Brahmas Nine Creations From Thought to Form
Creation - Chapter 5
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Creation - Chapter 5
Parāśara reveals to Maitreya Brahma's intricate process of universal creation, detailing the birth of gods, demons, humans, and nature through cosmic cycles and divine will.
Maitreya asked, "O Brahman, please explain how the deity created all beings - gods, sages, progenitors, demons, humans, animals, trees, and others - that exist on earth, in heaven, or in the waters. How did Brahma create the world at the beginning, with all its qualities, characteristics, and forms?"
Parāśara replied, "Listen carefully, Maitreya. I will explain how the lord of all created the gods and other beings.
At the beginning of the Kalpas (vast cosmic time cycles), Brahma meditated on creation. From this meditation emerged a creation beginning with ignorance and consisting of darkness. From that great being appeared five types of ignorance:
Obscurity
Illusion
Extreme illusion
Gloom
Utter darkness
The creator's initial creation, while he was deep in abstraction, was the fivefold (immovable) world. This world lacked intellect or reflection. It was void of perception or sensation, incapable of feeling, and devoid of motion.
Since immovable things were created first, this is called the first creation. Brahma, realizing this creation was flawed, conceived another.
As Brahma meditated, the animal creation manifested. It was known as Tiryaksrotas due to their nutriment following a winding course. These creatures, called beasts, were characterized by the quality of darkness. They:
Lacked knowledge
Had uncontrolled behavior
Mistook error for wisdom
Were formed of egotism and self-esteem
Suffered from twenty-eight types of imperfections
Exhibited inward sensations
Associated with others of their kind
Seeing this creation was also imperfect, Brahma meditated again. A third creation appeared, abundant in the quality of goodness, called Urdhvasrotas. The beings in this creation were:
Endowed with pleasure and enjoyment
Unencumbered internally or externally
Luminous within and without
This creation of immortals was Brahma's third effort. Despite being pleased with it, he found it inadequate for his purpose.
Continuing his meditations, Brahma's infallible purpose led to the creation called Arvaksrotas, emerging from indiscrete nature. Its products, termed Arvaksrotasas, have a downward flow of nutrients. They possess the light of knowledge, but darkness and foulness predominate. Consequently:
They are afflicted by evil
They are driven to repeated action
They have both external and internal knowledge
They serve as instruments for accomplishing creation's goal: the liberation of the soul
These creatures were mankind.
I have now explained six creations to you, excellent Muni:
The creation of Mahat or Intellect (also called Brahma's creation)
The creation of rudimentary principles (Tanmātras), known as the elemental creation (Bhūta sarga)
The modified form of egotism, called the organic creation or creation of the senses (Aindriyaka)
The creation of inanimate bodies
The creation of animals (Tairyag yonya)
The creation of divinities (Urdhvasrotas)
The first three were Prakrta creations, developments of indiscrete nature, preceded by the indiscrete principle.
There are three more creations to consider:
The creation of humans (Arvaksrotas)
The Anugraha creation, possessing both qualities of goodness and darkness
The Kaumāra creation, which is both primary and secondary
Of these nine creations, five are secondary, and three are primary. These creations are the fundamental causes of the world, originating from the sovereign creator.
Created beings, although destroyed in their individual forms at the periods of dissolution, are never exempted from the consequences of their good or evil acts from former existences. When Brahma recreates the world, they become the offspring of his will.
Brahma, desiring to create four orders of beings (gods, humans, animals, and inanimate objects), collected his mind into itself. While focused, the quality of darkness pervaded his body. From this:
Demons (Asuras) were first born, emerging from his thigh
Brahma abandoned that form, which became night
Continuing to create but assuming a different shape, Brahma experienced pleasure. From this:
Gods emerged from his mouth, endowed with the quality of goodness
The abandoned form became day
Subsequently, Brahma adopted another persona where goodness prevailed. Thinking of himself as the world's father:
The progenitors (Pitrs) were born from his side
The abandoned body became evening twilight (Sandhya)
Finally, Brahma assumed a form pervaded by foulness:
Humans, dominated by passion, were produced
The quickly abandoned body became morning twilight (dawn)
Thus, Jyotsnā (dawn), Rātri (night), Ahar (day), and Sandhya (evening) are Brahma's four bodies, invested with the three Qualities.
From Brahma's form of foulness came hunger, from which anger was born. He then created beings in darkness, emaciated and hideous. These beings rushed towards Brahma:
Those who cried, "Oh preserve us!" became Rāksasas
Those who exclaimed, "Let us eat," became Yaksas
Seeing these revolting creatures, Brahma's hair fell out and became serpents, called Sarpa from their creeping, and Ahi because they had deserted the head. The creator, incensed, then created fierce beings: goblins, Bhūtas, malignant fiends, and flesh-eaters.
The Gandharvas were born next, imbibing melody and drinking from the goddess of speech, from which they received their name.
Brahma, influenced by material energies, created these beings and then made others of his own will. He created:
Birds from his vital vigor
Sheep from his breast
Goats from his mouth
Cattle from his belly and sides
Horses, elephants, Sarabhas, Gavayas, deer, camels, mules, antelopes, and other animals from his feet
Herbs, roots, and fruits from the hairs of his body
At the beginning of the Kalpa, Brahma created various plants and employed them in sacrifices at the start of the Treta age.
Brahma classified animals into two groups:
Domestic (village): cows, goats, pigs, sheep, horses, donkeys, and mules
Wild (forest): beasts of prey, many cloven-hoofed animals, elephants, and monkeys
He also created:
The fifth order: birds
The sixth order: aquatic animals
The seventh order: reptiles and insects
From his mouths, Brahma created various sacred texts and rites:
Eastern mouth: Gayatri metre, Rgveda, Trivrt hymn collection, Rathantara portion of the Samaveda, Agnistoma sacrifice
Southern mouth: Yajurveda, Tristubh metre, Panchadsa hymn collection, Brhat Sama, Uktha portion of the Sama-veda
Western mouth: Sama-veda, Jagati metre, Saptadasa hymn collection, Vairupa portion of the Sama-veda, Atiratra sacrifice
Northern mouth: Ekavimsa hymn collection, Atharva-veda, Aptoryama rite, Anustubh metre, Vairaja portion of the Sama-veda
Brahma also created:
Yaksas
Pisachas (goblins)
Gandharvas
Troops of Apsarasas (celestial nymphs)
Naras (centaurs, or beings with horse limbs and human bodies)
Kinnaras (beings with horse heads)
Raksasas
Birds, beasts, deer, serpents
Brahma determined, in the beginning, by the authority of the Vedas, the names, forms, and functions of all creatures and gods, as well as the names and appropriate offices of the Rsis.
Just as seasonal produce indicates the return of the same season, the same circumstances signal the recurrence of the same Yuga or age. At the start of each Kalpa, Brahma repeatedly creates the world. He possesses the power derived from the will to create and is assisted by the natural and essential faculties of the objects to be created.
Once created, all beings perform the same functions as in previous creations, whether malevolent or benign, gentle or cruel, good or evil, true or false. Their conduct is determined by these inherent tendencies.
Thus concludes the fifth chapter of the first part of the Vishnu Purana.