'Chaitanya'

    'Chaitanya', prana, life-force is the critical factor in creating life. This prana or life-force is coming from oxygen and hydrogen, but who puts it there is the question! Oreover, one seed only becomes a orchard, plantation, or forest. One person only becomes family, society, and nation. ‘Life’ is a word loosely applied to a collection of processes- DNA replication and transcription krebs cycle, lactic acid cycle. We are yet to decipher the true nature of the ‘life-force’ or ‘prana’ that is at the root of allliving beings, jiva (prani). Water and soil play a very important role in germination of the seed. The scientists are still busy in finding the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes are all now known but for the exact source of their energy component, may be traced to an extraneous source that can never be described! The following illustrations will give us some idea about these. 

  What creates and sustains the universe is the ‘Purusha’, the potential for creation, the inherent Energy in Matter. But nobody knows what is this ‘Energy”, its source, its true nature, and its dissemination. Nobody knows how much Energy is needed for different functions of all that is created, or for that matter, where this Energy lies and in what form, whether it is always dormant or active, always potential or kinetic- as an electron and a positron and a neutron! The result is what we see as a paraphernalia of a vibrant energy field. It is the vibration that is the universe and everything disappears the moment the waves subside! Science tries to discover this ‘God particle’ and Vedanta describes the potential and the kinetic aspects of this Energy in the various epics, such as the Vishnu purana, Shiva purana, Padmapurana, brahmanda purana, etc. What is the outcome of all these? 

   The entire Universe is nothing but the 'purusha'. The first manifest form of this purusha is ‘Energy’. It is the ‘mass of clouds of stellar dust’ that first appeared as a figure of a person (purusha) - with head, torso and limbs stretched! Later, it expands, spreads far and wide, takes the form of a vast and deep Space (sagara) in which exist all that we see and experience. The stellar materials take the form of dark energy, dark matter, gravitate and start emitting light and become galaxies and stars and develop their own systems of planets and satellites like our Solar System. These stars are of different dimensions and potentialities. But we do not know what sort of, and how much of, this energy is required to create the stars, galaxies or the visible universe? Where did it lie and how does this energy emerge or manifest and in what form? For all practical purposes, ‘Energy’ is derived from stars and the nearest to us is the sun, also known as Aditya and all living beings are sustained by it. The Sun is the chief source of energy for us. 

    As regards the actual process of creation or evolution of life forms, there are a number of sources and Vishnu purana and Devi Purana are the important ones. Some of these details are given later. However, in brief, it is stated that “Eighty-four thousand species are created by cosmic force Adi parashakti. Two opposite forces-equal and opposite are created as Satyarupa (Aditi) and Diti as consorts of Kashyapa, the self-effulgent, svayambhuva manu. From Aditi are created Sun, vayu, soma, Indra, agni, varuna, aryaman, pushan, ashvin, vasu- all considered the Vedic Devata. The human beings are created by svayambhu manu Kashyap and Aditi while all others including the demons are created by Diti. Brahma creates, Vishnu nurtures and Ishvara neutralizes the forces of fusion and fission. The energy component of the Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishvara will be reflected in the human beings as the ‘Atman’. 

     The Atman is chaitanya the chit-shakti of Lord Vishnu, with intellect (buddhi) and creativity or intelligence derived from Ishvara. The humans can cognize or realize the Atman and experience its true nature- sat chit and ananda, only through Conscious awareness of the Self. There are no other physical entities or parents and off-springs, as such, here. Body, mind, and intellect, as well as, the soul are spontaneously generated, and tuned to cosmic energy of the supreme spirit- soul, paramatman. The scientists are still busy in finding out the mystery involved in the creation of life. The molecular biologists have discovered the constituents of the structure and composition of the cell- the protein gel membrane that covers the cells, the genes and their inherent characteristics, the DNA and RNA chains, the amino acids, enzymes, the vitamins, hormones, and the chromosomes. We all now know everything except the exact source of their origin, their energy component, and think they are derived from an extraneous source that can never be detected!