brahma

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narasimman nagarajan - Sep 14, 2001 View | Edit | Delete | Viewers

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Brahma

A Selection from the Special Supplement to the Ancient Power of

Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony

 

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The creative principle of the universe is called Brahma in Sanskrit.

Brahma, who is depicted as emerging from the navel lotus of Narayana,

is a metaphor for all of creation: its laws, its inherent

intelligence, and its consciously manifested potencies which operate

as sages, saints, rishis, devas, celestials, and divine beings of all

kinds of nature, temperament and description. Narayana is the

Sanskrit name given in the Upanishads to that which is the sum and

substance of all the manifested and unmanifested realms. Narayana is

that which is neither created nor destroyed but transcends the

creation, life and destruction of the universe. Brahma creates,

operates in the form of this universe for trillions of years, then

dissolves back into Narayana. Narayana, however, is neither created

nor destroyed. Later, another Brahma appears to begin the process

again.

 

Since the term " Brahma " does not appear in the Vedas, its creation

stems from the Sanskrit work " Brih " which means " 'to grow " or " to

expand. " In this way, it became synonymous with Hiranyagharba: The

Golden Egg of Creation. Growing from the Navel Lotus of Narayana,

Brahma is the name for the principle which creates all of the

manifest realms. Since the Vedas proclaim in the Purusha Suktam

that " three quarters of this universe are in indestructible realms

above, " then clearly Brahma, with his finite duration, is connected

to the realms of the universe which we inhabit which are subject to

creation and dissolution.

 

Brahma was endowed with his " spouse " (Saraswati) and consciousness at

the time of creation. Brahma made certain " beings " solely by the

power of his mind and thought. These beings are called the mind-born

sons of Brahma. The state of their consciousness is summarized by the

title Brahma Rishi: Seer with the Understanding of Brahma. Brahma

Rishis, in turn, can confer this state of consciousness upon others

who prove themselves capable and worthy. For an example of the

conferring of the state of Brahma Rishi upon one being by another,

see the Story of Vishwamitra in the Chapter on the Gayatri Mantra.

 

To further understand the concept of Brahma and his relation to the

universe as we know it, it is helpful to view the cosmos through the

lens of the Vedic descriptions of the life of the universe as

interpreted in human years. Here are cycles of time as recorded in

the Vedas and Upanishads.

 

Small Yuga: 2,000 years. The axis of the earth spends 2,000 years in

an astrological sign and the moves on to the next sign, going

backwards through the signs of the zodiac. Since we are finishing the

Pisceaen cycle, we are ready to enter the Aquarian cycle for the next

2,000 years. We commonly refer to entering Aquarius as the " dawning

of the age of Aquarius. "

 

Complete Cycle of Small Yugas: 24,000 years. This is the amount of

time needed for the earth to spend 2,000 years in each sign of the

zodiac.

 

The Great Cycle

In addition to the earth's axis moving in an arc as it travels

through the signs of the zodiac, there is another cycle. This is a

cycle which involves the revolution of the entire solar system around

the Central Sun of the Galaxy. The orbit is elliptical rather than

circular. To make the elliptical movement of the solar system around

a great central point more understandable, the analogy of " seasons "

is used. This is a useful analogy because changes in overall states

of consciousness are represented as " seasons " through which the solar

system passes on its journey.

 

When consciousness is in a high state, it is summer. At this time,

90% of the inhabitants of the earth are enlightened. This is called

Satya Yuga, or the Age of Truth. When Fall or Spring are in full

swing, the numbers of enlightened beings drops to less than 10%. When

Winter comes, far less than 1% of the people on earth are

enlightened. However, there are trade offs.

 

First, it is easier to make progress in the " 'winter of

consciousness. " The analogy is often used that if one tries to row

one's boat in air, very little progress will be achieved. But when

the oars are placed in water, much more rapid progress can be made.

This is because compared to air, the resistance of water is much

higher enabling the work of the oars to bear fruit. It is the

resistance itself which provides a route to rapid progress.

Similarly, in spiritual winter our efforts to achieve spiritual

growth produce much faster results than they would in any other age

of consciousness because of the great general resistance to things

spiritual.

 

There is no disagreement among all the sages, pundits, gurus and

swamis that Kali Yuga, the present spiritual winter, affords an

opportunity for more rapid spiritual progress than any other age.

Further, the medium for rapid growth is almost universally prescribed

by these same classes of spiritual teachers as divine sound through

the medium of mantra. Here are the various seasons and ages of the

universe as measured in human years.

 

Winter (Kali Yuga):* 432,000 years

 

* The year 1998 is 5,090 years from the beginning of Kali Yuga of the

long cycle. For the short cycle, winter is ending with the entrance

of the planetary axis into Aquarius, which begins the season of

Spring for the shorter, 24,000 year cycle.

