Sri Rāma

1. O Bhagawan, knower of all dharmas, the knower of all Vedas, I am now established in the right state of mind listening to your great and genuine words of wisdom.

2. I am not contented with your noble, wise and charming expositions.

3. I would like to hear more about the birth of Brahma, the lotus-born, whose story you have narrated in connection with the birth of beings with ‘rajasic’ and satturic natures.

Sri Vasista

4. O Raghava, till now millions of Brahmas, hundreds of Sankaras and thousands of Narayanas have come and gone.

5. -6. In this universe and in many other varieties and multitudes of universes, thousands of kinds of gods and ‘asuras’ with different traditions and behavioral codes are moving about even now.  They are born again and again in many of the universe that exist now and that come into being in future.

7. The creation of these godly beings in the universes created by various Brahmas a will be of surprising variety.

8. Sometimes creation is by Brahma.  Sometimes it is by Siva.  Sometimes it is by Vishnu.  Sometimes it is by ‘munis’.

9. Sometimes Brahma is born of lotus, sometimes of water, sometimes from an egg and sometimes he materialized from the sky.

10. Some universes are looked after by sun.  Some are looked after by Vishnu.  Some are looked after by Maheswara.  Some are looked after by Indra.

11. -12. In some creation universe was filled initially with trees.  In some it was filled by humans and in some it was spread with mountains in the beginning. 

13. -14. Even in this universe, there are many kinds of worlds.  In some there is no light at all.  In some there is no light at all.  In this, over Brahmic – ether of ours, many universes rise and far like waves in a sea.

15. The glory and beauty of a universe abides in the Absolute like waves in a sea, like mirage in a desert, like flowers on a mango tree.

16. One can count the shining particles in a ray of sun.  But it is not possible to count the number of worlds in this Brahman-nature.

17. The birth and dissolution of these worlds is similar to the birth and death of mosquitoes in rainy season.

18. No one knows since when this chain of creations is happening.  This flows in continuous and eternal.

19. This infinite sequence (of creations) is sparkling and flashing like waves (in a sea).  There was a creation before this.  There must have been one prior to that.

20. These gods, titans and humans will keep coming up. They will keep getting dissolved.  All are like waves in a flowing river.

21. Many universes, innumerable to count, like the one of this Brahma, have come and gone like instants of time in an year.

22. The universes at the present time which are manifest in the body of present Brahma, are abiding in the vast state of Brahman.

23. These universes, created by Brahma, appear and disappear again and again, like sound.

24. Even the future creations (will appear and decline) and abide in Brahman like pot in mud and sprout in seed.

25. As long as the truth is not perceived, these creations and the three worlds will be seen with wide forms and distortions in the consciousness-ether (chidākasa).

26. This world, which emerges and immerses itself, is neither real nor unreal.  Starting as inconscient and extending far and wide, it is like a streak in the sky.

27. This world is like a wave in behavior.  It has a body which is destroyed by (mere) appropriate perception.  All these creations are full of strange shapes and actions.

28. These creations are full of variety and multitude of strange shapes and deformations.  From the point of creation there is nothing incoherent or inconsistent in these.

29. -30. However from the point of view of jnanis these are like water in rain.  They are like downpour of rain from water-bearing clouds.

31. O Rāghava, in this world all that is high and well-nourished and all that is lowly are parts of a garland of subtle elements and energies (tanmatras) emerging out of the great ether.

32. Occasionally the space/sky becomes established first.  Out of that Brahma is born.  And so he is called ‘the sky-born’ one.

33. -36. Sometimes air gets established first.  From that Brahma is born.  And so he is called ‘air-born’ one.  Sometimes Fire gets established first.   From that Brahma is born.  And so he is called ‘Fire-born’ one.  Sometimes water gets established first.  From that Brahma is born.  And so he is called ‘water-born’ one.  Sometimes earth gets established first.  From that Brahma is born.  And so he is called ‘earth-born’ one.

37. (Sometimes) four energies are pressed together and increased by the fifth element.  What emerges from that performs the creative action.

38. Sometimes air, water, fire together form a personality by accident (and he performs the creative action).

39. Then sound issues forth sometimes from his face, sometimes from the feet, sometimes from his bottom and sometimes from his eyes and hands.

40. Sometimes from the Purusha’s navel, a lotus emerges.  From that grows out Brahma.  He then is called lotus-born.

41. All this is ‘māya’ the energy of deceit.  It is a dream like illusion which is generating all these designs.  This is an empire of the mind charming like a vortex in water.

42. Tell me.  What is not possible under these conditions?  This falls into place only when it is like a child’s mental empire.

