LalithA SahasranAma [397] mUlaprakrtih [part 1]

[Guest guest]

mUlaprakrtih : Primary cause

 

mUla, root, ie the SrividyA-mantra, prakrti, origin.

 

She is in the form of two letters prakAsa [a], which is the origin

[of all other letters] anad vimarsa [ha, the last letter]-

 

Or mUlaprakrti is the matter of the Samkhya School; for they say

[sam. KA., 3] :"Mulaprakrti is no production. The seven, mahat, etc

are productions and productive. The sixteen are the modifications.

The Purusa is neither prakrti nor [its] modifications."

 

According to the Mrgendra Sam., the Kundalini is called mUlaprakrti

with its seven productions [mahat, etc]; as it [the Kundalini] is

surrounded by SusumnA which is in the form of seven [productions],

namely mahat etc.

 

Or of the five elements from ether to earth, each is the prakrti

[origin] of the succeeding one; of ether Brahman is the prakrti; for

the Sruti [Tai. Up., II. 1] says, "From the Self arose ether." That

Brahman has no prakrti. So he is the root [mUla], the first cause.

In the PANcarAtra Ag. Siva says, "There is one mother of the

universe, the mother of the scriptures, Sarasvati, who has no

origin; hence she is called Mulaprakrti. In her, I took birth with

the categories, namely mahat. Etc"

 

This is to be understood here : Amongst the actions [Karma] which

are to become ripe in a certain time, those that ripen are exhausted

by fruition, the others which are not ripe and have not come

[consequently] to fruition, a new creation for their sake being

useless, a prAktrta [temporary] pralaya [dissolution] takes place.

Then mAyA, consuming all the world, is absorbed into the independent

Paramasiva, who is without attributes : it [Maya] abides thus, till

the ripening of the remaining actions. It is said, "In the

dissolution, this animate and inanimate universe is merged in that

[maya]." The Visnu Pr also says, "The earth, the basis of all. O

divine rsi, becomes dissolved into water, water is absorbed into

fire, fire is absorbed into air, air into ether, this into the

unmanifested [avyakta], this O. brAhmana, is entirely absorbed in

the unconditioned Purusa." The auyakta is mAya. The dissolution of

it [maya] is not absolute annihilation as in the salvation

[nirvAna]: but like the mental modifications in the state of sleep,

as there is no apprearance of the modifications of maya [during

pralaya]. Though [ at that time] by the power of the illumination of

the unconditioned supreme Self, it [maya] received light, yet it

remains as if it has no light. If there is no light at all[ to the

maya] then there is no existence of it. If you accept this theory,

there will be no succeeing creation.

 

The Modification of maya in the form of desire for creation arises

in Paramasiva for the sake of bestowing the fruit on those whose

unriped actions are absorbed in maya; when their actions become ripe

in course of time, that state of maya is variously named by the

words `sight', `desire', `thought' ,`desire of action,' etc. The

aitareya Up. [i.1] says, "he thought, let me create the worlds" The

ChA. Up., [VI.2.3] : "It thought, let me become many." The Mun. Up

[i.1.8] : " By penance Brahman is increased" This manifestation of

maya, characterised by objective distinctions, is the first

creation, the creation of darkness [tAmasa-sarga], void of

consciousness. The Sruti [Rgveda, X. 129] beginning with "there was

no being, in that time, nor, was no being…. In the beginning

darkness was hidden by intelligence, "also confirms the above. "From

that, the auyukta arose, etc."

>From this [creration] called tAmasa, in which the three qualities

[gunas] were differentiated, arose the creation of partially

manifested, mahat. This is the second creation. It is said, "from

ayakta comes the category of mahat in which are distinctly

manifested the three gunas; so also from mahat ahamkAra" From that

[creation of mahat] arises the third, the creation of ahamkAra in

which the three gunas are manifested objectively. It is said, "From

mahat arose the threefoldegoism, namely vaikArika [pure], taijasa

[passionate] and tAmasa [dark], which last is the origin of the

elements." Here, as "tAmasa is the origin of the elements," it

follows that the rest of the creation belong to sattva and rajas.

>From that tAmasa egoism which is called the origin of the elements,

arose, with the aid of the rajas, creation of the five subtle

elements [yanmAtras]. This is the fourth creation.

>From the pure egoism called vaikArika, with the aid of rajas, arose

the creation of the aggregate of eleven senses. This is the fifth

creation.

>From the rajas egoism, the deities, Dik, Vata, Arka, pracetas,

Asvins etc who are the deities of the above two [fourth and fifth

creations]. This is the sixth creation.

 

For the Samkhyas say [sam. KA., 25] :"From the pure egoism arose the

eleven sAttvika creation [senses]; from the bHutAdi [tAmasa egoism]

the subtle elements, and from rajas egoism [the deities presiding

over both].

 

But in the Saiva school it is said, from pure egoism comes mind,

from passionate egoism, the ten senses; thus there is a difference.

For the Saivas say, "it [mahat] becomes threefold by differentiation

of sattva, rajas and tamas; that is called by names vaikArika,

taijasa and bhUtadi; from taijasa mind comes, from vaikArika senses,

from bhUtadi the subtle elements. Thus are the creations from that

[mahat]".

 

 

to be continued ............

 

 

BhAskararAya's Commentary

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry

[Guest guest]

"MUlaprakritIH [means] 'the original nature,' i.e. Sakti, who is the

Creatrix of all, who has not created Herself, but is coeval with

Siva. She is variously known as MahA-MAyA, mAyA-saktiH, or Iksiti."

