A mistake or confusion?

[Mothman]

Hi All,

I'm not sure this is the right place to post queries on Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. Since it's Hare Krsna forum, I'm taking the liberty to post my query here.

I was reading 9th Chapter from Bhagavad-Gita As It Is and found the meaning of verse 7 very misleading.

 

 

 

sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya

prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām

kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni

kalpādau visṛjāmy aham

 

 

 

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami says - The creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material cosmic manifestation is completely dependant on the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead. "At the end of the millennium" means at the death of Brahmā. Brahmā lives for one hundred years, and his one day is calculated at 4,300,000,000 of our earthly years. His night is of the same duration. His month consists of thirty such days and nights, and his year of twelve months. After one hundred such years, when Brahmā dies, the devastation or annihilation takes place; this means that the energy manifested by the Supreme Lord is again wound up in Himself. Then again, when there is need to manifest the cosmic world, it is done by His will: "Although I am one, I shall become many." This is the Vedic aphorism. He expands Himself in this material energy, and the whole cosmic manifestation again takes place" - Courtesy: Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition - prabhupadabooks.com

 

Now my query is if you refer to Padma Purana - Shristhi-Khand: A kalpa is Brahma's one day - 1000 cycles of 'Chaturyugas' which is equivalent to 4.3 billion solar years. In the daytime he commences his creation and by night everything gets annihilated and the whole universe is devoid of life during his night time which is again 4.3 billion solar years. Again he commences creation in day time and this continues for all his life. But Prabhupada says universe gets annihilated only after Brahma dies completing his 100 years which is not coherent with other Puranas.

 

Also if you take the literal meaning of kalpa-kṣaye - it's only after the end of one kalpa or one millennium of 'Chaturyugas' which is again one day of Brahma.

 

Also I read in some verses from earlier chapters in Bhagavad-Gita As It Is where Prabhupada says Lord Krsna descends on earth once in every day of Brahma to restore the dharma and it's logical and coherent only if the whole universe gets created in a single day of Brahma and gets destroyed by night.

 

Please help me in understanding the correct chronology of the cycles and also the rationale behind Prabhupada's translation of verse 9.7 . I would really request users here not to be biased or offended but think rationally in answering my query.

[bhaktajan]

 

After one hundred such years, when Brahmā dies, the devastation or annihilation takes place

 

 

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/453016-material-universe-creation-poster.html#post1139038

 

Brahma lives for 311 trillion years [solar years as per the Planetary orbits among the higher planetary systems].

 

4,320,000 earth years = one "Catur-yuga"

 

"Catur-yuga" x 1,000 = one day of Brahma [aka, Kalpa aka, 12,000 years of the Devas]

 

One day-Time Kalpa of Brahma = 4,320,000,000 earth years +

One Night-Time Kalpa of Brahma = 4,320,000,000 earth years =

24 Hours of Brahma [aka, One Day and One Night of Brahma].

 

One Day and One Night of Brahma x 30 = One Month of Brahma.

One Month of Brahma x 12 Months x 100 Years = Brahma's Life-span.

 

Brahma's lives 100 years of the Devas = 311 Trillion solar earth-years.

 

At the end of each Day of Brahma [30 per Month, 60 per year, 6,000 per life time] there is a "Partial-annihilation" of the planetary systems up to and including all below Janah-Loka.

[Mothman]

 

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/453016-material-universe-creation-poster.html#post1139038

 

At the end of each Day of Brahma [30 per Month, 60 per year, 6,000 per life time] there is a "Partial-annihilation" of the planetary systems up to and including all below Janah-Loka.

 

bhaktajan - Thank you for your reply. In your post shouldn't it be 360 per year and 360*100 per Brahma's life time or am I missing anything?

