Process of Creation in DASA SAHITYA PDF

THE PROCESS OF CREATION
IN DASA SAHITYA
PubUshed by
TIRUMALA TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAMS, TIRUPATI
1999
PROCESS OF CREATION
DASA SAHITYA
V. BADARAYANA MURTHY
Published by
TIRUMALA TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAMS, TIRUPATI

The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
(Philosophy)
By : V. Badarayana Murthy
T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No.; 571
First Edition : 1999
All rights reserved
Copies : 5000
Published by
DrÎ.V. SubbaRao, L
Executive Officer
T.T. Devasthanams
Tirupati
Printed at
T.T. Devasthanams Press

Tirupati
FOREWORD
The composers of Karnataka, popularly known
saint
as Karnataka Haridasas, - have composed thousands
of lyrics praising the glory of Lord Sri Venkateswara,
thus furthering the Bhakti movement.
Through their lyrics in simple Kannada, the

Haridasas have succeeded in bringing within the reach
of the common man, the great secrets of Vedas and
Puranas.
The mystery of creation as revealed in the

scriptures, found its place in the
compositions of
Karnataka Haridasas. Basing on these Haridasa Krtis,
which are regarded as lyrical commentaries on the
scriptures, the author, V. Badarayana Murthy
Sri
has done an excellent work of producing in prose the
present "Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya."
We believe that the reader will be benefited by

this valuable work, which throws light on the puranic
concept of creation.
Executive Officer,
T.T.Devasthanams, Tirupati.
THE PROCESS OF CJREATION
IN DAS A SAHITHYA
(Devotional literature of Karnataka)
- I
Chapter
INTRODUCTORY
I. The Need for Rl%ht Understanding:
The aim of every one is to secure happiness. But

we cannot bag all the happiness that we aspire for.
When we are making efforts to win or when we are in
the act of enjoying happiness, we find a net-work of
affliction all around us If one asks why it id so, we get
.
differentanswers from different persons. Among them,

the more intelligent ones have attempted to proclaim to
the world their verdicts. Some believe in the existence
of God; yet they attach more importance to the will of
man. "Where there is a will, there is a way." "Man
isthe architect of his own fortune." "God helps those
who help themselves." These are some of the well-
known adages. Some others say that man's will is all
in all-they are atheists. Hanging on to the Darwinian
theory of evolution, they ridicple the idea of separate
soul or God and tell us that all that we see in this world
is only an effect of material reactions. For them the
aim of life is indefinite. Their only object is to know
more and more about the world and to secure more
and more happiness. They say that man has somehow
come to live in the midst of natural surroundings; and
that, by bringing nature under control, it is possible
to make life happier. This is their religion. Since such
ideas of the western civilization have invaded all parts
of the world, people are chewing the same end and are
groping in the dark.
2 The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
There are also those who shape their views ac-

cording to the preachings of religious teachers-they are
theists. They believe in the existence of God who has
created this world and is ordaining its activities. Their
belief is, "God is the protector. Sins land us in sorrow.
Good deeds bring us happiness and joy. If we surren-
der ourselves to the mercy of the creator and pray to
Him, He pardons our sins and saves us. Ultimately He
takes us into His Eternal Abode and favours us with
perpetual happiness.
The and atheist ways run in opposite direc-
theist
tions. not right to decide hastily which is right
It is
and which is wrong.
Every human being has the right to investigate
thoroughly the modes followed by religious or other
thinkers and to form one's own judgement. It is not
conducive to bow down like sheep and accept every
word of the spiritual master as authoritative. Of
course, there may be certain exceptional cases when
such acceptance will be found necessary. Teachers and
elders who really wish to guide and do good give scope
for independent judgement. Even after imparting such
valuable knowledge as found in the Bhagavad Gita, the
ideal teacher Sri Krsna said to Arjuna, "Yathecchasi
tat ha kuru" (You have the right to choose before you
act.) Other teachers will do well to emulate this teacher
of teachers.
II. Ways of Gaining Knowledge:

Not accepting that knowledge can be gained in
it is not right that the modern-minded
different ways,
people should consider as true only what they see or
what they find by their experimental methods. It is
too much to think that everything can be understood
by the ability of human intellect itself.
- 1 3
Chapter
If reality as it is, we can see that

we can appreciate
Knowledge conies to us in different ways. The ancient
rsis (Sages of high order) were great souls who visu-
alised the Vedas; they are called 'Seers' of inTRUTH
the form of 'mantras'. Great sages like Valmiki were
those who were blessed with divine vision and wrote
what they visualised on their mental screens, in the
form of epics from the earliest times. Sitting at the lo-
tus feet of a spiritual master reverentially and receiving
instruction and following the same has been the best
way of gaining correct Knowledge. To some, Knowl-
edge flashes all of a sudden although they may fail to
get at it by ahy amount of effort. We
have heard of
many such instances. Ramanujam, the mathematical
prodigy, belongs to this group of knowers. Also, he has
said that the deity 'Namagiriyamma* used to provide
him with solutions to the most difficult mathematical
problems during his dreams. All are aware of another
common wayv of \JgainingO knowledge-it is by hard study
*.S f *>
of books. But the modernists' stand is to brush aside

all other methods and to make efforts to know every-
thing only by the experimental method.

These people who are aware of the loopholes in
Darwin -s Theory of Evolution still want to think that
human Knowledge is growing also with civilization.
This is only self-deception.
the followers of theism are prone to become a
If
prey to blind faith, we will be constrained to say that
the followers of atheism are those who go in quest of
knowledge like the lame or the blind. Even when one
can clearly see the orderliness and organised beauty
in the materials and activities of the universe, is it not
sheer blindness to say that all this is the effect of insen-
tient matter working within itself somehow? (Big bang
theory!). Striding with faulty steps and condemning as
falsetomorrow what is held as true today-crawling thus
in the path of Knowledge, is it not lameness?
4 Tie Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
Not being properly acquainted with Knowledge

wisdom to seek Knowl-
stored In religious texts, it is not
edge only in the new way.
There is a proverb in Sanskrit which reads thus-
Siddhamannam parityajya bhiksam atati cfurmatii. It
means, the fool kicks the dish served with delicious food
accompanied by words of welcome and goes to beg for
food. Another proverb in Kannada, almost equivalent
to it, is, "Like selling away the tame milching cow and
buying another that kicks." When religious texts are
treasures of truly scientific Knowledge it is not wis-
dom to give them up and try to build the structure. of
Knowledge afresh.
The wise ones should reasonably understand all

that the modern scientists have discovered and are go-
ing to discover and compare them with the truths pro-
pounded in ancient texts; and thus they should add
to their Knowledge gainfully. Supporting this view,
Swami Chidbhavananda has said in his book, Facets of
Brahman thus-
"Knowing the truth about a phenomenon is the
scope of science. Knowing the truth in its entirety is
the scope of philosophy. Both the enquiries are at the
point of meeting. It may therefore be stated that par-
ticularised philosophy is science and generalised science
is philosophy."
Religious texts generally answer the following car-
dinal questions- 'Who created this universe? In what
ways are we connected with it? What made us to be
born here? For what purpose?
Naturally, the answers to the above questions may

be varied on account of time and clime. However,
any unbiased thinker will discern that the Haridasas
of Karnataka have expressed facts in the most satisfac-
tory manner. Therefore, it Is the object of this treatise
to describe the process of creation and the true means
of achieving happiness as described in the devotional
Chapter -I 5
literature of the Haridasas of Karnataka, backed by

other Vedic literatures.
Ill Greatness of tie Vedas:
Vedic literatures form the very foundations of all

Hindu religious texts. The greatness of the Vedas,
which are praised as having no authorship, is very sub-
lime and unique. The Vedas are a mine of faultless ex-
pressions conveying the greatest truths. All the

teach-
ings of the Vedas are beginningless and spiritualistic.

For all righteous dealings in this world the Vedas form
the basis. Righteous way of life is most necessary if
mankind is to be happy, making life auspicious. The
sole* purpose of the Vedas is to declare the path of righ-
teousness.
All the religious faiths that we see in the world to-
day have taken shapes following the footsteps of Vedic

teachings only. Long long ago, the learned ones of
Bharat went to different countries for various reasons
and spread Vedic knowledge in those countries. It is
such Knowledge that bloomed into different religions
in course of time. Many western scholars have asserted
that this is true. Here is one such .declaration-
there (Aryavarta) we must seek not only for

"It is
the cradle of Brahmin religion but also for the cradle

of the high civilization of the Hindus which gradually
extended itself in the west to Ethiopia, to Egypt, to
Phoenicia; in the east to Siam, to China, to Japan; in
the south to Ceylon and to Colchis, whence it came to
Greece and to Rome and at length to the remote abode
of the Hyperborans."
Theogony of the Hindus P. 168 Count Bjornstjerna

Will Durant in his

,
Our Oriental Heritage says-
"India was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the

mother of Europe's languages. She was the mother of
our philosophy, mother through the Arabs, of much of
our mathematics, mother through the Buddha of the
ideals of Christianity, mother through the village com-
munity of our self-government and Democracy. Mother
India is in many ways the mother of us all."
Arecent Russian History of India, in three Vol-

umes, begins thus-
"India is the mother of a world civilization."
Warren Hastings who was Governor General of In-

dia, while recommending the Visnu Purana to the chief
Justice of England, Mr. Mannings, praises India thus-
"There is nothing like oriental largeness for our

narrow Occident outlook. Here you will find thunder
you have never heard, lightning you have never expe-
rienced."
When scholars of foreign countries are thus show-

ering glowing tributes upon the value of Vedic litera-
tures, it is strange that wrong concepts have taken root
among the people of our own country.
The direct cause for this state of affairs is the rev-
olutionary wave of modernisation that took birth in
England and spread to all the nooks and corners of
the world, and has come to stay in our country. The
Darwinian theory of evolution and the Industrial Rev-
olution are the two sharp fangs of the monster of mod-
ernisation* Their poisonous sting has infused currents
of corruption into every nerve of the people of all coun-
tries; it has deranged the ways of human life. It has
created a keen struggle for existence giving undue im-
portance for the procurement of food, clothing, shelter
and the luxuries of life. So much so, men have gone
crazy in their ways of thinking and have lost the power
of judgement.
- 1 7
Chapter
The western writers of Indian History argued thus-
"According to Darwin and the other scientists of

that period, the world was created at least some 400
million years ago and it must have been some fifty thou-
sand years ago when the human race evolved from the
monkey stage. Such being the- case, the Biblical state-
ment that the world was created six thousand and odd
years ago is utterly false. If this be the fate of the
holiest of religious texts, what can be said about the
reliability of the Vedas which were composed by the
Aryans after they settled in the Punjab-just changing
over their nomadic mode of life to that of settled agri-
culturists?"
Let us examine this standpoint. It is declared in

the Indian 'Pancanga', the yearly almanac, that upto
the year 1981 A.D. 19, 72, 949, 803 human years have
elapsed since the four-faced Brahma began to create
the creatures. Such counting of years is to be seen
year after year in the Pancangas. The tradition has
continued orally from the very beginning of Brahma's
creation. The progeny of Vaivasvata Manu began 18,
418, 821 years ago. 5081 years have passed after the
commencement of the present Kaliyuga which is the
28th in the series. 1903 years have passed after the
commencement of Salivahana 'Saka' (era). This refers
to the reign of 'Salivahana' (Satavahana) who is hon-
oured as Andhra Maha Visnu. It amounts to saying
that his rule began in the year 78 A.D. Caturmukha
Brahma began creating living creatures from his 51st
year. Therefore from the beginning of his birth it is
155521972949801 human years upto 1981 A.D.
When the Vedic system has maintained such pre-
cise counting of time in years, months, days and frac-
tions of days, it is not right to compare the Vedas to
the Bible or any other holy text and to brand it as a
bundle of inconsistencies.
Modern scholars try to understand the progress of

the world keeping the Darwinian theory in view. They
allow their imagination to ride in tile same direction to
say that the Aryans, who came to settle in the Punjab,
first composed the Rgveda and later the other Vedas.
Their attempt to understand the Vedas, Puranas and
Itihasas with this background is faulty. The modern
historians also bank upon certain historical incidents,
place names and linguistic differences to advance their
views.
true that there are descriptions of certain ge-

It is
ographical regions and a few famous rivers of India

as also the names of certain Kings and their battles.
There are also linguistic differences among the differ-
ent Vedas.
Historians with the Darwinian outlook, say that

from barbarian beginnings and that
civilization started
languages developed in the same way. By this process
of argument they have attempted to fix the dates of
the Vedas. And their guesses have been
accepted as
truth by the general masses.
On account of some of the latest discoveries the

trust laid in the Darwinian
theory is dwindling. Those
in quest of fossils have discovered a skeleton of the
newest order side by side with another skeleton which
may be considered to be the oldest. This has blasted
the theory of man
developing from the monkey stage.
The American geologist Robert S. Cohen says,
"The discovery by Richard
E.Leaky, of what has
been called 'Skull-1470', a human skull found near
Kenya's Lake Rudolf is estimated to be nearly three
million years old. The famous
anthropologist stated,
Either we toss out this skull or we toss out
our theo-
ries of earlier man.'
Thus, truly, the Darwinian theory
is
retreating.
C descri P tions of incidents and
places found in
the i? j
Vedas are not only historical but
they are also al-
- 1 9
Chapter
legorical in as much as they stand for the perpetual

fight between the deities and the demons- it is like the
well-known Kuruksetra war between the Pandavas and
the Kauravas. In the Vedas we find historical incidents
which repeat in every Kalpa (period of creation during
every day of Brahma). The historical incidents dur-
ing every Kalpa will be almost similar and. Sri Hari
also comes down with His well-known ten incarna-
tions. This truth is borne by the statement, Dhata
yathapurvam akalpayat (Brahma created as before).
The historical names sucn as 'Sudasa' are symbolical
just like the name 'Yajnadatta*. ,
Merely by looking at the linguistic differences it

is not right to fix the dates of the Vedas separately.
The Sanskrit language is not what has grown with the
growth of civilization as is supposed by some scholars.
That language and its alphabet are eternal. This as-
pect will be dealt with in detail at a later stage. It is
but natural that there should be linguistic differences
in accordance with the subject matter to be dealt with.
In Srimad Bhagavatam which consists of twelve cantos,
the linguistic style of the fifth canto dealing with Ge-
ography and Astronomy is quite different from that of
the other cantos. In the same way it is quite natural
that the style of each Veda should differ from those of
the others in conformity with their contents.
Within the vast terrestrial area consisting of seven
islands and seven oceans - thirty crore miles in width,
Jambudvipa is famous. For special reasons Bharata
Varsha in Jambudvipa is considered superior to oth-
ers because it is the 'Karma BhumP- land of fruitive
actions. Even in this tract of Bharata Varsa, Bharata
Khanda is the most important land mass. And in the
Bharata Khanda, Bharata-desa stretching from Cape
Kanyakumari to the Himalayas is the heart of Karma
Bhumi. It is for this reason that the geographical and
the historical aspects of this country find place in the
Vedas prominently as being typical.
Those of the Hindus, who perform, daily prayers

(Sandhyavandana), recite at the commencement
thus-"Jambudvipe, Bharata Varse, Bharata Khande,
Dandakaranye". Really speaking, it is Dandakaranya
that goes by the name 'Bharata desa'. This aspect will
be fully discussed in the supplement to this text.
Nature has endowed the country of Bharata with
certain special features. It has all types of climate.
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and the forests
have all made people to come nearer to nature in their
ways of life. The country has the quality of perfection
denoted by its natural triangular shape. Among the
spiritual symbols the triangle has special significance.
It is a figure that can be formed by the least number
of straight lines; and it can be sub-divided into any
number of triangles, without wasting much space. The
sacred Sri Cafara' is formed by a large number of equi-
lateral triangles, each of them being a perfect figure.
Prom this point of view the country of Bharata is rep-
resentative of the Sri caJrra. Then again, the triangle
stands for the combination of the three primordial ele-
ments sattva, rajas and tamas. There is nothing in this
world which is not made by the combination of these
three elements. The triangular shape of Bharata re-
veals this fact. In this way many have expressed their
feelings about the significance of the triangular shape.,
of Bharata. It is for these and several other reasons
that the Vedas have mainly described the features of
this country.
The Vedas describe the ways of Creation and the

sublime qualities of the Creator. At the beginning
of Creation the Supreme Lord instructs the four-faced
Brahma with Vedic knowledge. At the time of final dis-
solution the alphabet forming the Vedas get dissolved
into the single letter Om and the meanings and forms
of the Vedas remain in the Lord's heart. Although
our alphabet are material in form, the meanings and
forms during pralaya are purely transcendental. Like
- I 11
Chapter
the Time factor, the prime material causes and the

causes of -actions (Kala, Dravya, Karma), Tranava'
or Omkara too rests with Mahalaksmi, who is the
constant companion of the Lord in Time and Space.
She too knows the Vedas in transcendental form 'very
well. The Vedic knowledge remains in her by way
of reflection of the original which stays in Sri Hari's
heart. This being the fact, Vedas were not composed
by any one born in this world. Therefore they are called
'Apauruseya' or without human authorship.
When the night (period of no-activity after dis-
solution) nears its end, Sri Mahalaksmi in her Durga
form, motivated by the Lord, praises Him with non-
material Vedic hymns, entreating Him to start Cre-
ation once, again for the upliftment of souls.
Hence it willright to say that the Vedas were

be
clothed in material letters and sounds and expressed
by the Lord. We may say that the Vedascame di-
rectly out of the Lord's mouth when they were taught
to Brahma. Jagannatha Dasarya has voiced this
Sri
idea when he says, "Srutigalatanamatu" (Vedas are
the words spoken by God). The Christians say "Bible
is God's word". The Muslims say, "Koran is God's
breath." (Khudake ruh). All these, statements axe in
agreement.
It is also right to say that the Vedas came to light
in this world through the rsis, who visualised them.
Such sages are called as 'the seers of mantras ( mantra
drastarah). Since the Vedas were taught by oral in-
struction .and listening through along series of teachers
and the taught, they are also known as 'Srutis'.
The very terms 'Veda', 'Sruti', and 'Amnaya' in-

dicate that the Vedas are beginningless and author-
less. They are called 'Vedas' because they are eternal,
'Srutis'because they have been heard by the ancient

seers and 'Amnayas' because they have come down
from beginningless time in the same form without the

slightest difference in the order of letters, words, sen-
tences, meanings, mode of recital and phonetics.
Here is the evidence of Vaxaha Purana in this

respect-
Vedaste nitya satyatvat srutayasca khilalh sruteh,
Amnayonanyatha patat isa buddhisthita sada.
If we look
at the vast wealth of Knowledge found
in the Vedas and their concomitants and the system-
atic way in which the subject matters are dealt with,
it will not be sensible judgement to state that the no-
madic Aryans composed the Rgveda when they entered
the Punjab about 5000 years ago and later they com-
posed the other Vedas-all within a period 1500 years.
Can any one imagine such a leap from nomadic life to
scientific acme?
Maxmuller, the well-knowncritic of the Vedas has

said, "The date assigned
to the poetry of the Vedas is
and will always remain hypothetical." Maxmuller -
(Physical Religion p.22)
Another scientist also says- "Whether the Vedic
hymns were composed about 1000 or 1500 or ,2000 or
3000 B.C. no power on earth will ever determine."
-Ibid p.91
We may therefore conclude that the Vedas, which
are meant to favour the world with general and super
knowledge, are undoubtedly a treasure of wisdom not
at all. stored by human endeavour.
IV. Scientific OutJoolc in Vedic Literature;
In the eternal and infallible Vedas and their con-

comitants such as the Smrtis, Puranas and the Brah-
masutras and also in the literatures of local languages
such as Kannada and Telugu keeping in line with Vedic
literatures, we find many scientific facts, known and
unknown to the modern scientists.
Chapter - 1 13
(1) How the bodies of living beings come into ex-

istence is clearly described in Sri Harikathainrtasara.
Text
Mother, father, earth, water, sky
As they are called, in these five fires,
The pervasive presence and activities of the thirty forms of
Sriman Narayana
Remember thou, and the days as sacrificial sticks,
Offer thou every day as oblation and
Solicit supreme happiness from the Lord of lords who is the
purifier of purity.
Purport : After death, the individual soul goes to hell

and heaven to eat the fruits of bad arid good deeds com-
mitted here, after which, he or she is lodged in the sky
in one of the star worlds. Then the soul is brought to
the region of the clouds ( Varuna loka; not just the visi-
ble clouds). Then he comes down to the earth with the
rain drops and dwells; and, by the will of God, enters
a growing cereal plant. He gets into one of the grains
growing on the plant. Then he enters the father's body
and remains there for three months. Then, getting into
the mother's womb, he stays there for nine months and
comes out with the developed body of a child. The five
aforesaid factors are like the fires of factories where the
child's material body is forged. These details are found
in the Garuda Purana ('Preta Khanda,).
We must consider all our daily acts as sacrificial

sticks (Samit) and offer them through the five fires-
mother, father, earth, water and sky, to the Omnipo-
tent Motivator. Gratitude to the parents and to the
deities of the elements is equal to holy sacrifice.
The about the Bharatiyas and the
speciality
Upanisads, which are their treasures of Knowledge, is
that they have described the process of the birth of
a child not just in the material way,, but they have
pointed out the spiritual significance attached to it.
In the Upanisads we find the following verses-
1. Asavava loko gautamagnistasyaditya eva samid rasmayo

dhumo ahararciscandramangaranaksatrani visphulingastasmin
agnau devah sraddham juhvati tasyaahuteh somo raja bhavati.
2. Parjanyo vava gautamagnistasya vayureva
samidabhram dhumo vidyurarcih asanirangfahva dhvanayo
visphuEngastasmwnagnau devah somo rajam (?) juhvati tasya
ahutervarsah satnbhavatL
3. Prthvi vava gautamagnistasya samvat-

sara eva samidakaso dhumo ratrirarcirdisangara avantaradiso
visphulingastasminnagnau devah juhvati tasya ahuterannah
sambhavati.
4. Puruso vava gautamagnistasya vageva samit prano dhumo
jihvarchiscaksurangara srotram visphulingastasmin agnau
devah annam juhvati tasyaahuteh retah sambhavati.
5. Yosa vava gautamagnistasya upastha eva samidhadupa
mantram yete sadhumo yonirarcir yadantah karoti te angarah
abhuianda visphuHnga tasminnagnau devah reto juhvati tasya
ahuter*garbhah sambhavati.
These are the words of the Upanisads proclaimed
with the noble intention of
making every human be-
ing into a 'Mahapurusa' (divine Sn Ja-personage).
gannatha Dasarya, the illustrious 'Haridasa', who di-
gested the message of the Upanisads and lived upto
it, has thus put down into simple 'Kannada verses the
purport of the Upanisads.
(1) "The sky is the sacrificial fire; sticks (small

dned twigs of the peepul tree) to put in isthe sun; his
rays form the smoke; day-light is the flame; the stars
are the sparks; the moon the cinder.
The truly wise
is
ones contemplate the five forms
Narayana, Vasudeva
Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha- in the noble
boar foim of the Supreme
Being, it being the origin of
all sacrificial
systems, and considering words of devo-
tion as mantras',
they perform the sacrifice in the said
manner."
- 1 15
Chapter
(2) "Parjanya, master of the cloud-land is the sac-

rificial fire;Pravahavayu, lord of the blowing wind is
in place of the sticks; the clouds are smoke; lightning
is the flame; the sparks are thunder; the thunderbolt is
the cinder. Considering thus, the wise ones offer sac-
rifice to the Supreme Being reverentially through the
agency of Parjanya, born of the ocean".

Note: Votaries of Vedas knew that clouds are formed
by evaporation of waters.
(3) "The Sacrificial fire is earth; the period of a
year isthe sticks; the atmospheric jacket is smoke;
Night is flame; the four principal directions east,
west, north, south-are cinders, the other intermedi-
ate directions-N.K, N.W., S. E., S.W.-are the sparks.
You are advised to be dubbed as the best of sacrificial
performers by offering each year into the fire of earth,
thus pleasing the Supreme Lord who is in all forms."
(4) "Man (father) is Sacrificial fire; words spoken

by him while taking food form the sticks; mind is the
smoke; the tongue is the flame; the two ears are the
sparks; the eyes are the cinders. If the man thinks that
what he eats is an offering to Sri Krsna in himself, the
Lord accepts it and gives protection."
"Then, consider woman (mother) as the sacri-

(5)
her genital is the stick to put into the fire;
ficial fire;
words rousing desire for contact form the smoke; the
vagina is the blazing flame; the male organ entering
the vagina is the cinder, the ecstatic ejaculations are
the sparks; seminal ejection is the sacrificial offering to
the Supreme Lord of Sacrifices. He rewards such a wise
person richly."
The sky, the cloud-land, the earth, father and
mother are considered as the five sacrificial fires. In-
dwelling them respectively are the five forms of the
Lord - Narayana, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna
and Aniruddha. The soul or jiva is the object to be sac-
rificed in these fires. (Incidentally, we can infer from
this that a rightly performed sacrifice has a definite,

beneficial purpose; it is not merely killing an animal
for sacrifice.) The gods in charge of the soul sacrifice
him in the five fires remembering the five resident forms
of Sri Hari. It means that they put the soul into the
hands of the Supreme being.
After the soul undergoes punishment in hell and
reward in heaven for his sins and merits' of the pre-
vious birth, when he is sacrificed into the fire of sky,
the Lord provides him with the sky element that forms
part of his new body; similarly he gets the watery and
the earthly portions too. Along with these he also gets
portions of the wind and the fire elements during the
successive sacrifices. In this way the new body con-
sists of the five gross elements in various proportions
according to the needs of the special species of body,

human or otherwise.
No doubt, the gods in charge earn the reward for
the five kinds of sacrifices they perform on behalf of the
soul. But what about the embodied individual himself?
In the human form there is scope for engaging oneself
in similar sacrifices. For example, whenever one cele-
brates his pr her birthday, it will be most profitable to
think df the good and bad deeds performed during the
year that has elapsed and to lay down those deeds at
the lotus feet of the Creator. This is what is meant
by offering the year itself as oblation. Then, the Lord
will be pleased and He will free the
person from the
mundane effects of good and bad deeds.
Every day too, before going to bed, we can show
our gratitude to the Lord indwelling the five fires that
caused the fashioning of our bodies and earn His
grace.
The lastbut not the least thing to remember in
this connection is that the
mating of man and woman is
a holy act if viewed in the
proper perspective. Marriage
is surely a
holy institution.
- I 17
Chapter
(2) How the embryo develops day by day in a

mother's womb is described in Srimad Bhag&vntam
by Sri Vyasa Maharsi. The same fact is described in
Haridasa Sahitya too.
Vijaya Dasarya's Sufadi-

"
On the first day it is in the form of
mucus-like liquid. During the passage of three nights
it takes the form of curd. In five nights it turns into
frothy viscous material. In ten nights it becomes a

round fleshy mass. During the course of a month it
gets the shape of a figure with extensions like head
and limbs. In the third month we can see hair, nails,
skin and bone formations, in the fourth month the
tissues of seven elemental parts - epidermis, dermis,
blood, muscles, fat, nerves and bones - begin to show
themselves independently. In the fifth month hunger
is felt.Sri Vijaya Vitthala,the Supreme Lord, who is
above the material modes, thus does things sportively
in a double way - residing in the materials and in the
sentient souls. In the sixth month, the infant in the
womb changes position from left to right. In this way
effort begins and the child is now encased in the pla-
centa. During the seventh month the child recollects its
actions of the previous birth and experiences, happy or
sorrowful feelings. When it passes through the eighth
month it develops reactions to tastes such as hot, cit-
rous, bitter or saline and shrinks from heat or cold.
When the ninth month sets in, the child in the womb
suffers being stung all over by microbes and the head
is bent down between the knees....
Being forced
by the air pressure inside, the child comes out to be in
touch with this earth,
(3) The Ayurvedic system of medicine, which

is rightly, called as Dhanvantari Veda, is at present
pushed into a corner; but it is veritably a mine of sci-
entific gems for zealous research scholars. The western
scientists who have tried to probe into its depths have
been wonderstruck. The Bhakti Vedanta section of the
18 The Process of Creation, in Dasa Sahitya
Hare Krsna Mandir at Juhu in Bombay have taken up

investigation of the Ayurvedic system in right earnest-
ness.
The veterinary sciences relating to animals such

as elephants, horses and domestic cattle are amazing.
Modern scientists will do well to know the details of
these sciences and examine them by experimentation.
That will convince them of the ancient wisdom that
found spontaneous expression by divine grace.
(4) In the days of yore, when modern developments

were quite unknown, people made wonderful machines
getting instruction from Vedic lore. If one learns some-
thing about those machines it will be possible to appre-
ciate the greatness of Vedic information. One may get a
fair idea of such mechanical wonders by going through a
brochure named, Yantras or mechanical devices in An-
cient India by V. Raghavan, M.A., Ph.D. (Transaction
10, The Indian Institute of Culture, Basavannagudi,
Bangalore.).
(5)Not tutored by the masters of modern science.

