He created Ṛgveda from his eastern face, Yajurveda from the southern face, Sāmaveda from the western and Atharvan from the northern face.

41. From his mouth he created Itihāsa, Purāṇas, sacrifices, a hundred Brāhmaṇas, (gods such as) Vasus, Ādityas, Maruts, Viśvedevas, and Sādhyas.

42. He created a hundred Kṣatriyas from his arms, a hundred Vaiśyas from his thighs and a hundred Śūdras from his feet—all along with their professions and modes of livelihood.

43. He created the (stage of life called) Brahmacarya (celibate-studentship) from his heart, householdership from his loins (genital organ?), forest-hermitship from his chest and Sannyāsa from his head.

44. He created a clan called Pitṛs (manes) from his chest, Asuras from his buttocks, the god of deaṃ, Nirṛti and hells from his anus.

45-46. God Brahmā who thus identified his soul with Nārāyaṇa created from the limbs of the body the following: Gandharvas, Cāraṇas, Siddhas, serpents, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, mountains, clouds, lightnings, seas, rivers, trees, beasts (animals), birds and all movables and immovables.

47. When he was not much pleased with this creation, he meditated on Hari and created with penance, learning and concentration, sages, Svāyaṃbhuva and other Manus, and human beings.

48. Then being satisfied, he created for their residence Svarloka (heaven), Bhuvarloka (the world above the earth) and Bhūrloka (earth).

49. God Brahmā established them in places that they deserved by their Karmas in the previous Kalpa, and assigned to them their particular vocations.

50. He assigned nectar (Amṛta) to Devas, food and (medicinal) herbs to men and sages, wine and meat to Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Asuras, tigers, serpents and others. For cows, bulls and deer he provided (grains of corn such as) barley etc.

51. He fixed Havya (oblations in the fire) as the livehood for all Devas, and assigned Kavya to all embodied and non-embodied manes.

52. To the Śaktis born of Goddess Durgā, (he allotted) wine, meat etc. offered by Daityas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas and oṃers who eagerly engaged in propitiating them.

53. Similarly to the Śaktis created from Sāvitrī, (he allotted) eatables fit for sages, such as food and herbs offered in sacrifices by sages, the propitiators of those Śaktis.

54. To Śaktis born of Śrī, (he fixed) Pāyasa (rice boiled in milk), ghee, radish etc. offered by Devas, Asuras and human beings who are engaged in propitiating them.

55-56. Then the Lord of Prajāpatis addressed all his subjects: “Devas and Pitṛs are to be worshipped by sacrifices consisting (of the offerings) of Havya and Kavya. These (deities) will fuffll all your desired objectives. Those who will not worship them will surely go to hell.”

57. In this way, the moral law was fixed by Brahmā, entered into by Nārāyaṇa. Hence ritualistic acts pertaining to Devas and Pitṛs should always be performed as per injunctions.

58. Then Brahmā appointed the heads of those particular castes and categories as well as Manus for the protection of the bounds of moral law of all.

59. O sage! It is in this way that this diverse creation takes place in every Kalpa by Vairāja in the form of Brahmā, by the will of Vāsudeva.

60. Just as the knowledge, Vedas, Śāstras and ritualistic rites were in the previous Kalpa, in the next Kalpa similar were all Dharmas and the persons authorized and functionaries. ^[1]

61. He who is called Viṣṇu is also of the nature of (possessed by) Vairājā-Puruṣa. He observes all the boundaries and sustains (by) nourishing all the worlds.

62. When the limits (of moral behaviour etc.) which are being observed by Manu and others are broken (violated) by Asuras, who can assume any form they like, then Vāsudeva, being prayed to by God Brahmā and others, manifests himself on the earth.

63. It is not possible to count the number of the Lord’s incarnations past and future even by experts in calculation.

64. The manifestation of the noble Lord is for the protection of Saddharma (righteousness, moral order), Devas and saintly persons, for killing those who trouble them and for the welfare of all beings. ^[2]

65. That Vāsudeva, the sovereign ruler of all, who is connected with Prakṛti, Puruṣa and all their products (evolutes) stays aloof from them in his own domain.

66. Just as Fire-god, Varuṇa and others permeate this world with their parts and stay happily in their respective regions, so does this Lord, O sage.

67. Just as he was Existence, Consciousness and Bliss (incarnate), pure, one and attributeless before the creation of the universe, so he is of equal, unsullied, pure, nature though he is connected (with the universe).

68. Just as sky, though permeating the products or effects of the (elements) wind, fire, water, earth, remains unsmeared by them, similarly he remains so (untouched and pure).

69. He deserves to be propitiated and to be worshipped by all. He is the controller. He is glorified as pervader (of the universe). Even in the final dissolution (of the world) he becomes as before (without any change).

70. He who is called here Vairāja Puruṣa, is designated as Supreme Ruler. He should be known as independent, omniscient and the controller of Māyā, O Nārada.

71. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, the three who are endowed with Guṇas like Rajas etc. and whose activities are in consonance with their Guṇas are nothing but forms of that (Lord).

72. Devas, Asuras, human beings who are born of Brahmā are designated as Jīvas. They possess little knowledge and are dependent on others.

73. The bodies of living beings and Īśvarās are named Kṣetra. They are constituted of the principles like Mahat and oṃers. The knower of these (bodies) is called Kṣetrajña.

74. The knowledge of Kṣetras (physical bodies), Kṣetrajñas (knowers of the Kṣetra), Pradhāna (Prakṛti), Puruṣa, Māyā, Kāla (the power of destruction) and the imperishable Supreme Soul with all their differentiated characteristics is called the (real) knowledge.^[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf dhātā yathāpūrvam akalpayat |

[2]:

Cf BG IV.8

[3]:

Cf BG XIII.2, 3.