Thursday 30 June 2016

BRAHMANDA

   'Brahmanda' is the Vedic concept of cosmogony as compared to the physical universe that consists of stars and galaxies.The Sage Seers visualized the universe in their transcendental meditative state whereas the modern scientists, astronomers, peep through powerful telescopes like the Kec 1 Kec  2, and other electronic telescopes in the Observatories set up in Mt. Palomar and other places. What all they view is the images that are later simulated on the computers and put forth by artist impressions and images based on which theories and postulations, hypotheses, and approximations are presented. Nothing is certain and scientists ask us to wait and see! Even the massive data collected after the CERN experiment await detailed study and analysis. Nothing is certain as yet.What all is obtained in this costly experiment is an abstract version of the refracted light and colors that need a careful study and we do not know much about the different wavelengths and color band-widths as yet. There is lot more to discover in science as regards origin of stars, galaxies, planets and the life-forms, as also,  the future of mankind, or for that matter, our devi- devata, etc. In fact all these are what we hear from others or that which we get from the scriptures that may or may not be authentic! A layman is sure to get confused and, many do not bother about these things at all.  The distances mentioned in terms of billions of 'Light Years' makes no sense to him. Moreover, not all are capable of understanding science,particularly physics, quantum mechanics or subatomic particles. Even the scientists agree that the electrons move en masse at the speed of light and cannot be detected. The fermions and the bosons are such feeble subtle forces that nobody knows when mass s acquired by the bosons and when does the matter become energy again. Thus, it is almost looks like a gambling. But it is not so in the Agama shastras, the Veda and its subdivisions- Vedanga and Veda upangas. The Upanishads explain step by step how the universe is created and also speaks of the true nature of the jiva that revel in it due to its ignorance. There are the yantra mantra and tantra texts with us that are nothing but the mechanics, theories and formulae, and the technology aspects of pure science (shuddha vidya), respectively. These are supposed to be the revelations of great sages that are beyond question. Oce it is said- 'Evam Veda' it is final.
  The Tantra texts, rather, technologically speaking, in the modern scientific way, speak of 'srushti' (creation) in a clear way as follows (quoted from SKR- Tantra of Sri Chakra, pp 36-37):
   In the 'beginningless beginning', there was no law that binds creation and, as such, there was no theory, postulation, hypothesis of any kind to explain the  creation. There was "neither existence, nor non-existence" says the nasadiya sukta of Rk Veda. Second, all that existed was total silence, dark energy (darkness) and Light appeared later. There was nothing concrete and everything was amorphous, hazy, cloudy.  Today, scientists also say that clouds of gas existed before stars are born out of condensation of these mass of clouds of gas. The vedic statement- Om Ghruni surya Adityah | sums up  all these!
   Now, in order to understand the nature of the existence and the place of the jiva in this mysterious universe there should be an intelligent person jiva interested in knowing this universe. Rather, first there should be somebody to inquire in to the nature (of existence) as the subject and something (like the universe where we exist) as the object to inquire about. If there is 'no inquirer, there is nothing to inquire about' is the first principle. This brings about the dualism. Now there are two in the place of 'nothing' that became some thing form nowhere to now and here!
   This is enunciated as- 1. the principle of 'tat' (brahmn or Ishvar) and 2. the principle of 'idanta' or 'this'  jagat (objective phenomenal world); in between lies the person, jiva, who wants to know both 'this' (jagat) and 'that' (Ishvar). Thus, one became two and then three. These three come under the principle of  'triputi'  and the One brahmn or Ishvar only becomes the second, and the third principle! These are well described by Bhagavan Shree Krishna in the Gita as the Field (kshetra/jagat), 'knower of the field'- in the Kshetra-kshetrajnya yoga. Ultimately, the jnyata and jneya become only in unity consciousness.
   Hence, it is clear that there should be a person or subject with 'awareness' in the first place in order 'to know' and, this principle is the 'Ishvar'. It is called pure consciousness, shuddha vidya. Prajnyanam brahma | This consciousness brings the 'jagat' into awareness of the individual. Thus, the objective phenomena, jagat, is the creation of the chit, Consciousness (chid-rupa) This individual consciousness identifies this as 'this' and the identifier is the 'aham'. The subject 'ahamta' and the object 'idamta' thus come into existence due to 'chit-shakti',conscious awareness. However, this or 'idanta' is the condensed or individualized consciousness and this is the limitation! This limitation separates the jiva and jagat from Ishvara. Thus, a phenomenal objective world, an transitory world subject to time, space, and causality comes into existence in the individualized limited consciousness, ashuddha vidya. This is tainted by the gunas of the jiva and the out-going propensities of the senses. The inherent truth lies hidden under avidya here and the jiva goes into the visual world with awe and wonder and feels the illusory world as real and gets totally disillusioned at the end!
(to be contd.) 
 

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