Sri Jagannatha Dasarya, who lived in the 19th C.A.D.
has casually described a few scientific facts, found in
the sacred writings of old, in his JEfariiatiamrtasara-
"The Lord is like a peg, residing as He does in the

iris of the eye with the name Pradyurnna. He allows
light to pass through the pupil of the eye. Sridevi with

the name Ambhrani is in the form of the rope used to
tie the calf of a cow to a peg. In the case of the eye
the ciliary muscles, elongating and contracting to af-
ford the 'power of accommodation' to the eyes, axe like
the rope to tie the calf. Sri Mukhya Prana (pavana),
who is eligible to occupy the seat of Hiranyagarbha
(Brahma) during the next Kalpa, is like the calf tied
by the rope. He is in the retina of the eye along with
the other deities. At his intent the ciliary muscles con-
tract or extend - It is like a calf pulling the rope this
way or that way. Inverted objects fall on the retina. Sri
- I 19
Chapter
Mukhya Prana, causing the power of accommodation

with a view to get clear images, resides in the termini
of the optic nerves touching the retina and he inter-
prets the inverted images correctly to reach the brain.
(Canto 8. St. 9.).
Whatever be the innate properties of material
things, those properties cannot act by themselves with-
out the will of an intelligent agent who can make use of
them. Most present day scientists speak only in terms
of matter. They are so obstinate in their arguments
against the believers of ancient wisdom that they do
not even try to think about themselves. Self-analysis
will certainly show that within each one of themselves
there is an intelligent agent with feelings and intuition
which are not at all the properties of matter. Knowl-
'
edge of self and Super Self is true vijnana or science.
Mere knowledge of material things is only 'Sujnana' or
organised knowledge of common sort; its scope is lim-
ited to human ability to think. This kind of Sujnana
becomes vijnana or true science only if the deities pre-
siding upon the material principles and their Master
are recognised. This is what Sri Krsna meant when He
said to Arjuna,
Jnanam vijnana sahitam pravaksyamyanasuyave.
(O, Arjuna, since you are free from jealousy, I

shall tell you all that you should know along with the
supreme secret behind it.)
Sri Jagannatha Dasarya explains another scientific

fact of which modern scientists too are aware somewhat
superficially.
"Lord Vasudeva resides in the fore-brain and, tak-

ing sixteen forms standing for the sixteen vowels of the
alphabet, He holds lordship as well as does service in
the organs such as eyes and ears. Thus the ever-joyful
Lord sports hearing and making us hear, seeing and
making us see, speaking and making us speak." (Canto
8. St.17).
While receiving external impulses He is the ser-

vant; while actuating the motor nerves He is the Mas-
ter. He acts both the roles because the individual soul,
who is the master of the body for namesake is almost
helpless by himself. He is helped to get experiences and
to recognise his own individuality by the actorship of
the Lord.
(Bimba Kry&) who resides in the heart of the in-

dividual soul as well as in the limbs of the body.
The point to note here is, that Sri Jagannatha

Dasarya has described such things as are quite familiar
to modern biologists without depending upon modern
scientific discoveries.Biologists tell us that the cere-
brum sends forth six pairs of nerves and controls the
five sensory organs and the muscles of the face. Sri
Haxikathamitasaxa gives exactly a similar description.
Just one more example. "The main nerve strings
going to the lower limbs are 12,000; the trunk has
14,000 and the arms have 4,000. The cranium contains
6,000 nerve strings. The total of all these is 36,000; but
they are in pairs - one set working during day-time and
the other set during night times. They are all operat-
ing under the agency of deities who are the heads of
the several departments of the nervous system. Those,
who know the working of the nervous system and the
deities controlling them, are not ordinary human be-
ings; they are divine beings born on earth."
They are the knowers of Bhuvarahamurti (Bhu =

The nervous system; Varahamurti = The Master in
boar form) (Canto 12. St.2).
We may give innumerable examples of this sort.
Therefore it must be believed that the Vedas and the
concomitant literatures are all truly scientific and are
not the outcome of flowery imagination.
Chapter-! /_'>';V[X 3;. 21
/^/
:
-
,
V. Basis of Faitli: ,
.
,
'%
The votaries of Vedic Knowlecf^.^fe .jatft those
who are a prey to blind faith. Without sufficient
proof they do not believe anything. They always
- Vi-
proceed with four determining factors of belief
sual proof (Pratyalcsa), Logical conclusion (Anumana),
Vedic mandate (Agama) and words of Well-wishers
(Apta vakya).
Although they give credence to visual proof, they
do not readily believe all that comes as visual proof.
They stand by the maxim that one should test thor-
oughly before accepting visual proof. They believe only
what the faultless eye sees with the help of a clean,
unbiassed mind. The wise ones of the Vedic school
do believe what is visualised through modern scientific
instruments; but they are not prepared to accept all
theoretical guesses based on observation through such
instruments.
'Anumana' means the logical way or the process of

correct thinking. Learning about the unknown factors
by the analogy of several known things and by faultless
argument is the way of logic. Logic is also very nec-
essary to understand the Vedic literatures rightly such
that no faulty interpretations are made, no superficial
meanings are taken for granted, and such that truth
is arrived at by the use of grammar and other aids to
Vedic literatures. Modern scientists too advance their
theories basing their arguments on logical lines. Often
they succeed in establishing their theories as truths by
a series of experiments. Although this method is sound
so far as familiar and nearer objects are concerned, it
is not wise to believe all theories formulated about the
very distant heavenly objects as truths and to convince

others too to believe as such. The nature of galaxies,
the distance between stars and all such things should be
credited only as guessess and not as established truths.
Vedas are the fundamental determining factors of

true knowledge for the followers of the Vedic path.
They have proved the authority of the Vedas by logical
means. The evidence of the Vedas is indispensable with
regard to notions about the divine worlds, the hosts of
gods, and the omnipotence and such other attributes
of the Supreme Being. Such things cannot be properly
understood by visual means or by logical methods.
For the followers of the Vedic path the evidence
of 'Aptavakya'- words of well wishers is of great impor-
tance. In a way, such wellwishers are their laboratories.
'Wellwishers* means those who know things truly and
are not wrongly i&otivated by selfish interests. They
have no inclination \o practice deception, but are ea-
ger to share with others the truths that they know, and
have, perhaps, experienced.
There are innumerable examples of such illustrious
persons in our country; and there are also many mon-
umental evidences pertaining to them. In the other
countries of the world too we come across the exam-
ples of such saintly persons. These great personages
could also attract the masses for good purpose
by their
powers to perform miracles. However, they should not
be branded as merely miracle- workers. They were
per-
sons, with god-vision and blessed by God's Grace. It
is for this reason that
they may be considered as the
laboratories of Vedic Knowledge.
In order to convience modernised minds about the

need of placing faith in the words of wellwishers we
cite the example of
may
Tensingh (he who was the first to
climb, to the top of Mt. Everest). When asked if he
had seen the Yeti, he said, "I have not seen it. I don't
believe what I have not seen
myself. But my father
said that he saw the ye'ti twice and I cannot
disbelieve
his words."
Just because in these

days there are many who
merely work miracles or dupHcate miracles and attract
people for selfish ends and speak random
philosophy
Chapter -I 23
it should not be thought that every one belongs to

this class. Ifone reads with open mind books such as
Maharastra Bhakta Vijaya (The Glories of the Saints
of Maharashtra), and Jfarnataka BiaJcta Vijaya (Glo-
ries of the Saints of Karnataka) and the stories of the
South Indian devotees of Lord Siva as also the stories

of the Saints of other parts of the world, it will be clear
that in the past there were many many true devotees
and saints and there may be some now also. Their ex-
periences are guidelines for us and are, perhaps, better
than visual evidences. The words of true well-wisher
must be relied upon.
VI, Source Books and their authors:
For this treatise on the Process of Creation, the

main soiyrce is Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas
of Vyasa Maharsi. Generally the Process of Creation
forms an invariable section in every one of the Puranas.
We get more details in texts like Prakasa Samhlta
and Visnu Purana. In the Puranas some portions
might have been dropped and some portions purposely
added. ("Kecit granthan praksipanti kecidantaritani
ca"). Therefore we must accept Srimad Bhagavatam
as the main source of information. What is s,aid in
other texts should necessarily be reconciled withSrimacf
Bhagavatam^ says Sri Madhvacarya-
Yatha bhagavatetuktam bhauvanam kosa Jafcsanam,
Tasyavirodhato yojyam anya gran tiart tare sthitam.
What has been said here about geographical and

astronomical aspects applies equally to other aspects
of creation too.
The Haridasas of Karnataka have described the

Process of Creation in full conformity with the text of
Srimad Bhagavatam. They have composed their works
not merely by textual references; but, they have had
the benefit of spiritual experiences too. Many of them
were blessed with god- vision. Therefore they are our
wellwishers in assessing the right meanings of sacred

texts.
The authors
(wellwishers) chosen for reference
in
- Sri Vadiraja
writing this treatise are the following
Purandara Dasarya, Sri Vijaya Dasarajra,
Svaroi, Sri
Sn Guru Purandara Vitthala, Sn Gopala Dasarpa, Sri
Jagannatha Dasaraya, Sri Venugopala vitthala, Sri Ab-
hinava Janardana Vitthala, Sri Vyasa Vitthala, Sri
Gokavi Anantacarya and others.
Sri Vadirlya Svarni:

As the Pontiff of the Sode Mutt of Udipi, he
lived full 120 years. He was the contemporary of Pu-
randara Dasarya (16th Cent. A.D. - the period of
Krsnadevaraya's rule in Vijayanagar). He has writ-
ten many valuable commentaries in Sanskrit and has
also composed many Kannada texts of the types of
Prose Verses (Suladis), devotional songs and longer po-
ems. His auto-biography styled Vrnd&vanakhyanam
is a unique work of its kind.
During his life time he
did not reveal his identity; but, after he entered the
holy tomb, he used to make his presence felt every day
in a born-dumb person and would narrate his auto-
biography. It is therefore needless to say that the words
of such a wellwisher are the best source of correct in-
formation,
Sri Purandara Dasarya:

Recognised as a well-known jeweller
at Purandaragadha, Srinivasa Nayaka was dubbed as
'Navakoti Narayana'- the possessor of nine crore gold
coins. He was given to see God's excellence in a
palpa-
ble manner which made him renounce the world. He
gave away all his wealth by way of charity in the name
of Sri Krsna and became a Haridasa
overnight. He is
identified as the spiritual fraction of Narada Maharsi
- I 25
Chapter
and is revered as the Veteran among the Haridasas. He

desired to adore Sri Panduranga Vitthala with five lakh
songs of his composition. He was able to offer four lakhs
seventy five thousand songs at the feet of his Lord and
prophesied that his own son would complete the rest
in his next birth. Sri Vyasaraya Svami, the spiritual
master of Sri Purandara Dasarya honoured the latter's
songs by the nomenclature Purandara Upanisad. He
is also remembered as the forefather of Karnatic music
system which he rendered in easy style.
Guru Purandara Dasarya:

He was oneof the sons of Purandara Dasarya. Be-
fore he was initiated as a 'Haridasa', he was called
Giiraraja. He was initiated by his own father with
the name of dedication- *Guru Purandara Vitthala'.
He too has enriched the literature of the Haridasas by
many of his songs and poems. In one of his poems
of rare quality starting with the line, "In the elephant
Thou art in the form of the elephant", he has given
a nice account of the nature of the soul, of Sri Hari's
form, indwelling the soul and acting like the soul, and
of creation, maintenance and destruction.
Sri Vyaya Dasarya:

Vijaya Dasarya, who led a glorious career during
the 17th-18th centuries, was the one who had been
born as the son of Purandara Dasarya by the name
Madhvapati. He had to spend the earlier part of his life
in great penury. He went on a pilgrimage to Varanasi.
There, the Supreme Lord appeared in his dream in the
guise of Purandara Dasarya and, taking him to Vyasa
Kasi for the darsan of Sri Vedavyasa deva, inscribed
1
the word 'VIJAYA on his tongue. The poor brahmana,
who was not very learned, all of a sudden turned out to
be 'Vijaya Dasarya', His words became prophetic. His
life now became dignified with respects and honours

showered upon him.
Vijaya Dasarya, respected as the spiritual frac-

tion of Bhrgu Maharsi, composed the balance of 25,000
songs left over by Sri Purandara Dasarya and pleased
the Lord. If we try to understand the versified prose
compositions (suladis) of Sri Vijaya Dasarya, we can
easily gather philosophical gems.
/
This Vijaya DaSarya was the spiritual master of Sri

Gopala Dasarya. It was he who helped Sri Jagannatha
Dasarya to be blessed with a new lease of life and to
get spiritual enlightenment through his disciple Gopala
Dasarya. And it was he who saved Sri Mohana Dasarya
from untimely death.
The Suladis of Sri Vijaya Dasarya from the basis
of this treatise on creation.
Sri Gopala Dasarya:

This renowned devotee of Sri Hari lived in the
18th century A.D. He is respected as the incarnation
of Ganapati. He suffered the severe pinch of poverty in
his younger days; and he_ acquired spiritual success by
the repetition of 'Gayatri mantra'. He was able to tell
about the three previous lives of any one who came to
ask him. He was initiated by Sri Vijaya Dasarya with
the name Gopala Dasa*. By dint of his fame many
*
flocked to him and he led them in the path of devotion

to Sri Hari.
/ .
Pandit Srinivasacarya was so puffed up that he

scoffed at Sri Vijaya Dasarya; and, as a result of this
he began to suffer with acute stomach trouble which
seemed almost incurable. He grew pale and emaci-
ated. Being tutored by Sri Mukhya Prana in a dream,
he went to Sri Vijaya Dasarya to seek his pardon and
- I 27
Chapter
blessing. The elderly saint welcomed him kindly and

sent him io Sri Gopala Dasarya, for the needful. The
latter cured Srinivasacarya of his ailment by the repe-
tition of Dianvantari mantra. He also put up a fervent
prayer on behalf of the suffering supplicant. This* song
of prayer is very popular among the devotees of Sri
Hari. It runs thus-
"Listen to my prayer, O Dhanvantari, and show

Thy mercy, this devotee is yet an innocent boy." He
is said to have transferred forty years of his life span
to Srinivasacarya. He also initiated him in the path of
true knowledge. Sri Gopala Dasarya's devotional songs
are quite helpful to grasp the true import of spiritual
mandates. For example, he defines vairagya (detach-
ment) in beautiful words to bring out its true impli-
cation. He says, "It is not real detachment to give up
every pleasure as mundane. To enjoy happiness or to
suffer pain considering both as the grace of God is true
detachment." Those who consider themselves hopeless
sinners will do well to go through the devotional songs
of Sri Gopala Dasarya to get consolation and guidance.
That will help them also to develop devotion to God.
Sri Gopala Dasarya has become the symbol for true de-
votion; and he is praised with the verdict, "Bhaganna
stands for Bhakti."
f
Sri Jagannatha Dasarya:
In between the 18th and the 19th centuries, Sri
Jagannatha Dasarya, of whom we already know some-
thing, was the contemporary of Dewan Purnaiah of
Mysore. Before initiation he was known as Pandit
Srinivasacarya. Among the four well-known Haridasas
he is the fourth, the other three being Sri Purandara
Dasarya, Sri Vijaya Dasarya and Sri Gopala Dasarya.

He Was sent to Gopala Dasarya for cure and enlight-
enment because the latter (incarnation of Ganapati)
was the immediate spiritual master for Srinivasacarya,

who was the incarnation of Sahladaraya, brother of the
illustrious Prahladaraya.
/
Sri Acarya, fully blessed by Gopala Dasarya, went

to Pandaxapura for the captivating darsan of Lord
Panduranga Vitthala. While taking bath in the Can-
drabhaga river, he found a piece of flat stone settled
on his head. On it was inscribed the word Jagannatha
Vitthala. Soon after seeing that, Sri Acarya fell into
raptures and began to sing the glory of the Lord ad-
dressing Him as Jagannatha Vitthala. Srinivasacarya
became Sri Jagannatha Dasarya.
His songs directly touch the springs of devotion in
the hear$s_of hearers. But he is best known as the au-
thor of Sri Harikalhamrta sara, a hand book of Philo-
sophical gems made easily available for every devotee.
Though the text is in simple Kannada, clothed in the
Six-lined Stanzas (Satpadi) of the familiar type, this
epic, full of nine poetical excellences, is too sublime
even for great pandits. It is because the essence of
all the Sacred texts has been pressed into it. If Sri
JfarilcatJhamria sara is properly comprehended with the
help of a proper spiritual master, there will be no ne-
cessity to study any other religious text. All the same,
any earnest .devotee can get much knowledge and devo-
tional inspiration by making himself or herself familiar
with the text even if deeper significance may be missed.
Sri Pranesa Dasarya:
The Chief and well-known disciple of Jagannatha
Dasarya was Pranesa Dasarya. He came from
Lingasugur of Raichur district. He was originally called
Yogindrappa and was a village accountant. He was
initiated as 'Pranesa Vitthala' by his spiritual mas-
ter. He has jnrritten fine poems such as Ga/ava Car-
itre and Xalfyarn^rdajia which are replete with spir-
itual truths containing hidden meanings. His works
Chapter.- 1 29
are full of profound exposition. Pranesa Dasarya was

blessed by Sri Varadendra Svamiji, the teacher of Sri
Jagannatha Dasarya.
Vyasa Vitthalarya:
Sri Subbannacarya of Kallur, Raichur district, was
a great Pandit well- versed in disciplines like Grammer
and Logic. Being puffed up with the pride of learning
he ridiculed the great Vijaya Dasarya, at first. Later
on he understood the intrinsic worth of the saint and
got over his egotistic feelings by the grace of Vijaya
Dasarya. He became a pure devotee of God, fully de-
tached from earthly desires. He was initiated and came
to be known as a 'Vyasavitthala'.
%
Abhinava janardana. Vitthalarya:

He is also known as "Prema Dasarya"- He hailed
from Somapura of Gadwal in Andhra Pradesh, He got
initiation from Sri Jagannatha Dasarya. He was laifte
by birth; but, by the grace of Sri Raghavendra Svamiji

of Mantralaya, he got the use of his legs and was so
blessed that he could sing the praise of God and dance
ecstatically.
__
Sri Venugopala Vitthalarya ;
He was the native

of Adavani in the Kurnool Dis-
trict and held the post of Dewan in the court of the
Nawab of Adoni. When his son was defiled by Mus-
lim pressure, he got disgusted of worldly affairs and
appealed to the mercy of Vijaya Dasarya. He was ini-
tiated as 'Venugopala Vitthala'* He also went by the
pet'name Tanganaina Timmanna Dasa'. It is believed
that he was 'Vaikuntha Dasaxya' in his previous birth*
3
30 The Process of Creation in Dasa, Sahitya
Anantadrisa Vltthalaaryas
He came from Gokak of Belgaura district and
bore the name Gokavi Anantacarya. A great Sanskrit
scholar, he was trained in the art of music too. He was
ail adept in the exhibition of artistic talents and in
po-
etical composition. The following are the
products of
his fine literacy art- Venkatesa
Parijaia, Siva Panjata f
Dhruva Caritre and Prahlada Caritre. He had the in-

9
herent ability to bring out hidden meanings of Vedic

literatures through his writings. His description of the
l
Brahmanda in Venkatesa Parijata is wonderful.
- II
Chapter
DESCRIPTION OF VAEKUNTHA
The Abode of Eternal Happiness
I. Happiness here and hereafter:
Namo Namo ganyagunsdka dhamne
9
Sam&stavijnana mark! maline,

Anadyavijn ana tamo zuiantre
Paramrtananda pada pradayine.
(Again and again I bow to Him who is the only abode of

all auspicious qualities, who emits the rays of supreme
knowledge which adorn Him like a garland all around,
who weeds out the begmningless nescience and affords
unalloyed joy of the highest kind in His Eternal Abode.)
Individual souls are enveloped by the covering of
nescience from beginningless time. This is what Sri
Krsna means when He says, "Ajnanena avrtam jiianam
teiia muiyanti jantavah." That covering is beginning-
less but "has an end is subscribed to by all the great
acaryas including Adi Sankaracarya. In order to break

down such covering of ignorance and to enable the souls
and joy within
to find expression of the consciousness
themselves, the omniscient, omnipotent Supreme Lord
has created this universe. In the earlier stages, not
aware of one's own inner self, the soul spends the whole
time in catering to the animal instincts such as eat-
ing and mating. Gradually he develops discretion; he
begins to realize what is really necessary and what is
unnecessary. When in the human body, a strong de-
sire develops to know how all obstacles might be over-
come and unmixed happiness secured, it is then that
he has the chance of seeking aid from the philosoph-
ical assets in the world. Such an individual gets the

opportunity of being born in an atmosphere of Vedic
learning, it will pave the way for knowing about the su-
perior divine worlds, which in turn open the gateways
for self-knowledge. Thus strengthened by knowledge,
he is encouraged to make better efforts to find further
progress.
When Arjuna asked what happens to a devotee
ifhe cannot cope with the path of yoga which he has
taken up, Sri krsna replied,
Partha naiveha namutra vlnasastasya vidyate,
Nahi kalyana krt kascit durgatim tata gacchati.
Prapya punya krtam lokan usitva sasvatih samah
9
Surinam srimatam gehe yogabhrasto bhyayate.
Athava yoginam eva kule bhavati dhimatam;
Tatia tarn buddhi samyogam labhate paurva dehikam;
Yatate ca tato bbuyah samsiddhau Kurunandana.
Aneka janmasamsiddhah tato yati param gatim.

"0 Arjuna, to him there is no loss either here or here-
after. Mydear Arjuna, one who treads the auspicious
path will never be ruined. Having attained the higher
worlds meant for the meritorious and lived there hap-
pily for a long long period, he will be born again in a
family of pure devotees or he may even take birth in
a rich family or in tlie family of wise and adept yogis.
When thus born, hie revives the well-trained intellect
of the previous birth and makes further efforts at per-
fection. Having attained perfection after a number of
births, he then reaches the highest goal".
The Vedas teach apparently, Svarga kamo yajeta
(one, who wants to enjoy heavenly happiness, must en-
gage himself in offering sacrifices to the gods.) But
there are the Upanisads to say that the chief aim of
life is not the enjoyment of
pleasures here or in the su-
c
per worlds. ^The statement, Rocanartham phalasrutih'
shows that the Vedic instruction about the benefits
to be accrued by sacrifices is
just to create a desire
Ciapter - II 33
human effort from the

for higher ends; it is to divert
mundane plane to the higher plane of divine happiness,
which in itself is not the ultimate goal, although it is
far superior and of longer duration.
This idea has been^very well brought out in simple

Kannada language by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya,
(1) "The paramount object to be gained is Vaikuntha. Happi-
ness enjoyable in Maharloka and the like is not so important.
Enjoyment of pleasures in this world is of the least impor-
tance. Hence, serve tie Destroyer of demons wi th great de-
votion and secure freedom from sorrows. At no time does
the Father of the spouse of Bharatidevi forsake those that
appeal to Him." fJET.KS. 16-14)
(2) "Just as a mo tier mixes medicine with sweetened water and

makes the sick child drink it, tie all-knowing Lord,- Sri Ve~
davyasadeva, also Inown as Badarayana, said at tie begin-
ning of Srimad Bhagavatam tiat tie object of life is to
earn merit in order to enjoy ieavenly pleasures; tiis was just
to create interest in a still higher end." (H.K.S. 16-15)
All the Vedas and the other Vedic literatures de-

clare that 'MuktP is the main goal to be achieved.
Those who want to gain 'MuktP (unmixed happi-

ness in the Eternal Abode), must develop devotion to
god. (Bhakti).
Maiatmyajnanapurvas t u sudrdiaisarvato'diikai ,
Sneho bhaktiriti prokta taya muktir na canyatia.
Thus Srimad Anandatirthacarya has asserted.

Understanding the greatness of the Supreme Lord to
the best of one's ability, one must develop greater
friendship with the Lord than with one's own kith
and kin or other connections. Such intimacy is known
as true devotion or Bhakti. Freedom from the cy-
cle of births and deaths and happiness in the Eter-
nal Abode can be achieved only by such devotion; not
by any other means. If such devotion is to be devel-
oped we should rightly apprehend the Lord's eightfold
5
iscaHed 'Pradhana Vyoma Therefore the description
.
runs-"Pradhana parama vyomno rantara virajanadi"

The Viraja river divides the material sky from the non-
material sky.)
Only those who have got themselves rid of the cau-

sation bodyôf ignorance are eligible to enter the Ay-
5
odhyanagari. Such of the 'Siddias (jivan mnktas or

souls who have reached perfection) who still have the
load of *Linga Sarira' (causation body) enter the may
outskirts of Vaikunthaloka on this side of the Viraja
river and enjoy supreme bliss. But, having sojourned
there for sometime they come back to Satyaloka or the
other divine regions. When the present Brahma takes
a dip in the Viraja river after completing his hundredth
year, the other Siddhas too have the dip and they are
all rid of the causation bodies; it is like snake casting
off its outer skin. Every one of these Jivanmuktas has
seen the Vaikunthaloka. Individual souls who may go
upto Satyaloka on account of their meritorious deeds
have heard of the Vaikunthaloka from the Siddhas or
Jivanmuktas. Of course, Narada Maharsi, roaming
through all the worlds, has full information about the
three Abodes; he has spread the information here on
earth for our benefit.
Taking the typical examples of those who attained

Vaikuntha, Sri Vadirajasvami has said
(1) Toj- you; O fciou, born of tie Kurus

(Pariksit Raja) Only seven days more of thy life span;
Get everything accomplished such that you may gam entrance
into the lord's Abode."
(2) "Tie sagely king named Khatvanga

knowing the limit of his life here,
Having given up all attachment within the short interval of a
muhurta,
He reached the lotus feet of the 'Protector from fear'."
Chapter - II 37
f _ / _
The above texts are from Srimad B-faagavatarn. Sri
Vadirajasvaroi has translated them into Kannada in
the following manner.
"One, who listened to the glory of Sri Hari for seven days,
Did he not lay siege to and win entry into the city of Sri Hari?
Keeping in mind the supreme glory of the Lord for a short
period of two ghatikas (48 minutes)
Did not one leap to the Eternal Abode above?"
When Pariksit Maharaja, who had come under a

curse, learnt that he was to live only for seven days
more, he observed fast during that period and listened
intently to the story of Srimad Bhagavatam from the
mouth of Sri Suka MaharsL Thus he managed to get
into Vaikuntha.
The sage king Khatvanga once helped the gods

in their war and pleased them. They asked him to
seek a boon from them. That king, without asking for
any other boon, requested them to tell him how much
longer he was going to live. When the gods said that he
was to live only for two ghatikas more, he showed his
gratitude to them. At the same time he abandoned all
love and attachment to the things of this world. And,
pleasing Sri Hari by his concentrated devotion, he got

entry into the Abode of Vaikuntha. There are many
more such examples.
Extent of yaiJhmfjhaloJta;
If we bear in mind- the distances from the earth

upto Vaikunthaloka, it will help us to understand the
extent of that loka.
Height of Vaikunthaloka 81250000 Yojanas

"
Gap between Satyaloka and 29850000
Vaikunthaloka
Height of Satyaloka 40625000
Gap 15000000
Height of Tapoloka "
16875000
Gap 15000000
Height of Janaloka 11250000

Gap 15000000
Height of Maharloka 7500000
Gap 12500000
Height of Svargaloka 1300000
Gap 50000
Height of Antariksaloka '
100000
Gap 36000000
Height of Bhuloka (Prom 1000000
the bottom of Meru)
250000000
The Varaha Purana speaks about the extent of
Vaikunthaloka.
"Vaikunthaloka vistaio Yavadanda katahakah;
Astavimsati kotyastu yojananam samantatali."
"Snbhago madhyamastatra purva pascima dldhitau....".
Basing his statements on such sources, Sri Varada

Vyasa Vitthala has given the following description in
his Tattvasara..
"Tie sublime Vaikuntha is the eternal abpde of the rarest gems

It shines with brilliance, there is nothing in this world to equal it;
It is eleven crore, twelve lakh

high including the gap."
The
height is really 11,11,00000 yojanas, not
11,12,00000, (may be printer's -devil) because half of
g d * he height of the Vaikunthaloka make
5in nSn
11,11,00000 yojanas. If we add half of the
gap towards
Vajkunthaloka, then, that loka will be 15,38,25000 vo>-
janas above the earth (nearly 15 i Crore
the mid-point of Brahmanda. yojanas)- from
ff we make a circle to
represenUhe Brahmanda and
cle at a
contemplate another cir-
height of 15fcrore yojanas (drawn to scale),
he diameter of that circle will
be 40 crore yojanas.
quare within the second circle measures
A
28 crore yo-
janas each way. This forms the base
of Vaikunthalokt
Chapter - II 39
And this corresponds with the statements in the

Varahapiirana and Tattvasara of Sri Varada Vyasa
Vitthala.
Purport; The extent of Vaikuiitaloka is upto the shell

of Brahmanda. Everyway it is twenty eight crore yo-
jans. The corners of the square base of that loka do
touch the shell of Brahmanda on four sides.
This %ka' is said to contain residential quarters
decorated with valuable gems. But the gold and gems
used are of super-natural brilliance. Not only this
but, the gold and gems of the inner Sribhaga are
non-material; they are not made of material elements-
sattva, rajas and tamas. In order to please the Lord,
Sridevi herself is there in the forms of different things.
We cannot easily imagine the grandeur of this part of
Vaikuntha. In the words of Sri Vadirajasvami-
"Gem-set golden fortifications seven

For the city ofManmatha's Father;
In their midst, the city called Ayodhya
Looks charming with golden towers. ".
its
"Sridevi herself, in the city of Mura&ara,

In the form of wonderful houses. She shines brilliantly.
Of immobile matter
Are not made the houses there.
Matchless gem-set storeyed homes-
It is beyond my power to describe them

Due to the powerful rays of the gems decorating the doors
Darkness recedes of its own accord."
"Ayut&rkasamaprabham* - thus the Pancaratra-

The city ofAyodhya, where there is no fear,
ft describes very affectionately
any wonder that darkness from that city
9*
Is it is dispelled?
It is proper to conceive that in Vaikuntha there is

an outer fortification of seven parts having slight touch
of the material world and an inner one of seven parts
which is fully non-material. Around the inner fortifi-
cation,^ subsisting in the sweat of the Lord's body, Sri
Laksmidevi flows as the Viraja river. (We should not
forget that the Lord's sweat not different from Herself
and that it is not any impurity shown out of the body.)
In his 'Vaikuntha Varnana Suladi' Sri Abhinava

Janardana Vitthala says-
"0 Lord, from thy body bora, the highest of beings,
Laksmidevi,
Flows around the city ofAyodhya
Making a moat that fully surrounds it.
The seven inner fortifications are peopled with released souls.
When your gate-keepers Jaya and Vyaya supplicated, to the

Outer peerless court you came; then the non-released eligible
souls
Praised your glory, after which to the inner city again.
You returned O Lord, thou art all pervading.
In the Vaikuntha Varnana of Sri Vadirajasvami it

is said-
"Upto the seventh portal binding Maya hdlds sway.

Between this and where the released souls are
And where Sri Hari's private apartment is,
Is the river viraja
surrounding.
Jaya and Vijaya, who kept watch at the seventh portal,

were made to come down to earth; hence,
The mistress of matter causing fear from the time factor, unto
that limit,
Establishes herself and binds the souls.
Into the region of the inner fortification released souls can
go;
Other Eligible perfected souk cannot enter
it;
Therefore Sriman Narayana Himself came
out,
AncJ gladdened Sanaka and the rest."
- II 41
Ciapter
Sri Vyasa Vitthalarya has said-that only the re-

leased souls reside within the seven inner fortifications-
"Within the seven fortifications beautified by the nine kinds of

gems, looking novel for ever,
Those whose bodies are pure consciousness,
The finally Released Brahma and the others, reside for ever,
listen carefully-
Witiin tie reside tie Braimas,
first fortification
ID tie second round are tie Sesas (and Garudas),

In the third, Indras and Kamas for ever,
In the fourth can be seen Surya and the rest,
In the fifth are the Marti ts,
In tie Sixti-Parjanya and tie lite,
Jn tie seven ti fortification are tie sleepless Jayas and Vijayas.
From this itclear that the sleepless (finally liber-

is
ated) Jaya Vijayas are in the inner fortification beyond

the Viraja river, and the unliberated Jaya and Vijaya
are in the seventh outer fortification nearest to, but
outside the Viraja river.
It is said that there are fortyone gates to enter
the palace of Sri Hari in Vaikunthaloka. This number

includes the gates of the seven fortifications of Ayo-
dhyanagari (7x4=28), the gates of the three fortwalls
around Sri Hari's palace (3x4=12) and the entrance to
the palace itself (1) = 28+12+1=41).
The last is known as the upper-gate.

mentioned
It simply means, that Sri Hari's palace is at the high-
est level among the fortifications which are higher and
higher. Only if we construe like this, then the height
of Vaikunthaloka will be 8,12,50,000 yojanas from its
base.
42 The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya,
At each of the gates there are two sentinels who

are all released souls.
Below are given the names of the sentinels at the

5
of the three fortwalls around Sri Hari s palace,
âtes
Sri Ramadevi guards the palace gate and she also keeps
watch at the four gates of the innermost fortwalL At
the gour gates of the middle fortwall the sentinels arc
Mukhya Prana and Bharatidevi v/ith different names
at each of the four gates.
-
East gate Surya and Dayus
South gate - Candra and Dik._
West gate - Vahni and Prthvi
North gate - Indra and Vidyut
Mukhya Prana named Surya is the presiding deity

in the eyes and he is also called 'Prana'. Candra alsc
known as Vyana, presides over the ears. Vahni, alsc
known as Apana, presides over the faculty of speech.,
Indra, also known as Samana, presides over the mind-
all these are
only names of Vayudeva.
At .the four outer gates
(Third fortwall), com-
mencing from the east, the following are the sentinels
respectively-(E) Jaya
and Vijaya, (S) Bala and Pra-
bala, (W) Nanda and Sunanda, (N) Kumuda and Ku-
mudaksa.
Here is something to note and remember. The
guards at the third gate are the released souls-Jaya,
vijaya and the other six. There are, numberless re-
leased souls of these cadres and
they keep watch bj
turns just for the pleasure of
serving the Lord.
But Mukhya Prana and Bharatidevi are not
re-
leased souls. Yet they have permission to cross the
Viraja and enter the palace of Sn Hari whenever thei?
feel like so. Their merits are so
doing high.
In the
Vaikunthaloka, the Srlbhaga, dominated
by Sridevi, is28 crore yojanas in the east west
dizec-
- II 43
Chapter
tion. To its north

the Duigabhaga (bhaga=portion)
is 3
Durga being another form of Sridevi controlling the

principle of darkness^ and to the south of the Sribhaga
is the Bhubhaga dominated by Bhudevi, yet an-
other form of Sridevi controlling the mundane prin-
ciple. We can find details about the three regions in
?
Vyasa Vitthala s Tattvasara which is based on Varaha
Purana.
"Within the two and a half crore Bhubhaga

Know the difference between the portions of the liberated and
the unliberated f
It is certain one crore is the Bhubhaga,
The nectarean lake 'Ara', fifty lakh yojanas,
Its shore is limited to twenty five lakh.
Always the unliberated partake of nectar here-it is material
and destructible.
This 'Ara' lake of nectar fifty lakh,
And shore-limit twenty five lakh,
On the side ofViraja is non-material and indestructible."
In the verses quoted from Tattvasara there is some

room to doubt the measurements given. The verses
seem to indicate that the nectarean lakes, Ara and
Nya, is each one crore yoj anas and the shores of the
'Bhubhaga' and 'Durgabhaga' is each 25 lakhs. The
land at each end is one crore yojanas. When it is said
that half of the lake disappears during 'Mahapraiaya',
5
then, the measurement of the 'Bhubhaga or the

'Durgabhaga' will not come to 2| crores at aH. (and 1
crore +| the lake 50 lakhs + land side shore 25 lakhs
= only one crore, seventy five lakhs.)
The solution is not very difficult to find. Yojana is

taken to mean 6 miles by some and 12 miles by others.
Therefore by doubling the measurements given in the
verses, the correct measurements agreeing with those
in other authoritative texts will be obtained.
In Prazneya Mukt avail sara of Sri Vadir.ajasvami,

the measurements given are 'as follows and the diagram
given is in accordance with it,
Blmbhaga The land of Bhubhaga - 1 crore the
(Where
seven
Shore of Aia lake - 50 lakhs outermost forti-
fications are)
Perishable part of Ara lake - 1 crore = 2^crores
Sri Bhaga Non Perishable part of the - 1 Crore

Ara lake
Sribhaga-Shoreland - 50 Crores
20 Crore north south
Sri Bhaga Shoreland - 50 lakhs
Non-Perishable Nya lake - 1 Crore
Durgabhaga Perishable part of Nya lake - 1 Crore
Shore of Nya lake - 50 lakhs 2

\ Crores
Land on Durgaside (Con- - 1 Crore
taining fortifications)
IV. Differences in the released condition:
Mukti or Released condition is of four kinds-

'Sayujya', 'Salokya', 'Samlpya' and 'Sarupya'. Enter-
ing into one of these, the souls enjoy pleasures accord-
ing to their grades.
"In tie liberated
condition, differences there are;
This is acceptable to all religious sections."
After saying this Sri

Vadirajasvami has described
the special characteristics of each class of
'Muktas'.
"Sayujya, Salokya, Samipya, Sarupya,
Thus there are four kinds in Mukti;
After the- detestable
linga sarira is got rid off,
They glow in particular classes according to merits."
He has also explained the nature of each kind of
*r i
Mukti thus-
"Being in touch with the body of the spouse of Sridevi is the
most desirable Sayujya Mukti"
C&apter-II 45
"The master deities are those who deserve Sayujya Mukti."

