Story of Loka

Origin of Loka.

There are several views in the Purāṇas regarding the origin of Loka or the world (Universe).

(i) In the beginning of the universe Mahāviṣṇu alone stood as the Eternal, unseen, unheard, unknown entity. Then there was neither sky nor day nor night. When the time of creation came Prakṛti entered Viṣṇu as Puruṣa creating emotion. From emotion arose Mahat or the Great Principle and from Mahat arose cosmic egoism (Ahaṅkāra). Ahaṅkāra divided itself into Vaikārika, Taijasa and Tāmasa. From Ahaṅkāra arose Ākāśa with the quality of sound and from Ākāśa came the air having the quality of touch and from air came fire having the quality of colour and from fire came water having the quality of taste and from water came earth with the quality of smell. All these were born of tāmasic egoism. From taijasic egoism came into being the organs of sense. From the Vaikārika egoism came the ten Vaikārika devas and the eleventh organ of sense, the mind. After that Mahāviṣṇu discharged his virility into water and that virility is life. (Chapter 17, Agni Purāṇa).

(ii) Mahaviṣṇu with a view to creating many different kinds of living things created water first and threw his whole energy into it. That energy grew into a golden mass of an egg and Brahmā was born from that egg. Mahāviṣṇu broke that egg into two, making one half heaven and the other earth. Between the two halves he created the sky. The earth was floating on the waters and he fixed it by anchoring it at ten sides. Then he created Prajāpati, Kāla, Manas, Vāk, Kāma, Krodha and Rati. Then he created thunder, lightning, clouds, rainbows and birds. Then for yajñasiddhi he created from his face Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda. He did sacrifices with them. From his hands he created the different Bhūtagrāmas and Sanatkumāras. He created Rudra out of Krodha. From his mind were born Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasiṣṭha. He made these seven Brahmarṣis. These seven Brahmarṣis and Rudra began to create the prajās. Then Prajāpati divided his body into two. One half of it became man and the other woman. Brahmā started creation through that woman. (Chapter 18; Agni Purāṇa).

(iii) In the beginning Mahāviṣṇu in the form of a child lay on a leaf of the Banyan tree. Lying there the Lord began to think like this, "Who am I? Who created me? Why was I created? What should I do here?" At once from the sky came a voice which said:—

"sarvaṃ khalvidamevāhaṃ nāṅyadasti sanātanam /" (All these am I. There is nothing eternal except me). The Lord was surprised by the voice and there appeared before him Mahādevī with four hands bearing the Śaṅkha, Cakra, Gadā and Padma one in each hand. She wore divine garments and ornaments and was accompanied by Prosperity as her maid. She was surrounded by such forces as Rati Bhūti, Buddhi, Mati, Kīrti, Smṛti, Dhṛti, Śraddhā, Medhā, Svadhā, Svāhā, Kṣudhā, Nidrā, Dayā, Gati, Tuṣṭi, Puṣṭi, Kṣamā, Lajjā, Jṛmbhā and Tandrī. Devī then addressed Mahāviṣṇu thus: "Why wonder? You have always come into being whenever creation was started by the greatness of great powers. The Supreme Being is without quality of any kind. We are all with quality. You have predominance of Sattvaguṇa. From your navel will arise Brahmā who will be dominated by Rajoguṇa and from the centre of the forehead of Brahmā will be born Rudra with Tamoguṇa predominant in him. Brahmā by the power of his penance will acquire the energy to create and he will then create the world. You will be the protector of this world which will in the end be destroyed by Rudra. I am the sāttvic power to help you in your work and I am always at your service."

Accordingly Brahmā and Rudra were born and Brahmā started his creation. (1st Skandha, Devī Bhāgavata).

(iv) In times of old during the great deluge everything in this universe became extinct. It went on like that for some time and then the five elements and Brahmā were born. Brahmā was born in a lotus. Brahmā decided there should be mud beneath the lotus. He went down through the stem of the lotus and travelled for a thousand years and yet did not find the earth. He came back and sitting inside the lotus started doing penance. After a thousand years Madhu-Kaiṭabhas rushed to attack Brahmā (See under Kaiṭabha).

Fearing them Brahmā went under water again. As he went deep down he saw a great man sleeping there. It was Mahāviṣṇu and then only he knew he was sitting on the lotus originating from the navel of Mahāviṣṇu. Mahāviṣṇu killed Madhu Kaiṭabhas and gave permission to start creation and Brahmā started his work of creation.

(v) Before the origin of the Universe the shapeless qualityless Parāśakti permeated everything. From it there were born three powers: Jñānaśakti, Kriyāśakti and Arthaśakti. The power of Sattvaguṇa was Jñānaśakti, the power of Rajoguṇa was Kriyāśakti and the power of Tamoguṇa was Arthaśakti. From the divine power of Tāmasa came the five basic things, sound, colour, touch, taste and smell. The quality of the sky was sound, the quality of air was touch, the quality of fire was colour, the quality of water was taste and the quality of earth was smell.

Rajoguṇa was born of Kriyāśakti. The five organs of senses, ear, eye, nose, tongue and skin and the five organs of work, hand, leg, speech, organ of excretion and the organ of sex and the five breaths, Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Samāna and Udāna are the offsprings of Rājasa. These are the forms of Kriyāśakti. These are controlled by the favourable activity of Cicchakti. The five gods controlling the sense-organs like Vāyu, Sūrya, Pāśī and Aśvinīdevas and the four gods controlling intelligence, conscience etc. like Candra, Brahmā, Rudra, and Kṣetrajña and the mind are ten Tattvas (Principles) born of sāttvika empowered with Jñānaśakti.

