Srimad Bhagavatam – day 103
Puruśottamāya namah
The presiding deities of the tattvas (principles of creation), continued their prayer, “O Lord! Walking on the path of knowledge, some Yogis totally control their mind, conquer your illusory power and reach You, the personification of completeness. Nevertheless, these methods are quite strenuous. From this it can be deciphered that the devotee who lovingly offers services to You obtains liberation quickly.
O Primordial Lord! With the intent of creating different worlds, You created us. However, due to the influence of the three attributes of nature (trigunas) which results in differences in our behaviour, we are unable to unite and perform any task. As a result we lack the capacity to create a universe most suitable for Your playful enjoyments and offer it to You.
O birthless Lord! We desire to offer You enjoyments and luxuries at the earliest. While living in our abodes, we too should be provided food to sustain ourselves. Likewise, even these living beings should, without any doubts or obstacles, make the required offerings to both You and us, while nourishing and sustaining themselves with adequate food.
What is the method by which all these can be achieved? O Lord, You are a form of completeness and are are devoid of any transformation. You are the Self who resides within each and every being. You are eternal. You are our Lord. There is no Lord superior to You. You are birthless so is your illusory power. You have impregnated this illusory power with the seed called ‘Mahat tattva’. It is from that Mahat tattva that all beings like us are born.
O Lord! Please instruct to us our duties. Please bestow us with the energy of knowledge and action (jnana and Kriya shakti) necessary to create this universe.
With this the fifth chapter of the third canto comes to an end.
Third Canto Sixth chapter
The gross forms being energized for creation due to the entry of the Supreme energy into them and the description of the Universal form of that Lord are covered.
We have discussed that Mahat and other principles of creation (energies) could not combine with each other as a result of which creation could not commence. The Supreme Lord observed this situation.
Kāla-sañjñāṁ tadā devīṁ bibhrac-chaktim urukramaḥ
Trayoviṁśati tattvānāṁ gaṇaṁ yugapad āviśat
At that moment, the all-powerful Supreme Lord accepted His divine energy (devi) called ‘eternal time’ (Kala). He entered simultaneously into the 23 principles i.e. Mahat tattva, ahamkara (sense of I-ness), five subtle elements, five gross elements, five organs of action and five organs of perception and mind.
Entering into them, He awakened within them the energy of action (Kriya shakti) which was lying dormant so far. He caused them to combine within themselves. In this way He awakened action within all beings. It is this ‘action’ that rewards the being with the ‘resultant fruit’. The Supreme Lord, in this manner, caused the living beings to be inclined towards ‘obtaining fruit/ results for their actions’.
These twenty-three principles, which were energized by the will of the Supreme Lord, manifested to create the Universal form of the Lord (Virāt roopa). When these energies, which are the cause for creation, fractionally entered into the Supreme Lord, they combined with each other. Due to the turbulence caused by this merger, the Universal form, which is the shelter for this world consisting of inanimate and animate objects, was created.
The supremely radiant Universal form (Virāt Puruśa), together with all His energies resided within the cosmic egg for 1000 years. The Lord’s illusory power manifested itself in the forms of energy of knowledge and energy of action. These energies of knowledge and action reside within Hiranyagarbha, also known as Virāt Puruśa, who is the form of action within Mahat and other tattvas (principles) behind this creation.
Through the medium of these energies, He divided Himself into one form, three forms and 10 forms respectively. This Hiranyagarbha is the first incarnation of that Supreme Lord. He is the Self within all the beings. It is in Him that this entire creation is being seen.
Virāt Puruśa remains within all beings in the form of their senses (indriyas), within the Solar and other systems He remains in the form of Devatas and within the five basic elements (earth water etc.) He remains in the form of sound and other qualities. In this way He divided Himself into 3.
This universal form also resides in the form of 10 modifications of Pṛāna i.e. the five Prāṇas viz., Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna Udāna and Samāna as well as the five upa-prānās nāga, kurma, krikala, devadutta dhananjaya. He also exists in the form of one heart.
In this way the all pervading Mahavishnu fulfilled the prayer of Mahat and other principle energies of creation. In order to bestow upon them the capability to perform innumerable actions, He illumined the Universal form, through the medium of His Knowledge (jnana shakti). Many Devatas instantly entered this Universal form, that was now illumined due to Knowledge.
Face emerged in this Universal form. Agni (fire) who is the guardian-deity of the world, together with organ of speech (vāk) who was his fractional aspect (amśa), entered into that face. Through this speech the individual being is able to express himself.
When jaws emerged in this Universal form, the leader of the world Varuna entered into the palate together sense of taste (rasanendriya) who was his aspect (amsha). Through this sense of taste, the individual being tastes everything that he eats.
Nostrils emerged within the all pervading Universal form. Ashwini Devatas entered into them together with the sense/ organ of smell. This organ enables the living being to smell the aroma of everything.
Eyes manifested in this Universal form. Immediately Sun, who is the guardian deity of the world entered into it together with the organ of seeing. Due to this organ of perception, the individual beings are able to identify the forms.
In the earlier episode we discussed about the origin of these parts of the Universal form. Here their actions are being specified. Do not presume that it is a repetition. There only the form was described. Here their actions and the way they merge are being explained.
Adhokshajāya namah