The liberated Brahmas and the other deities of
high cadres find positions in the various organs of
Vaikuntha Vasudeva and visualising His superb activ-
ities, they find greater joy than the others.
This fact has also been described in the Brhat

tantra and in BJbavisyottara Purana;-
Adatte Hari hastena Hari drstyaiva pasyati
Gacchecca Hari padena muktasyaisa sthitirbhavet
Tadang&nugrhitaisca svangaireva pravartanam,
Kurvanti bhunjate bhogan tadantarbahireva ca
Muktah prapya varam Visnum tadbhogan lesatah kvacit
Bahisthan bhunjate nityam nanandadin kathamcana
They take with hands, they see with Sri

Sri Hari's
Hari's eyes; they walk with Sri Hari's legs. This state
of behaviour is found in the Sayujyamuktas to a very
large extent giving the 'highest joy. (Other muktas
too
behave similarly but their joy is not so great.) In the
verses quoted, the state of Brahmadeva is mainly de-
scribed as he has a place in all the organs of Sri Hari.
The other predominant deities reside in particular or-
gans (from where they were born during creation) and
they find joy from those organs of Sri Hari. This is not
oneness with the Almighty from whom they are dif-
ferent. They act with their own organs graced by the
organs of Sri Hari.
Also, when it is said that the Sayujyamuktas re-

side in the organs of Sri Hari and enjoy pleasures, it
does not at all mean that they share all the joys which
are of the nature of Sn Hari Himself
orj;hat they
en-
joy pleasures such as being served by Sri Mahalaksmi,

which pleasures are exclusively meant for Him.
"Salokya is dwelling in Sri Hari's lota;
On the outskirts of that loka all round,

111 the milk ocean enjoying pleasures,
It is Sanupya (Mukti) in their case"
48 The Process of Creation in Dasa
For chariot, horse or elephant Himself acting the master and

the driver,
He sports in wonderful ways;
"
And Acyuta acting, the roles of the couples in His devotees.
Merrily enjoys unlimited pleasures
From the above lines it is clear that Sri Hari Him-

the master in the name of the soul and He Himself
self is
takes the roles of the driver, the chariot, the horse or
the elephant. When it is said, 'acting the roles of the
couples', we come
to understand that Sri Hari and Sri
Ramadevi, residing in the liberated couples, enjoy plea-
sures on their behalf and endow them with reflected
pleasures.
Note:- In the case of a mirror the image is virtual; but ,
in the case of a soul the image is real.
Among the liberated souls there are castes; there

are also souls in the forms of
animals, birds, trees,
bushes, herbs and the like. These castes and forms
are of the very nature of the
souls, not acquired by
'Karma' as here an earth. Yet, the lower classes derive
great joy by respecting the higher classes - they don't
feel jealous. The
higher classes do not look down upon
the lower classes; they recognise Lord Sri Hari in them
and treat them with respect. In other words,
they wor-
ship them. The greatest of the spiritual masters, SrF
Vadirajasvami, has said that, to inculcate such spirit
of even-sightedness, Sri Hari as the the
appeared fish,
tortoise and the like.
In his Vaikuntha Varnane Sn

Vadirajasvami has
gjven exquisite description of the pleasures enjoyed by
the liberated souls
"Of the liberated souls in the realm of Sri
Hari,
Their state describing in laudable
terms, are such Vedic
statements-
"All rejoice"
(Sarve nandanti); their purports
I shall describe. Let the
good souls listen.
Chapter - II 49
"The bestower of the food that washes away the sins of the
heart,
Padmanabha, lite the horse of the liberated ones,
Appears dancing before tie eye and gives pleasures readily."
Sri Vadirajasvami says that for his statements

there Vedic evidence. He quotes, "Sarve nandanti
is
yasasa gatena sabha sahena sakhya sakhayau."

/ _
Washing -away the born of ignorance, Sri Hari
sins
shows Himself before the liberated souls in Vaikuntha
and affords them the joy of seeing Him always - Hke
a pretty horse that comes to sight with dancing steps.
Not only that; like the swift horse, He gives them plea-
sures instantly whenever they wish.
The Haridasas have sung thus - "O Lord Ranga, is
happiness to be found in the Home pf the Liberated or

is it in singing Thy glory with devotion?" It amounts
to saying that devotion to God gives happiness of the
highest degree; not so high the pleasures of Vaikuntha.
As the people here worship God with material offerings
and develop devotion, they worship Him in Vaikuntha
with non-material things and feel quite happy.
Devotion itself is identical with happiness there.

"One Brahma chants aloud the Rg Veda, it is true;
Another repeats the musical Gayatri;

With an ecstatic heart reads
Another Brahma the Puranas;
"Another the form of Sri Hari
Retains rapturously in mind and feels happy;
Another Brahma the Soma juice (non-material)
Offers to Badmanabha through Agni;
Another Brahma offers worship;
All the Gods in this manner
> _
Are there in Sri flari's care.

"In this way, countless Brahmas and others in Vaiiuntha
Exist separately from each other-thus
The Vedic mantras praise; therefore
How can one fully describe the glory of the spouse ofSridevi?"
(Vaikuntha Varnane ofSnV.R.)
Reciting the Vedas, Worshipping the forms of the

Lord, offering sacrifices-all such acts in Vaikunthaloka
bring the souls into more and more intimate touch with
the graceful ways of the Supreme Lord, which in turn
makes them more and more elated, of course, within
each one's limits. Every act is in the service of the
Lord.
In the Abode of Sri Hari the liberated male and

female souls not only feel happy by worshipping the
Lord in various ways, but they also enjoy a variety of
pleasures in each other's company.
"It is the behest of the Lord ofSridevi in these Eternal Abodes
Concerning the liberated dwellers-
Sloth, hunger, thirst, ravages of time or Karma - such
Discomforts never affect them.
They enjoy divine happiness by way of sport,
They sing divine songs,
They smear their bodies with divine scents,
They are all divine men and women;
Luminous males and females
With non-material bodies, they are
Full of love, sometimes they unite
And delight themselves in various ways."
Men of this world generally eat to fill their stom-

achs; they dress .themselves nicely to show off before
others; and they mate for carnal pleasure. By such.
ways they commit sins and increase the ties of mate-
rial
bondage.^
But the knowers of truth dedicate all
their acts to Sri Hari; the
and, freeing themselves from
restraints of Karma, become
finally liberated.
While in bondage, people desire for

mating indis-
criminately, being a prey to the lustful mind. The lib-
erated ones are free from such mental distortions.
mate with their true companions
They
out of
only love*pure
Chapter -II 51
"Riding in well-famished divine planes of wondrous Jdhds,

They are engaged in Cupid's game;
They never swerve from tie righteous path; *'-
JFVee from lawlessness are their natures.

'
d
Lite males and females on *painted canvas,
' '*"'" -
7
/
For none of the liberated souls, to another's partner /
'
The mind flies; each one with his own ^

<t*
Wife engages in the sport of love." ,>-"'"
To those who doubt the possibility of such purity

of mind, Sri Vadiraja svami gives the answer-
"When sons see the beauty of their mother's form,
Do they abandon the lawful course?
When a father looJcs upon the daughter's budding youth,
Does he feel the pricks of lustful mind?
Seeing the beauty of a sister, the minds of brothers,

Do they incline to sinful mischief?
If such be the natural course for those in Kali's grip,
How can treacherous inclinations touch the liberated souls?"
/ _
SriPurandara Dasarya has given, us the cream of

truth in the following verse-
"Abandoning the feeling of 'I* and mixing in the company of
the wise Jcnowers, if one does not feel within himself that what-
ever happens is only willed by the Almighty, all that he does
in the name of detachment is merely pretension for the sake qf
the belly."
/ __
Sri the other great knowers, m

Vyasa Vitthala, like
has prayed to Sri Hari, "O, Panduraiiga, give me the
knowledge tiat every act of mine is only Thy worship."
Such performance of deeds with full detachment,
helps the soul to realize the Original Doer (Bimba) re-
siding in his heart. It should be clearly understood
that we are fully dependent and it îs Sri Hari who
does everything and makes us feel that we are the do-
ers. Such knowledge must become firmly rooted in the
mind. Barring such remembrance there is no other
way for liberation. SriVijaya Dasarya has expressed
this truth in definite terms-
"There is no other spiritual practice which excels the feeling

of utter dependence on the will of the Lord."
putting into practice this excellent maxim, the

By
recognition of the Original Doer (Bimba) within one's
own self becomes a permanent habit. In the Abode
of Eternal Happiness one always remembers that all
the acts of worship and acts of enjoyment are only the
doings of Sri Hari and Sri Hari in Ramadevi with His
female form. When one enjoys pleasures with one's own
established partner in Mukti, joy swells by recognising
the Original Doer; this increases devotion to the Lord
and increased devotion enhances joy. This is the secret
of true happiness.
"Like the mother caressing her child
With happiness welling up in her heart,
There is Multi, if the devotional mind swells,
Surely the ocean of happiness begins to heave."
-(Vsdkuntha Varnana of Sri V.R.)
The liberated souls desire devotion to the Supreme
Lord; but the Lord of Vaikuntha makes them go
through pleasures- Such is the import of Vedic state-
ments. Sri Vadirajaswami says that we should rightly
understand and reconcile both the aspects-
"Ever and motiveless is Sri Acyuta;
self-satisfied
The liberated souk get their wishes always fulfilled.
On one hand their sports, on the other the Vedic words,
He who does not misinterpret is truly wise."
In this world to secure accessories of
it is difficult
happiness; and when secured, they are used up, It

if
is very difficult to
replace them. It is not so in the
Vaikunthalbka.
"Yielding the paraphernalia for the enjoyment of liberated
souls,
Providing every time when wished for,
There are wondrous non-material trees, imperishable,
Around the Vaiiunthaloia they glitter everywhere;
Their changeless fruits afford happiness
And again stay bade in their original places."
- II 53
Ciapter
The fruit-yielding trees of Vaikuntha are not born

of material principles; Sri Mahalaksmi herself is in such
forms; The fruits appear again in their original places
after being used by the muktas. One need not wonder
how this may be possible. Whenthe Almighty Lord
can invest such powers in material things, what to say
of non-material objects!
"Tiis is not strange; iaving iis body cut and made into a disi
By boiling, after feeding tie brahmanas,
The clever Vatapi, when bis brother called iim,
Would come out as before -This we know."
The story alluded to is this-Two demon brothers,

Ilvala and Vatapi, used to put on the guise of saints
and invite way-faring brahmanas to dinner. The elder
brother Ilvala would convert the body of Vatapi, the
younger into foodstuffs and would cook food for the
brahmins and serve them with it. When a brahmana
had partaken of the food and sat to rest, Ilvala would
call out, "Rise Vatapi^ and come hither." The lat-
ter would emerge tearing asunder the belly of the
brahmana. Then both the demon brothers would
cook the flesh of the brahmana and enjoy the repast.
When the same kind of welcome was accorded to Sage
Agastya, he saw through the guile and, with his yo-
gic powers, said^ "Vatapi, be digested." His fate
was sealed* When the demon Vatapi had such pow-
ers, what to say of the wonderful qualities of the ob-
Vaikimthaloka which are not different from
jects in Sri
Mahalaksmi!
/ _
Another wonder about Vaikunthaloka is this. Sri
flari's Mansion hall in Vaikuntha affords accommoda-
tion to those who have already been liberated in the
countless previous Kalpas and to those who are going
to be liberated in the future Kalpas.
"Of those that enter the auditorium of Sri Hari's palace
Of the hosts ofBrahmas there is no counting;
Surging like waves - Garudas, Ihdras, Candras and
The other deities Swarming - I cannot describe.
How there can be accommodation for so many in

the palace of Sri Hari in Vaikunthaloka, which is only
located within the Brahmanda. Sri Vadiraja svami an-
swers by giving an anology.
"The stomach of tiny sage, for all the ocean waters
Afforded place; when thus it is said, The Almighty Lord's
Own palace hall, for all those that enter-
79
The liberated souls - does it not give room?
If is reputed to have drunk all the waters

Jahnursi
of theGanga and to have let it out of his ear, sage
Agastya took at one gulp all the waters of the ocean.
/
The glories of Sri Hari are infinite and jrery very

sublime and evergreen. Mother Mahalaksmi, who al-
ways keeps company with Him in space and Time and
sees His wonderful presence and activities in the in-
numerable Brahmandas, is still unable to guage His
greatness. What can be said of others?
In ffarijtafiiamrtasara Sri Jagannatha Dasarya

says-
"Just like a boat that whirls aimlessly being tossed upon the
turbulent waters of the Tralaya' period, Sri Mahalaksmi
stands perplexed, unable to understand the forms and qualities
of Her Lord in spite of much contemplation. How can ordinary
79
follcs understand His glories?
The Tuspaka' plane described in JRamayana, it is

said, was accommodating any number of persons and
was leaving place for still one more. If that material
object had such powers, can there be any limitation to
Sri Hari's glories? He, who finds Himself in the smallest
particle and dwells in the biggest object, can also put
a very big thing into the smallest a
space. He can sink
feather and make a heavy block of stone to float. He
is
Almighty.
*
Sri Hari provides different kinds of

pleasures for
the liberated ones. There are two lakes of nectar, *Nya'
- II 55
Chapter
and *Ara', to the north and to the south of Sribhaga

respectively. The rauktas partake of this nectar and
enjoy the drink. There is a peepul tree out of which
proceed streams of another kind of nectar. The muktas
gladly drink it. If we read such descriptions we come to
understand the variety of ways in which Sri Hari pro-
vides happiness to His brood by showing His gracious
presence in every one of them. We should therefore un-
derstand that all things in Vaikuntha loka are identical
with Sri Hari in Laksroidevi; and, enjoyment of, plea-
sures there means the joyful role played by that Loving
Lord in the heart of each liberated sould.
VI. Tie Splendour of VaiJriintia in tie words of
Purandara Dasarya
In just one poem Sri Purandara Dasarya has sung

of the splendour of Sri HarPs township, its eternal na-
ture, the beauty of the happiness available there, and
the easiest way to gain access to it.
Burden of the Song:

"Search whereever you will in the Brahmanda, our township
is the best;
The spouse of Ramadevi ever dwells there

With smiling grace.
The Song:
1. Tiere, no birth or death; no difficulty in obtaining food;
No tie of brother or son is there,
No room for doubting others? sincerity.
2. No sleep, nor sickness, nor other ailments,
There is no one who is vile,
He who rests upon the ocean knows all.
3. If in the company of devotees one makes efforts to secure
'Moksa',
Madiava, who bears the name Purandara Vitthalaraya,
Gives him hearty welcome, I Jcnow."
To Purandara Dasarya, the incarnation of Naradu

Brahma's Vaikuntha is the
Maharsi, born of mind,
native township. In this song the devotee saint has
shown the difference between the living conditions in
this world and in that eternal Abode. And he has
proclaimed that one can make fruitful efforts in the
company of Haridasas and thus gain the loving care of
Purandara Vitthala.
VII. TJie Sublimity of Vaikuntha in the words of

Gfopala Dasarya:
'SuladT of Gopala Dasarya:-

Tiey dwell in the realm ofMukti for ever,
And, having been freed from the impediment of'Linga SariraV
They move and act truly with non-material bodies
With visible forms, well adorned with ornaments all over,
Fine clothes, garlands they wear and smear their bodies with
divine scents,
Holding up the conch shells and the discs,
Always eiyoying, enjoying;
None of tiese are different from their native selves, but iden-
tical;
There is notiing transitory anywiere tiere."
The 'muktas'j who get rid of their causation bod-
ies by bathing in the Viraja river, will never again be
bothered by such stumbling blocks. Although they ex-
ist with bodies of pure consciousness,
they have fine
forms consisting of head, hands, legs and so on.
They are always happy wearing nic<e clothes and or-

naments and adorned with sweet-smelling scents and
garlands. The ornaments, dresses and the like that
they wear are not different from their spiritual selves.
In this respect they are similar to the Supreme
Being; but the similarity is very very minute. They
have neither the fullness nor the independent volition
that is characterestic of the Master. By virtue of the
property known as 'Visesa', Sn Hari can perform any
Chapter -II 57
act by any one of His limbs; the dependent soul has no

such powers.
The conch shells and the discs in their hands show
the minute similarity between the individual souls and
the Master Soul.
"Every one is chaste in mind, they have no fickleness, no jeal-

ousy,
*
No indecision, no dullness of mind.
Even the untainted souls who are eligible for

'mukti*, are subject to impurities of mind and intel-
lect while in this world; they experience such sinful
shadows on account- of the 'Karmas* arising from the
causation bodies. After release there is no place for
any such blemish even temporarily. All the Muktas
are clean-minded and serene. In ^hat is known as
JVarasimhanaiiastuti composed by Sri Madhvacarya,
this condition is nicely summarised in a terse phrase-
"Pradivasfa dhvanta santa pravitata manasa (with
blooming peaceful minds shorn of ignorance)
Some have female partners, some others have not.

They are ever joyful, desiring naught;
Those with mates sport with their own wives
Always, never swerving from the right path;
And those without wives derive marital pleasure
Within their own conscious selves,
But there is no seminal spurt,
Those 'mulrtas* still experience joy;
SriGopala Vitthala provides them such joy in their souls,
He, the Supreme Personality, the true Actor in every soul.
Among the released souls many have partners who

are truly their wives. Some, like the Sanaka brothers,
have no wives at all. When they come down to earth
for getting rid of their 'Karmas', they may take wives;
not so in 'mukti'. Example:- Narada Maharsi, always
a brahmacari, had his wife when he was born as Pu-
randara Dasarya.
The 'mukta' couples harbour no wrong feelings

about other couples; they find joy with their insep-
Durable partners. Those without wives can experi-
ence mating joy in their own spiritual minds. Sri
Gopalavitthala, the original actor in every soul, pro-

vides them with such joy*
There is no pinch of hunger, yet they eat fruits;
The joy of eating is felt in their souls.

They have no desire to drink nectar or eat fruits;
Yet those objects reach them where they are.
Appetite, thirst, sleep and all, by the ten organs
Expressed, all are joyful experiences.
The 'muktas' dp partake of sweet juices and fruits,

but not due to hunger. They experience innate spir-
itual joy by such acts. They don't ask for drinks or
eatables; but the free souls in Vaikuntha bring drinks
and eatables to those with human forms. Whenever
such statements are made, we should keep in mind the
roles played by Mahalaksmi and Sriman Narayana in
every case. Eating, drinking, resting and every other
act done by the sensory organs and the motor organs
(all Spiritual!) axe only expressions of native joy.
With Spiritual selves they thus enjoy;

Also, they sport talcing up the pure Sattva element,
And as that stuff is entirely different from them
They find pleasures taiing different forms,
Elephant, iorse, many other objects and vehicles,
Into these they change themselves in wonderful ways.
Formerly it was said that the 'muktas experience

1
allkinds of joy with their spiritual selves. Now we

are told t Jiat they also derive joy
by making use of
the pure Sattva element. (Of course this kind of
sport
usingUnmixed Sattva element is in the 'Snbhaga of
Vaikunthaloka outside the Viraja river.)
Further it is said, what is still more wonderful.

Ciapter-II 59
The higher souls with fractional parts,

At the same time with tiose parts,
Tiey use the Sattva elements and at pleasure
eight, ten, twenty, hundred, thousand personal forms
They assume and tate the shapes of white-umbrellas, fans, all
Ornaments, fruits, flowers, scents, garlands,

And becoming many a vehicle they carry those
Who are their superiors and thus they sport;
Serving thus the Supreme Lord,
Again they get back into the original selves,
No hard effort, every thing easy,
It is liie lighting one lamp from "another,
Likewise they create Sattvic materials.
Hear now aboil t the fraction-less souls;
At a time they tate just one form
And thus serve Sri Hari the giver ofjoy.
- the fractionable and
Spirit souls are of two kinds
the fractionless. Those, of fractionable parts can take
different forms at one and the same time and bring the
fractioned parts together again. Even like the Supreme
Self who is full in the smallest and the biggest, the frac-
tionable souls have fullness according to each one's abil-
- there is no difference between one fractional
ity part
and the other. The experienc gained by each fractional
part reaches every other part. Keeping this explanation
in mind, it will be profitable to admire the ability of
Vayudeva (Mukhya Prana) who is the highest among
all the activities in
living souls, whx> is responsible for
the universe, and who performs 'Svasa Japa' (the act
inspiration and expiration offered as

of service to the
Supreme Being)in the four bodies of every living soul.
The fractionless souls can assume one new form at
a time befitting their species. But the souls of higher
too. Serv-
grades can assume forms of the lower species
within one's
ing others in 'Mukti' affords higher joy
limitations, because those who serve as
well as those
who are served consider it all as service rendered to the
Supreme personality, the source of all joy. In the
ex-
ample of one lamp lighting another, SriGopala Dasarya

has in view the wick lamps. Lighting one wick from
another Burning wick suggests the use of the Sattvic
material in taking different forms.
For the muktas who are fully blessed by Sri Bari,

taking different forms presents no difficulty; it is easy
like sport.
God's creative and other powers to the Souls

Are always clinging fast, ceaselessly;
Aiding expression of The Soul's abilities in creation;
Not forsating the soul at any time, thus indwelling
Is to tate care affectionately;
When the worlds undergo final dissolution all the released and
unreleased
Keeping in the womb in the act of destruction;
Helping the souls to act by their Spiritual Selves in 'MuitP

Is Bis power of ordering things;
The soul in Muiti, not losing self-identification
Is due to the Lord's gift of such Jbiowledge;
A soul not Jrnowing well the abilities of those higher than him-
self,
Is due to the innate ignorance maintained in the soul by the
master;
Keeping Souls within bounds so as to be unable to reap undue
joy
By means of the Lord's Will-Covering' is the imposing of
bondage;
Not giving birth in the world again thus freeing from material
bondage is the gift of 'Moisa'.
By these powers, the joys of the released souls
Sri Hari gives expression to in full.
Sri Hari's Almightiness is obvious in

eight ways
in this world - He creates, takes care of, destroys, or-
dains, gives knowledge, imposes ignorance, keeps souls
in bondage and frees them from such
bondage; (These
so by the technical phrase "Srstya di Asta Kartrtva" -
fl)
Srsti (2) Sthiti,
(3) Laya (4) NiyanLLna~(5) Jnana
(6) Ajnana (7) Bandha and (8) Moksa). How these
- II 61
Chapter
eight powers still hold good even in the Mukti State is
explained in the above verses.
Giving opportunity to find expression of the Soul's

innate abilities is like creation. The Supreme Self abid-
ing in the individual self is the same as taking care of
keeping even the released souls within His belly after
the final dissolution of the worlds is like the work of de-
struction. The souls act with their own limbs in mukti,
while it was not so during the course of training in the
world. Helping to act with the spiritual limbs is the
power of ordaining. The soul never forgets his real self
in mukti. That is due to the knowledge of self en-
dowed by the Master Self. Yet a Soul does not know
everything about the higher souls. That is due to the
Lord keeping the soul in ignorance of things beyond
his reach. No doubt, the released soul is all joy; but it
is limited to his capacity to enjoy. Such is God's will
holding the soul withiil limits. This is like keeping one

in bondage. The released soul is never again born in
our world; he is ever free by the grace of Sri Hari. This
granting mukti in reality.
is like
Sri Gopala Dasarya concludes the poem saying.
"The sporting of the muktas is wonderful, ever more wonderful,

Who knows but Gopala, Vitthala, the bestower of MuJcti,",
It means, words to describe all the glories of

fail
the pleasures enjoyed by the muktas; they are beyond
human comprehension.
VIZI. Brilliant description of Vaikuntha by

Sri Jagaimatia Dasarya:
In one of his songs Sri Jagannatha Dasarya has

given a brillaint description of Vaikuntha such that
a clear enough picture is formed in the minds of the
readers-
5
62 The Process of Creation in Dasa Safaitya
Burden of the Song:

1. How fine is Sri Vadkuntha, how fine!
How fine is the realm of Valkuntha! there.
Is spread the effulgence from the body of Manmatha's Father;

its
Interior is all ornamental gold. Its lustre
Has put to shame the rays of the rising sun.
2. In the midst of tie Milk Ocean Seven forts; inside
Are seven others to cross; drummers and
Pipers together three crore; His name
Their leaders loudly proclaim; and Jo,
There are devoted sages, Gandharvas and YaJcsas;
Also the qualified but unliberated devotees (Jivan Muktas) are
there in the land of Sri Bari.
(Jlvanmuktas come to the outskirts of Ayo-

dhyanagari beyond the Viraja river.)
3. It is the city of golden fortifications; there
Look at the beautified streets; everywhere
Wish-granting cows and trees; it is the Abode
Of the happiest state of life; and O!
The Vedas and Upanisads declare it as SriHari Himself.
That city where the great muktas have gathered.
4. In the outer areas around are devotee sages like Sanaka; divine
Dancing and sounds of music every where; there
You find showers of flowers, champaJc and jasmine; and there
The quarters of -the eight queens of the Lord, O!
The never-separated queen Sridevi serves, massaging His feet;
such is the palace of the Lord of Laksmi.
5. The dazzling doors are super-fine; there,

more brilliant is the court haJJ, pearl
Still
Pendants hanging heavily in rows, look!

At the centre of the 'mantap' bedecied with lustrous jewels ,
There is seated Jagannatjia VitthaJa, the prettiest of all.
In between the two nectarean lakes 'Ara' and

'Nya', there are seven fortifications within the bounds
of the Viraja river, surrounding the city of Ayodhya,
It is lighted by the brilliance emanating from the body
- II 63
Chapter
of Sri Hari, excelling the effulgence of crores of suns.

