Srimad Bhagavatam – day 113
Krishnāya namah
Yathedānīṁ tathāgre ca paścād apy etad īdṛśam
Sargo nava-vidhas tasya prākṛto vaikṛtas tu yaḥ
This world is exactly the same as it was in the earlier creations. In future creations also it will remain exactly the same. Creation is of 10 types. Among them six are Prākrta creations and three are Vaikrta creations. The combination of these Prākrta and Vaikrta is the tenth creation.
Through time (kāla), materials (dravya) and qualities of nature (guna) this creation gradually undergoes 3 forms of annihilation viz., constant dissolution (nitya pralaya), occasional dissolution (naimittika pralaya) and total dissolution of matter (prākrta pralaya).
1) Among the ten forms of creations, the first is Mahat tattva. From the Supreme Lord as the first step Mahat tattva (principle of total material creation) was created. From it, the three qualities of Nature (trigunas) were created. They acquired differences in their proportions.
2) The second is the creation of ahamkara (sense of I-ness, egoism). From this ahamkara the five basic elements, the five organs of perception (jnanendriya) and the five organs of action (karmendriya) were born.
3) The third is the creation of the five subtle basic elements (subtle space, subtle air etc). At this point of time, these five subtle basic elements did not combine with each other. These subtle elements have in them the capacity to illumine the five gross basic elements of earth, water, fire, air and space.
4) The fourth is the creation of the five organs of perception and the five organs of action. Skin, eyes, ears, nose and tongue are the five organs of perception. Speech, hands, legs, organ of reproduction and organ of excretion are the five organs of action. In the fourth creation these 10 senses were created.
5) In the fifth creation, from the egoism born out of the traits of purity and goodness (satvik ahamkara), the presiding deities for the senses as well as the mind were created.
6) Āvarana means veil. It blocks that which is visible. Vikshepa means seeing that which does not exist. It is spiritual ignorance (avidya) which causes āvarana and vikshepa in the living beings. From this spiritual ignorance (avidya) total darkness (tamisra) was created.
These six creations are known as Prākrta creations.
O Vidura! These worldly bondages (samsara) get totally destroyed in the person who, within his intellect, contemplates upon Srihari. Srihari accepting the traits of action incarnated as Brahma and created them all. All this is His divine play. Now let me explain to you about the Vaikrta creations.
7) The seventh is the creation of all trees and creepers. This is also the first amongst the Vaikrta creations. Just as a face is the most significant aspect of a human body, trees are the most significant amongst the Vaikrta creations.
This creation of trees and plants is of six types viz., a) Vanaspati i.e., peepal and other plants that yield fruit without flowering, b) ośadhi i.e. paddy and other plants which live only until fruits ripen, c) lata i.e. climbers which grow with the aid of external support, d) tvaksārah i.e. hollow plants such as bamboo, e) vīrudha i.e. various types of shrubs and f) drumā i.e. trees that bear flowers and fruits such as mango.
In all these types of trees and plants, the nutritional juices that promote growth flow upwards. As they are predominantly composed of inert traits (tamo guna), their inner mind (antakarana) is grossly underdeveloped. They internally experience feelings of touch. Within them there are innumerable differences. Each amongst them has its own speciality.
8) The next is the creation of birds and animals. Within this there are 28 classifications. In these living beings, tamo guna (traits of inertia, ignorance) is predominant. For this reason they do not experience time. They understand about objects through their sense of smell. Through their intellect they understand about happiness. However they lack the discriminative thinking and intelligence.
Cows/ buffalo, ox, goat, stag, deer, camel, pig, sheep, gavaya (species of ox) – these 9 animals have two hooves. Donkey, horse, zebra, gaura, sarabha, wild cow – these 6 animals have only one hoof. Dog, fox, jackal, cat, lion, rabbit, tiger, monkey, elephant, tortoise, udumu, wild boar- these 12 animals have five toes on each leg. These are land animals. Crocodiles and alligators are water animals with toes. Vulture, heron, crane, hawk, bhalluka, rābandu, swan, peacock, begguru, crow, sparrow, owl and others are birds.
In this way there are 28 classifications. These constitute the eighth creation.
9) Human beings are the ninth creation. As the food within the humans flows downwards starting from the mouth, they are also known as arvāk-srotassu.
All humans are alike in their bodily constitution. Due to the predominance of the traits of action and passion (rajo guna) they are eternally immersed in performing actions. They wrongly perceive happiness exists within the sorrowful materialistic objects.
The above mentioned creations as trees- plants (vanaspati), animals- birds and human beings are known as the Vaikruta creation. Even creation of celestials comes under this classification.
We have earlier understood that the emergence of the presiding deities of the senses comes under the Prakrta creation.
10) Creation of the Kaumaras belongs to both the Prakrta and Vaikrta creations. This is the 10th creation.
Creation of the Devatas is known as Deva sarga. This is eight fold viz., a) Devatas, b) fore-fathers, c) asuras (demons), d) Gandharva- apsarasas, e) yaksha-rakshasas, f) siddha-cāraṇa-vidyadhara, g) bhoota-preta-pishaca, h) kinnara- kimpurusha.
In this way O Vidura, Brahma created these 10 forms of creations. Now I will explain about Manvantaras and lineages.
In the beginning of the kalpa, Sri Mahavishnu accepted the traits of action (rajo guna) and incarnated as Brahma. He actually created this entire universe, using his inherent energy, to exist within him” said Maharishi Maitreya to Vidura.
With this the tenth chapter of the third canto comes to an end.
Sri krishnaya namah