Chapter 28 - On Creation (continued, 2)

Vishnu, then, balancing himself in his Sattvic quality, slept on water, and, in course of time, a lotus flower grew from his navel. Brahma who was roaming on the water with a keen desire to create the universe, came and took his seat on the lotus. From there he at first created time and divided it into small measured periods. From time he created Mahattatva^[1], from Mahattatva, Ahankara^[2], from Ahankara, Panchatanmatra^[3], and from Panchatanmatra, Kshiti^[4], Ap^[5], Tejah^[6], Maruta^[7], and Vyoma^[8] or the Panchabhuta^[9]. From the Panchabhuta he created the Panchabhutatanmatra^[10]. Then he made Kshiti the seat of smells, Ap of tastes, Tejah of forms, Maruta of touch, and Vyoma of sounds. Then Panchabhuta became the material for the bodies and the Panchatanmatra the material for the senses. Vishnu dwelt in the bodies as Jiva^[11] and was pervaded by Nature in the form of egoism.

Nature is of three kinds, viz., Vidya and two kinds of Avidya^[12] Vidya is the source of the five objects called smell, taste, form, touch, and, sound.

The two Avidyas are Maya^[13] and Parama^[14]. Maya is the pervading Sakti^[15] of Parama and.Jiva. Although Jiva is Vishnu himself, he cannot see Parama, being covered with Maya. He can do so by performing Tapasya^[16] and thereby gaining the knowledge of truth, and, through it, peace of mind. Thereafter Brahma created his following ten sons by his thought force, viz., (1) Vasishtha, (2) Atri, (3) Angira, (4) Pulastya, (5) Pulaha, (6) Kratu, (7) Bhrigu, (8) Daksha, (9) Narada, and (10) Kardama. When these sons came into being, they asked their father why they were created, and the father answered, “Increase and multiply”. They, however, expressed their inability to do so, and engaged themselves in deep meditation. Brahma thereupon divided his body into two parts, and the left half was transformed into a beautiful girl, named Satarupa, and the right half into a man, called Sayambhuva Manu. He also produced the god of love from his heart; and, through this god’s agency, sexual desire grew in the pair, and creation began to increase. Sayambhuva Manu and Satarupa became the parents of two sons, viz., Priyavrata and Uttanapada, and three daughters, viz., Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti.

At this time Vishnu assumed the form of a boar, and brought out the earth from below the water, for the residence of the new creation.

Sayambhuva Manu gave Akuti to Ruchi, Devahuti to Kardama, and Prasuti to Daksha, in marriage.

Kardama and Devahuti were the parents of many sons, and Ruchi and Akuti of many daughters among whom was Arundhati^[17] the wife of Vasishtha. Daksha and Prasuti also were the parents of many daughters. They gave their daughter, Svaha, to Agni, Sati to Sankara, and Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kashtha, Arishta, Surasa, Timi, Muni, Krodhavasa, Tamra, Vinata, Kadru, and Bhanumati to Kasyapa.

Aditi gave birth to Surya (sun) and Surya begat Manu who was the source of the great and holy Suryavamsa (solar dynasty). Diti gave birth to Daittyas^[18], Danu to Danavas^[19], Kashtha to horses and their kinds, Arishta to trees and their kinds, Surasa to five-clawed animals, Timi to sharks, fishes and other aquatic animals, and Muni to cows, buffaloes etc. Kardami, the wife of Atri, gave birth to Datta, Durvasa and Chandra (moon). Chandra begat Vudha who begat Pururava, and Pururava was the progenitor of the holy Chandravamsa (lunar dynasty).

All the above creation which sprang up from Manu, and consisted of gods, demons, human beings, animals, birds, trees, creepers &c., were of four classes, viz., Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.

Thereafter, another daughter sprang from the mind of Brahma, and her name was Sandhya. Her extreme beauty filled the mind of Brahma with lust to kill which he forthwith divided her into three parts, viz. Morning, Noon and Evening, and thereafter, cast off his own body from which hoar-frost was produced. He again assumed a new body, and was highly enraged with the god of love for creating incestuous desire in him. This anger gave birth to an awful but resplendant being, named Maharudra, who was destined to destroy the god of love. His complexion was red and blue, and he had three eyes. He had long looks of matted and twisted hair on his head, and, by his look, seemed bent upon devouring the whole world. Brahma observed that he at one time wore five faces and, at another, four, three, two or even one at pleasure. He was rolling his eyeballs furiously, and panting, while running aimlessly on all sides, crying, “Kill, destroy”. Brahma felt afraid and cut him into eleven parts each of which developed into a Rudra.

Finding these eleven separate Rudras as anxious to destroy creation as the former one, he was filled with fear, and calling Daksha near him said,

“My son, these are your brothers. Take them in your charge and bring them under control. See that they do not devour me.” Daksha, solicitous for his father’s welfare, brought his yoga-power to bear on them, and subjugated them just as a snake charmer subjugates snakes by his incantations.

Thus did Brahma get rid of his own anger. The above incident proves that anger injures the person who gives shelter to it, and should, therefore, be avoided.

The disturbance which was caused in Brahma’s mind through fear of the Rudras, gave birth to thousands of Yakshas^[17], Rakshasas^[18] and Gandharvas^[19].

Thus did Brahma make the creation, and Vishnu began to maintain it.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mahat—great; Ta—that; tva is the sign of abstract noon. Literally, the great, “thatness,” i.e., the limit within which the creation would be kept confined.

[2]:

Egoism.

[3]:

The word Panchatanmatra is composed of three separate words, viz., Pancha (five), tat (that) matra (only). It means the abstract essence of the five elements.

[4]:

earth.

[5]:

water.

[6]:

fire.

[7]:

air.

[8]:

Akasa or ether.

[9]:

Five elements.

[10]:

The five abstract faculties of sensation.

[11]:

Soul.

[12]:

Knowledge, but it is difficult to find an exact English equivalent for the word.

[13]:

Nescience, [but it is difficult to find an exact English equivalent for the word.]

[14]:

Illusion.

[15]:

Ultimate nature.

[16]:

Power.

[17]:

austerity or penance.

[18]:

Now transformed into a small star which follows the constellation known as Ursa Major.

[19]:

Demons.

[20]:

A class of demons.

[21]:

see p. 22 footnotes 4,5 and 3.