The Brahmas and other muktas sing His glory with
divine musical accompaniments. Everywhere in that
city are cows and trees yielding whatever is wished for.
Describing the beauty of the realm of Sri Hari, whose
tender feet excel the tender palms of Sri devi, is beyond
the scope of mind and words.
In this way, all the sagely devotees have praised
the solemnity of Sri Hari's kingdom, each in his own
special way, and have let down streams of their feelings
in songs of praise to distribute joy to the listeners.
Many of the South Indian temples are so built as

to put a model of Sri Vaikuntha before us. The most
famous temple of Sri Ranganatha in the south, sur-
roun^led by the two branches of the Cauvery river, has
seven fortifications and is like the replica of Vaikuntha;
the Cauvery river is in place of the Viraja river. In fact,
at Sriranga Pattana, near Mysore, that river goes by
the name Viraja.
By listening to such descriptions of Vaikuntha, our

minds become purified by divine knowledge, devotion
develops and Sri Hari's Grace will be showered upon
us.
Sri Vadirajasvami has, in his Vaikuntha Varnana,

recounted the beneficial effects of hearing the tale of
Vaikuntha thus-
The story of the province of Vaikuntha,
Those that hear with undivided attention,
They are taken care of by the consort of Sridevi;
Thus ends the first canto of this epic.
* * *
- III
Chapter
<MAHA PRALAYA 9
(Final Dissolution)
I What is Praiaya?
Tralaya' or dissolution does not mean merely d

stroying. Itmeans destroying material bodies and co
lecting the fruits of actions performed by means <
those bodies.
Dissolution is of two kinds-

5
'Dina Praiaya and 'Maha Praiaya'. Dissolutic
at the end of, each of Brahma' s day is 'Dina Praiaya
Dissolution when Brahma's one hundred years are con
pleted is 'Maha Praiaya'. In addition there are inte:
mediary Tralayas' at the end of each yuga and at tl
end of each 'Manu Kalpa'.
Visible effects of dissolution take at tl
place
end of each Kaliyuga and also at the end of eac
Manu Kalpa and at the end of Brahma's day. Aft<
each Manu Kalpa, the entire earth is covered
by w
ter and, at the end of Brahma's
day, all the work
except Satyaloka will be immersed. At the time <
Maha Praiaya or Final Destruction, Satyaloka too wi

be dissolved; not only
that, even the golden she
(Brahmanda) and the nine outer envelopes of matt*
will also be dissolved to
get back into the original stal
of matter (Mula
Prakrti).
Creation,maintenance and dissolution

(Srst
Sthiti,Laya) have followed one another from begii
mngless time and they continue to foUow endless!^
- III 5
Chapter
Therefore, will be profitable to know about dissolu-

it
tion beforewe begin to learn about Creation, because

Creation means giving shapes to things which are al-
ready existing.
In this context what Sri Krsna has said in the
Bhag&vad Gita about creation, maintenance and dis-
solution is worth remembering-
Sahasrayuga paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh,
Ratrim yugasahasramtam te'ho ratra vidojanah
Avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah prabhavaiifcyaharagame,
Ratryagame pratiyante tatraivavyakta sanynake.
Bhuta gramah sa evayam bhutva bhutva praliyate,
Ratryagame Vasaia Partha prabhavatyaharagame.
Paras tasmattu bhavo, nyo vyaito vyaktat sanafcanah,
Yah sa sarvesu bhufcesu nasyatsn na vmasyatL
Purport: Brahma's day is counted by the rolling of

the four yugas one thousand times, and the rolling of
one thousand such mahayugas is counted as his night.
Those who understand this phenomenon are those who
know the meaning of day and night. By these words of
Sri Krsna we should take into consideration all types
of days and nights. One day and one night for hu-
man beings is of twentyfour hours duration; for the
Titrdevas*, the waxing and the waning periods of the
moon together make one day. The periods of the north-
ern course of the sun (Uttarayana) and the southern
course (Daksinayana) make the day and the night for
the divine world. Brahma's day and night, of course,
comprise of two thousand Maha yugas. And, the day
and night of Para Brahma are equal to twice the life
period of Caturmukha Brahma.
During Para Brahma's day, all that appears in
this universe is manifested or created out of primeval
matter and during His night everything dissolves and
gets back into that original matter which is termed
'Avyakta'. This same aggregate of matter that we see
manifested during creation is born again and again and
goes back to its original during the period of dissolution
without any effort on its part. It comes into existence

again. He who is entirely different from material na-
ture, He who exists before every other created being
and He who is free from births and deaths in the world
of births and deaths. He is the Supreme Being.
The word 'Bhuta' means non-

in the text
living as well as
living things. As endorse by
the statement, "Eko visnur mahad bhutam prthag
the word 'Bhuta applies to
5
bhutanyanekasah.,..."
living beings too; the Supreme Lord Visnu
is called
4
Mahabhuta\
When we givejhe meanings of the stanzas quoted
from Biagavadf Gita, we should refer to the days and
the
nights of Para Brahma only. It is because, during
of Caturmukha Brahma, the created things find
night
location within the Brahmanda itself; they do not get
back into the primeval matter by dissolution.
The very same ideas expressed by Gitacarya
we shall see more vividly in the words of the
now
Haridasas.
II Tie Process of Dissolution:
In one of his 'suladis', Sri Vijaya Dasarya has given

a brief description of 'Pralaya' thus-
"With the name 'Sunya (zero) 'SriHari upon the banyan leaf,
Like a small child, the Lord of the Brahmanda,
Within the fond embrace of the gem of womankind, Sridevi,
Of his own accord He lay down.
When Brahma was completing his hundred years, .
When still twelve years and a half remained,

He looked like furious and began the wild dance;
Hiranyagarbha, and the rest, without sparing,
Throwing balk of fire from His eyes, those
That had come into existence swallowing, wearing the materi-
alsof their bodies as ornaments,
Making the universe cleared of creatures and things,
The God qf great glory, the mainstay of the Vedas,
- III 67
Chapter
Without injustice to anybody, creation, maintenance and de-

struction
He going through in a systematic way;
is
Keeps the innumerable souls within Himself;

One with smaller than the smallest forms, Vijayavjfchalaraya,
If one sincerely praises, tohim He graciously shows His form;
During the period of Maha Pralaya, Sri Hari is

called Sunya', because He
4
is non-existent in the eyes
of the souls in general. Also, 'Sam' means evil propen-
sities; Una means removing them* Sri Hari is the de-
stroyer of evils. For this reason also He is called Sunta'
- He has
put an end to the sins of the liberated souls.
s .
Hari upon tie banyan leaf

"Sri in a
systematic way." This part of the Suladi must be con-
sidered as denoting the ending of a creation as well as
the beginning of a creation. It is the child form of Sri
Krsna lying on the banyan leaf that is the root cause
of creation, maintenance and annihilation. From Him
come out the Vasudeva form, the Narayana form and
the rest at the beginning of .creation. Into Him all the
things are gathered up by the act of annihilation.
Therefore the lines
"When Brahma was completing their
bodies -as ornaments" must be interpreted first and the
rest of the lines from beginning to end must be tagged
on to them afterwards.
When the period of creation and maintenance
nears the end, i.e., when the present Brahma is com-
pleting eighty seven and a half years, when still twelve
and a half years remain to complete one hundred years,
the Lord of the Sankarsana form, which is adored by
Rudradeva, pretends fury and begins to dance in a
tremendously wild manner. This kind of dance affords
great joy to souls like Brahma and his brood, while
it brings painful restlessness to others. The Lord's af-
fected anger is meant for the second order of souls.
With the wildest wjnd and the hottest fire and tremen-
dous down-pour, Sri Hari destroys everything in the
universe. At the time of the destructive dance (Pralaya
Tandava), He takes up the remnants of the bodies of
Brahma, Rudra and the like and wears them like orna-
ments. With His touch everything becomes beautiful,
This Almighty Lord, even as the Vedic hymns

glorify His unerring decision, assigns different eternal
abodes to different kinds of souls according to their
varying natures. Since He gives due credit to the na-
tive inclinations of souls there is no room for any kind
of injustice in His Intent'
(Samkalpa).
TEXT
Vaikuntha Varnana of Sn Vadirajasvami-
Naste loke dviparardhavasane
Mahabhuteshvadhi bhutam gatesu
Vyakte (a) vyaktam Kalavegena mte
Bhavanekah sisyaste (a) sesa saunjah.
(When the two parardhas - halves of Brahma's

lifespan come to the close, when the grosser elements
-
get mixed up with the higher subtler elements, when

all that had been manifested
dissolves into the origi-
nal
matter,^
O Lord, only, you remain with the name
'Asesa' or
'Sunya')
TEXT
Suladi of Sri Gum Purandara Vitthala:
Brahma's twelve years and a half
remaining,
When morning commences, by the destructive
process of a
hundred human years.
All the creatures meet death by drought
When the sun shines with unlimited
rigour for a hundred years,
When from the mouth ofSesadcva in
Patalaloka
The fire called <Samvrte' comes out and burns all things,
When raging wind blows for a hundred years.
When the 'Samvarta* cloud
brings heavy down-pour for a hun-
dred years.
- III 69
Ciapter
And everything is dissolved by tlie showers as thick as an ele-
phant's trunk,
The supporter of all things and souls, Guru Purandara
VittiaJa,
Thou art the bedrock truly supporting all; this is about Maha
Pralaya.
The process of Pralaya described here is in the

following manner. At first all living creatures meet
tlieir end when no rain falls for a hundred human years.
After the draught, the sun shines with virulent rays
spreading intense heat for a hundred years.
At the same time, Sesadeva, who supports all the

"Worlds, sends forth the fierce fire called 'Samvarta' from
liis mouth and burns down everything to ashes. After
tliat, a tempest rages for a hundred years and disturbs
tlie ashes in such a way that they get readily dissolved
In water. For another hundred years there is a tremen-
dous down pour from the cloud named 'Samvarta'. By
all these processes the fourteen lokas merge into the
"waters.
What expired so far, took four hundred human

years. was only destruction of things within the
It
Brahmanda. How the outer envelopes were dissolved
is explained by Sri Guru Purandara Vitthalarya
Water for earti, fire for water,

Wind for fire and the sky for air,
For sky in the form of sensory and motor organs
The mind with the presiding deities of its three aspects-
Vaikarika, Taijasa and Tamasa;
The mind principle is taken up into
The Mahat tattva which has thirteen parts,
Twelve of Rajas, and in ten parts ofSattva,
One 'Rajas in Rajas',
One 'Rajas in Tamas\
And one Tamas are intermixed;
70 The Process of Creation in Dasa Saliitya
The threemodes are in Sri Ban's breast

In the unmixed state (samya); coming out and becoming
Mahat tattva.
mixed state (Visama); thus Sri Guru Purandara
Is the Vitthala
creates.
As the creation of the universe proceeded, so it

must recede at the end by the reverse process. This
process of reversion takes place during the twelve years
and a half of Brahma's old age-the ten envelopes of the
universe slowly get back into each other.
Earth merges into water, water into fire, fire into

air and air into the sky. The five gross elements in air
get back into their subtle counter-parts (tanmatras).

The tanmatras enter into the principles of the ten sen-
%
sory and motor organs, the ten principles enter the

Manas and the Manas enters the Mahattattva. Ma-
hat tattva consists of thirteen parts - ten parts of
Sattva, one Tamas, one Rajas + Rajas and one Rajas
+ Tamasa. When this mixed state is lost and the three
modes of matter remain distinctly without animation,
/
they are lodged in the breast of Sri Hari under the su-
pervision of Sri Maya devi, with the name 'Avyakta'.
Bringing back to the inactive state is knowji as pralaya.
Mixing them up and putting into the active state is cre-
ation. He who goes through the acts of creation and
annihilation is Guru Purandara Vit'thala.
Using inanimate matter and creating the Universe

is forthe emancipation of souls. By the reverse process
of taking the created things to the original state of
matter, the souls also get back to their original home
in the womb of Sri Hari by the upward reverse process.
It is thus-
- III 71
Chapter
"Souls of lesser abilities merge into those of greater abilities,

To tie deities - To Kubera and Ganapati, Varuna;
Candra (Moon) to Varuna, Aniruddha to Candra,
Kama to Aniruddha, Sanaka and the like;
Varuni for Kama and Sesa to Varnni
This is the course of Sesa.
For the.rest of the deities, Agni; to Agni, the Sun,

To the Sun, the 'Sky'; to the. deity of Earth, Guru (Brhaspati);
The best of the human kind, all the pitrs,
To Nirrti Yama; to Yama and some of tie Man us
Priyavrata; to him Svayambhu\ a; to Bhrgu and others Daksa;
r
To Svayambhuva, Daksa, Guru and the Maruts - Indra;

Sauparni to Indra, Garuda to Sauparni
-
Tiis is Garuda marga.
To Garuda and Sesa, Vani (Sarasvati),
The four-faced Brahma to Vani,
To him, the Brahma called Purusa,
to iim tie Braima called 'Kala*
To Purusa Brahma, Sridevi; and to Sridevi
Being very close to Acyuta is called 'laya'."
Just as the grosser material manifestations get

back into the subtler and subtler ones the original state
of 'Avyakta', so too souls of the living beings merge
into souls of higher abilities. Ultimately they enter the
womb of Sri Hari. The Process of laya described hith-
erto is detailed in the following chart-
III. Garuda Marga; Sesa Marga;
During Pralaya, the souls get into the forms of

those from whom they were born, and enter the belly
of Sri Hari through the 'Garuda Marga' or the 'Sesa
Marga'. (Marga means path.) What is described here
is about those who are eligible for 'Mukti', the Abode
of eternal happiness.
'Sesa Marga*
'Garuda Marga 5
The souls entering into Indra deva from four dif-

ferent channels,
get into Brahma deva through Garuda
deva. Along with Brahma
they enter into Laksmidevi
and then into Sri HarPs
belly.
The best of thehuman beings into Nirruti
Nirruti^ (along with Pitrdevas,
Karmajadevas and Manus) into Yama dharma
Yamadharma into Svayambhuva
Svayambhuva Manu and
Satarupadevi into Indra
II. The 49 Maxuts (wind led
gods)
by Ahamkarika Prana ,
into Indra deva
Chapter - III 73
HI. Gasppati, Mrtyu group

(deities of death), the Rbhus
and sons of Agni (Fire God) into Agni
Agni into Aditya (Sun God)
Aditya into BrhaspatyScSrya
Brhaspatyacarya into Indradeva
IV. One hundred crore rsis-less into Daksa Prajesvara
one hundred, the Seven rsis
such as Marici, Bhrgu Maharsi,
Narada Mahaxsi
Daksa Prajesvara into Indradeva
Indradeva fc Sacidevi into Sauparnidevi
Sauparnidevi -and the eight
queens of Sri Krsna into Garudadeva
Garudadeva into SarasvatldevI
and thus enter Sri
Hari's
belly through Brah-
madeva _ and
Laksmidevi.
IV. Tie Lord's Banquet during Dissolution:
Commencing from the annihilation of the very

gross elements, how aU the elements
are finally merged
into the unknowable material cause is thus
original
beautifully described by Sri Vadirajasvami-
"The juices of salt, sugarcane, wine, ghee, curd and milk

Putting together, in the golden egg (Brahmanda or Haimanda)
Forming the nice boiling pot and cooking.
Eagerly, one morsel after another,
"Opening the mouth of the Universal body
He began to swallow.
Tie wind-god, at sight of his father consuming eagerly,
He fanned as not to make Him sweat.
"For drinking water, the sweet water ocean
He took and had the ritual gulp.
That all these may be digested, the golden pot
He converted into medicated ash and swallowed it too."
annihilation of the five gross elements is thus

The
described metaphorically, in a sense. The Supreme Per-
sonality has no material body at all; but, it is only He
who motivates the acts of annihilation by His omni-
scient, omnipotent, omnipresent form which is purely
transcendental.
It seems that the vast stretch of earth and the liv-
ing creatures therein form the delicious food, as it were,

to the Supreme Being. It seems as
though Sridevi, His
Consort herself, does the cooking using the Brahmanda
itself as the cooking pot. It seems that the wind god
does serving by fanning Him. it(Here be remem-
may
bered that terrible wind blows for a hundred human
years during the period of annihilation). And it seems
that the Lord converts the
Brahma^da into powdered
gold serving as the digestive medicine.
After the annihilation of the five
gross elements,
follows the destruction of the nine
envelopes of finer
elements.
Although He thus devours innumerable crores of

Brahmandas moment ad-
after moment, He is not
versely affected. eating and drinking
By does not He
grow fat; by not taking food He is not emaciated. It is
therefore that 'Purusa Sukta
praises Him thus "Sasane
anasane abhi." On the other
hand, if living beings eat
a morsel
more, their stomachs ache, their heads reel
and they suffer like
anything. This is the difference
between God and the souls.
r/
H OW
i
nicely described
^ n 3 u-mes wh ^ e Himself created
by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya.
"Sowing seeds into the earth,
Irrigating the field and growing crop
Going through them and

terminating,
Be is alwaysequipoised without joy or sorrow."
(H.K.S. 23-53)
.
Chapter - III 75
"Children, building houses of wet sand,

Play for a while quite happily;
Then they kick and demolish; likewise the sweetheart of
Laksmidevi
Creates the worlds in multi-manners,
Himself detached, takes care of them
And swallowsj like the snake its eggs- nor sorry, nor happy",
(H.K.S. 3-28)
People in this world plough the earth and sow the

seeds. They take pains to grow the crop well by irrigat-
ing the fields. But at the end, they mow the crop, cook
the grains and eat gladly. 'They don't feel sorry while
cutting or thrashing or cooking. In the same way, Sri
Hari put the seed-Eke souls in the field of this world
and grows the crop of their 'Karmas'. He accepts the
offering of such Karmas as food; but the strange part
of it is that the effect of eating goes to the souls by His
grace. He is not affected by the eating in any way; He
is ever the same.
Another point to remember is this. During

5
Tralaya it is gross matter that undergoes destruction;

nothing really happens to the spirit soul. After rain,
when the sands are wet, boys and girls cover their feet
with such mud and make sand houses by gently remov-
ing the feet after softly patting the sands upon their
feet. They even create ventilators by boring small holes
at the tops of such houses. They thus play for somg
time. At the end they kick and destroy such houses
with great glee. They are ot at all sorry. We should
compare Sri Hari's creation, protection and destruction
to such play of the children. Also it is like the snake
swallowing its own eggs without any feeling of regret.
The truth about Hari consuming the created
Sri
things is that he takes them back to their original con-
dition.
V. Dip in the Viraja and destruction of

the causation body:
Sri Hari, by His sport during Pralaya, dissolves all
the created things into the original causal matter and,

until the" beginning of another creation. He lies- down
with Sridevi as if to sleep. At that time He draws into
His belly all the spirit souls that had been brought
into the Brahmanda. Among them, some will have
completed their courses of realization; they have no
need to take birth again. But they are to be freed from
the bondage caused by their 'Linga Sariras'. Freeing
thus from the causation body is known as the 'breaking
of Linga Sarira'.
Brahma and the other deserving souls will have

a dip in the Viraja river, surrounding the city of
Vaikuntha like a moat, before they enter Sri Hari's
belly. Viraja means that which has no taint of the three
material modes and that which is capable of destroying
the causation bodies composed of such material modes.
When a bath is taken in this river, Brahma's bpdy,

which has become like a piece of burnt up cloth, slips
away. Th^ Linga Sariras of the other souls are plucked
out.
The Viraja waters

are found not only around the
city ofVaikuntha, but also outside the nine envelopes
that cover the Brahmanda. Brahmadeva and the other
deities, who had presided over material modifications,
take bath in the waters of the outer Viraja too. For the
souls of inferior cadres it is enough to bathe in the Vi-
raja of Vaikunthaloka; buf, for the superior deities an-
other bath in the Viraja is necessary. That this is very
befitting is rationally explained by Sri Vadirajasvami
For the inferior ones it is enough to get rid of used up clothes.
They don't need a bai at all
For the enlightened, af >r removing clothes,
Holy bath is necessary; this is well-known.
To know the meaning of holy bath we should know
that there are three kinds of bathing - bathing to re-
Chapter - III 77
move bathing to cleanse the mind by means of

dirt,
appropriate mantras, and bathing to cleanse the self.
Going through the ordeals of this world and getting
rid of the load of Karma is like the first kind of bath.
Bathing in the Viraja of Vaikuntha is like the second
sort. Bathing in the Viraja beyond the nine envelopes
is like the thid mode of bathing-it is like pouring wa-
ter over one's head and body during a bath, reciting
'Purusa Sukta'. By such 'shower bath' one remembers
the Original' residing in himself and achieves self pu-
*
rity.
Some have doubts as to whether the bath in the

Viraja is before the Lord goes to rest or after the Period
of rest (Period of Yoga Nidra)
When the Mahattattva body was there,
All the souls of pure consciousness
Bearing, Brahma, lord of Satyaloka
Gets ready for the holy bath.
(Vg.V. 2-10)
To the retiring Brahma, after dip in the outer Viraja,
Entry into the Belly of Sri Hari

(Suladi of Purandara Dasarya).
Brahma and the rest, in the non-material Viraja
Giving bath, destroying the Linga Sariras,
Keeping them in His belly.........
(Suladi of Guru Purandara Vitthalarya)
From the three authoritative quotations

_ /
'
it is
/ .
clear
that the destruction of Linga Sariras is before Sri Hari
retires to rest.
If for those, who enter Vaikuntha, "linga bhanga"

isbefore the period of 'Yoganidra', it is after the begin-
ning of a new creation for two other types of souls. This
fact is explained in one of the suladis of Sri Purandara
Vitthalarya-
After some of tie worlds were created
Beyond Svetadvlpa, beyond the surrounding waters,
6
And beyond the other regions is Andhatamas,

Seven crore wide that heJ],
Impure beyond d ascription, such filth;
Therein those who have completed their courses of Karma,
Those who hated SriHari and His devotees
From beginningless time, of sorrowful nature,
The sinful souls, when the servants of Vayudeva are ordered,
Have their Liriga Sariras smashed to pieces,
And are hurled into Andhatamas.
Svetadvlpa is situated in the Milk Ocean, beyond

which is the Puskaxadvlpa. Then there are the sweet
water ocean, the land of gold, the land of diamond
and the Lokaloka mountain. Around the Lokaloka
mountain is a pit of darkness, seven crore yojanas
wide. At the bottom of this pit are three eternal
hells jiamed 'Tamisra', Maha Tamisra' and 'Andha
c
Tamisra'. Those who are put into these hells have

no further births and deaths to afford any chance of
improvement. Just as tte Muktas enjoy eternal happi-
ness, these undeserving souls suffer hellish sorrows eter-
nally. Their Linga Sariras are broken into pieces by the
hard blows administered by the servants of Vayudeva,
For the less demonly, small strokes; but for the veteran
demons, harder blows just like Duryodhana's thigh be-
ing smashed by the mace of Bhimasena. That is the
plight of thosewho hated Sri Hari and His brood from
beginningless time. Then they enter their permanent
abode of Hell fully immersed in such* hatred.
When it is said that there is place for such sor-

rowful plight within the realm of the Supreme Being
who is praised as the ocean of limitless Mercy, people
of these days Hwist their noses' in disapproval. Such of
these who are suffering from the malady of 'Universal
Kindness' know not that there are three distinct types
of souls who are in their courses of realization in this
world, made of the three material modes.
Chapter - HI Z9
Sri Ksna has made it clear that true Mukti can

be attained only by *Bhakti > (sincere devotion); not by
hatred.
Bhaktyatvananyaya labhyah ahamevam vidho' xjuaa,

Jnatum drastum ca tatvena pravlstum ca Paxaiitapa.
Meaning:- Only those, who are detached from de-

sire all other things except Me and thus are fully de-
of
voted to Me, can understand my real nature like you,
see Me as I am and in the end gain admission into the
Abode of permanent happiness which is not different
from Myself .
Yarnevaisa Vrmite tena labhyah-^

The Supreme Being is attainable only by those
who are designated by Him. True. But, "Bhaktisca
tatsadhan&m" is not 'said in vain. God chooses one
<
for granting 'Mukti*

1
only seeing the sign of innate fac-
ulty of 'Bhakti in him. Therefore it is but right to
say that,'Bhakti* is the means for 'Mukti*. Only by

the full expression of innate 'Bhakti 1 the relationship
between the 'Original Self* (Bimba) and the individual
self(Pratibimba) becomes well established. Sri Hari's
Grace is the Primary cause; the soul's devotion is the
favourable cause.
VI. Tiree types of Souls:
The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita makes

it clear that there are three types of souls. When there
it is said that there are souls of divine nature and
souls of demoniac nature, we can assume that there
are also those of mixed nature like semi-malnad in be-
tween 'Malnad 1 and c Mai dan'. It is said in the Pur an as
that Brahmadeva is the leader of the souls of intrin-
sic sattvic nature eligible for the 'Happy Abode; Kali
is the leader of souls of intrinsic tamasic nature; and
Puranjana is the leader of souls of intrinsically mixed

nature.
To get rid of Linga Sariras and to find expression

of innate abilities Js the natural desire of all the three
kinds of souls, Sri Hari, the Omniscient, helps every
one in this respect.
Sn Krsna, who has spoken about two types of souls

in the sixteenth chapter, has said explicitly in the sev-
enteenth chapter that the third type of souls are also
there. The very name of the chapter, Sraddhatraya
it.
Vibhaga Yoga', suggests
Trividha bhavati sraddha dehinam sa svabhavaja,
Sattviki rajasi caiva tamasi ceti tarn srunu.
"Sattvanurupa sarvasya sraddhabhavati Bharata,
Sraddhamayoyam puruso yo yacciraddiah saeva sah.
Itsmeaning: To the 4souls who are born with mate-

rial bodies, preference of Karmas* depends on the qual-
natures. It may be of three kinds-
ities of their original
Sattvic craving, Rajasic craving and Tamasic craving
To every one, interest in activities depends upon each
one's original nature. What original nature one pos-
sesses we may know by his interests.
It is thus established that there are three types of

souls by original nature.
In spite of this fact, while souls are undergoing the

courses of realization in this world, the motives for their
activities may be due to the material modes making
up their bodies or they may be due to their original
natures. The material conditions of their Linga Sariras
are responsible for such motivation. To whatever group
a soul may belong, all the three material modes are
found in his causation body. Sri Hari makes the souls
to go through activities by means of all the three modes
and makes them ultimately realize their own spiritual
natures and stay in them.
Souls of truly Sattvic nature suffer for their sinful

acts and learn to avoid them; gradually they stick on
to the righeous path. The evil ones, who reap rewards
- III 81
Chapter
for their meritorious acts, develop pride and get puffed

up; they only pave their way to Hell. The middling
souls stay in doubts and find themselves finally in a
mixed state- a mixture of happiness and misery.
Just as He said that the jsouls of evil propensities
never reach His Abode- "Mam aprapyaiva Kaunteya
tato yantyadhamam gatim- Sri Krsna says thus about
the deserving devotees.
Api cetsuduracaro bbajate mam-ananya bbak,
Sadbweva sa mantavyab samyag vyavasito hi sab.
Ksipram bhavati dbarmatma sasyaccbantim sagaccbatL
Meaning:- Tfce person with natural inclination for

'Bhakti', will always have inward craving for Me even if
he be involved in the filthiest kinds of acts. He should
be considered a saint. Very soon, in the very same life
or in a few more life periods, he develops desire for
righteousness and qualifies himself to enter My Abode
of Eternal Peace.
It is thus established by the words of Bhagavad

Gita that good souls develop devotion to God and at-
tain the Happy Abode; and the evil ones devolop ha-
tred and court Hell.
But some may raise the doubt that, according to
Puranas, even those who hated the Supreme Being at-
tained Godhead and therefore, it is not right to classify
souls into three types. There should be no room for
such doubt. Those who harbour this kind of doubt are
not aware of the special significance attached to the
stories ofKamsa, Sisupala and the like. Srimad Anan-
datirthacarya has pointed out such significance 9in his
superfine work/Maiabharata Tatpaiya Nirnaya .
In the story of Sri Krsnavatara it is declared that a

few of the demoniac individuals - Put ana, Kaliya Naga,
Kamsa, Sisupala, Dantavaktra and a few others- at-
tained the Happy Abode. It is not said that all those
who were killed by Sri Krsna were redeemed. In the
same way, in the Ramayana, Lankini who was to be

killed by Hanuman was saved. The Ramayana too has
not said that all those who were killed by Sri R|ma
got the merit to enter the Happy Land. DanavanfaJca
(killer of the demons) is the well-known title ,by
which
Sri Hari is praised. It should therefore be understood
that whenever a demon is said to have been redeemed,
in the one and the same body there was a real demon
in the company of a good soul on account of the latter's
evil 'Karma'.
Kamsa, who hated Krsna, did not gain 'Mukti',

Bhrgu Maharsi, who was also in the same body on
account of his evil Trarabdha Karma', was cleansed by
the death of 'Kamsa' and came out with purer devotion
meriting redemption. In the similar case of 'Sisupala',

Sri Narada Maharsi's statement in Srimad Bhagavatam
is this-
"Parsada pravarau visiior. vipra sapat padacyutau,"
They who were born in demon as Hiranya-Kasipu

Hiranyaksa, Ravana- Kuinbhakariia and Sisupala
- -
Dantavaktra, were the door-keepers of Vaikuntha;

their downfallen condition was due to the curse given
to them by the Sanaka brothers. The two good
souls were born three times in the company of evil
souls and by their hatred of Sri Hari (Vairanubandha)
got punishment and were purified. They went back
to their original places. The evil companions were,
of course, condemned to Hell. This truth may be
gleaned by the words of Prahlada Kumar- "Tadyacclia
majiyum asurasca Jiatastvayacfya modeta sadhurapi
yrisciica sarpa hatya." "Even a saint should rejoicfc
when he hears about the killing of scorpions and ser-
pents that harm innocent persons. For the same rea-
son all should rejoice at the death of the demon who
hated Sri Hari and His devotee. Now that the demon
is killed,
Lord, subdue thy anger." When Prahlada
kumara said this, he did not mean that he was glad for
-
Chapter III 83
his father's death; on the other hand he prayed for the

good of his father. The import of his words is that the
true demon in the body was put to death and therefore
there was reason for rejoicing.
This being the fact, one cannot charge Sri Hari

with injustice when He punishes evil-doers; it is only
good souls who have sympathy for all and argue why
the omnipotent Lord should not change the very na-
tures of demoniac souls and put them also in His
$.bode. But these demons, with their natural hatred of
Sri Hari never desire for Sri Hari's merciful gift; they
only desire to hate Sri Hari and His devotees. Duryo-

dhana stands as a glaring example in this respect. He
said, "I know full well that you are omnipresent and
you are in my heart too, goading me in my ways. Yet,
I will certainly bind you with ropes. This is Duryod-
hana's comprehension. "Maurkhasya nastyausadham"-
There is no cure for the malady of obstinacy!
In the 'Srutis', 'Smrtis' and the Puranas we

all
came across the two types of souls mainly- the devo-
tees and the haters. There are clear statements to tell
that good souls develop devotion and reach the Happy
Home; no where is it said that they fall into eternal
Hell. But when the case of the demons comes up, only
a few-countable on the. finger's ends- are said to have
attained happy release, while all the rest are said to
have been put into eternal Hells like 'Andha Tamas'.
Therefore, when we cite the instances of demons like
Kamsa and 'Sisupala' we must accept the existence of
two or more souls in a single body. Again, if we accede
that hatred too can earn merit, the importance given
c
to Bhakti' becomes meaningless; and the incarnations-
of Sri Hari and His brood will be no better than a farce.
The conclusion is that Mukti is attainable by 'Bhakti*
and not at all by hatred.
VII. Destruction of Causation Bodies in the case

of the middling souls:
Happiness, sorrow and other experiences in this

world are coused by the medium of the causation bod-
ies. If original nature is to find expression, it is nec-
essary for all the three types of souls to lose their

Linga Sariras. This point has been clearly stated by
Sri Vadirajasvami.
Therefore, what is to be achieved is expression of the
original Self;
All eke is instrumental.
Let tie inteJJigentia discern; for tiis effect;
Lingabhanga is necessary for all three types.
He says that, if this point is not accepted, it will
amount to contradicting the Srutis'.

Tiat 'Bhakti' and hatred bear fruits-
This Vedic statement, if not applied to the middling group,
Tie meaning of Vedic words will be distorted;
Don't try to mar tie Yedic meanings.
c
After Linga-bhanga' the middling souls experi-
ence their innate joy and sorrow at the same time in
the 'Santanika' lokas. The statement, "Tridiva Jiiraya
bhu gocaran nitya baddhan", does not mean that they
are forever prone to live in heaven, hell and earth. It
means that they experience conditions of those lokas
with their freed selves.
VIII Entering tie belly of Lord Sri Hari:
Here is described how Sri Hari dissolved all the

materials of the universe and, putting all things within
His belly, how He rested upon the Tralaya' waters.
Tie Jotus-seated, in tie Viraja
Of Vaiiuntia, wi.ti all tie deserving souls,
He came and batied and became free;
QuiciJy ie entered the belly of Sri Hari.
- III S5
Chapter
Those whose bodies shone variously

Being given extension by the grace of Sridevi,
Tie released ones of earlier kalpas,
Also ran into the belly of Sri Hari.
Placing all the jivas in His belly

Sri Hari put them to sleep,
So that they could not see His Sport
With His spouse Sridevi.
When Brahma entered the belly of Sri Hari at the

commencement of His 'Yoganidra, those who had been
released in the innumerable previous Brahma Kalpas
and were happily residing in the Three Abodes, also
entered Sri Hari's belly. They wee made to sleep when
Sri Hari pretended sleep. In the case of the higher
divine beingsit was perfect 'Dhyana', while the others
slumbered.
/ _
Those who entered Sri Hari's belly were not only
the released good souls; but there were also the souls
who had their courses still to run, those of the mid-
dling and the demoniac souls who had completed their
courses, and also those who had never come into cre-
ation yet. In what manner Sri Hari kept them in His
belly is described by the Haridasas.
Sri Vijaya Dasarya has put it briefly thus-
In His beUy, commencing from

The left side, the muktas and the amuktas
- all the three types,
Installing
Beaming lilce a boy -
baby.
What is put very briefly here is explanined in the

Visnu Rahasya in greater detail-
1. Nabheradho vama bhage prapta tamasikan

Below the navel, left side-the liberated demoniac
souls who were in Eternal Hell.
2. Nabheradho daksina bhage yogyam
Below the navel, right side - the demoniac souls

still in the course of realization
3. Samapradese nitya samsarinah
Right beneath the navel - the middling class of

souls,
4. Nabherupari daksina bhage muktan

Above the navel, right side
- the released devotee
souls.
5. IVabierupari vama bhage mukti yogyan

Above the navel, left side - the devotee souls in
the course of realisation.
way He put every one in His belly.

