Creation of the Universe - Part 14

We learnt about Purusha and Prakriti in the earlier post in the context of Sankhya yoga.

We will mention some thing about these two aspects in the context of Vedanta and as described in Bhagwan Gita here and then proceed to understand the 24 elements as per the above chart.

Sankhya says that Purusha and Prakriti are self created and eternal entities and there is nothing beyond these two. 

Later, in Vedanta and in Gita, the above view was modified by declaring that there is a third principle, eternal and beyond these two. In this enhanced view, Purusha and Prakriti are no longer self-created entities but the two aspects of the Supreme One.

Krishna Says "Both Purusha and Prakriti are MY nature. The Parameswara who causes Creation, Preservation and Dissolution through these 2 agencies is I MYSELF. These is no substance other than me. I am the primal cause, Primal substance."

(Source-Message of Lord , page 405)

We will deal with the above in later posts, Swami willing.

Now, we will proceed to understand the 24 Tatwa as per the above flow diagram.

The Twenty-Four Principles of Samkhya

Originally the three gunas were in complete balance. Prakriti was undisturbed.  Only when there was disturbance in the balance of 3 gunas, prakriti went on to create the creation through mahat.

We can understand this in our own life in a easy manner. Till the time one is in the depth of meditation or say, when one is in Swami's presence, our Satva, Rajas and Tamas gunas are perfectly balanced. What do we mean by this perfectly balanced?

It means that none of the 3 Gunas are on the rise and we are in a state of perfect equanimity.

Till the time we are in that state of equanimity, we cannot take up any action. Once we come out of meditation or once we come out of Prashanti Nilayam, one of the 3 gunas start to rise and the balance is disturbed. 

As soon as the balance is disturbed, we start using our mind and depending upon which Guna is on rise, we take up action accordingly.

Similarly, Prakriti activates mahat as soon as there is disturbance in the 3 Gunas at macro level.

MAHAT

Once purusha activates prakriti, the first evolute arises; the first thing to appear out of the natural foundation of prakriti-pradhana is mahat, the great principle.

This is also known as buddhi or the awakened intelligence. Mahat is intuition, or cognition, but it is not consciousness. Only purusha is conscious.

But, because of mahat's great intelligence and luminosity, it is often mistaken for consciousness. Just as our car can sometimes seem to have a mind of its own, buddhi can seem to be conscious - it is an illusion.

AHAMKARA

From buddhi evolves ahamkara; the "I-maker." Ahamkara creates the sense of self (with a small "s"), also known as ego. In this respect, ahamkara pretends to be purusha (which is Self with a big "S"). 

It is at the level of ahamkara that subjects and objects arise. "I" becomes the subject, and the rest of the world provides its objects. 

At this level individualism arises because inherent in the subject/object duality there is separation.

MIND & TEN SENSES

From ahamkara evolves manas, the mind, and the ten senses (the indriyas). 

SUBTLE AND GROSS ELEMENTS

Also out of ahamkara arise the five elements (bhuta) and the five energy potentials (tanmatra).

The elements we have seen before: space, air, fire, water, and earth. 

The five energy potentials are new to us. These are the tanmatras, the substances upon which the senses function. They are what is touched, what is tasted, what is smelled, what is heard, and what is seen.

What has not been explained yet are the other senses. Samkhya lists ten. 

Five we are very familiar with: these are called the "cognitive senses" - listening, feeling, seeing, tasting, and smelling. The remaining five are the cognitive senses: speaking, grasping, moving, excreting, and reproducing.

More on the subject in the next post!

Love.