43. Sometimes a golden egg is formed by the power of mind.  From this womb Brahma emerges.

44. Sometimes a great Purusha deposits his semen in water.  From that either a vast universe or a large lotus is born.

45. From that is born a Brahma.  Sometimes he can be a sun.  Sometimes Varuna becomes Brahma.  Sometimes ‘Vayu’ becomes Brahma.

46. Thus O Rāma, these creations are surprising and strange.  They are not really not in Brahman.  They, these Brahmas are born in strange ways.

47. There is no particular method, rule or rhyme in their birth.  For instance, I shall elaborate on the birth of one of the Brahmas.

48. ‘This mutable world is a mere exuberance of mind’.  This is the accepted position.  To illustrate this I have told you about the process of creation.

49. To illustrate the point that all beings of ‘sātturiki’  type are more mental sports and dalliances, I have told you about the process of creation.

50. Once more creation;  once more dissolution’  once more joy and once more grief.  Once more knowledge, once more ignorance.  This is the cycle of bondage and liberation.

51. These worlds created by creators light up and subside like a lamp with and without oil.  This happens again and again.

52. There is no difference between the body of a lamp and Brahma in terms of birth and dissolution except in the length of time between the emergence and annihilation.

53. The four yargas – Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali – appear in a cycle repeatedly.  World moves in a cycle.

54. Manvantara, the ruling period of a Manu starts.  Then arise the sequence of ‘Kalpas’.  Then repeat the phases of work and time.

55. Time moves on.  Everything repeats in the fanciful cycle of time.

56. Just like sparks of fire embedded unmanifest in a heated metal piece, all ideations and thoughts abide in consciousness – ether as part of its nature.

57. Sometimes these are manifest.  Sometimes they remain unmanifest.  All exist in the Absolute like trees in a cycle of seasons.

58. All selves are the vibrations of consciousness.  All of them are similar in appearance.  If creations arise out of the Absolute, it is like seeing two moons due to defect in sight.

59. Everything proceeds out of consciousness.  From the point of view of creation all this is continuous flow.  All are in Brahman like moon-beams in moon.

60. O Rāma, under no circumstances, this mutable world is real or existent.  The all powerful (Absolute) manifests as the energy of the world.

61. O gentle Rāma, never this world is different from Brahman.  The all powerful Brahman alone manifests as the power of the mutable world.

62. This movement/existence of the world is between the ‘Mahakalpa’.  Beyond that (period) world does not exist.  This is the proper statement to make.

63. O great intellect, from the point of view of truth, ‘all here is Brahman.  There is no mutable world’.  This is the only justifiable statement.

64. From the point of view ignorance ‘this world is never disturbed.  It is continuous’ – such a deceiptful and false statement is justifiable.

65. ‘This world is no different from Brahman’ – This can be stressed again and again.  O Rāma, it will never be false or wasteful.

66. ‘The form of this world is constantly under strain.  It is transient.  And so this world is perishable’ – why can we not justify this statement?

67. Looking at the stable mountains and constantly and repeatedly moving moon and sun in cycles, one may propose that all this world is not perishable.

68. But nothing like that exists in that expansive and vast Self.  In Brahman all musings and ideations do not happen.

69. In this world everything repeatedly appears and disappears.  Again and again death and birth occur.  Happiness and grief occur again and again.

70. Quarters and sky, and seas arise and disappear again and again.

71. -79. Everything appear and disappear again and again – titans, gods, worlds, heavens, moons, suns.  Even Narayana, dānavas; Sumeru, Sahya and such mountains, the beautiful earth, forests, skies moon etc.  When one ‘Manvantara’ comes to an end, all celestial functionaries change and a new band of functionaries take position.  The milk-ocean on which Vishunu Bhagawan rests, is shattered by the winds at the end of ‘kalpa’.  Kaliynga enters and spoils the sacred atmosphere of the krita age.

80. -87. The aeon of time holds the pot of beings created by the potter of Time moves about in repeated cycles.  This world in a happy state ends repeatedly in a sapless, joyless state.  Habitual mental resolutions are like dry forests.  The fire in suns burns away millions of beings again and again.  With the skeletons of beings, this world appears like a burial ground.  This world is hurt again and again by fierce vortices called ‘Puskaravarta’ and Rudra burns the world down to ashes and the whole creation becomes an ocean.  This world becomes void again and again.  This world thus after years of life dissolves into its nature, the self.  Again the mind swells out into creations and worlds.  The cycle starts – creation, sustenance and dissolution.

88. -89. O Rāma, what, then, is there in this great exuberance to decide whether it is real, true or unreal and untrue.  All this is like the story of Dāsura.  Truly the whole thing is a myth.

90. This change is unending.  Though interesting and juicy it is all like seeing two moons.  This is designed and implemented by untruth.  Why did it arise in you the foolish feeling that this world exists?