In this
However cleaverly we may try to picturise, we are

apt to imagine the form of the Lord as a very small
child-
Jvararavindena padaravindam mukharavlnde vinivesayantam,
vaiasya patrasya pute sayanam balam Mutimdazn manasa
smaramL
With all the faculties of my mind I retain the mem-
ory of the boy-child Mukunda, reclining in the cradle
that is the banyan leaf, holding His lotus-foot with His
lotus-hand and putting it in is His lotus-mouth.)
We imagine Him to have a; small form like any

other child with the charms of childhood. But His
all
form is really unimaginably big - Listen-
Braftma and tie others in the viraja of'Avyakta'
Dipping, breaking off the causation bodies,
Keeping them in His stomach, the waters of Pralaya
Being Sridevi, Bhudevi becoming the banyan leaf,
He changing into the boy-child - seven crore yojanas in size,
Durgadevi taking the form of the veil of darkness,
Upon the banyan leaf Guru Purandara Vitthala reclined.
Chapter -
III 87
In height Bala Mukunda measures seven crore yo-

janas (42 crore miles; 68 crore K, M-). The length the
cradle-like banyan leaf is fifty crore yojanas!
This aspect has been nicely described by the late

Sri Gorabala Hanumantha Rao-
Reclining like a child measuring seven crore yo-

janas, sucking the toe of His right foot, He eagerly
tastes the devotional fruits fondly offered at His lotus-
feet by the countless Brahmas and the others belonging
to the countless Brahmandas of the previous Brahma
Kalpas-so it looks! He pretends 'Yoganidra' (medita-
tive sleep).
When it is stated that all the pastimes of Sri Hari

are for the sake of His brood, for whose sake did He as-
sume such mighty form of a child? Sri Ramadevi, who
is His companion for ever, and who has the three forms
Sri, Bhu and Durga, looks upon the mighty child form
again and again and goes into raptures. As Ramadevi c
she lies down embracing that child form and enjoys yo-
ganidra'. This fact is supported by the 'Suladi' of Sri
Vijaya Dasarya-
In the pralaya waters the only person Narayana
Lay down with His wife;
As the Moon keeps company with the Sun,
'Clasping Sri Padmanabha, beneath His arm

Sri Laksmidevi lies unseen.
Note:- The analogy of the moon with the sun makes it

clear how it is one-way traffic - how the sun
gives light
to the moon, not vice verse.
Such form of the wonderful child was permitted

to be seen by Markandeya Maharsi; thus it is said in
Srimad Bhagavatam.
/
It may be noted that Sri Mukhyaprana will be

awake when Sri Hari pretends Yoganidra and puts oth-
ers to sleep.
When the whole world is in deep slumber

Surely Sri Mukhyaprana alone is awake
(Suladi of Guru Purandara Vitthala)

In thewomb of Acyuta, closing the eye of the causation body.
While the souls are all asleep,
Truly, only Mukhyaprana is awake
In the midst of the clean-minded liberated.
When embodied goes to sleep, those in his body-
the
Tie deitiesdo not sleep;
The expirational and inspirational breathing he carries on,
This is the position during PfaJaya.
(VaiJcuntha Varnaiie of Sri Vadirajasvami.)
The souls, whose courses of realization are still
incomplete, are to be kept alive during the period of

Pralaya, when they do not have the material body with
the breathing system. This is done through the agency
of Sri Mukhya Pranna who next occupies the seat of
Brahma, taking the unrealized souls with him. There-
fore he stays in the causation bodies of those souls
and carries on the breathing act in the form of 'Hamsa
mantra'.
IX. Tie Period of Yoga Mdra';

Parabrahma's night equals the period of Brahma's
lifetime. Sri Hari rested for (10 hours) 87 years
of that night along with Laksmldevi. When still (1?
hours) 12| years remained before dawn, Sri Durgadevi,

bearing the name 'Ambhrani', being prompted by her
Lord, praised Him with the 'Sruti Gita'. Well pleased
with it, Sri Hari woke up, as it were, and opened His
eyes. Thus it is declared.
There are some who say that the work of Maha c
Pralaya' started in the evening of the last day complet-

ing Brahma's 87 f years and that Parabrahma rested for
hours during the night that followed to complete
10|
87| years; and He woke up when actually Brahma's 1|
hours remained before the next dawn.
Ciapter-JII 89
The accompanying diagrams are meant to pic-

The first one shows that
turise the two different stands.
the resting period was 87- years by Brahma's count.
The second diagram shows that the resting period was
actually for 10 1 hours by Brahma's count.
In the diagram, the upper semi-circle shows
first
Paxabrahma's night and the lower semi-circle shows His
day. In the lower part there are eight divisions, each
division denoting 12| hours of that day. The period
denoted by four such divisions stands for the first half
the life period of Caturmukha (Prathama Parardha)
'Para' in this context means the life period of the
four-faced Brahma. Creation outside the Brahmanda
took place during 'Prathama Parardha', till Brahma
was Brahma's creation and
fifty years old. After that,
regime within the Brahmanda goes on for 37| years.
During the remaining 12 years the work of dissolving
the Brahmanda and the outer nine envelopes goes on.
This division is denoted by dark lines.
The upper semi-circle too is having eight divisions,
each standing for 12 years. The last division shaded
by dark lines is the eighth and the last part of the night.
In the second diagram the entire circle is used
to show CaturmukhaY life period. It also contains
eight divisions, each standing for 12 1 years. The small
shaded part of the seventh division shows the night
completing 87| years.
As shown in the first diagram, if each division is
taken to show 1^ hours of the night of Parabrahma,
perhaps, there will be no room for difference of opinion.
Instead, if the second stand point is accepted as correct,
it amounts to saying that Brahma's life span is only
87| years. Since his Linga Sarira is demolished

before
entering the belly of Sri Hari, the next 12| years will
not go to his account.
The required data for determining the period of
rest during Maha Pralaya are given here below. Except
the first one all the others are found in the

publication
by Sn Gorabala Hanumantha Rao. References to page
numbers are noted. It is for the learned to decide the
right way.
J. Tie duration of is for a hundred years by Brahma?s
Pralaya
reckoning;
In it, eighty sevenand a half years
Elapse withoutâctivity; at its end,
Our DurgadevI wakes
up.
(Vaikuntha Varnane of Sri Vadirajasvami - Ch.2. St.
42)
2. Tie period of final dissolution and
rest (Kevala Pralaya) is for
the number of
years denoted by the word (Para\
n (Suladi of Vijaya Dasarya p. 80)

3.
During tie last part of the
night, Durga, the presiding deity
of the Vedas, praised the
Lord. (p.82)
4. When by Brahma's
reckoning seven and a halfplus eighty years
rolled away, when the last
part of the night remained, Durga
praised Sri Eaxi 87 fa )
5. Of the hundred years of that
night, one-eighth part still remain-
ing, when'Durga praised with the hymn 'Jaya Jaya* (pJ2)
CHAPTER - IV
Process of Creation - Preamble
1. Benefits of Creation
Creation, maintenance and annihilation succeed

each other continuously and are meant for the release
of Souls from their beginningless bondage. Helping the
souls thus is tl)Le_ chief benefit of creation. The cre-
ator's partner, Sridevi, derives joy from this in a double
way-joy of helping others is one; witnessing her Lord's
omnipotence in an eight-fold way, Asta kartrtva and
rejoicing is the other. The Creator Himself gets no
benefits by the process of creation. His nature is one
of Supreme, limitless joy. Helping others is His na-
ture. Creation and the other activities give Him no
fatigue; everything is just like play for Him. However,
we should not think that He thus sports for His own
pleasure.
Sri Vadirajasvami has brought out this meaning

nicely-
This is sport for Him, to Laksmi it gives
The wealth of mighty joy; to thejivas
Good, bad and mediocre results; Therefore

He created this wonderful universe. (V. V)
*
In the Words of Sri Gopala Dasarya
AIJ these activities-creation, protection, destruction,
To Manmatha's father, sport, wealth for His queen;
And to the three kinds of souls, eternal fruits.
And then, it is not merely freeing the souls from

the bondage of Linga Sariras, the storehouses of
Karma; but it is to help the souls to realise their own
selves and find expression to their innate abilities. The
92 The Process of Creadon in Dasa Sahitya
good souls know themselves and the 'Original actor

within' and thus enjoy pleasures in 'Mukti'. is This
the real benefit accruing from the process of creation.
Therefore, the wise ones must listen to the story of

creation for their own benefit. Sri Vadirajasvami puts
it thus-
Tils is tie blissful story, to those in this world
This is the sure path to Muiti,
He wio listens to it is really blessed.
Sri Vijaya Dasarya advises-

Mght and day brood over this in mind,
Tie icindliest personalty, Vjjaya Vittiala, will be pleased.
II Eternal Tilings;
Earlier, it has been said that, if we understand

what remains after the dissolution of the universe ev-
ery time, we will be able to know how the universe is
created and out of what stuff. During the night of the
Pralaya period Sri Hari rests on a banyan leaf along
with Mahalaksmi, keeping the released and the/unre-
leased souls, the unrecognisible causal matter (Prakrti
or Avyakta) the Pranava and the time factor within
Himself. Therefore the eternal things are the following-
Prakrti, Tranava* and 'Kala (time); of course there
5
are the jivas, the mother of the universe and the

Supreme Lord.
Only Sri Sari is absolutely independant; all others

and all else are dependent on Him. He who is well-
known for His eightfold activities (Asta Kartrtva) is
brimming with all auspicious qualities.
SriRamadevi, who is superior to the best of the

jivas by a crore of similar traits and by another crore of
rare traits, is far far inferior to the
Supreme Lord. Yet
He graciously considers her as His partner and has con-
ferred uf>on her the status of the mother of universes.
Chapter - IV 93
Jivas from Brahma down to the herbs are of dif-

ferent shades of original natures. They are bound by
Linga Sariras from beginningless time and they have to

be freed by the course of experiences in the world. Al-
though their original natures axe unalterable, they are
subjected to the changeful nature which is the property
of their physical bodies. Hence they are classed under
changeful entities- 'Ksara purusas'. Sri Ramadevi and
Sn Madhusudana belong to the changeless class at all
times. They are the highest among the conscious enti-
ties.
Pranava, Prakrti and Kala are material by na-

ture; they ar 3 of changeful nature. Pranava expands
itself into the Vedas and their concomitants during
creation and these merge into the letter 'OM' during
Pralaya, The undisturbed and uncognisible state of the
three material modes-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas is called
5
'Avyakta' or 'Mula Prakrti At the time of creation

.
their state of equilibrium is disturbed and by admix-

tures they go to form the material cause for the things
of the universe. 'Kala' or Time is eternal but. we do not
recognise it during the 'Pralaya period'. In creation it
is made recognisible.
-
Another eternal factor is 'Avyakta Akasa'
changeless sky. It gives space for the jivas, for
the
original causal matter and for 'Pranava' to stay.
Sri Ramadevi holds sway over the jivas, the causal

matter and 'Pranava'. She is considered the mistress
of all. Sri Hari is the Supreme Master.
III. Nature of Souls:
To begin with it is necessary to bear in mind
clearly that spirit souls are immutable. In this re-

spect, the generally accepted and most popular Bha-
gavad Git comes to our aid. While teaching Arjuna.
SriKrsna has informed the whole world that it is the
body that dies, not the embodied.
7
Avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam,

Vinasam avyayasyasya na kascit kartum arhati.
The jivatmas, (spirit souls) by whom the whole

world is inhabited, are indestructible. These im-
mutable ones, no one can destroy.
That they are changeless is further explained-
Acchedyoyam adahyoyam akledyo asosya eva ca,

Nityah sarva gatas sthanuh acaloyam sanatanah.
The soul cannot be cut into pieces. Fire cannot

burn him. Water cannot wet him. Wind cannot dry
him. The jiva is beginningless and continues to ex-
ist for ever; he is not created. Because he acquires
material bodies and loses them, he is said to be born
and to die. Really he is not born; nor does he die.
He is not confined to definite locations like matter;
he can exist anywhere. As he cannot be
subjected to
any kind of change he is called 'Sthanu'. No material
has power to move him; therefore he is 'acala'.
Being
not created and existing from
beginningless time he is
to the etymological derivation,
'Sanatana'^ According
Sanatana eva sanatanah', he is understandable
by a
study of the vedas.
These attributes recounted in the

Bhagavad Glta
seem to apply to the Supreme
personality of Godhead.
True, but they also apply to the individual souls also to
some extent. The word 'jiva' or 'dehi'
applies to God
primarily and to the individual souls secondarily. The
statements made in the verse are not meant to show
equal status or oneness with the Supreme. That the
Divas' are entirely different from the Master Soul has
been declared by Sn Krsna Himself in the
Bhagavad
Gita, leaving no room for doubt. .
-(Ch.. XV)
Dvavimau purusau loie IsarascaJcsara eva
ca,
Ksarah sarvani bhutani kutasthoksara
uchyate. -
Vttamah purusatvanyah
paramatmetyudahrtah,
Yo Matrayam avisya bibiarfcyavyaya Jsvarai.'
Chapter - IV 95
Yasmat isaram atitoham aksaradapi chottamah,

Ato'smi loke vede ca prathitah purusottamah.
Meaning:- The embodied jivas in this world (Pure

sayanah purusah) are of two kinds- Ksara and Aksara.
The hosts of jivas, who seem to undergo change,
being touched by joy and sorrow on account of the
Almighty Lord's powers, are called 'Ksara Purusas' or
changeful soul. Sri Ramadevi, mistress of the three
material modes in one undistinguished form (kuta) is
called 'Aksara Purusa' because she is not affected by
joy or sorrow. [Although her forms are purely non-
material like those of her Lord, she is said to be em-
bodied because she pervades the entire material world
like Sri Hari in His Virat form.] The Supreme Being,
who both from Ksara Purusas and from
is different
the Aksara Purusa is considered as the highest among
the Purusas; He is Purusottama. 'Therefore, I am far
far from the Ksara Purusas; I am also far above the
Aksara Purusa. The wise seers call me Purusottama;
the eternal Vedas too declare me as Purusottama.
f __
Jagannatha Dasarya has shown the difference

Sri
c 5
between Jivatma' and 'Paramatma thus very clearly-
Jiva is subservient; Hari is
Omnipotent and Happy for ever

Jiva owns notiing, he is bound, in owing a lit tie, powerless and
affected by joy and sorrow;
His form atomic, he is lorded over.
All^pervasive,
the real Doer, full in all respects,
Is Sri Hari, adored by tie Spouse of Sarasvati, praise Him thus.
This main aim of Bhagavad Git a is to point out

the difference between matter and spirit- No doubt ,
the spirit souls differ from matter in that they have

three attributes of consciousness- knowledge, desire 5
effort; but they have no ability to act on their

accord. For Jhis reason^ the kindliest Super Person
4 ? c 5
stays- in the jivas as the Original Actor (Bisnba) &jad

does things verily according to the innate desires of
the individuals. Therefore the jivas are reflections o

Paramatma (Pratibimba).
"Nahi pratibimbasya kriya; sa hi bimba kriyayaiv*
kriyavan."
This quotation substantiates the idea statec

above. In the 'Nirguna Sara Sandhi' of Sr
Haxiiatiamrtasara, Sri* Guru Srinivasa Vitthalarya ex-
plains it in such a way that it touches our hearts di-
rectly.
Where is tie ability to do anything for the one who is simply
9
called 'Caitanya ?
To act with any of the organs, the jivas have no independence
at any time.
f ~~
,
'
_. r
The jiva's plight is to be as Sri Hari, Jceeps him Sri Hari being
in the form of the jiva's actorship
and binding him with this power, Himself
unaffected, knowing the ripe time,
He clears the jivas debt of Karma.
/ .
;
_
Hari, with the name and form of Hrisikesa,
It is Sri
that acts in the ten organs of the individuals through
the agency of other presiding deities.
The jiva who

the so-called master of the body
is
he inhabits, thinks that he does everything. Sn Hari's

untlunkable power to create such illusion through ego is
described as binding power (kartrtva bandhaka sakti).
He knows as to the number of births and deaths that
an individual has to go through to get rid of the load
of his 'Karma'. Knowing the ripeness of the
jlva's ex-
periences, in right time, He frees him from bondage.
It has been said that the
jivas are different from
matter and that the karmas arise from material con-
tact. Let us now understand this more
clearly.
If we ask any one, "Who are
you?" he at once tells
us about his name and lineage.
Suppose, again we ask,
"Not that; who are you?", it is not easy to answer. The
secret is this-Every one talks of thi;; visible
body; but
Chapter -IV 97
never for a moment considers that there are three other

bodies within, standing for T. As mentioned earlier,
the spirit soul is qualified by the properties of knowl-
edge, desire and effort. These together have a personal
form denoted by the true 'I Covering this from be-
5
.
ginningless time is the Lingasarira, the seat of material

modes and karmas. Making use of this material Sri
Hari helps the individual to find self-expression. This
body drops off at the time of 'Mukti'.
*
Its nature is explained by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya

thus-
Like husk to the grain is linga to ji va,

Surrounding him without contact
Like covering shell, it thus remains by God's wilL
It is gross
matter; its presiding deity
Is Maha Laksmi;
It continues till a dip in the Viraja. (H.K.S.)
In order to go through the karmas arising from the

Linga Sarfra through the agency of deities and demons,
Sri Hari creates another body around it, out of its own
stuff. This is called 'Aniruddha SariraA The body
that is the pure the Linga Sarira and the
spirit soul,
Aniruddha Sanra are not visible to the naked eye or by
means of physical instruments. We just see our gross
body made of the five gross elements. In the spinal cord
of this body (chief nerve running through the vertebral
fibres. That which is
column), there are 101 important 5
the miadlemost is called 'Susumna nadi , within this,
at the point where we see the depression in the chest,
there is the heart -lotus (Hrtpadma). At the tip of the
bud form of the lotus there is one form of Sri Hari
called *Agresa\ Near the stalk end is the form called
'Mulesa'. Upon the pedestal of the flower sits Tradesa'
who is the 'Bimba' - the 'Original actor*. Pervading
the entire lotus is the form, Purusa.
3
At the lotus feet of Tradesa sits Mukhya Prana,
at whose feet sits the jiva enveloped by the Linga and
the Aniruddha bodies He is the eternal, unchangeable
self.
Howvery fine the Susunma nadi, is and how in-

finitely small the jivas form is, described by Sri Ja-
gannatha Dasarya by a nice illustration.
If the hair is split into thousand parts,
So tiin is the Susumna nerve
of
Stretching straight from base to head in the middle-part
body. (H.K.S.)
If a single hair of the head is split into a thou-

sand parts- thousand according to convention mean-
- it will be
ing many many superfine, impercepti-
ble by means of the most powerful micro-scope. The
'Susumna* nerve' fibre right in the middle of the body
stretches straight from the bottom of the vertebral col-
umn upto the cranium of the head.
Here is something new for the modern scientists
to carry on research and experiment. According to an-
cient Sastras the commencement of the nervous system
,
is not the brain; but, it is at the bottom of the vertebral
column, in between the testicles and the anus. This

starting point is known in Yoga Sastra as 'Muladhara
Cakra', Thebrain is only the secretariat. The true
controlling centre is in the Heart-lotus.
At the mid-point of tie mid nerve fibre,

At tie base of tie ieart-Jotus, sitting
At the lotus feet of 'Mulesa* is Pavana; at the tip of his feet,
Tie jiva finds shelter with
Linga and Aniruddia body coverings
Lord Siva and otier deities take care of him.
Another stanza tells about the size of the jiva's

form-
A iair at tie tip of tie horse's tail,
Its end if into hundred parts divided,
CLapter - IV 99
And one such part again into hundred divided, so small,

Beginning with Brahma and other deities
Down to the smallest gross-bodied sou],
Their sizes are the same; nor more, nor less it becomes, Jiva is
always super- atomic.

The jiva's size is said to be the size of a single
part out of 10,000 divisions made out of the tip of a
tiny hair of horse's tail. By the tip of a tiny hair is
meant a pin point which has no measurable dimensions.
By referring to a single fraction of 10,000 divisions,
the Sastras only want to drive home the idea of the
infinitesimal nature - not the exact size.
The 'Susumna' which super microscopic, the

is
heart lotus within it, a nicely decorated 'mantap' on the
pedestal of that lotus, there the 'Bimbamurti' beem-
ing, Sri Mukhya Prana at his feet, the jiva residing
at the tip of Mukhya Prana's feet along with Linga
and Aniruddha bodies, Siva and other deities therein-
Hearing such description the modern-minds may feel
not only extremely surprised; they may even laugh it
out,
But the answer may be given in their own lan-

guage. According to modern scientists, an atom is the
smallest unit of matter that cannot be seen. Each such
atom is said to consist of a nucleus made of protons
and neutrons and there are a few elleptieal paths of
electrons around it; and the whole is covered by a thin
shell. Tills is readily believed by every one. But, when
such wonder can exist in the material world, why not
believe and admire the facts of the non-material world
which are fine beyond our conception?
Although every one of the jivas has an original
body which is more minute than the minutest there
are some with fractional parts and others^ without
such parts. From
the jgross-bodied (Trnajiva) upto
Manavagandharvas the jivas have no fractionable parts.
They can be put in one body at one time. From Deva-
100 Tie Process of Creation In Dasa Saliitya
gandharvas upto Brahmadeva, they have fractionabL

parts. The superior ones have larger and larger num
bers of such parts. At one and the same time they cai
exist in different bodies.
If we take into account all kinds of jivas, from th<

amoeba type upto the superior most Gods, they cai
be such is th<
classified into eighty four lakh species-
verdict of the Sastras, Jivas may take the bodies o
one species or other; but by their present condition w<
cannot ascertain the species to which they originally
belong. We are told that the jivas belong to particulai
species even with their original selves.
To whateverspecies the jivas may belong- inferior
or superior- among them there are those inclined tc
devotion to God, those that hate God, and those oi
mixed inclinations.
"JDeva, manava and danava, thus
"
There are at all times (H.K.S)
Here devas means all the devotee souls whether
c 5
the most inferior or the most superior. There are devo-

tee souls even among the lowliest such as the gross-
bodied. By 'manava' is meant the middling ones found
in all grades^ of souls. 'Danavas' are from the mean in-
significant jivas upto the meanest Kali-those who are
destined to eternal Hell.
In ever-day life too we meet with the three types

of beings* But even those who are by original nature
good, may behave in the filthiest manner until a par-
ticular Karma runs its course; and the meanest of the
Souls may show good colours while Sattvic Karma has
its course. Therefore we cannot
judge the type of soul
merely by the present behaviour. Only souls of the
topmost rank, can see through a soul and tell about it;
or those blessed by them can do so.
That souls are eternally of three types is a fact

revealed by Vedic literatures; it is not fabricated. This
Chapter -IV 101
fact is confirmed by Sri Krsna in the sixteenth chapter

of the Bhagavad git a. At the beginning He tells briefly
about the nature of good souls. Then he describes the
attitude of the evil ones in full detail. Finally He says-
Tanaham dvisatah kruran sarnsaresu naxadiaman
Ksipauiyajasram asubhan asurisveva yonisu.
"Asurim yonimapanna mudha janmani janmani,
Mamaprapyaiva Kaunteya tato yantyadhamam gatim.
Hatred being their very nature, behaving in the
most cruel manner the evil souls will be considered the
lowliest of human beings. I will make them to be born
again and again in families of demonaic nature. These
obstinate creatures, not making proper use of their life
periods, never reach me at all; and they go go eternal
Hell.
*
The phrase, "mam aprapyaiva" (not at all coming

to me) decisively brands them as demoniac souls by
their original nature.Thus, there can be no further
argument about it.
In between the two types who are like the North
Pole and the South Pole, naturally there must be the
middling type.
Sri Hari resides in all the three types of souls and
acts on their behalves. Although His is the actorship,
the differences in the nature of actions is only due to the
differences among the souls. This has been explained
by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya with a good illustration.
Tie Sun's rays that fall on precious stones

Show only the different colours of each of them
Without alteration to those who look at them.
The spouse of Ramadevi, in the three worlds,
stays in the three kinds of Souls

And sports in accordance with their natures and karmas.
Sri Hari, who is ever in the company of the jivas,

makes them taste the fruits of their karmas, Himself
remaining aloof.
"Dvasuparna sayuja sakhayau
The meaning of the above 'Sruti' is brought out i:
simple language (Kannada) by Sri Jaganatha Dasarya

In tie tree called the body, two birds
Dwell always without parting company,
In great friendship, the jiva bird eats the fruits of Karma,
Sri .Eari partaies of onJy His own juice.
'His own juice' needs to be understood rightly. I:
everything Sri Hari that thing. In the fruit juic

is like
He is like the juice; He is not the juice It is only whe
He takes within Himself His own form of the juice tha
the material juice is taken into the material body an
its effect carried to the embodied soul. Hence He i
called 'Sara bhokta'.
IV. Gradations Among Souls:
'Superior souls' means those who have better qua

ifications; 'inferior souls' means those with lesser qual:
fications. It also means those with
greater abilities an
lesser abilities. Such gradations of souls exist amon
all the three types. So it is said in the Vedic literature!
Among those who are

eligible for ^Mukti' (res
dence in God's Abode), the ablest of the jivas and thei
leader is Brahmadeva. Mukhya Prana or the Lord c
the Winds is equally able. The lowest
among thei
are the souls and those of tinier abilitie;
^gross-bodied
(Trna jivas)
The
leader of the middle class is
Puranjana. I
this group also there are gradations and those of leas
ability are 'trna jivas'.
Among those designated for eternal Hell, Kali i
the weakest of the third type of souls ai

leader.^ The^
called 'Anakhyata asurah'- the
insignificant demon!
Weaker than the weakest are 'trna jivas' in the form c
thorny plants and the like.
Chapter - IV 103
Good souls are graded from the lowest to the high-

est according to better qualities and abilities. But the
evil souls are graded from the weaklings among sin-
ners to the worst ones. Kali and his wife Alaksmi are
the worst criminals; hence they are the leaders of their
group. The diabolical qualities of Kali are thus de-
scribed in Sri Harikathamrtasara-
"Sinful souls to compare with Kali
Are not to be found in the three worlds;
He is the seat for nine kinds of hatred
In hostility and in acquisition of gold,
In the harlot, in gambling and in drink.
And in falsehood he eters and deludes
Knowing thus the wise ones should manage to avoid him."
Just like the deities. Kali and his retinue are also
lodged in bodies of all individuals. They have their
chance when evil karmas come up and they spoil the
individual's mind. If this is remembered one can avoid
their influence by good thoughts and good company.
Along with Brahma, equalling him in the process

of realization over a period of one Brahmakalpa, is Kali;
but his realization is the wrong way. After this Kali
gets rid of his Linga Sarira and finishes his course, an-
other individual of equal capacity for evil will be made
to occupy the post of Kali. There are many demon
leaders who are some what better than Kali, but still
of very bad nature. The names of some of them are
given here below-
Vipracitti, Kalanemi (the one born as Kamsa,
master of the wrong type of ego), Madhu and Kaitabha,
Aila, Hiranyakasipu, Manimanta, Baka, Taraka,
Sambara, Salva, Hidimbaka, Banasura, Dvapara, Na-
muci, Hvala, Vatapi, Kesi, Dhenuka, Trnavarta, La-
vanasura, Arista, Hamsa, Dibhika, Vena, Paundraka,
jarasandha, Rukmi, Kimmira, Kalakeyas, etc. Those
mentioned earlier are greater than those mentioned
later in respect of their cruel natures.
The gradations among the good souls are briefly

mentioned in the 'Arohana Taratamya Sandhi' of Sri
Harikathamrtasara (XXV). Its gist-
The gross-bodied and the insect jivas are better

than those residing in material objects like mountains.
The animals are better. Then come the human
still
Souls. Among them the Sudras, the Vaisyas and the Ks
atriyas come one after the other. Brahmanas engaged
in holy rituals excel them all. Still better are Manava
Cakravartis and Manava Gandharws.
After the manava groups come the divine beings

of higher and higher orders in the
following manner
Devagandharvas, one hundred rrore rsis-less one hun-
dred and their wives. Pitrdevas, ninety rsis, the Tum~
buras, one hundred Apsara dames like Urvasi, Ajanaja
devas, ten thousand sons of Agni (who were born as
Sri Krsna's 10,000
wives) among whom
'Kaseru and
others, 74 in number, are graded higher), the ladies of
'Vraja* equalling Sri Krsna's wives, Puskara - head of
the Karma department,
Sanideva, Usadevi - wife of the
with double form, Budha,
Asvinideyas Svahadevi, not-
very-significant deities and their equals, Parjanya the
lordôf cloud-land, Anirudha's wife Usa, Gangadevi,
Saujnadevi, Syamaladevi, Rohimdevi, After them,
Prthu, Nahusa, Sasibindu, Priyavrata, Parlksit and
other divine emperors
(karmaja devas); among these
Bah and six others who
occupied Indra's seat for short
whiles and eight of the Pitrs are
considered higher.
Higher still are - Kubera,
Visvaksena, Ganapati,
Asvimdevas MHra, Taradevi,
Niruruti, PrSvahTdevi,
seven
p -
Marici, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu,
Atn, Angirasa, Sanaka brothers,
Visvamitra,
Vasistha,
Vaivas-
vat a Manu, Agni, Bhrgumuni, Prasutidevi,
Narada,
Varuna, Yama, Candra, Surya,
Satarupadevi, Pravha
dha) B ? has P ati Manu,
>
Daksa, Sacldevi,
rana. After still more Qualified and
these,
Chapter -IV 105
abler deities -
India, Kama, Parvatidevi, Varunidevi,
Sauparnidevi, Sri Krsna's eight queens - Jambavati be-
ing superior to the rest of them; then, Rudra, Sesa
and Garuda. Still far better and Belonging to a spe-
cial cadre of their own are - Bharatidevi, Saras vatidevi,
Vayudeva and Brahmadeva.
Compared with the high qualities and abilities
possessed by Brahma and Vayu, Sri Ramadevi is supe-
rior to them by a crore counts. She also excels them by
another crore qualities not possessed by them. Hence
she holds the position of the mother of the Universes.
Sri Hari is at the top of all. This point is expressed

in a very graphic manner thus-
"Sri Mukunda's queen Maha Lakshmi's
Greatness is beyond description; Brahma
And other great gods she creates, looks after and puts
Each one of them in respective posts
She knows no old age or death; and
She always adores Acyuta as her Master.
/ _
In 'Ambhrani Sukta' Sridevi says, "Yam
the
Kamaye tarn tamugram krnomi tarn rsim tarn sumed-
iam." It means, "By the grace of Sri Hari, I can make
any one hold the post of Rudra or Brahma and to be-
come the greatest of Yogis if I choos." But she derives
her powers from Sri Hari.
Maha Laksmi, with such great ability,
Compared to the countless qualities ofAnanta

Never equals Him even by a fraction at any time
Laksmi who is beyond the bounds of Space and Time,
Only in His heart has to find
Shelter; where is there any equal to His great glory!

(H.K.S.).
That Sri Hari is far far superior to all others is

therefore beyond all doubt.
V. Rju Gana - Tie Spotless Souls:
How Bharati Devi, SarasvatI devi, Vayudeva and

Brahma form a class by themselves will now be ex-
plained.
Among the Jivas eligible to enter God's

Heaven there are four different cadres- Karmayogis,
Jnanayogis, Vijnanayogis and Bhaktiyogis. The Bhak-
c
tiyogis need not acquire Jnana' and 'bhakti' by

means
of 'Karma'. Yet they engage themselves in rituals with
full knowledge and great devotion. Bhakti is their
chief quality. Their devotion to God is inborn and
quite natural; it is like child loving its mother.

a Sri
Harikathamrtasara speaks of them as follows-
"Commencing from the Sovereign of Satyaloka

Down to tie hundred chief deities, all
Are always considered as Bhaktiyogis

Among these Bhaktiyogis^ by virtue of
Qualities like pure devotion and supreme knowledge
Greater than the greatest are Brahma, Vayu, Vani and
Vagdevi (Bhaiati)." (H.K.S.)
The hundred chief deities are Garudadeva down to

Ganapati.
There is particular class of Jivas known as the
'Rjus' who are eligible to hold the posts of Brahma
and Vayu and their wives.
They are known by their special qualities. Each

one of them undergoes the course of realization, dur-
ing a long long period of two hundred Brahma Kalpas;
they take birth in the different lokas in different species.
After one hundred Brahma Kalpas they have a clear
darsan of the Bimba (Original Actor) in their hearts
although they are able to visualise him less clearly from
beginningless time.
CLapter-IV 107
The qualities of Rjus are enumerated herein-

To the group of JR/us, qualities liie Bhakti
Are inborn and natural; gradually they develop
Until the post of Brahma, is reached, devotion to *Bimba' goes
on increasing.
They are free from sinful acts;
On fciem, the ugly effects of the three material modes never
make impact.
While tiese modes do affect Rudra, Indra and rest.
(H.K.S.).
By increase in Bhakti and 'Bimba Darsana' is

meant potent capacities becoming latent; however,
there is no variation in abilities. The Rjus are not
touched by the sinful effects of this world - none of
the three modes affect them adversely. They are there-
fore Acchinna Bhaktas for whom there is no break or
* 5
,
fickleness in their devotion. All the others are 'Chinna

Bhaktas'., in spite of a clear vision of the 'Biinba'
(Aparoksa), their devotion may flicker or may even by
extinguished for some period on account of 'Prarabdha
Karma 1
.
the jivas, until a clear vision of the 'Bimba'

For all
is vouchsafed, 'Sancita' and 'AgamT Karmas bother.
Sancita Karma is what
is gathered and left unused in a
previous birth such karmas remain heaped up like-

-
mountains. What further karmas they might breed

are Agami karmas. These two kinds of karmas will be
burnt down by 'Bimba Aparoksa'; but Trarabdha kar-
mas must be necessarily gone through, although there
1
may be occasional remission by the grace of God.