 

- Dr. C. Suryanarayana Murthy, Commentary, 1962

 

 

, "NMadasamy" <nmadasamy@s...>

wrote:

>

> mUlaprakrtih : Primary cause

>

> mUla, root, ie the SrividyA-mantra, prakrti, origin.

>

> She is in the form of two letters prakAsa [a], which is the origin

> [of all other letters] anad vimarsa [ha, the last letter]-

>

> Or mUlaprakrti is the matter of the Samkhya School; for they say

> [sam. KA., 3] :"Mulaprakrti is no production. The seven, mahat,

etc

> are productions and productive. The sixteen are the modifications.

> The Purusa is neither prakrti nor [its] modifications."

>

> According to the Mrgendra Sam., the Kundalini is called

mUlaprakrti

> with its seven productions [mahat, etc]; as it [the Kundalini] is

> surrounded by SusumnA which is in the form of seven [productions],

> namely mahat etc.

>

> Or of the five elements from ether to earth, each is the prakrti

> [origin] of the succeeding one; of ether Brahman is the prakrti;

for

> the Sruti [Tai. Up., II. 1] says, "From the Self arose ether."

That

> Brahman has no prakrti. So he is the root [mUla], the first cause.

> In the PANcarAtra Ag. Siva says, "There is one mother of the

> universe, the mother of the scriptures, Sarasvati, who has no

> origin; hence she is called Mulaprakrti. In her, I took birth with

> the categories, namely mahat. Etc"

>

> This is to be understood here : Amongst the actions [Karma] which

> are to become ripe in a certain time, those that ripen are

exhausted

> by fruition, the others which are not ripe and have not come

> [consequently] to fruition, a new creation for their sake being

> useless, a prAktrta [temporary] pralaya [dissolution] takes place.

> Then mAyA, consuming all the world, is absorbed into the

independent

> Paramasiva, who is without attributes : it [Maya] abides thus,

till

> the ripening of the remaining actions. It is said, "In the

> dissolution, this animate and inanimate universe is merged in that

> [maya]." The Visnu Pr also says, "The earth, the basis of all. O

> divine rsi, becomes dissolved into water, water is absorbed into

> fire, fire is absorbed into air, air into ether, this into the

> unmanifested [avyakta], this O. brAhmana, is entirely absorbed in

> the unconditioned Purusa." The auyakta is mAya. The dissolution of

> it [maya] is not absolute annihilation as in the salvation

> [nirvAna]: but like the mental modifications in the state of

sleep,

> as there is no apprearance of the modifications of maya [during

> pralaya]. Though [ at that time] by the power of the illumination

of

> the unconditioned supreme Self, it [maya] received light, yet it

> remains as if it has no light. If there is no light at all[ to the

> maya] then there is no existence of it. If you accept this

theory,

> there will be no succeeing creation.

>

> The Modification of maya in the form of desire for creation arises

> in Paramasiva for the sake of bestowing the fruit on those whose

> unriped actions are absorbed in maya; when their actions become

ripe

> in course of time, that state of maya is variously named by the

> words `sight', `desire', `thought' ,`desire of action,' etc. The

> aitareya Up. [i.1] says, "he thought, let me create the worlds"

The

> ChA. Up., [VI.2.3] : "It thought, let me become many." The Mun. Up

> [i.1.8] : " By penance Brahman is increased" This manifestation of

> maya, characterised by objective distinctions, is the first

> creation, the creation of darkness [tAmasa-sarga], void of

> consciousness. The Sruti [Rgveda, X. 129] beginning with "there

was

> no being, in that time, nor, was no being…. In the beginning

> darkness was hidden by intelligence, "also confirms the

above. "From

> that, the auyukta arose, etc."

>

> From this [creration] called tAmasa, in which the three qualities

> [gunas] were differentiated, arose the creation of partially

> manifested, mahat. This is the second creation. It is said, "from

> ayakta comes the category of mahat in which are distinctly

> manifested the three gunas; so also from mahat ahamkAra" From that

> [creation of mahat] arises the third, the creation of ahamkAra in

> which the three gunas are manifested objectively. It is

said, "From

> mahat arose the threefoldegoism, namely vaikArika [pure], taijasa

> [passionate] and tAmasa [dark], which last is the origin of the

> elements." Here, as "tAmasa is the origin of the elements," it

> follows that the rest of the creation belong to sattva and rajas.

>

> From that tAmasa egoism which is called the origin of the

elements,

> arose, with the aid of the rajas, creation of the five subtle

> elements [yanmAtras]. This is the fourth creation.

>

> From the pure egoism called vaikArika, with the aid of rajas,

arose

> the creation of the aggregate of eleven senses. This is the fifth

> creation.

>

> From the rajas egoism, the deities, Dik, Vata, Arka, pracetas,

> Asvins etc who are the deities of the above two [fourth and fifth

> creations]. This is the sixth creation.

>

> For the Samkhyas say [sam. KA., 25] :"From the pure egoism arose

the

> eleven sAttvika creation [senses]; from the bHutAdi [tAmasa

egoism]

> the subtle elements, and from rajas egoism [the deities presiding

> over both].

>

> But in the Saiva school it is said, from pure egoism comes mind,

> from passionate egoism, the ten senses; thus there is a

difference.

> For the Saivas say, "it [mahat] becomes threefold by

differentiation

> of sattva, rajas and tamas; that is called by names vaikArika,

> taijasa and bhUtadi; from taijasa mind comes, from vaikArika

senses,

> from bhUtadi the subtle elements. Thus are the creations from that

> [mahat]".

>

>

> to be continued ............

>

>

> BhAskararAya's Commentary

> Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry