Srimadbhagavatham-skandha3-chapters10and11

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Chapter 10- The process of creation

 

The lotus on which Brahma was seated was violently agitated by winds after he did thapas as ordained by the Lord, and Brahma with his power of penance drank the wind and the water. Then he found that the lotus expanded and enveloped the whole region and he realized that the whole creation could be effected from the lotus itself. Brahma divided the lotus into three sections where the jives transmigrate in order to experience the results of their actions , while the higher regions like sathyaloka is for the evolved souls which were created later.

 

Then Maitreya described to Vidhura that there are nine different forms of creation, visarga.

 

The first six are from prakrti, or primordial nature which consists of three gunas, and formed by the interaction of the three gunas. The prakrthi gave rise to mahath thathva, which is also known as buddhi from which came the ahankara, which is of three kinds according to the three gunas. From ahankara evolved the indriyas , thanmathras and mind. The sixth is the tamas or avidhya. All this are explained in detail later in the skandha in the episode of Kapilavathara, and mind.

 

The last three are called vaikrtha srshti, it consists of immovable entities, movable lower species and humans. The immovable entities are the plant life. They are predominantly of thamas and have no manifest feeling. The second category, namely birds and beasts are further divided into 28 species.. They have no wisdom and are ignorant They have knowledge through scent only.

 

The last type of creation is that of humans.. The creation of devas are both praakrtha and vaikrtha. The devas who are the forces behind the idhriyas are praakrtha and others are vaikrtha, which includes, sura. Asuram, pithrs, gandharvas etc.

 

Chapter11. The Time-Its dimensions and divisions

 

Time is the all powerful force of the Lord. It is unperceivable but becomes perceivable by its effects. The basic unit of time is called paramaaNu, The period it takes for the sun to pass one paramaNu is called a particle of time or paramaaNukala, while mahaakaala is the period of time required by the Sun to engulf the whole existence, the unit of which is a year, hundred years being the lifespan of man.

 

The cycle of chathuryugas lasts for 4380000 human years, or 12000 deva years, of which the krthayuga prevails for 4800 deva years, Threthaayuga for 3600,Dhvaapara 2600 and Kali for 1200 deva years and one deva year is equal to 365 human years.

 

One day of Brahma is 1000chathuryugas and his night lasts for another 1000 chathuryugas. The day of Brahma is the period of 14 Manus which means that each Manu has the life span of 71 and a half chathuryugas approximately.

 

During each manvanthara , Manu, their vamSa, rshis , devas. Indra , gandharvas etc are created newly.

 

 

In the beginning of the first half of the life of Brahma known as brahma kalpa,, that is, the first paraarDha, Brahma manifested and Vedas originated simultaneously. At the end of the first paraarDha , the padmakalpa,. the lotus appeared from the navel of the Lord from which the world originated , In the beginning of the second paraarDhaa was Varahakalpa in which Lord Hari took the form of the Boar, Varaha. These two paraarDhas of Brahma together is like one nimisha or blinking of the eye for the Lord Hari. However this is only figurative as the concept of time has no significance as far as the Lord is concerned.

 

The night of Brahma after 1000 chathuryugas is the pralaya when Brahma sleeps, while the cosmic night is when the Lord goes into yoganidra when all the universe including Brahma dissolves.