The flawless Rjus have no sinful Prarabdha Kar-
mas. Therefore their courses are the happiest. Af-
ter Bimba Aparoksa' they spend one hundred Brahma
4
Kalpas of supreme happiness which amounts to the joy

within their own selves since the concord between the
and the Tratibimba' is perfect.
Taking the case of Vayudeva, Sxi Jagannatha

Dasarya says-
To this Samfra, one hundred period of Prarabdha bhoga of
supreme Happiness;
With great ease he becomes the master of the worlds.
(H.K.S.).
Samira means the chief of the wind gods, whose

post is acquired at the end of a course of 198 Brahma
Kalpas. 'Bimba Aparoksa' takes place at the end
of 100 Brahma Kalpas in the case of the Rjuyogis.
From the 101st upto the end 200 Kalpas it is the
happiest 'Prarabdha' course. The very auspicious
names with which a Rju is designated during the sec-
ond hundred Kalpas, we find in the Vamana Purana.
Sri Jagannatha
Dasarya has collected them in a few
stanzas of Sri Harikathamrtasara. Those memorable
names are-Kalki, Suteja, *Dasa, Dharma, Adharma
Khandana, Varcasvi, Khasana, Sadhu, Mahipati, Sad-
dharmajiia, Dharmaja, Sampurna, Suci, Vaikrta,
Anjana, Sarsapa,
Kharpata, Sraddha, Sandhyata,
Vijiiana, Mahavijnana, Klrtana, Samklrna, K_ath-
hana, Buddha, Jaya, Mahattara, Sumahattara, Virya,
Suvirya, Medhavi, Rantinina, Manu, Moda, Pramoda,
Santasa, Ananda, Santusta, Carvanga, Carusubahu,
Carupada, Sulocana, Sarasvata, Suvira, Prjiia, Kapi,
Alampata, Sarvajna, Sarvajit, Mitra, Papavinasaka,
Dharmavinetaârada, Oja, Tapasvi, Sutapasvi, Te-
jasvi Danasusila, Yajfiakarta, Yajiiasukarta, Yajvi,
Yagakarta, Pr ana 5
Trana, Amarsi,
Upadesta, Maraka, Kalakri"dana, Sukarta,
Sukalajfia,
Kâsusucaka Kalisarnharta, Kali, Kala, Syamareta,
Sadarata, ^Subala, Saha,
Sadakapi, Samyajjiiana,
Dasakula, Srotavya, Samkirtitavya,
Mantavya, Kavya,
a Makh
S^
Savya, TAT? r'
Gantay y^ Kra^, Smartavya
Subhavya, Svargavya, Bhavya,
Jnktavya, Vak-
tavya, Gavya, Latavya, Vayu and Brahma
Chapter - IV 109
It is stated that one earns great merit by remem-

bering and reciting these divine names-
That which is said in the Vamana Parana,
Tie series of auspicious names of this great Personage,
If one devoutly remembers and recites every day,
The Consort of Sridevi their wished for
Desires grants and in His three Abodes
He puts them and gives them endless joy.
/_
Sri Vijaya Dasarya has picturised the greatness of
the Rjus in this manner-
Listen to the account of Rjus daily,
They are the best of the best jivas,
They have no bad deeds to perform,
9
With just a Jit tie 'Raja having plenty of 'Sattva\
Taking separate bodies in the three worlds,
They engage in activities till then: Brahma Kalpa ends.
The material bodies of the Rjus are made tip
mostly of the 'Sattva' mode with just a little of the
'Rajas'. They have no sinful tendencies. They go on
with their devotional activities until they occupy the
post of Brahma and retire.
When the post of Brahma is attained it is the last material

body.
That person has then four hands; he holds the rosary and holy
bowl,
Rides upon the 'Hamsa' bird (Swan)
And has Vanidevi for his queen.
It is the great opportunity to create
Just as a 'Rju' male comes up to the post of

Brahma, a 'Rju' female attains the post of Sarasvati
(Vani). They are blessed with the great opportunity
of creating the worlds.
They are the main promoters of Karma in the born Jivas,

Next only to the Lord of the Lotus - navel,
The full benefits of Sacrificial rites go to them
They reap the sweet fruits of what is done by the people.
8
Tie Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
Sri Hari (Padmanabha) is the sole promoter of all

karmas performed by the embodied persons. Next ta
Him, the chief subservient promoters of all meritorious
acts are Brahma and Sarasvati. Since Sri Hari does
not partake of the fruits of Karma although he receives
and distributes, the entire benefits of devotional acts
are enjoyed by this illustrious couple. The embodied
performer gets a small share according to his ability if
only he remembers Sri Hari's actorship and lays down
his acts at His lotus feet.
Even when they take birth on this earth
Their actions are never touched with pride; in every one
They see the lotus-feet of Vijayavitthala and derive ecstatic
joy.
.Their perception is Supreme
Off and on, they don't land in doubt or untruti,

Tie Mercy of 'Madiuvairi' is greatest upon them,
Their only Jaci is tie Jag in reaciing tie post of Bralima.
Their insight is always right and clear.

Tieir ien is always undisurbed;
They don't sect office for selRsh ends,
But they accept it in the service of Sri HarL
Thus, the noblest souls in Sri Hari's creation are

the Rjus.
VI. Four Kinds of Creation:
Creation is of four kinds - 'Atrna Srsti' (Self-

creation), 'Paradhlnavapti Srsti' (Assisted creation),
5
'Misra Srsti' (Contact Creation"), 'Kevala Srsti (Gross
Creation).
Atma Srsti:
SuJadi of Sri Vijaya Dasarya;

From one light another, still another, likewise,
From His original form other fprms and forms of incarnation
of SnHari. That man is certainly of demoniac stock/

(H.K.S.)
Sri Tamraparni Anandatirthacarya has, in his Sat-
tatva JRatnamala, described the great glory of Sri Ear!

who takes different forms and yet remains the same
everywhere.
"Sarvesvapi ii rupesu dvadyananfcananfca bahukah*
Cetanantasthamarabhya sarvagantah svarupan. (268)
a
Sarve nityah sasvatasca dehastasya paratmanah,
Paramananda sandoha jnanamatras'ca sarvasah.
"Desafcah KaJatoiianfca vrdhi Jirasa vivarjitah,

Tathaiva gunatanantali sarve sarvesvaresvarah. (270)
"Samasta bhoga bhoktaxah svabhoktarasca sarvasah

Mahalaksmi mukhambhoja madhvasvadana tatparah. (271)
"Sarva laksana sampurnah sarvatarah sadathilah,

Sarva varnasca sarvepi sarvatarja pravartatali.^ (272)
Purport;- In any one of the forms assumed by Sri Hari

all other forms exist. One head to countless number
of heads, two hands to countless number of hands like
this, all kinds of limbs and the forms to which they be-
long find place in any single form. This is on account
of His mysterious powers which we can never think of.
He exists with His innumerable forms within the very
tiny form of each individual soul; He exists in the whole
universe similarly and is also beyond it. All the innu-
merable forms of the Lord do exist at all times although
He shows only particular forms in particular situations.
But His forms are not like our material bodies; they
are of the stuff of pure bliss and consciousness. They
are not subjected to
change of any sort. Vamana, no
doubt, changed Himself into Trivikraina. This is from
our point of view. But both the forms- Vamana and
Trivikrama-exist always; they are changeless. Our in-
tellects are limited by the
Space and the Time factors;
hence it is difficult to Sn Han's
very grasp the idea of
forms. We must ponder deeply over the Vedic state-
Chapter -IV
ments about it. We should also understand that there

is no distinction between each quality and another
in
has the
any of His forms. Each quality potentialities
of every other quality. The Advaita Philosophy per-
of this world are
fectly fits His case. All edible things
accepted by Him; He receives and distributes. But He
tastes His own food forms fojund in thelood stuffs of-
fered to Him or eaten by creatures. He is always eager

to suck the honey in the lotus face of Mahalaksmi-
not for His sake, but to enhance her joy. All sorts of
colours are found in all the forms of the Lord; but He
shows only particular colours in the particular forms
that He manifests. Each one of His forms can perform
the functions of all other forms.
Paradhmavapti Srsti:
f .
eas-
Mahalaksmi, being subservient to Sri Hari,
to match the forms of her
ily takes different forms
Lord, by His grace and at His Will. This is known jas
forms Sri
'Paradhmavapti Srsti'. In each one of such
Hari dwells with a'smiliar female form, Hhe original,
or *BimbaV Sri Ramadevi's forms are like reflections
'assisted creation'.
(Pratibimbas'). Therefore it is
Misra Srsti:
Later on, wlien the eternal soul is broughtînto
contact witi tie external matter, It is Misra
Srsti. (V-S.)
Creation is there to help the bound souls to re-

alize themselves. For this purpose, bringing the
soul
into contact with matter for the sake of worldly expe-
rience is 'Misra Srsti' or 'Contact creation'. The soul
is changeless; yet, "being brought into contact
with the
material world, opportunity is created to feel the pinch
-of changeful phases. Sn Hari, who dwells
in the Spirit
Souls as well as in the material objects of the world,
the soul under illusion by His unthinkable power
puts
and makes the embodied one to think that he himself
is the actor. He is under the influence of the T and
'Mine' feeling-the Ego. Sri Hari, 'Bimba' or the real

actor is therefore praised as 'Jagannataka Sutradhari'
Kevala Srsti:
-"...* .Kevala Srsti is
Giving siapes to things to be destroyed later."
Using the modifications of Primeval matter anc
creating new things is called 'Kevala Srsti'. It is like
making a pot out of mud, drying and baking, anc
beautifying with colours. "To be destroyed later' sug-
gests that the things of this world are destroyed during
'Maha Pralaya'.
Mixing the three primordial elements, Sattva, Ra-
jas and Tamas and creating the basic materials sue!
as Mahat tattva and the like is called 'Vikrta Srsti'
Creating the 'Brahmanda and the worlds within.it is
*
called 'Vaikrta Srsti'. .*
Just as the primordial matter ('Mula Prakrti'),

^
which is lorded over by

Mahalaksmi, consists of the
three elements-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, the Linga
sariras of the souls also consist of those three elements,
Just as Mahat tattva and further modifications are cre-
ated out of 'Mula Prakrti' similar modifications are
L
created out of the Lingasariras too to form outer and
outer coverings. This also comes under 'Kevala Srsti',
only through such modifications that contact be-
It is
tween the souls and the external world is established/
Expanding the syllable OM

and creating the heaps
of Vedas and creating the
cognisable factors of Time are
also to be considered as 'Kevala Srsti'.
In the following chapters the 'Kevala Srsti' of

'Pranava' and Kala
(Time) will be takeii up first", and
then 'Misra Srsti' and 'Kevala Bhautika Srsti' will be
dealt with. Since the creation of the universe follows
the line of Vedic
descriptions and since all things are
subjected to the time factor, this procedure is followed.
* * *
Paramatma, Jnanatma - with these eight forms-

Tie Lord resides in Vedic literatures
Great sages, by the repetition of this mantra
Quickly reached My Eternal Abode
Thou, tie lotus-born, listen; from 'Ah*
The sixteen vowels were bora in their order
They are presided by the comely forms Aja, Ananda, Indresa
and the like-
Eight in number, born of 'Visva'

From 'IP, *Ma\ Nada, Bmdu and Ghosa -
ka, ca, a, ta, pa
Tie groups of consonants came out;
five
Listen Brahma, by the power of the Lord's
Prajn a, Turlya, Atma and Antaratma.

Forjois - liujasa,
The consonant group consists of twenty five letters
Out of 'Santa' the letter 'ya' Va' 'la and Va' 9
Know thou, from 'Atisanta* -

*sa'., <sa', *sa', 'ia' and 'la'
These five letters were born
In tiem are the Lord's forms-
Paramatma, Jnanatma and such
Nine inimitable forms
shming.
Prom the passage quoted we see that it Is a trans-
lation of the 'Prakasa Samhita 5
wherein as it were,
we Supreme Lord is ,
telHng His son Brahma about

the expansion of the letter
<Om', The passage explains
Ox on lsts of ei Sht limbs - letters
MA and5 A
*M!> the l
five other
'AS <U> and
ways of uttering sounds-Nada,
Bmdu, Ghosa, Santa and Atisanta, These eight are
eC
?!? riP \? they - et their P^perites mani^
fested
*
by the eight forms of the Lord -

Visva, Taijasa,
Tu55ra
^
* *isfis
11
jfj AtmvAntaratma, Paramatma and
^
SS
(Among all the alphabets, you can easily see Me in the

letter 'A').
As said before ,for the voicing of every letter there

are different parts and different touches in the vocal
system. And for the purpose of utterance, there axe
different deities for the different letters, all under the
control of deities presiding over the mind. In every one
of these are the different forms of the Supreme Lord as
the main Source.
Such of the Haridasas as Sri Vijaya Dasarya, with

god-vision, have visualised the divine forces behind the
material workings of the alphabets and have
rejoiced.
Tie group of A
( '
has eight; then, the five groups,
And adding 'Ksa\ fifty one
Meaningful letters appear. Their presence
Isfound everywhere. Vowels added,
They form four hundred and twenty " letters
When these letters are
multiplied,
Understand, the various letter combinations,
At thirty five to each consonant like
*Ka\
Yon may count carefully and see
Fourteen thousand seven hundred
they are;
The Lover ofSrldevi,
Vijayavittalarava,
Defends those who thus
contemplate'
vowd s with 'A' convert them-
thbepnuing
.
t ?* elongated sounds " The classifed
^ êir utterance.
P*vowels
11
make a total
hedn Kr
CC ^ *i
^
Com
T etters ê farrive S rts ~
at 14,700 letter
T1? û^ >
Chapter -V 119
gated - Ex. 'Ramaaa!'). There are as many forms of

the Lord in them as there are letter combinations.
More is there to know; half sounds uttered
These themselves make innumerable sounds;

With these all, tie Upanisads, all Vedas and Puranas,
Pleasing Pancaratra, Brahmatarka, Ramayana,
Instructive Bhagavata, Yoga Sastra, Bharata,
Diarma Mimamsa for all occasions, all 'Siddhantas'
Are created; and thus distributed are Vedic and utilitarian
sounds;
All are linked by the knower with the presence of Brahma and
Sri Hari,
Morning and evening not forgetting,
All such words as 'grief' or 'base 7
Therefore, Sri Hari is denoted by OmJcara'

Which is the treasure of all sounds."
By the modes of utterance, the sound forms be-

come countless; and they are impregnated by the
countless forms of Sri Hari. All the Vedic literatures
are formed by these sound forms, which are therefore
called 'Vaidik' sounds. The words spoken generally,
and the cires of beasts and birds and insects are all
'Laukika' sounds.
But no sound form is meaningless, nor is futile,
/very one of them contains the forms of Bharatidevi
and Vayudeva, Sarasvatidevi and Brahmadeva and in
them are the forms of the Supreme Being. Therefore
every sound brims with the gestures of Sn Hari. Ev-
ery sound has reference to some aspect of the work-
ing of the universe and it contains the praise of the
Lord's glory. Therefore a knower relates even such
words as 'Duhkha' (Sorrow) and 'Tuccha' (Mean) to
the Supreme Being; and he rejoices. In this connection
Sri Vijaya Dasarya says-
Let anyone blame or spit,
Let any one rebuke or reward,
Let any one kick or save,
Let any one one praise or push,
Let any one feed or clothe;

Let any one chastise,
Let any one defame,
Let any one crush,
Let any one say anything-
All, all are the names of God!
He is a freed soul who thus knows.
A c
Knower' of this status has perfect knowledge
as to how Sri Hari, bearing all
names, uses such names
in the conduct of the affairs of the universe. Such a
'knower' 'Sthita Prajiia.' It is he who knows the full
is
significance of 'Pranava' or 'Omkara. Sri 'Sukamaharsi'

and 'Jadabharata' may be taken as
examples of those
thus knew and lived. We may see many more of this
category in Srimad Bhagavatam.
But that not possible for any one to know all
it is
that the 'Pranava' indicates has been thus said

by Sri
Jagannatha Dasarya-
One and fifty alphabets
Are names of the one Supreme
Even Rama, Brahma and such
Cannot know Him fully-
Understanding thus makes life fruitful"
II. Expansion of Time:
Time is an eternal factor, whether we
or not. recognise it
Making Time recognisible into smaller and big-
ger divisions by certain devices is the creation of Time.
As the expansion of Time is related
to the modifica-
tions of matter, it is also known
as 'Kevala Srsti'.
The denizens of this world
recognise Time by the
movements of planets like the
Sun, the Moon, Jupiter
and others. It is
calculated, beginning from the min-
utest fraction
right up to the life span given to Brahma.
S Vijaya s5r a
y has cle ly described the glory
f rt e Q
&T$*
* em S who ***** the
name Time. He has also related how Time, goes by the
>
one can recognise

Chapter -V 121
the nature ofTime and how to free oneself from the

bondage imposed by it.
/
Sri Visnu, transcending the Time factor, the min-

utest and the vastest
Time factor urging, from beginningless time
Being called 'Time 9 all the souls
,
He keeps in the cycle of the world,

And makes them suffer keeping the Time factor in view
He is with Time, but not bound;

He who thus contemplates morn, noon and eve.
Knows past, present and future. Be he born' in any species,
Lives happily with his tin, fearless of Time
Time is flawless; on account of relationship
It is called auspicious or inauspicious, you see
He who is praised by 'Kalakandhara for
9
All kinds of Time is Master, Jcnow thus; from bondage He frees

you
Trust the saving of feet of Vyayavitthala and live in tie light
of .knowledge with full devotion.
Starting from the minutest thinkable factor of

time, covering the life spans of the simplest kinds of liv-
ing creatures as well as the longest life span of Brahma,
Sri Visnu resides in the various Time factors with innu-
merable forms and supports the activities of this world.
As He takes different minute forms in the smallest of
the factors, He takes bigger and bigger forms in the
bigger factors such as day, fortnight, month, season,
half-year and year; and He assumes the names of those
factors.
It iscustomary to consider time as auspicious or

inauspicious while performing religious duties. But,
really speaking, Time by itself is flawless. By its rela-
tionship with evil factors it will be considered inaus-

picious. For example, 'Rahukala' is not propitious be-
cause of Rahu's connection with the particular fraction
of Time. For those, who bear in mind that Sri Hari is
the background of kinds of Time, every moment

all is
really auspicious. Many have heard the verse
Tadeva lagnam sudinam tadeva ......

Laksmipate tenghriyugam smatami.
This idea has been declared with great emphasis

by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya in one of the verses in Sri
Harikathamrtasara thus-
"
"Every fraction of Time is propitious.
(Its Kannada equivalent- "Sarva Kalavu parva Kalavu'*)
Any time when Sri Hari is pleased with the per-

formance of our duties is certainly the most
auspicious
time. To those, who remember the Master of Time
and lay down their actions at His lotus time is
feet, all
propitious.
/ .
Sri Purandara Dasarya has expressed this truth in

his own inimitable way-
Today is the auspicious day,
Today's week name is the most auspicious,
The star of this day is
auspicious,
The 'Yoga 9 today is
auspicious,
The 'Jvarana* today is
auspicious,
Today Sn Purandara Vitthala
Has graced us with His Presence.
e
** of the
star i?
day, the
^ e da tte week name of
^yoga'
^ ^ theday, the
of the day and the Parana' of
?nfn ,
into
C th
i^f t.?
Ve imP rta ^
êms to be taken
consideration wble
observing religious duties,)
^
us ab
Time
lime, bL
but ?K
S ng
SUprei
the song
^^
f
is
J annat t^ Dasarya also
of the câtor in the
very meaningful-
tells
form of
uT
1aw your
am Original reads thus-
I
servant,
am your servant, "Dasoham tava
Dasoham tava
Chapter - V 123
I am your
servant, Dasoham tava
Always your servant. Dasoham tava
You are "without evil traits,
I am your servant,
I am your servant
You are in Time,
you control time,
You you know past, present, future
are above Time,
You motivate Time, you put a stop to Time,
You create Time, you are in tie form of Time.
I am your servant, your servant."
/ _
SriHari exists in the divisions of Time and is Mas-
ter of it, but he is not bound by the Time factor. If He
so minds, He can make Time to retrace its pace; He caii
make the Sun visible at midnight. It is He who gives a
start to countable Time and it is He who subjects it to
dissolution. To those who accept His servitude there is
no fear to Time.
In the following Suladi Sri Vijaya Dasarya ac-
quaints us with the divisions of Time,
Two *anus' one *paramanu'; three such ones-
One *tryanu' its name;
This itself is catted by the name, trasarenu-
ConceivabJe by humans, in the sun-streat through the 'roof
hold',
The time taien by dust particle to pass
Three trasarenus a *trti'; three trtis
Go by the name one Vedha';
Three vedhas one lava'; three lavas
You count as a 'nimesa'; three nimesas
Mate a 'tsana'; five tsanas put together
They go by the name a 'tastha';
There is no reason to doubt, fifteen tasthas
You should consider as one 'laghu',
Fifteen laghus form one *nadi';
Eight such nadis go to mate one *yama';
If you count four such yamas
It is sun-set time-twelve hours are gone;
Twelve such hours-the four yamas of night;
The two together make one 'day* or vasara

Of five aspects, with 'Tithi', Tara' 'Yoga' and 'Karana'.
This is considered a 'day' by human count;
This the beginning unit for all auspicious religious duties.
In the mud-built houses of olden times there used

to be round openings in the roofs to serve as ventilators.
They were protected by wooden bars through which
sun beams poured down in streaks. One could see dust
particles crossing such sun streaks. The time taken to
pass the lateral space occupied by a streak of sunlight is
considered as Hrasarenu' or Hryanu'. Then the count is
given upto twenty four hours making a day for human
beings. Three trasarenus make one Hrti', three trdtis,
one 'vedha'; three vedhas, one 'lava'; 'three lavas", one
nimesa (time taken for the winking of the eye); three
nimesas, one 'ksana'; five 'ksanas' one 'kastha'; fifteen
kasthas, one laghu'; fifteen laghus, one 'nadi'; eight
nadis, one 'yama'; four yamas, one bright part of the
day- twelve hours; and fpur yamas, one night. The two
together are taken as the starting unit for counting
auspicious periods for religious duties. The sum to-
tal of-twenty four hours contains five aspects- 'Vasara'
name of the week day; 'Tithi' name of each day of the
fortnight; 'Naksatra' star of the day; and two others-
'Yoga* and 'Karana',
not easy to comprehend the smallest units of
It is
Time, such as *Paramanu; yet, we may try to imagine.

Of course, we know that modern scientists have cre-
ated instruments to record very very minute fractions
of Time.
In order to aid our imagination in this respect Sri

Vijaya Dasarya has given a very fine illustration.
Tie minutest of the Time factor to consider,
You must imagine this way-
Put together a hundred thousand tender lotus petals,
Quickly pierce through by the needle end,
Each petal, though separate from each other,
Holes are made in *every one of them;
Chapter - V 125
See you that there is the first, the last and all others between,
Requiring separate time divisions to pass through-
It is because each of the thin ones occupies separate space
We can surely imagine, though beyond worlds

Each petal bears the mart denoting divisions of time and
space;
And if thus you stretch imagination,
It goes beyond the 'Paramanu' division of Time
Sri Hari's gJory is sublime.
Sri Hari's glory is here specially praised because

He is in the minutest division of Time, helping and
watching all the activities in the universe.
the In-
Keeping the Time divisions thus in view,
in relation
dian Almanacs indicate the auspicious times
to the movements and positions of stars and planets.
There are many who say that they have no faith

in the influence of such Time factors
indicated by the
Almanac; however, the sastras do not
mean to put the
unwilling load on their backs.
Those who evince faith,
others roll down the
they tread the path of wisdom;
capricious path of 'Karma'
- until
they grow wise! Hav-
ing such wanton folks
in view, the Urdu proverb says,
"There is the the field is wide!"
For the same
horse;
has said, "I shall tell only
reason, Sri Vijaya Dasarya
those who lend their ears."
Sandhi' of
In the 'Kalpasadhana ^
time are given

Sri Harikathamrtasara, the divisions of
as follows-
5 Ksanas - 1 Trti
50 f rt'is - - 1Lava
2 Lavas - 1 Nimesa
8 Nimesas
- 1 Matra
2 Matras
- 1 Guru
10 Gurus
- 1 Prana
- 1 Pala
6 Pranas
- 1 Ghatika
60 Palas
- 1
60 Gh'atikas
We should not take the different ways of namin]

=
time divisions as contradictory because they are var

iously considered with reference to the stars and th
different planets.
Having appraised us of the minor divisons c

first
the dya, Sri Dasarya then tells about the fortnight, th

month, the season, the half-year and the year. He say
that a year by human count is one day for the divin
beings. The northern course of the sun is day for th
gods; the southern course is night. Similarly, our brig!
fortnight is night for the Pitrs and our dark fortnigl
is day for them.
Now we are told about the time divisions of *Yi
5
gas and 'Kalpas'
There three and one yugas by human count,

I shallnow give details of these;
For the first yuga, seventeen JaJcJi,
And twenty eight thousand you reckon;

For the second, twelve lakh,
Ninetysix thousand years do roll;
For the third yuga, eight lakh plus
Sixty four thousand years go by;
In this way you calculate for the fourth,
It will take in four lakh, thirty two thousand;
Now summing up together,

The number of years encompassed by yugas,
It isforty three laih, twenty thousand,
Different are the meaningful names of the four yugas,-
They are 'Krta,' 'Xreta', 'Dvapara' and 'Jvali'.

Let those with pure hearts listen;
The spouse of Sridevi, our VjjayavitthaJaraya,
Bears the names of the four yugas, you must .know.
By human reckoning, Krtayuga has 17,28,0(

years; Tretayuga has 12,96,000 years; Dvaparayuga hi
8,64,000 years; arid Kaliyuga has 4,32,000. The tot
number of years that go to make up the four yugas
^3.2C,C,Cv-.. The Lord of the universe takes the names
Chapter - V J27
the four yugas and goes with them to see that the
living
conditions of His creatures are
befitting the changing
times.
In the sum
total of the four yugas Sn Hari resides
with a different name-it is 'Mahayuga'. In the same
way He bears different names and forms in the Manu
Kalpas. He who is in the form and name of the Brah-
makalpa is 'Virat Purusa', He is called 'Mahakala'.
When the four yugas once revolve, it is Mahay uga-

TweJve thousand years by divine count;
Weil-Jcnown it is, that if thousand Mahayugas
Run through by Sri Hari's Grace, then
It will be one day for the Master of
worlds,
Four hundred and thirty crore it is
A period of another thousand Mahayugas
Gone through, makes a night for the Lotus-seated;
It is also four hundred and thirty crore
As it is clear now, the two together,
Eight hundred and sixty four crore years
This makes a complete day of Brahma;
Sri VijayavitthaJa with His beautiful form
Gave this span of years by human standard.
One Mahay uga, consisting of the four yugas-Krta,
Treta, Dvapara and Kali, is equal to 12000 years of
the divine beings. One thousand Mahayugas make
the bright part of Brahma's day and another thousand
Mahayugas make his night. The duration of his day is
therefore 4,32,0000000 human years; his night also is
of the same number of years. One complete day of the
lotus-seated Brahma is equal to 864,0000000 human
years.
During the bright part of each of Brahma's day,

fourteen Manus, the progenitors and law-makers of
mankind, hold sway in this world. The period allot-
ted to each one is 71 Mahayugas; for fourteen it will
be Mahayugas. The remaining six are the interim
9-94
periods. This fact is described in the following Suladi
128 The Process of Creation in. Dasa Sahitya
"During each day of Brahma,

Fourteen Manus their posts
Do hold, one after another,
Their periods you may count,
For eacJi Manu, seventy four Mahayugas,
The remaining six are distributed.
Details about interim periods-

Tiey are fourteen Manus, Svayambhuva
Among them is considered the first,

Know thou that the Manu called Tapasa
Is themanifestation ofNarayana Himself
The wise ones understand the limits of the interim periods,
Knowing which aiid praising brings merit
To the first Manu it is two thousand years;
A thousand and four hundred years for the next five;
From Vaivasvata Manu, to the eight remaining
Fifteen hundred is multiplied by eight.
Knowing and praising the interim periods means

knowing the changes brought about by Sri Hari during
these periods. It is this knowledge that earns merit.
The interim period after
(I) Svayambhuva Manu is 2,000 years.
For (2) Svarocisa (3) Uttama,
(4} Tapasa, (5) Raivata and
(6) Gaksusa 1400 x 5 7,000 years
For, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Savarni,
(9) Daksasavarni, (10) Brahma Savarni,
(II) Dharma Savarni,(12) Rudra
Savarni (13) Indra Savarni and
(14) Deva Savarni- 1500 x 8 12,000 years
Total :
21,000 years
These years are by divine

reckoning to be counted
at the
beginning and at the end of each Manu Kalpa.
Just as there are interim
periods between Manu
Kalpas, there are such periods between each yuga and
the next Yuga too.
Chapter - V 129
The interim periods together, twenty thousand,

Six and one Jaih years they come to;
The figure of each take both sides of it;
Without change, at the end of Kali age
The connecting periods is eighty thousand
And one JaJch-estabhshed; the end of Ivrta, beginning of Ireta
Connecting - two laJch, fifty two thousand;
Thus joining end of Ireta, beginning of Dvapara,
OnelaJch and eighty thousand years,
Theinter regnum between Dvapara and Kali,
Know you, it is one JaJch eight thousand.
Each, of Brahma's day comprises of 432,0000000

human years, distributed among
14 Manus. Their pe-
riods, including the inter regnums
are given now-
For each Manu, the period of Sovereignty,

Consider thirty crore human years, over
And above add eightyfive lakh and twnety one,
And count thousand four hundred and twenty eight years,
Months six, and after that, twenty five

9
Days, hours seventeen, twenty one 'palas ;
This is definite; in this wise for fourteen

Alan us you must take the counts.
Explanatory :-
25 days, 17 hours, 21
31,85,71428 years, 6 months,
Ghatikas If these are multiplied by 14
we get
(Palas).
the period equal to Brahma's day- 432,0000000 years.
III Utility of Time:

Li the minuter than the minutest and in the greatest Time
factor
residing, Incessantly motivating that Time division

Sri Eari bears that name, the Holiest person,
He occupies the whole Time from morning to sun-set,
And He takes different names;
He thus appears glorious, foreigner to sin,
Night and day He thus takes care of us,
There is naught to compare with His kindness.
/ __
Sri Hari dwells in the minutest as well as the

largest Timefactor, the latter being called 'para'-life
span of Brahma. He aids every one to go through the
particularkarma fixed for each period- small or big. He
bears the names of the Time divisions and bestows aus-
picious results. Since He is far from sin, it is beneficial
to remember Him while we go
through our actions; He
purifies them and makes them bear good fruits. Day
and night, He cares for us. Such kindness we can find
in no one else.
Now the different forms of the Lord presiding over

the different divisions of the day are recounted-
Marie, at dawn, the bearer of'Kaumodaki'

Lord Kesava; at sunrise the connecting period,
Remember the Sute-player Govinda,
SriNarayana is there during morning hours,
The discus-bearer Visnu at noon,
After that, for after-noon, bow bearer
Madhusudana is the presiding form;
For late after-noon, joyous Madhava
Spending time with devotional attitude,
If one remembers these forms of Sri
Hari,
The hosts of gods, well pleased, drive our deeds in right paths,
And taking care of us, they prepare us for the goal.
Period of day Presiding form of God
(1) Dawn Sri Kesava, bearing mace
(2) Day-break Sri Venu Gopalakrsna
Chapter - V J32
(3) Morning hours Sriman Narayana

(4) Noon SrlVisnu
(5) Afternoon Sri Madhusudana bearing bow
(6) Evening Sri Madhava and arrow
At dusk of evening, Hrsikesamurti,
For night till the Zero hour, He
Who is the father of the lotus-born;
For the rest of night, listen, it is Srivatsa;
In this way understand the Time factor;
well
Vijayavitthalaraya, friend of Siva,

Is the giver of all kinds of auspicious fruits.
Period of night Presiding form of God
(1) Night fall (dusk) Sri Hrslkesa
(2) Until midnight Sri Padmanabha

(3) Latter part of night Srivatsamurti
Thtis Sri Hari is always with us, day or night.