 

Spring: (Treta Yuga) 1,296,000 years

 

Summer (Satya or Krita Yuga) 1,728,000 years

 

Autumn (Dwapara Yuga) 864,000 years

 

Total Time for One Cycle or Manvantara: 4,320,000,000 years

 

This is called " A Day of Brahma " and is followed by a night of equal

length.

 

One complete day and night of Brahma: 8,640,000,000 years

 

360 of these days is called " One Year of Brahma " : 3,110,400,000,000

years

 

100 of these years constitute the life of Brahma called a Maha Kalpa:

311,040,000,000,000 years

 

At the end of a " Maha. Kalpa " or cycle of creation, Shiva manifests

his destructive influence and the universe is dissolved. [Actually

the entire universe becomes spiritualized, see the chapter on Shiva

for discussion of this point.] The ancient texts call this the cosmic

dissolution. All the levels of the manifest universe disappear. After

a great cosmic rest cycle, another creative cycle begins as a new

Brahma emerges out of the navel of Narayana and the universe is

created anew.

 

Another item of importance is that one who has achieved the highest

level of conscious realization is said to realize and become one with

Brahman. At this point, all individuality as we know it disappears.

The individual Jiva, Soul or Atman retums to its source from which it

will not return of its own volition. However, for reasons known only

to itself, certain souls may return for reasons understood only by

Narayana.

 

Story About Brahma and Ego

There is a story in which Brahma and Vishnu were touring the Universe

one day and found a pillar of light which extended farther than they

could perceive in two directions. They were curious and decided to

split up to see if one of them could find an end. Vishnu went in one

direction and Brahma the other, After some time, they returned to

their staring place. Vishnu said that he was unable to find the

beginning, no matter how far he traveled. Brahma said that he found a

beginning. He lied. Thereupon, the Pillar of light immediately

changed into a form of Shiva who called Brahma a liar and sentenced

him to be little observed in the divine ceremonies. This is why you

will not find many pujas to him.

 

The lesson of the story is that the ego always wishes to perpetuate

itself. And the act of creation (Brahma is the Great Creator) takes

ego... even divine ego... to accomplish things. There is a mantra to

achieve understanding of the mysteries of the form of this creation.

The secrets of the universe become unraveled. Many traditional gurus

give this mantra to their advanced students.

 

Brahma Mantra

Sat Chid Ekam Brahma

 

Surface Meaning

Sat = Truth

Chid = Spiritual mind stuff

Ekam = one, without a second

Brahma = This entire cosmos, with all of its contents

 

Brahma Mantra with Bijas

Here is a longer version of the " Sat Chid Ekam Brahma " mantra.

 

Om Eim Hrim Shrim Klim Sauh Sat Chid Ekam Brahma

 

Om is a prefix to many mantras. It represents the energy at the Ajna

chakra at the brow center, where the feminine and masculine currents

become joined and consciousness becomes unitary and wholistic.

 

Eim (aim) is a seed sound for the feminine principle known as

Saraswati. This principle governs spiritual knowledge as well as the

material pursuits of education, science, art, music, and spiritual

discipline.

 

Hrim is a seed sound for " mahamaya " or the veil of creation. It is

said that meditation on this seed sound will result in the meditator

ultimately being shown the universe " as it is " and not as we see it

currently. That is because reality as we see it is really

an " agreement " among all of us which is passed on from generation to

generation. Babies, if they could talk, would speak of the universe

in quite a different way. They ultimately learn what

humanity's " agreement " is and start to function in the world. For

more about the Hrim bija, see the chapter on Narayana.

 

Shrim is the seed sound for the principle of abundance. This covers

the abundance of food, friends, family, health and a myriad other

things. Prosperity is, of course, included.

 

Klim is a seed with several meanings. In the present context, it is

the principle of attraction. In this mantra, it is attracting the

fruit of the other principles to speed the process of mantra

meditation.

 

Sauh is a couple of things. It is a spiritual principle which

operates through one of the petals in the Ajna chakra. It is also a

shakti activating sound.

 

Sat: Truth

 

Chid: Spiritual mind stuff

 

Ekam: One, without a second

 

Brahma: This entire cosmos, with all of its contents, sometimes also

called Brahman, the state of conscious existence which is one with

everything.

 

Longer Brahma Mantra

Om Namo Rajo Jushei Sristau

Sthithou Sattwa Mayayacha

Tamo Mayaya Sam-harinei

VishwaRupayaVedhasei

Om Brahmanyei Namaha

 

" Om is the name of He who created this cosmos with its three gunas

(qualities of nature: positive, negative and quiescent) who brought

all things to form and who is universal. He is Brahma whom I

salute. "