 

But I'm still not convinced as - In Padma Purana sage Pulastya as asked by Brahma goes and tells Bhishma that Brahma is happy with the penance Bhishma was carrying and asks him for any boon. When Bhishma says that he wants to know how Brahma created the universe, sage Pulastya tells him about the creation of universe. (Pls find the excerpt from Padma Purana below)

 

"Pulastya replied--- During the initial phase of his creation, Lord Brahma created the Mahattatva first of all. After that he created the three types of Ego from the Mahattatva---Satva, Rajas and Tamas. These three types of Ego are the origins of all the five sense-organs, organs of action and all the five basic elements--space, water, fire, air & earth.

 

An enormous egg came into existence with the permutation and combination of these five basic elements. Within this egg exists the whole universe including the mountains, islands, oceans, planets, deities, demons and the human beings. The layers of water, fire, air, space and darkness envelop this enormous egg. These elements are once again covered by the 'Mahattatva', which in turn is enveloped by the 'Prakriti' (nature). Lord Vishnu himself does creation in the form of Lord Brahma and also takes various incarnations to protect the mankind. At the end of the Kalpa, it is only He, who annihilates in the form of Rudra. After the end of Kalpa, he takes rest on the back of Sheshnag for the full period of deluge

 

(I have skipped out the chronology as I mentioned a little in my first post)

 

After the night is over, Lord Brahma again commences his creation. So, this process continues for the whole period of Brahma's life span, i.e. 100 yrs. Bheeshma requested Sage Pulastya to describe how Lord Brahma created life in the beginning of the present Kalpa.

 

Pulastya replied--- At the end of the previous kalpa when Lord Brahma awakened from his sleep, he found the whole earth submerged in water. He meditated on Lord Vishnu, who took the incarnation of 'Varah' and retrieved the earth and established it in its original position. Lord Brahma then created all the four worlds--Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka, Swargloka and Maharloka and divided the earth into seven islands"

 

So I'm still confused as it clearly states that Bhishma asked sage Pulastya to tell him how Brahma created the universe in this present kalpa - if there is partial annihilation why does Brahma have to commence creation again the next day?

 

I would request users to pour in their wisdom as I'm really trying to know the truth.

[bhaktajan]

Yes, Corrected:

30 per Month, 360 per year, 36,000 per life time.

 

Each time there is an inundation.

 

The interesting question is that there are minor inundations at the end of each individual Yuga. Thus there would have been an inundation approx 3,000 BC.

[bhaktajan]

 

why does Brahma have to commence creation again the next day?

 

There is a "Partial-annihilation" of the planetary systems up to and including all below Janah-Loka.

 

WHY? ---I will have to keep in mind this question when I eventually come upon this issue in my future readings, Thank you.

 

It may be related to the "Three Planetary systems" being realms where one of the Three-Modes [sattva/Rajas/Tamas gunas] predominates. Of course, Brahma-loka et al stay around while the lower areas are inundated ---That would include the SUN Planet too at least up to the top of Aloka-loka Mountain Ranges at the perimeter of Bhu-mandala over the top of Mt Meru; just below Dhruva-Loka's North Star Planet.

 

To see a graphix that I drew from the data in The Bhagavatam click this link:

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/453016-material-universe-creation-poster.html#post1139038

[Mothman]

 

There is a "Partial-annihilation" of the planetary systems up to and including all below Janah-Loka.

 

WHY? ---I will have to keep in mind this question when I eventually come upon this issue in my future readings, Thank you.

 

It may be related to the "Three Planetary systems" being realms where one of the Three-Modes [sattva/Rajas/Tamas gunas] predominates. Of course, Brahma-loka et al stay around while the lower areas are inundated ---That would include the SUN Planet too at least up to the top of Aloka-loka Mountain Ranges at the perimeter of Bhu-mandala over the top of Mt Meru; just below Dhruva-Loka's North Star Planet.

 

To see a graphix that I drew from the data in The Bhagavatam click this link:

http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/453016-material-universe-creation-poster.html#post1139038

 

Thank you bhaktajan. Though I'm not fully convinced with the idea of inundation, I really appreciate your efforts and the direction you showed. I will also keep looking for answers.

 

Thanks for the poster.