For our counting of Time, the Sun God is the chief
associate. Now we are told about the forms of the
Supreme Being in the Sun God.
"In tie Sun's orb, Pradjumna, Vasudeva,
Varaha, Narayana, Aniruddhamurti,
Narasimha, Sankarsana- these seven forms
Are there always; thus contemplate.
Sri Hari resides in the Sun God with seven forms

and names as mentioned in the verse. These seven
forms-Pradyumna, Vasudeva, Varaha, Narayana,
Aniruddha, Narasimha and Sankarsana, respectively
preside over the seven divisions of day-dawn, sunrise,
morning hours, noon, afternoon, evening and night.
When it is thus said, it sholud not be construed that
the present statement contradictory to what was said
is
earlier. They fit into each other in special ways.
Purusa, Purusa Pratrd,_Pratrti Prakrti-in all

These inter-relations Sri Hari pervades; this pervation
Recognising, consider the now of tune from morning
till night;
In the same way visualise

Time,
Its expansion going upto the Tara period, '
Contemplate upon Sri JHari's froms in all the divisions and earn
grace;
At all times, when prescribed duties are performed,
This, kind of visualisation must be practised;
Then, the minutest time spent, the place of action, materials

used and
The deed itself become ausipicious.
All sins are washed off, no exaggeration!
In the Time factor, the Lord with its name
is Sridevi's sweet heart, Vijayavitthala; remember Him.
In this verse, the spirit soul is signified by the word
Turusa'; His material body is denoted by the word
Turusa Prakrti'; and Trakrti Prakrti' means the ma-
terial objects around. Sri Hari has given material bod-
ies, out of the three modes-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas,
to the three kinds of souls and is taking them through
the courses of Karma, subjecting them to the Time fac-
tor with its variety of divisions. In the souls, in their
bodies, in the material world and in the Time factor
Sri Hari abides, Himself unaffected. We should thus
remember Him.
Just as we should purify and dedicate our deeds
by remembering the seven forms of Sri Hari, we should
make our entire life pure and dedicated. How this can
be done is explained by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya in Sri
Harikathamrtasara.
Learn from the wise knowers, morning
Time, mid-day time and even-tide;
He who shines in the 'Vasus', in 'Rudra' and in 'Aditya'
Through 'Pavana', His forms along with Krti, Jaya and Maya
Three forms bear in mind and
Sacrificing days as offerings, learn to worship and be happy.
(H.K.S. 12-34)
We
have to learn from those, who truly know, the
morning, the noon and the evening of life; then we
Chapter - V 133
should fix our minds upon (1) Pradyumna, husband

of Krtidevi, residing in the 'Vasus',
(2) Sankarsana,
husband of Jayadevi, residing in Rudradeva and (3)
Vasudeva, husband Mayadevi, Aditya; and then, con-
sidering all our daily deeds as sacrificial articles, we
should dedicate them to the Lord of all Yajnas. By do-
ing so, one can be free from the evil results of Karmas
and enjoy pure bliss.
In order that the act of dedication be purified, we

5
should think of Sri Mukhya Prana in the 'Vasus in ,
Rudra, and in Aditya; and in Mukhya Prana, we should

adore Pradyumna, Sankarsana and Vasudeva respec-
tively.
Twenty four years, in the 'Vasu'
Deities,Pradyumna shows Himself;
Fortyfour years, with the form of Sankarsana
He dwells in the fire-eyed; Maya
Pati, for forty eight years
.Resides in the Sun God as Vasudeva. (H.K.S. 12-35)
During the first twenty four years of a man's life,
Pradyumna in the 'Vasus' is the presiding Deity; this

is the morning of life. In the second forty four years,
Safxkarsana in Rudra is the presiding Deity; it is the
noon life/ During the last forty eight years, Vasudeva
in the Sun god presides; it is the evening of life.
Really speaking, the normal life span of man

is
116 years. It should be considered as having three

words-
divisions-morning, noon and evening; in other
young age, middle age and old age. Pradyumna,
Sankarsana and Vasudeva are the Lord's forms taking
care of man in his three stages of life.
During tie one hundred and sixteen years,

With one hundred and sixteen auspicious forms,
He sports residing in the 'Vasus', in Rudra and in Aditya-along
with His consort.
With shyness cast away, the devotees who worship,
Are protected from sins that haunt them.
Driving sins afar, He always remains dispelling fear.

(H.K.S. 12-36)
SrlHari is with man not only with the three princi-

pal forms-Pradyumna, Sankarsana and Vasudeva; but,
He also takes one hundred and sixteen subsidiary forms
and conducts man's life as if it were sport. His con-
sort is also with Him in her three forms-Krti, Jaya and
Maya. A true devotee does not feel shy to express his
devotion ii> various forms before others. If such be the
devotion, Sri Hari drives away the sinful tendencies of
the devotee and keeps him free from fear of all sorts;
and makes life happy for him.
IV. Chart of Time Factor:
Minute divisions of Time

In Suladi of Sri Vijaya Dasarya
3 Trasarenus *
1 Trti
3 Trtis 1 Vedha
3 Vedhas 1 Lava
3 Lavas 1 Nimesa
3 Nimesas 1 Ksana
5 Ksanas 1 Kksfha
15 Kasthas 1 Laghu
15 Laghus 1 Nadi
8 Nadis 1 Yama
4 Yamas 1 Day
4 Yamas 1 Night
8 Yamas 1 Complete Day
(i) A day takes the name of the week day as well as
the fortnightly day.
(ii) Nimesa=winking of eye
/ _ ,
In Sri Ezinka.tha.mrta.sara.
5 Ksanas \ Trti
50 Trtis i Lava
2 Lavas i Nimesa
Chapter - V 135
fimesas Matra
latras Guru
Gurus Prana
'ran as Pala
Palas Ghatika
Ghatikas Day*
man Count For the Pitrs
- 1 Taksa'
1 Day or 1 Night
,s'~l Month 1 Whole day
man Count For Divine Beings
is-1 Season (Rtu)
is
(Rtus)-l 'Ayana' 1 Day or night
(half year)
as'-l Year 1 Whole day
1 Month
rs 1 Year
a 4,32,000 Years 1,200 Years

lyuga 8,64,000 years 2,400 years.
ga 12,96,000 years 3,600 years.
17,28,000 years 4,800 years.
iga 43,20,000 years 12,000 years.
tman Count Brahma's Count

[ahayugas 1 day or 1 night
2000000 years.)
[ahayugas 1 whole day
40000000 years,)
)000x360
)00000 years 1 year. One hundred
such yeiars
300000000 years Brahma's life span;
3
it is called 'Para .
136 The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya.
Antique mode of counting:

Eka=l; Dasa=10; Sata=100; Sahasra=1000;
Dasa Sahasra=10,000; Laksa=100000;
Dasa laksa=10,00,0.00;
Koti=l,00,00,000; Dasa koti=10,00,00,000
Sata Koti=100,00,00,000;
Arbuda=l,000,00,00,000;
Nyarbuda=10,000,00,00,000;
Kharva=100,000,00,00,000;
Mahakharva=l,000,00,00,000;
Padma=10,000,000,00 00,OpO;
)
Maha Padma=100,000,000,00,00,000;
Ksoni=l,000,000,000,00,00,000;
MahaKsoni=10,000,000,000,00,00,000;
Samkha=100,000,000,000,00,00,000;
MahaSamkha=l,000,000,000,000,00,00,000;
Ananta=l followed by 144 zeros.
To put in antique terms, Brahma's life span i
counted as- 3 Padmas, 11 Kharvas, 4 Arbudas of hi

man year.
The regimes of 14 Manus-Brahma's one day (Th
bright half) or 4320000000 human years.
The regime of one Manu-70 Mahayugas; c
302400000 human years.
Theinterim periods between the Manus-2
Mahayugas, or 86400000 human years
Net regime periods of the 14 Manus-423360000
years+Interim periods 86400000 years = Toti
4320000000 years.
Oiapter-V 137
.) From Simple creatures upto 'Manusya gandharvas'

(inclusive)-human count.
4
L) For the group of Pitrs- Pitr mana'
i) From 'Devagandharvas' upto Garudadeva and

Sesadeva (inclusive)- Divine Count 'Deva mana'
r) For Brahma, Vayu, Sarasvati and Bharati-

'Brahmamana 5
From our of view, Para Brahma-The

point
creates, sustains and destroys during
upreme Being, a
eriod equal to Brahma's 100 years; and He lies quiet
ith Sri Ramadevi for an equal period. But this is
ke the winking of the eye in His case. Even saying so
>
just for our understanding. He is beyond the Time
xctor.
* * *
Chapter- VI
BEGINNING OF CREATION
I. Sport with the Released Souls:
Having described the creation of Tranava' andol

the Time factor, now we are told what Sri Hari, who
was pretending
yoganidra, did at the beginning of cre-
ation of the universe.
In the 'Pralaya'
waters, Sri Padmanabha,
Where the 'Siibhaga'ofVaikuntha
was,
There He stretched Himself and
slept soon
With His wife; when it dawned,
The time, let the wise ones
understand as before;
His consort, Ambhranl
devi, pleasing Him,
When she offered
prayers, He was joyful-
With ease He swallowed darkness
completely
The banyan leaf became Shude viand the water* became Sri
devj;
He was inclined now
^^te, like
bmlding a den of sand
Acuity;
repest,
As was explained
*Mahapralaya', Sri Hari
and went to
sleep, as it
ganidra' for 1QI hours of
Brahma's 8?A years. When
mght still remained, He was'
of Ambhranidevi. This is
wri
stand as before". He
swallow*?!
Chapter - VI 139
rounded, when
Bhudevi. who was in the form of the
banyan leaf, became herself; and Sridevi, who was in
the form of the Tralaya' waters, took her own form.
[In this context it may be profitable
to compare the
Biblical statement- "At first, there was only dark-
ness, and the spirit of God floated upon the waters.]
AmbhranldevI, the controller of the principle of dark-
ness, praised the Lord and requested Him to begin a
new creation. Sri Hari, gladly assented. Creation for
Him is like children's play of building sand holes as
houses-so easy it is!.
HowSri Hari, who lay upon the banyan leaf like a

boy child, took the form of Vasudeva and sported with
the released souls, will now be described.
The Almighty Lord, Sri Vijayavifthala,
During the rest of the night sported with the 'muita's.
took out the released souls from His belly,

Sri Hari
and to give them Supreme joy, He sported with them.
-
Four, twenty four, ten forms,
Hundred thousand forms Srfpati toot; Sri Laksmidevi also as-
sumed gladly forms befitting the forms of Sri Hari; when Her
Lord took the form of a horse, she too became a horse.
that
Sri Hari took the form of a horse to indicate
He is as quick- in affording pleasures to His devotees;
also because He is in the form of the Vedas
and is
praised by all the Vedas. 'Hayagriva, the horse-faced
Sri Hari is the Master who teaches Vedas. Laksmidevi
became a female horse. When the two partners merrily
the Vedas flashed upon the
neighed, the meanings of
c
hearers, the muktas'.

Baksasas
Numberless Gods, Gandharvas, deities called
and VaJesas,
Guhyakas, Si&dhas and the Bsis,
The e\-er nierrv Apsara dames and others,
AIJ with non-material bodies, and Satananda (Brahma;
with their
Chapter- VI
BEGINNING OF CREATION
1. Sport with the Released Souls:
Having described the creation of Tranava' and of
the Time factor, now we are told what Sri Hari, who
was pretending yoganidra, did at the beginning of cre-
ation of the universe.
the
TraJaâ* waters, Srf Padmauabha,
lii
Where the 'Snbhaga of Vaikuntha was,

9
There He stretched Himself and

slept soon
With His wife; when it dawned,
The time, let the wise ones understand as
before;
His consort, Ambhrani
devi, pleasing Him,
When she offered
prayers, He was joyful;
With ease He swallowed darkness
completely;
The banyan leaf became BhudevI and the
waters became Sri
devi;
He was inclined now to create, like
building a den of sand
Like a small
607, with no difficulty;
He thus gladly granted His wife's
request,
Tie prettiest of the
pretty gods, Vijayavitthalaraya;
Me thus rejoices, time after
time.
As was in the
5
^plained chapter describing
Mahapralaya Sri Hari took
e nt everything into Himself
to see P' as He pretended
!L:A ?
f 1A
i4 were -
<yo~
*
5
*
years. When
His
_
^^ which is eual
to
1| or 12| years of the
^ned
'"":'*-.;-
^ Hc^was
T
wakened the prayer
what is meant by "under-
iills is
V
" e:ore ' He ^wallowed the darkness^ tiiat sur-
Chapter - VI 139
rounded, when Bhudevi, who was in the form of the
banyan leaf, became herself; and Sridevi, who was in

the form of the 'Pralaya' waters, took her own form.
[In this context it may be profitable to compare the
Biblical statement- "At first, there was only dark-
ness, and the spirit of God floated upon the waters.]
Ambhranidevi, the controller of the principle of dark-
ness, praised the Lord and requested Him to begin a
new creation. Sri Hari, gladly assented. Creation for
Him is like children's play of building sand holes as
houses-so easy it is!.
How who lay upon the banyan leaf like a

Sri Hari,
boy child, took the form of Vasudeva and sported with
the released souls, will now be described.
The Almighty Lord, Sri Vijayavifthala,
During the rest of the night sported with the 'mukta's.
Sri Hari took out the released souls from His belly,
and to give them Supreme joy, He sported with them.
~
Four, twenty four, ten forms,
Hiindred thousand forms Sripati tooJq Sri LaJcsmidevi also as-
sumed gladly forms befitting the forms of Sri Hari; when Her
Lord took the form of a horse, she too became a horse.
Hari took the form of a horse to indicate that

Sri
He as quick in affording pleasures to His devotees;
is
also because He is in the form of the Vedas and is
praised by all the Vedas. 'Hayagriva, the horse-faced
Sri Hari is who
teaches Vedas. Laksmidevi
the Master
became a female horse. When the
two partners merrily
neighed, the meanings of the Vedas flashed upon the
c
hearers, the muktas'.

A7 umberless Gods, Gandharvas, deities called Raksasas
and laJcsas,
Guhyakas, Siddhas and the JRsis,
The over merry Apsara dames and others,
All with non-material bodies, and Satananda (Brahma)
with their
Partners gathered; when they took innumerable forms,

The sporting Vijayavitthalaraya
Manifested His supreme abilities, ever new to His devotees,
All the released souls, including Brahma, as-
sumed different forms by the grace of the Lord of Sri
Ramadevi. The muktas have no material bodies. They

took different forms only with their non-material selves,
To such Hari teaches how to

spiritual selves Sri
enjoy pleasures, taking upon themselves bodies of pure
Sattva material.
In conformity with Sri JETari's will, the gods and other muktas
Took different forms; then, with pure Sattva,
Rivers, hills, trees, precious stones, gold, silver,
Sporting ground, different heavens, oceans-all
He created; in the waters, He Himself along with Sridevi,
Forms of aqcuatic creatures cheerfully
The kindly Master took; Brahma and other
Muktas too took such forms. Then structural skills to
His devotees He taught. Immediately, the forms of domestic
and wild animals.
And forms of the ruler and the ruled He assumed.
Sri Hari made Brahma Prime Minister
And he made the other merited muktas to be the subjects;
The evil souls rotting in the Eternal Hells
He made to be the rogues in
society; to these and the good
souls
Creating rubs and smashing the evil doers.
Pure Sattva element is free from

any trace of the
other two
elements-Raja^ and Tamas. It is not used in
the creation of the universe. With this Sattva element
Sri Hari created
land, hills, trees and all other
rivers,
things necessary for the enjoyment of pleasures. In the
ocean He took the forms of
aquatic creatures along with
Sri Ramadevi
Following the example, Brahma and the
others too took such forms and
sported. Sri Hari Then,
taught them engineering skills and
that they
sculptural art such
might take more and more forms.complex
Their right performances and understanding He approved;

He is the friend of His dear devotees-Vijayavitthala;
There is no end to the marvels of Sis creation.
imiverse is verily the university of experi-

ences. Sri Han sports witk tlie muktas just to impress
upon the released souls His role in the here and the
heareafter. Even in the
Vaikun|haloka they perform
sacrifices and listen to Itihasas
(Histories) and Puranas,
glorifying the marvellous Sport, (Llla) of God. This
gives impetus to the experience of their innate joy in
full measure. And
they realize how very dear to them
is Sri Hari. Their encounter with the eternal suffer-
ers and the punishment meted out to the latter con-
firms the three varieties
among souls and enhances the
joy while listening to the Itihasas and Puranas in the
Happy Abode.
IL Rudimentary Creation:
Towards the close of night, DurgadevI, the mistress of the
Vedas, Prayed to her Lord again,
Deserving and the undeserving souls discriminating,
To give them gross bodies such that
The obstructive subtle 'Karmas' might be
expanded
And the souls might be
helped in the path of realization;
She prayed to put the souls into the
terrestrial field
Almighty certainly He is, and His intents (Samkalpa) stand on
J
The Purifier of purity- He showed His Mercy upon His devotee

souk;
Rutting together the three kinds of
souls, bringing out theit
innate qualities,
And managing them in their original natures,
friendly ties,
He does not disturb; that is His intention
According to the decisions taken by
Vayudeva,
Bearing the name 'Sutra*
Chapter- VI 143
He looks after every one, He the Director of tie mystic drama

of life,
Our Vyayavitthalaraya, In the three
Worlds, He agrees with the dealings of Pranadeva.
After sport with .the muktas during the last part

of Para Brahma's night, Durgadevi prays to Him again
to bring the bound souls into the arena of the world in
order to deprive them of the causation bodies, which
obstruct the expression of the abilities of souls. Her
motherly kindness is so great. Sri Hari, the Almighty
Lord called the Director of the mystic drama of life.
is
It is said to be mystic because the Master's wonder-
ful powers are described as 'May aV or Magic of the
highest order. Although the souls are of three distinct
types, the Director of the drama gives them such roles
as to make them live together in society; but their orig-
inal natures are not disclosed. In this drama, the role
played by Sri Mukhya Prana is very great. He holds
the position of Assistant Director and is in charge of
every department connected with the drama of life. It
looks as though the Supreme Being listens to whatever
Sri Vayudeva says. Such is the harmony between them.
Having assumed His Original form, Vasudeva,

Saiilcarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha-
Xhese four forms He manifested; their roJes
I now describe,* liberation, creation, maintenance and
Annihilation are their portfolios; In this manner all the world
'' '
:
'' '
-.
filling, ::>":' .
:
'"'":; -^v.'\ '.' ':''.. .
..,
.'.'.
and the
They go through the activities of the movmg
stationary:
Sri Hari had come out with His four forms like
Vasudeva to have sport with the muktas. At the end
of the sport, He assumed His original form. Again, He
came out with the Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna
and Aniruddha forms to engage Himself in the four
kinds of activities-Liberation, Creation, Maintenance
and Annihilation. These four forms fill the entire world
and they axe behind the activities of all kinds of crea-

tures.
For the sake of the body of sixteen abilities

Sri Vasudeva gave rise to river Viraja
Out of His body sweat; it helps
Souls who go through their courses and those who are real-
ized."
Linga Sarira or causation body is the abode of six-

teen abilities. These are mind, five sensory and five mo-
tor centres and five elemental principles. (Tanmatras).
From the sweat of His body Sri Vasudeva created the
flow of the Viraja river which helps the causation body
to expand.
In the form of sweat of Sri Hari's body

Sri Devi herself comes out
And Sows like water; the three modes indicated by 'Raja 9
Not being there, she is called 'Viraja' (Vy> V. 1-82)
The word 'Rajas', forming part of the combined

c
word Viraja> indicates the two other material modes
also. Since she is free from
Sattya, Rajas and Tamas
material principles, Srldevi is called form
'Viraja' in the
of sweat-flow coming out of Sri Vasudeva's
body.
This Viraja appeared in the original material
prin-
ciple called Avyakta as well as in the causation bodies
of souls.
_ -''.''"
'
'
'
'
* '
..'
Sridevi in the form of

Viraja waters becomes the
agent in bringing the souls into contact with their cau-
sation bodies. The same waters
help the realized "souls
to cast off the causation bodies later on.
Creation of
souls only means
creating contact between them and
their Linga Sariras.
When Sri Hari took four

forms, Sri
Laksmidevi as Maya, JayaKrti and San
ti,
Took separate forms and in
conjunction with her spouse,
She begot children; she gave birth '
Chapter- VI 145
To Brahma with the name 'Purusa' and Vayu with the name
'Sutra'
And the pthers in proper order;
inown and 'Sraddha-
'
Sarasvati as TraJcrti'
These two maidens she bore as Krti;
It i& really- wonderfuJ-ceJebrating their marriages
Yo.ii yourselves acted as parties of brides and parties of bride-
In this way showing indescribable sport,

Always young-is VijayavitthaJa;
No one is there to equaJ Him.
Sridevl assumed four forms-Maya, Jaya, Krti

and Santi to match with the four forms of Sri
Hari-Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Anirud-
dha. And she became a happy _mother. Brahma,
named 'Purusa' was born of Maya and Vasudeya.
Vayudeva was born of Jaya and Sankarsana, with
the name 'Sutra'. wife of Pradyumna, bore
Krtldevi,
two daughters- Sarasvati, with the name 'Prakrti'
and Bharati, with the name 'Sraddha'. Krti and
and
Pradyumna formed the bridal party, while Maya
Vasudeva on the one hand and Jaya and Sankarsana
on the other, formed the two parties of_bridegrooms.
Sarasvati was married to Brahma and Bharati was mar-
ried to Vayu. Those, who can appreciate the beauty
of such conduct, will be able to know the truth when,
his own
later on, it will be said that Brahma married
as the son of his own
daughter and that he was born
wife.
Brahma and Sarasvati, and Vayu and Bharati
have as husband and wife in what-
settled relationships
ever other may appear.
relationship they
and Saras-
When it is said that Brahma is father
Brahma truly
vati is daughter the 'Supreme Being in
that
acts as father. And when it is said Sa;asvat|
is her son, Snclevi
(Gayatrl) is mother and Brahma there is no dis-
in Sarasvati is truly the mother. Thus,
tortion of relationship bet ween JBrahma and Sarasvati,

and between Vayu and Biarati.
Two years after Bralima, named Purusa was born,

Pradhana Vayu (Chief of the winds) took birth;
1
And then, Brahmas queen and 'Sraddhadevi'

The two were born after another three years
These four hold sway on their material principles.
the above lines we understand that the mar-

From
riages mentioned previously took place during the fifth
year of Brahma. It also means that they came out in
full-blown form instantaneously; not like babes. They

were made to hold sway on the expansion of their Lifiga
Sariras, forming new material coverings or bodies.
Two years after Sarasvati was born,

(
was born with serpent form, and bearing the name lvala f 1
Jiva'
Garuda was born- these two form Bralima and Vayu respec-
tively.
By this time, Vasudeva's son (Brahma) was seven years old,
Sesadeva being the guardian of souls, he is called

5
'Jiva Garuda is called 'Kala', because he has mastery
.
over Time. Their offices are subordinate to those of

Brahma and Vayu.
To the principle of'Ahamkara'

They were designated as masters;
And one becoming bed, and the other, chariot,
They are well-known in the world.
The first expansion of the Linga Sanra was into

the three elemental
principles out of the 'Avyakta'
principles therein. The combination of the three
modes created the principles of Mahat tattva and
Vijnana tattva-almost similar presided over by Brahma
and Vayu respectively. The further modification was
Ahamkaratattva, the mastery over which was given to
Sesa and Garuda.
Chapter- VI 147
Here is another course of conduct.

From Brahma, named Purusa, was born *BaIa',
Tie same as Sutra Vayu;
Bharati too was born
Again, to tiese two, Garuda and Sesa
Were born, cliiJdren of tie same parents
Sri Hari is tie Supreme most among beings;
Who can tiini of His wonderfu] ways!
In order to carry on the activities of the universe in

various ways, Sri Hari goes on with His work of creation
in unthinkable manners. In the above lines of Suladi
we are told that Vayu was born as the son of Purusa
Brahma. He was called Bala. Bharati was born like
his sister* But they were married, begot the brothers,
Garuda and Sesa.
The world, in which we live is created out of the
primordial matter consisting of three modes-Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas. By their various combinations,
modified materials are created for further creation.
Each of the modified principles is called as a 'Tattva'.
Examples-* Akasa tattva', 'Manas tattva', 'Ahamkara5
tattva'. Prom 'Mahat tattva down to Trthvi tattva
they are twenty four in number.
Brahma and Vayu have mastery over all the
tattvas including their own. Sesa, Garuda and Rudra
have mastery over the Ahaihkara tattva and the futher
modifications below it; not upon Mahat tattva, which
is superior. Similarly, Indra has control over a section
of the Manas tattva, its exterior aspect; and also con-

trols other tattvas lower still.
One year after Garuda and Sesa were born,

By the of the Supreme Master, the first Brahma (Purusa)
will
Became the son ofPradyumna; and again
In SarasvatI, lordess of the three material modes,
Vayu, named Sutra, was born as son;

Thus the Sastras say.
us that the first Brahma, born of

Telling
Vasudeva, was once again born as the son of
Pradyumna and that Sutra Vayu was born of this
Brahma and Prakrti (Vani), Sri vijaya Dasarya assures
us that all that is said is in full conformity with the
sastras.
The question arises as to why the same persons

are born again and again by different parents.
Bringing
the souls into contact with their causation bodies is the
first step in creation. The second step is the creation of
what is called 'Aniruddha
Giving the coverings
Sarira'.
of the twenty four material principlesis still another
step while these different steps are

being adopted, the
same controllers are made to take new births to fit the
particular modifications.
That Brahma acquires mastery over the different
tattvas is explained in the following lines-
And this Brahma, with his many fractional parts,
Assumed many divine forms;
The Vedas with their alphabets the time factor, primordial
matter,
And J
and the sixteen abilities of Manas,
'Akasa ,
For all these he

became 'master;
Remember he takes finer and finer forms;
Brahma, who was born as Purusa,
Became guardian of all the souls.
Brahmadeva, being the highest among the souls,

liasthe ability to divide himself into
innumerable frac-
tional parts, both small and
big, and he can play many
well co-ordinated roles at the same
time.
Now, how subtle bodies were created for Rudra
and the other deities will be
explained.
Brahma, who was born of glorious
Vasudeva,
Became the son of Pradyumna and
Krtidevi;
Great mystery is here Brahmaa's
wife
Savitri, with her other form
Sarasvati,
Chapter - VI 349
When she was with three forms fin eluding the form of Gayatri),
She mated with purusa Brahma,
And putting the three forms into one, she
Begat Brahma and Vayu as her sons;
In tliis manner, of his own wife
He was born as son and showed his distinction,
You must know the secret of father becoming son
By Jus own wife-Gayatri.
When Brahma was born of Vasudeva, he ac-
quired the covering body of unmanifest original matter
(Avyakta tattva), wherein the three material modes
showed themselves in their unmixed states. And when
he was born as the son of Pradyumna, there was a slight
mixture of the three modes and Brahjna_now had his
Mahat tattva body around his Linga Sarira.
When%
as the son of his own
he next takes birth
wife, getshe
the next covering of Ahamkara tattva.
The secret involved in thjs_case is this. Brahma as
father is secondary and Sri Hari in him is primary;
similarly, Sri Ramadevi in Gayatri is
primary.
Born of Prana, Jlva In serpent form, and Rudra of
H aiJcariJca' mode
r
Were born along with their wives.
Sesadeva with the name 'Jiva', who was formerly

born of Vayudeva, called Bala, was now born as the
son of Brahma, the son of Gayatn; his wife Varuni was
born as his sister. Similarly, Rudra, connected with the
Vaikarika or Sattvic mode, was also born of the same
Brahma; his wife Parvati was born with him.
of Taijasa' mode
Garuda, bearing the name IvaJa and Hudra
were born along with their wives-
Just as Brahma was born of Gayatri, Vayudeva

was born of Savitri, another form of Brahma s wife.
and
With Vayu and Bharati as parents, Garuda con-
Rudra,
Sauparni were born; of the same parents was born
nected Vith the Taijasa or Rajasic mode,
along with his wife, Parvati.
Jiva,son of the Lotus-born (Brahma),

From him of serpent form, 'Tamasa' Rudra and Parvati,
Took birth gladly out of their 'amsas'
Amsa means fraction; 'Amsi means the wliole con-

5
taining fractions. Prom Brahma, Rudra got Sattvic

body; from Vayu he got the Rajasic body; and from
Sesa, he got the Tamasic body. His wife Parvati, too,
received such bodies.
All the three forms are of the same person; but the
second and the third are fractional parts of the first.
However, these are not like material fractions. The ex-
periences of all fractions belong to the original, finally
or immediately. In the case of Brahma, Vayu and their
partners, the experiences of all fractional parts go to
the originals immediately; in the cases of others, it is
at the final stage. Spirit souls are not broken into parts
like matter; yet they can come out as fractional parts in
smaller or larger numbers according to their abilities.
This, indeed, is mysterious.
*
"Siva bore three forms as Visnu, Brahma and Isa
'
Vaikarika Rudra, born of Brahma, came to be

called Visnu, Taijasa Rudra, born of Vayu was called
Brahma cand Tamasa Rudra, born '
of Sesa,
* '
was called
Siva.
Rudra of the Superior, mode

Begat sons, tie mistress ofBuddhi
His wife, with her mating joyfully;
The king of gods (Indra), Manmatha, Ahamkarika Prana,
Tie preceptor of tie divine beings, (Brhaspati) SacJ, Sutra,
Aniruddia
Pavamana's friend (Agni) Nirruti, Ganapati,
Vaisrava (Kubera), tie udras (10), Svaia, Svadia, Budia,
s
custodian of Karmas (Puskara)

Bhudevi, the Pitrs, Gandiarvas, and aJJ tie ciief beings de-
serving muiti, He, tie bearer of tie name Yisnu
Tiat Rudra begat. They form one group
From Vayu, named Sutra, and iis wife BiaratJ,
Chapter - VI 151
Were again born Garuda, Indra and others;

To ier, the caretaker of sacred sacrifices,
whoîs
To^Sauparnidevi, wife of Garuda the door ieepers of
Sri Hari's
palace-Jaya and others, Visvafcsena and
The rest were born as children. When all this tooi place,
Ten years of Brahma's life period were over.
One group of divine beings were born as the chil-

dren of Vaikarika Rudra. Another group of the same
beings^ and a few others were born from Garuda
divine
and
Sauparnideyi, who were the children of Sutra Vayu
and Bharatidevi. By now ten years of Brahmas life pe-
riod had elapsed.
III. Chart-details of Rudimentary Creation;
(Before the creation of Brahmanda)

