Chapter 133 - The perishable and the Imperishable

Sages said:

1-4. What is it that is called Imperishable from which one does not return again. O great sage, we ask you about the distinction between the perishable and the Imperishable in order to understand it correctly, O excellent sage, O leader of sages. Indeed, you are mentioned as the most excellent among those who are endowed with knowledge by sages of great fortune and ascetics of noble souls who have mastered the Vedas. We wish to hear everything regarding this, from you, O sage of great intellect. We are never satiated by hearing the excellent nectar-like speech of yours.

Vyāsa said:

5. In this connection I shall recount unto you the legend of yore, the dialogue between Vasiṣṭha and Karāla-Janaka.

6. Vasiṣṭha, the most excellent one among the sages, having the features of the sun, was sitting in his hermitage when king Janaka asked him about the perfect knowledge leading to salvation.

7-8. Formerly king Karāla-Janaka asked the excellent sage Vasiṣṭha who was seated, after paying him obeisance with joined palms. He asked him about those topics with particular relevance to the supreme soul, determining the ways and means of spiritual pursuit. He asked that sage who moved about as he pleased, who performed excellent deeds, who was sweet-tempered and who was never puffed up.

Janaka said:

9-10. O holy one, I wish to hear about the great eternal Brahman from whom men of intellect never return. What is it that is called Kṣara since this universe dissolves therein (i.e. in the Brahman)? What is it that is spoken of as Akṣara which is auspicious, conducive to happiness and free from ailment?

Vasiṣṭha said:

11. Let it be heard, O ruler of the Earth, how this universe dissolves and perishes, where it dissolves at first, and how long does it take.

12. A Yuga consists of twelve thousand years. Know that a Kalpa is made up of four Yugas. A cycle of four hundred Kalpas is called a day of Brahmā.

13-14. O king, the night is also of the same duration at the end of which he wakes up and creates the great element firmament and other creations without end. The self-born lord, devoid of form and benefactor of the world creates the universe that has form. It is in the lord that the universe is rooted and has its origin, O excellent king.

15-16, (The supreme soul) is Īśāna, the never-diminishing flame, with the powers of Aṇimā (minuteness), Laghimā (lightness) and Prāpti (accessibility). It has legs and hands all around. It has eyes, heads and mouths all around. It has ears all around. It stands enveloping everything in the world. He is Lord Hiraṇyagarbha and is known as Buddhi (Cosmic Intellect).

17. It is called by various names in Sāṃkhya. In the Yoga system it is called Mahat and Viriñci.

18. It has various forms. It is the soul of the universe. It is known as single and Imperishable. All the three worlds have been held by it as though they formed one unit.

19. In the same manner it is known as omniformed because of its multifarious forms undergoing some physical change it creates in itself.

20. Pradhāna is a very great city called so because it is the abode of elements etc. Ahaṃkāra (Great Ego) has great splendour and it is bowed to by Prajāpati.

21. They call the manifestation from the Unmanifest Vidyāsarga. Mahat and Ahaṃkāra constitute Avidyāsarga.

22-28. So also from the Eka (single one) the Acara (immobile) and the Cara (mobile) are born. They are known as Vidyā and Avidyā and proclaimed so by persons who ponder over Vedic passages and scriptures. Know that there is a third type of creation, O king, from Ahaṃkāra i.e. the creation of elements (Bhūtasarga), viz. wind, fire, firmament, water and earth. In Ahaṃkāra itself, O king, know the fourth creation as Vaikṛta (i.e. diverse manifestation). The five elements and their five particular qualities, viz. sound, touch, colour, taste and smell, are produced simultaneously. Know the fifth type of creation, O great king, to be Bhautika Sarga (the creation of the evolutes of the five elements). They are the organs of sense and action as well as the mind. Ear, skin, eye, tongue and nose—these five are sense organs. Speech, hands, feet, anus and penis—these five are Karmendriyas (organs of action). These organs arose simultaneously along with the mind. Thus there are twenty-four principles in action in the creation. By knowing this set of twenty-four principles the brahmins cease to be worried. They see the reality.

29-33. Thus the excellent set of the three worlds is produced. It should be known, O excellent one, among men. In the whole world in all the creations the Ātman that pervades is the same whether it is the ocean of hell, the abode of Yakṣas, Bhūtas and Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Nāgas, Cāraṇas, Piśācas, Devas, sages and demons; whether it is the creation of flies, worms, mosquitoes, worms in the putrid matter, mice, dogs, low caste people who cook dogs, Caṇḍālas, Pulkasas, Eṇeyas, hunters of deer, horses, elephants, donkeys, tigers, wolves and cows. We have already heard that there is the abode of embodied beings in water, land and air. Certainly nowhere else.

34-36. It is the soul of all living beings that is known as Imperishable (Akṣara). Everyday the entire universe drops off and perishes. It moves off from the Avyakta (the unmanifest one). Since the universe perishes it is called (Perishable). They say that the universe is conducive to delusion. It is called vyakta (manifest) and it arises from Avyakta. The Akṣara is great and eternal. It avoids Kṣara (the perishable). From this no one returns. Thus, O great king, the Akṣara has been explained unto you.

37. The twenty-fifth-principle is formless. It is eternal and it is real. Intelligent scholars call it Tattva because it depends on Sattva.

38. That which is devoid of form creates the (manifest) and presides thereupon. The manifest is the twenty-fourth principle and the formless is the twenty-fifth one.

39. It alone abides in the heart of all forms. It is equipped with soul (?). It is conscious and it instils consciousness in all objects. It has no form but it identifies itself with all forms.

40. It assumes forms of creation and annihilation through the peculiar characteristics of creation and annihilation. Although it is devoid of attributes it remains within the view.

41. Although this great soul undergoes certain changes due to millions of creations and annihilations it does not absolutely identify itself with them all (?)

42. Not being enlightened itself and due to the resorting of unenlightened persons it becomes enveloped with Tamas, Sattva and Rajas and is born in different wombs.

43. Due to the residence together it thinks like this—“I am not the other one”, “I am this one and hence not the other one”. Thus it follows the attributes.

44. Due to Tamas it takes up beings of Tāmasika nature; due to Rajas it takes up beings of Rājasika nature and by devoting to Sattva it takes up Sāttvika beings.

45. The colours are three, viz. white, red and black. Know that all these colours belong to Prakṛti.

46. The persons of Tāmasa nature fall into hell; persons of Rājasa nature become human beings. Persons of Sāttvika nature go to the heavenly world and enjoy Happiness.

47. Due to the sins committed in this world one falls into the womb of the lower animals; if sins and merits both are practised one takes birth among men; and if merits alone are practised one takes birth among gods.

48. Thus the wise persons say that salvation is based on Avyakta. It is the twenty-fifth principle which functions due to knowledge.