All the Tattvas were made into five basic elements through the process of Pañcīkaraṇa and the Brahmāṇḍa originated from it.

The constitution of Brahmāṇḍa.

The Brahmāṇḍa is made up of seven Kośas (coverings). The one in the extreme interior is very small. The second Kośa originates from the centre of the first Kośa. The third Kośa also has its origin from the first one. Each of them envelops the one before it. The seventh Kośa thus originating from the first Kośa and bursting forth through the other six Kośas spreads out for millions of miles around. If you cut the Brahmāṇḍa longitudinally the one in the extreme interior is the earth. Then come Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka in succession. The worlds in the lower half are called Pātāla, Rasātala, Mahātala, Talātala Sutala, Vitala and Atala. From Satyaloka to Atala there are fourteen lokas. The Brahmāṇḍa consists of the Sūrya, Candra, Stars, Śukra, Budha, Aṅgāraka, Bṛhaspati, Śani, Saptarṣis, Dhruva, Śiṃśumāra and Rāhu, called the Jyotiścakra. Besides these there are twentyeight hells also. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṃsa 1).

Rāhu is ten thousand yojanas below Sūrya. Ten thousand yojanas below Rāhu is the loka of Siddhavidyādharas. Below that up to the path of the clouds is the loka of the demons, genū and manes. Hundred yojanas below this is the Bhūloka (earth). Ten thousand yojanas below the earth and as many yojanas below the world above each are Atala, Vitala Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala Rasātala and Pātāla. (5th Skandha, Bhāgavata).

Origin of life.

Brahmā originated from the navel of Mahāviṣṇu. Brahmā started creation after obtaining permission from Viṣṇu. In the beginning Brahmā created from the mind Marīci, Aṅgiras, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Pulaha, Kratu, and Pulastya. They are therefore called the Mānasaputras of Brahmā. (Manas = mind, Putra, = son). From his wrath came Rudra, from his lap came Nārada, from his right thumb Dakṣa, from his mind Sanaka and others and from his left thumb, Vīraṇī. Dakṣa married Vīraṇī.

Dakṣa got five thousand sons of Vīraṇī. They also got sons. When the population began to increase thus Nārada intervened and questioned the advisability of increasing the population before knowing the capacity of the earth. The sons of Dakṣa realised the sense in it and started to have a survey of the earth. Dakṣa was disappointed that the children left him without showing any interest in the work of creation. So he produced another five thousand sons and asked them to start the work of creation. But they were also sent away as before by Nārada. Dakṣa became angry and he created sixty daughters.

He gave thirteen daughters to Kaśyapa, ten to Dharma, twentyseven to Candra, two to Bhṛgu, four to Ariṣṭanemi, two to Kṛtāśva, and two to Aṅgiras. Of these most of the living things in the world were born to Kaśyapa. (7th Skandha, Devī Bhāgavata).

Kaśyapa was the last of the Prajāpatis. Kaśyapa married the daughters of Dakṣa named Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kālikā, Tāmrā, Krodhavaśā, Manu, and Analā. Aditi got thirtythree sons and their family consists of the thirtythree crores of Devas. From Diti were born the daityas or asuras. From Danu was born the dānava Hayagrīva. Kālikā got two sons, Naraka and Kālaka. Tāmrā got five daughters, Krauñcī, Bhāsī, Śyenī, Dhṛtarāṣṭrī and Śukī. Krauñcī gave birth to owls, Bhāsī to Bhāsas and Śyeni to Śyenas (Vultures, Kites etc.). Dhṛtarāṣṭrī gave birth to Haṃsas, Kalahaṃsas and Kokas. Śukī gave birth to Natā and Nāta in turn to Vinatā. Krodhavaśā gave birth to ten daughters; Mṛgī, Mṛgamandā, Harī, Bhadramadā, Mātaṅgī, Śārdūlī, Śvetā, Surabhi, Surasā and Kadrū. Of these Mṛgī gave birth to beasts, Mrgamandā to trees and plants. Lions and monkeys are the children of Hari, Bhadramadā got a daughter named Irāvatī. Airāvata was the son of Irāvatī. From Mātaṅgī were born the elephants and from Śārdūlī the tigers. The Aṣṭadiggajas are the sons of Śvetā. Surabhi got two daughters named Rohiṇī and Gandharvī. Cows are the children of Rohiṇī and horses are the children of Gandharvī. Serpents are the sons of Surasā and Kadrū gave birth to snakes. From Manu were born men. Trees are the sons of Analā. Vinatā got two sons named Aruṇa and Garuḍa. To Aruṇa were born two sons, Jaṭāyu and Sampāti.

The end of the World

—There are different views in the Purāṇas regarding the end of the world. The different Purāṇas give different views. For knowing the views of Agni Purāṇa on the subject see under the heading 'Pralaya'. The eleventh Skandha of Bhāgavata gives the following theory regarding the end of the world.

All the material objects of the world will become illusory. Fire will increase. There will be no rains for hundred years together. The World will be burnt by the heat. The heat will go down to the head of Ananta who holds this world on his head. The Saptameghas (Seven Clouds) will rise up in the sunshine infested with the poisonous breath of Ananta. Then rains will start pouring down in streams as thick as the trunk of an elephant. Everything will be drowned in that water. Viṣṇu alone will be left above the vast expanse of water. (See under Manvantara).