/
L Sunya
(Supreme Being called Sunya as He is void (Sunya)
of all activity relating to Creation)
Vasudeva I
(Purusa)
(He located SndevI in His body sweat, and calling

Viraja, He expanded the causation bodies of the souls
it
who came into creation for the first time; thus He es-
tablished contact between the souls and their causation
bodies (Linga Sariras). By such contact, the abilities
to know, to will and to endeavour manifested in the
souls, these abilities had lain darmant before contact.)
Narayana
in the
(This manifestation causes disturbance
souls and niakes them feel the pinch of hunger, thirst
and other bodily needs. They become prone to external
impulses)
5S 3 O
8
cm
C 5
II Further details about the second round of creation.
Narayana
IV. Division into Castes:
(Prom the beginning of Brahma's eleventh yealr)
In this and the next few sections we find how

Pradyumnadeva made the caste divisions and how ex-
ternal matter was created in a rudimentary manner
before the creation of Brahmanda.
SriPradyumnadeva, half female form

Took on Himself gladly. According to quality differences,
The Lotus-seated, Agni, Rsis such as Marlci,
Sri Vayudeva, Siva, Indra, Candra and
others,
In conformity with rule-Rudras, Vasus and the
rest,
Bhudevi, Goddess of Death, Nirrti and Yama, From His right
And His left sides He bore; by this
Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras came into exis-
tence.
f _ '
Sri Pradyumnadeva took the form of Half-male

and Half-female and gave the caste system from
rise to
His right side and the left side. The males in
charge
of caste were born from His
right side and the females
from the left side.
Brahma, Agni and the Rsis rep-
resented the Brahmana caste. Sambhu
Vayu, (Siva),
Indra,Candra and others lorded the
Ksatriya caste.
The ten Rudras, Vasus and others were created to be
in charge of the
Vaisya caste. Bhudevi, the Goddess
of death, Nirrti, Yama and others
were there for the*
Sudra caste.
The gods are not bound

by caste rules; but they
are meant to help the conduct of duties connected with
the castes. In the four classes of these divine
different
beings Sri Hari Himself resides with His four forms
and looks after the cast
P s_and their duties. This is
very nicely explained by Sri
Jagannatha Dasarya in Sri
Hankathamrtasara. (V-29, 30,
31).
In BrahmS the ward of
Brahmanas,
Vasudeva resides; Vayu, Garuda,
Vivasvan, the Surya,
Sadasiva and Sesa, Indra, ...
Chapter - VI 155
Candra, Kama, Agni and Varuna-

In these gods, who watch the Ksatriyas,
SanJcarsana dwells; they adore Him and feel happy." [29]
Aniruddha, son of Kama, Prana,
Apana, Vyana, Udana and the
Rest-forty nine in number-the Maruts, Rudras and Vasus,
SOB of Mainaki-Ganapati, and
Visvatsena, Kubera and such other Gods
We should reverently see the Vaisyas in them, Pradyumna."
[30]
JNTasatya and Dasra are there,
Also Mrrti, yamadharma, hh servants,
BJb Ode vi, goddess of death, Sanaiscara and others,
Tiese are called the Sudras,* and
Always they are in the Sudras; in them
Dwells the sinless Aniruddha. Know thus and show respect.
This procedure of caste division by Sri Pradyumna

took ten years of Brahma's period. Thus, by now,
Brahma was twenty years old.
f
Even before creating the Brahmanda, Sri

Hari cre-
ated the castes and appointed watch and ward deities;
so that, people in this world might co-operate with each
other and live happily. More than that, He Himself
dwells in the guardian deities and conducts the caste
system. Therefore, although there is so much
confusion
to blame the
about it in this Kaliyuga, it is not right
caste system itself. The wise ones should regard every
caste with all due regard. This has been the warning
voiced by Sri Jagannatha Dasarya.
Purports: St.29 Brahma, the four-faced, is

the guardian of the Brahmanas.
He is actuated
by Vasudeva. Of the Ksatriyas, the protectors
are Vayudeva, Garuda, Sesa, ^Rudra Indra,
Kama
and Varuna. Lord
Surya (Vivasvan) Candra, Agni,
the
Sankarsana is in them. (Agni is also among
Brahmanas).
St.30 Aniruddha,Prana-Apana-Vyana-Udana-Samana
and the other Maruts, forty nine in all, ten Rudras,
eight Vasus, Ganapati, Visvaksena, Kubera and
a
few others are in charge of the Vaisya caste. Lord
Pradyumna guides them.
St. 31 Nasatya and Basra (the Asvins), Nirrti, Yamad-
harma, the servants of Yaina, Bhudevi, the goddess of
timely death, Sanideva and other deities look after the
Sudra caste and safeguard their interests. They also
protect them from sins natural for their occupations.
Lord Aniruddha is their chief warden. Knowing thus,
the Sudras must be treated with respect.
Sri Narayana is the protector of all the four castes.

Therefore He is called 'Catuspat'. He engages the
votaries of each caste in their respective duties, Himself
being the chief Actor.
Facts being as detailed so far, it is not right to
interpret Sri Krsna's words in whatever manner one
pleases. The "Caturvarnyam maya srstam guna
verse,
karma vibhagatah" means-Sri Krsna as Pradyumna,
made arrangements for the conduct of caste duties
and created the castes even before He created the
Brahmanda. When He gives birth to a soul in this
world, he puts that individual into the particular caste
family, which is conducive for the Karmas to be gone
through by the person during the specific period.
Hence, although social reformers want to wipe off
the caste system, no one is generally prepared to give
up caste ingrained in his blood. When it is the Lords'
will, He Himself will permit relation and will dissolve
it finally. This is what is actually happening in this
Kaliyuga.
Therefore those, who believe in the cycle of births
and deaths, need not be afraid of the GHOST which
is the caste system. But those, who
imagine that the
caste system is man-made, will never sleep in peace.
- VI 157
Chapter
V. Two Kinds of Creation:
One kind of creation is to expand the materials of

the Linga Sarlras and to provide the souls
with cover-
The other kind of creation
ings of newer subtle bodies. out
materials created
is to give gross bodies of external
the primordial matter (Jada Prakrti),

which is un-
of
The two
der the control of Sri RamadevI (Cit Prakrti).
kinds of creation will now be described.
'Disturber.of
Srlman Narayana praised as the is
the three material
properties', because
He will agitate
modes which are inactive during the '******&>
ac-
and He will cause them to mingle and ^become m
is known as
as * >a
tive. Their undisturbed state 'G^
and their active state
'Gunavaisamya'. It is this
is known
Narayana who
as
'^^"^
is
who
trul* called
are
Purusa He is the Lord of the jivas (souls),
alrSlefpurusas, and of Prakrti mtoPrakrh (***"*%

known as Pradhana. He enters
ter), also and creates in
of creation
an! Purusas the elements
various wonderful ways.
Prafcrti in the ^varana'
state' of
Nullifying the 'Samya
(Linga Sarira), among the
uuna Vaisamya'
v<u.
Lord Narayana brought about
three kinds of superfine atoms;
<*-"
JMixing ocii>tv<3., *.if*j
one-
Understand twelve, ten and _
This is the 'Avyakta' body

for *u 1
above the LII*

^ ^?.^,
-
,.
eate d by
This is the first covering
modes.
disturbing the three
Hari caused^the latent

Sri
^^^/^^potent.
and Tamas of the Linga Sanras ^^^.e&ie ^ thirty six
these in
By mixing 5P s i x ayso
material principles. 1 niriyas inn
J
f miring ^ -
gix new principles.

the three
modes are here spoken ol

jr
11
9
Sattva-Sattva, Sattva-Rajas etc.
Sattva-Sattva-Sattva, Sattva-Rajas-
Sattva etc. 27
36
mixtures are given in the

Full details about these
section, 'Creation of Fine Elemental Units'
Sri Vasudeva, Ruler of the 'Avyakta' principle,

created that principle in the Linga Sarira (causation
body) of Brahmadeva. Here, by Brahma is meant the
individual soul going to occupy that post during the 1
new creation. That principle consists of 12 parts of

Sattva, 10 parts of Rajas and 1 part of Tamas. Since
the three are still in the unmixed condition, together
they are called 'Avyakta'. This is the first envelope
around Brahma's causation body.
Ararayana, the Supreme Master, .having created Avyakta
tattva,
Into the hands of the Second Vasudeva
He delivered Brahma and the others
The spotless Vasudeva impregnated His wife MayadevL
And begat Brahma, the wisest; who
Thus earned the Mahat tattva
covering;
This Brahma is known as Purusa
Sri Vasudeva II mixed the three modes in such

a way as to form the Mahat tattva
principle before
He made His wife to conceive. While Brahma
got the
Avyakta and the Mahat tattva bodies, Vayu, Sarasvati
and Bharati also acquired those bodies. This has been
hinted by Sri Vijaya
Dasarya in the line, "The purest
among souls are the four and their creation similar."
After that, Lord Aniruddha
Took into Himself Brahma and the other
souls
And to every one the body of the same name.
He granted ke;bre the creation of external
'PrakrtL
Sri Hari being instrumental cause, with the materials of the

three modes,
He creates various kinds ofjivas;
(He brings souls into creation)

Having given aniruddia bodies,
Later, He gives gross bodies of external Prakrti
Men should thus, contemplate in mind
And visualise Sri Hari in the several principles,
At all times, tie lotus feet of Vijaya Vitthala,
Wio fully pervades everywhere, one should trust
and remember.
Hari creates the world and enters into it. He

Sri
gives bodies to the souls and enters into their bod-
ies. And for ever He is within the souls themselves.
He takes them through their courses in the world and
helps them to reach their realized states. It is therefore
profitable to keep in mind at all times the all-pervasive
forms of the Supreme Personality and to put trust in
Him. This helps one to live happily here, freed from
all fear; and ultimately it helps to reach the
goal of the
soid.
.Knowing tie two kinds of creation, contemplate witiin your-

self;
Vijaya Vitthala, never bound liie others, appears before you.

Creation of Subtle bodies out of the causation
body is one sort;
creating gross bodies out of exter-
nal matter is the other. We should
deeply think about
these two kinds of creation. This
helps us to remem-
ber God's pervasion in material
expansions and in the
souls. If one practises about the presence of
musing
God in his own body with the fullness of His presence
in the whole Universe Sn Hari shows Himself to such a
;
person. That is why Sri Jagannatha Dasarya has said-

Sighting God in your own body,
Quickly reach the Abode ofSriHarL
It is only when we fully understand, that all the

materials of the Universe and all the deities therein
Chapter - VI 161
are in own bodies along with the Supreme Being

our
who isin every thing and in every one, that we at-
tain true ^knowledge. Only such a knower is the 'Nija
BhaJcta', 'Virakta and 'Jivanmukta'. (A true devotee,
5
ajdetached soul, one who is liberated even in the course

of this world.)
VL Bodies Acquired by BraJimadeva;

Manmatha's fatier, our Vijaya Vifctiala,
Count the bodies that He bestowed upon Satananda.
We are now told about the bodies given to
Satananda (Brahma) by expanding materials of the
Linga Sarira.
To the Lotus- born, from tie Liriga Sarira of three modes,
The bodies that were given, count
Know you, the first is Avyaita tattva
With three divisions, Mahat, Ahamiara- threefold,
Manas and the ten Indriyas,
The five Tanmatras (faculties), Sky, Air,
Fire, Water, Earth-Iiie this separately,
The bodies are formed like envelopes.
The three divisions of Avyakta-Sattva, Rajas and

Tamas are together considered as one although counted
treated as one; but
separately. Similarly, Ahamkara is
the Vaikarika, Taijasa and Tamasa bodies are counted
their properties,
these coats
separately. Considering
are grosser and grosser as we look at the outer and
outer coverings, the inner coverings extend into the
outer coverings; but the outer coverings have no place
in the inner ones. Mahat tattva, for example, extends
into all the tattvas below it, down to the Earth (Prthvi)
principle.
The bodies of Brahma

1. Sattva avarana (covering)
2. Rajo avarana
3. Tamo avarana
4. Mahat tattva avarana

5. Vaikarika Aharhkara avarana
6. TaijasaAhamkara avarana
7. Tamasa Ahamkara avarana
8. Manas tattva avarana
9-18. Ten Indriya avarana
19-23. Five Tanmatra avarana
24-28. Five Mahabhuta avarana
[9-18. Materials required for five sensory abilities

and five motor abilities.
19-23.Materials required for the five faculties -
Sight, Smell, Hearing, Taste and Touch.
24-28. Five gross elements -

Sky, Air, Fire, Water
aid Earth.]
To the Lotus-born, you see, twenty nine

Bodies of fine qualities developed.
Including 'Aniruddha Sarira', the count will be

twenty nine.
To Braima, from two kinds of 'Prakrti\

Fiftyand six bodies were made ready.
The material medium for, the several bodies is

found in two sources (1) Linga Sarira;
(2) Mula Prakrti
(External Primordial matter). From each of the two
sources, twenty bodies were made; fifty six bodies in
all.
Including 'Aniruddha' the total will be fifty seven.
In addition,
There are subsidiary bodies of
'Vynana', 'Citta', 'Buddhi',
<Asraddha\ 'Vairagya\ 'Bala\ 'Virya', <Loia', 'Mantra'
'Nama\ 'Anna\ 'Tapas', 'Karma 'Kala>-
1
,
All these are in the first seven

envelopes.
In the first seven
envelopes of Brahma's bodies
there are seven subsidiary bodies connected with
spe-
cial faculties. These are-
sidered superior to all other deities including Pasupati

(Rudra).
Sri Vadirajasvami has described the greatness of
Brahma's post in the following manner:

Blessing Maruti with the post of Brahma, then again
He gives him equal share in His repast
What the hosts of jlvas perform,
The fruits of their good deeds-
The resulting happiness, along with each of the Brahmas
The Spouse of LaksmldevI enjoys. (Vy. V. 2-4; 2-5),
(In His incarnation as Sri Rama, Sri Hari embraced

Hanuinan and promised him the state of 'Sahab-
5
hoga - the privilege of enjoying equal share.
"Sevaprasanno amrta kalpa vaca didesa devah Sahabhogam

with his services, Sri Rama
asmai." [Being pleased
promised 'Sahabhoga' to Hanuman (Maruti).
The essence of the fruits of_ good deeds per-
formed by every one of the jivas is enjoyed by
the Almighty Lord. Brahma is blessed with fifty
per cent of such Joy.
7. Review:
Asection of Sri Vijaya Dasfya's Suladi gives the

following details.
After the night of Maha Pralaya, when the new
day of Para Brahma dawned-
1. Creation by Sri Vasudeva Zero to 2 years*
Brahma, named Purusa (Born
at the Zero
hour)
2. Creation by Sri Sankarsana 3 years.
Mukhya Prana (Born "two
years after Brahma)
Chapter - VI 165
Creation by Sri Pradyumna ?

2 years.
Vani and Bharati (Born three
years after Mukhya Prana)
-
Savitn
1,1
- Sarasvati
Gayatri
I
-
Brahma Vayu - Sesa 1 Year,
Vaikarika -Garuda '

- Tamasa 2 Years.
Ru ra
i i f
Rudra -
Taijasa Tamasa 2 Years.
Rudra - Rudra
Creation by Sri Pradyumna 10 years,
with half female form (cre-
ation of castes)
20 Years.
What happened later is also

given here.
Creation byRudra 14 years
Penance by Rudra 1 year
Period of Brahma's life cov- 35 Years.

ered .
Purther:-
Creation of nine envelopes surround- 10 Years

ing the Brahmadeva.
Sn Hari sporting with Ramadevi in 2 Years
the watery envelope
Sridevi offering prayers to her Lord 1 Year
Creation of the Brahmanda; Giving 2 Years
birth to Brahma and Rud-ra to take
v
them into the Brahmanda; Sri Hari en-

tering into them etc. ,
15 Years
By now Brahma was fifty years old 35 + 15 = 51
This is the first half of his life period known <
Tara' - Trathama Parardha*,
V. In the Second half- 'Dvitiya Parardha':
'Padma Kalpa' - 'Virata Kaipa': 'Sveta Varat

?
Kalpa and the other Kalpas during each of Brahma
days - We are living in the Sveta Varaha Kalpa du
ing the second day of Brahma's 51st year. Six Mam
have completed their regimes. The seventh, Vaivasvai
Manu, is the ruler now. In his regime, 27 Mahayugi
are over; we are now in the 28th
Kaliyuga.
* * *
Chapter- VII
RUDIMENTARY MATERIAL CREATION
I Creation of Five Elemental Units:
Those who are born in this world are endowed with

bodies made of five gross sky, air, fire, water
elements -
and earth (Akasa, Vayu, Agni, Apas, Prthvf). How

four_ material principles from Mahat tattva
the twenty
down to Prthvi tattva were created will now be de-
scribed by Sri Vijaya Dasarya.
Sattva, Rajas and llamas are of superfine atomic form;
They are countless and each atom is fractionable;
Like Time and the others, they are eternal;
When they are mixed and used,
Their potentialities are unimaginable
It is a fact that from the beginningJess matter
Every Brahmanda is created
It is lite this - to begin witi,
The quantities of Prakrti talcen for creation
Are in tie order of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas being respectively
Jess and less
Four handfulls, two and one, you may suppose.
Like Avyakrta Akasa, Pranava and Kala, the three
ingredients of Mala Prakrti Sattva, Rajas and Tainas
-
are eternal in their atomic states; they are innumerable.

Each of these atoms consists of innumerable divisible
parts. Therefore, each atom is said to be 'Savayava' or
'made of parts'. Mula Prakrti or Primordial matter is
the material cause for the creation of Brahmandas. By
the word Brahman da we should understand also the
bodies given to creatures in the Brahmanda. In order
to have some idea of proportions we may suppose that
God takes four handfulls of Sattva, two of Rajas and

one of Tamas for the creation of Brahmanda and of the
bodies given to creatures in it. (4:2:1)
Tie heap of Sattva atoms is not for creation,
It ismeant for the use of the sporting muktas
The two other heaps are the material cause of creation.
Excepting Brahma and Vaytt, in all the others, the

activities of Rajoguna are prominent. In thf* compo-
sition of Vayudeva's body there is a negligibly excess
portion of Rajas, winch is active. He is the leader of
the Ksatriya j:lan. Yet, all his activities are on behalf
of the other jivas and they are all dedicated in the ser-
vice of Sri Hari; they do not bind Him. In the case of
every one belonging to the Rju' group- those who are
c
eligible for the post of Vayu, and later, Brahma, their

may be more and more of the Rajas and the Tamas
principles; but there activities always lean towards the
Sattvic.
The above explanation, however, leads us to con-

clude that the bodies of all creatures, including those
of Brahma and Vayu, are made by the mixture of the
three gunas or modes. Sattva heap, in its pure (un-
mixed) state, is meant only for the sport of the Muk-
tas in the Eternal Abodes. Similarly unmixed Tamas
heap is not also used in creation. It is meant for the
suffering of those who are assigned to Eternal Hells.
Because the workings of the two modes, Rajas and
Tamas, are glaringly prominent in this world, it was
said that only the last two heaps form the material
cause of creation.
In limited quantities, to each group
Adding parts of other groups, qualified
Rajas group converts itself into three groups.
This verse gives us a hint as to how new groups of

material principles are formed by admixtures. At first
we are told how new Rajas heaps and Tajnas heaps are
Chapter - VII
formed by mixing the three modes in right proportions;

and then how there are three groups in each of the three
heaps.
Mixing one part Tamas, its hundred times
Tie red (Rajas) and its hundred times Sattva, understand.
Mixing one part of Tamas, hundred Rajas and ten

thousand Sattva, we get the new Rajas heap. This is
the first statge. In the next stage-
For tie new Tamas

ieap, addition is tius-
One part of tie .Rajas atoms and tien
Its iundred times Tamas and its ten times
Sattva-in tiis way two heaps.
One part of Rajas hundred parts of Tamas and one
thousand parts of Sattva make the new Tamas heap.
IRajas heap of Particles (Bindus)

Tama=l; Rajas=100; Sattva=10,000
II.Tamas heap particles (Bindus)
Rajas=l; Tamas=100; Sattva=l,000
Further combinations;
JCaci of tiese ieaps, in tiree ways
Are joined togetier, listen, Tkmas, Eajas, Sattva
In the middle part clearly showing.
two particles of Rajas are put together, the new

If
Rajas-Rajas particle arises. If one Tamas particle
is
added to a Rajas particle, the new Rajas-Tamas ppxti-

cle results. To one Rajas particle, if one Sattv^ particle
is added, the new Rajas- Sattva particle is the 'outcome.
In the same way particles are added to the Tamas unit.
'Hindu is the recognisible unit for purposes of calcu-
5
lation. The names of the new groups are seen by the

middle terms underlined-
I Tie tiree divisions of tie Rajas group:
(1) Rajas-Rajas; (2) Rajas-Tamas; (3) Rajas-

Sattva.
iÔ The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahity*
II. The three divisions of the Tamas group :
(1) Tamas-Tamas; (2) Tamas-Rajas, (3)

oattva v
The first is the Rajas-Tamas group where Rajas

and the second is the
Tamas-Rajas group where
leads. It is unlike a+b=b+a.
If Sattva particles are again added to the
newer types of particles are formed,
^d II,
Distinction of Sattva Distinction of Rajas Distinc
- .......
Grou P
. Group Group
1.
Sattva-Sattva-Sattva
Raâs-Sattva-Sattva
2.
Sattva-Sattva-Rajas Rajas-Sattva-Rajas -
3.
Sattva-Sattva-Tamas Rajas-Sattva-Tamas Tamas- Sattva-Taiwi
4.
Sattva-Rajas-Sattva Rajas-Rajas-Sattva Ikmas-Raja-s-Satln
5.
Sattva-Rajas-Rajas Rajas-Rajas-Rajas lamas-Rajaus-lUJB
6.
Sattva-Rajas-Tamas Rajas-Raja^-Tamas Tamas-Raj^âinas
7.
Sattva-Tamas-Sattva Rajas-Tainas-Sattva Tamas-Tain^vSattn
8.
Sattva-Tamas-Rajas Rajas-Tamas-Rajas Tamas-TaniO-vRajas
9.
Sattva-Tamas-Tamas Rajas-Tamas-Tamas Tamas-Tani^v
Iftwo enclosed groups are not used in creation-Satin-

battva-Sattva; and Tamas- Tamas-Tamas.
In the
enlarged Rajas group with three divisions-
Rajas-Tamas, fiajas-Bajas, and Raj as-Sat tva,
Truly, twelve particles of it
Have occupied all the three worlds
by their fractional ^m
sions;
For the bodies of creatures and
other things
The Rajas-Sattva division is the material
cause.
It is
really surprising to note that only twelve par-
tide* of the
Rajas-Sattva division (II-3) go to make ,
aU the matenals of the entire
Universe. Each par tide is
capable of expanding into innumerable

fractions. Even
tne present
day scientists are of opinion that, if all the
materials of the world are
compressed it will together,
el!T PS
Tf
*5 in the
edge ls viewed
C
.
S1 a big P ea seed Hwdic k:
"
t ^
light of the scientists ophn^ ^
Chapter - VII 171
now cited, one will come to understand the sublimity

of the Vedas.
Witi the twelve units of Rajas-Sattva particles
-Brahma's body principle was made; know the special point,
In the admixture of Sattva in the Rajas group,
Take Sattva-Sattva particles ten,
Add Rajas-Sattva and you get it.
The details of the quoted verses are thus given

by a great Pandit of the older generation, Veda-
garbha Padmanabhacarya by name, in his work
In the Rajas particle in question, there are ten parts of Sattva,

one part of Rajas and its tenth part of Tamas.
If we consider it as 1 Tamas + 10 Rajas + 100
Sattvas the total will be 111 parts. Again, if each of
tlie components is considered as one unit, it will be
read as
1 Tamas + 1 Rajas + 10 Sattva = 12 Parts.

~r Tamas is taken as one, because it is there as a
unit though insignificant. For better comprehension,
the same is also read as-
10 Tamas + 100 Rajas + 10,000 Sattva.
This Rajas-Sattva element with Sattva predomi-
nating is considered as Pure Sattva in Creation; Mahat
tattva, the body material of Brahmadeva is composed
of such 'Suddha Sattva' or pure sattva.
When the particles of the Rajas group and the
Tamas group are added on the the Mahat tattva prin-
ciple in the required proportions, Ahamkara tattva and
tlie others are created. By such subtle modifications
tlie bodies of the divine beings and the nine envelopes
covering the Brahmanda are created. Creation by sub-
tle modifications goes by the name 'Vikrta Srsti'. Cre-
ation by grosser modifications is known as 'Vaikrta
5
Srsti by which the elements of our experience are cre-
ated.
How all such modifications are made possible by

the admixtures of only three elemental modes may be
understood by an illustration. The three original and
distinct colours are yellow, red and blue. By mix-
ing these a clever artist can produce different other
colours and countless shades of those colours. Sattva
and the other two elements are also of the three prin-
cipal colours.
Regarding the three primary modes Sri

Vadirajasvami says-
Tie Sattva mode is a heap of yellowish atoms,
The Rajas mode resembles bloody
And the heap of Tamas is darkish;
Each one has different potentialities.
To understand the potential capacities of the three

material_modes, one should well study the 14th Ch. 5-
8, of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Just a few stanzas axe
given in illustration.
Sattvam rajas tama iti gunah prakrti
sambhavah,
Nibadhnanti mahabaho dehe dehinam
avyayam
Tatra sattvam nirmalatvat
prakasakam anamayam,
Sukha sangena badhnati jnana
sangena canagha,
Rajo ragatmakam viddhi trsna sanga samudbhavam
Tmnibadhnati Kaunteya karma
sangena dehinam,
Tamastvajnankjam viddhi mohanam saxva dehinam,
Pramadalasya nidrabhih tannibadhnati Bharata.
'
tie UP the Changeless Jiva
U
is
obstruction. It
provides the materials
form of
the
Chapter -VII 173
IL Rudimentary material Creation outside
tie Brahmanda:
Howmaterials of creation were made in a rudi-

mentary manner out of external Prakrti and how the
divine beings were endowed with subtle material bodies
will now be explained.
What is necessary for worldly affairs was born
Out of the three material modes; for all,
Bodies were given to start the functioning of iarmas.
Wordly affairs are managed by means

of higher in-
the ten abilities of
tellect, the feeling of Self, the mind,
tlie sensory and the motor organs and the five faculties
of hearing, sight,smell, taste and touch. We are aware
of the outward organs connected with worldly activi-
ties and we know to some extent about the abilities be-
hind them. These abilities are all managed by different
deities who reside in our gross bodies with their subtle
bodies. We go through our 'Karmas' with their back-
of the nineteen mate-
ing. Their subtle bodies are made
rial principles from Mahattattva upto the Tanmatras.
As soon as they acquire such bodies, they are ready to
give the start to our Karmas.
Here is a description of the gods who were born
-with their subtle bodies.
Brahma, the Jotus-born, himself, as before,
Was born of his wife along with Pavana,
while
Just as Brahma was born of his ow;a wife
of Linga Sira, now too
getting Mahattattva Sarira out
he was born in the same manner along/ with Vayudeva
to acquire the external Mahattattva Sarira made
out
of Prakrti,
And then, from Brahma, Vayu and Sesa
Named Jlva, Rudra, Garuda and Sesa
Were born with bodies of VailcariJca, Ikijasa
And Tamasa AhamJcara tattvas along with then and

wives;
names.
with three forms
Among them, Rudra came out
12
From Brahma, Vayu and Sesa (Jiva), Rudra-

Garuda-Sesa were born with Vaikarika-Taijasa Tamasa
Ahariikara* bodies respectively. Rudra had acquired
the Vaikarika (Sattvic Ahamkara) body from Brahma.
He was born with another form as the son of Garuda,
son ofVayu; and he became Taijasa Rudra with the
form
body of Rajasic Ahamkara. With ^yet another
he became Tamasa Rudra, born of Sesa, with body of
Tamasic Ahamkara.
Tie Sovereign of gods and Kama, and their wives,
Tieir births must be considered with modified bodies.
Indra and Kama were now born of Vaikarika

Rudra along with their wives. Their bodies con-
tained more of the Rajasic element compared with the
Vaikarika body of Rudra. Similar modifications must
be taken into account in the cases of other deities also.
There is no end to describe Rudra's creation giving further
material modifications.
He now combined his three forms into one,
And mating iis wife part of himself, he took the half-female
form;
This mighty fire-eyed god, from his left and his right sides,
He created the twelve Suns, the group of winds (Maruts), ten
Rudras,
Visvedevas, Asvins, the group ofRbhus,
Eight Vasus, Gandharvas, serpents,
Dogs, all Jdnds of iumans, elepiante, iorses,
Trees and plants, all varieties of living creatures.
He gave birth to by the grace ofSriHari;
Our lotus-eyed Vyayavitthalaraya
Is the jiead of a very big family during every Kalpa.
In Rudra's creation we see that, not only the lesser

gods, but all the creatures destined to come into the
BrahmaMa, were given the subtle elements of external
Prakrti with required modifications in each case.
The material modifications effected by Rudradeva

are recounted here-
Chapter - VH 175
Putting together Ms three forms, Maharudra

Went through various types of Creation;
JFVom VaiJcarUca he made 'Manas' (Mind) and the bodies of
deities;
From Taijasa the five sensory abilities
And the five motor abilities;
And from Tarnasa Ahamiara,
The and the
five gross elements five Tanmatras,
He, the highly detached SouJ, himself created.
In the previous verses the details about the body-

bearers were given. In the verses now quoted, the mod-
ifications necessary for the several kinds of bodies are
related. The five gross elements, it must be under-
stood, were created in very subtle forms; not as we
know them.
III.Creation of the Outer Coverings of Brahmanda:
Suladi of Vijayadasarya-
The three gunas are eternal
Who knows to understand them fully/
The mind cannot grasj>-it is liie looting at the banyan seed;
They contain fractions which give rise to furthur fractions,
Every fraction has numberless other fractions;
Why speat and only speatf encom-
AJJ the grosser and finer material modifications are
passed by them.
'Mula Prakrti, is eternal. Each one of its superfine
atoms is of giving rise to a series of innumerable
capable
called <amsi> and the
atoms. In each case, the original is
atom is
fractional part is called <amsa>. Each superfine
like the seed of a banyan tree which contains every
<ama' required for the growth of a big tree spreading
over a very wide area and giving shelter to
birds and insects. In the same way, just,
in a
ber
handful
and Tamas,
^^
of the three kinds of matter-Sattva, Rajas
four
all the amâs required folr the twenty Peoples
Brahmanda are found.
making the inneEnvelopes of
Therefore it is said,
A trifling ieap is tie material cause of tie uni

verse.
Creation of tie Envelopes-

Tie Sattva Leap, He expanded
In amoment and created
By taking a few Sattva particles of fractional partfr
Just by His will He made it occupy a wide space,
Twice taht of Rajasavarana, round in shape.
At first Sri Hari took just a few Sattva particle

from the original heap and by expansion, created th<
Sattva envelope such that it would be twice that o
the Rajas envelope. It is like a round hollow ball o
unimaginably enormous size. This He created withou
any effort, just by His will.
The thickness of this envelope is
5714285714285714| yojanas-a number of sixteen fig

ures.
Then, the reddish elemental envelope, how

created, listen;
In right proportions - with one part of
original Tamos,
From the Rajas, heap, lying separate,
Came out one hundred parts;
From the first envelope ten parts
Then added; with these
The Mighty Lord emanated with his queen;
Modifying the three put together.
/_;''
Sri Ban
put together ten parts of Sattva taker
from the envelope, one part of Tamas from its
first
original state and one hundred parts of Rajas frorc

its heap. He entered into them with His queen and
brought about the required modifications; and
by grad-
ually expanding it, He created the Rajas envelope to
be the size of the third, the Tamas
|wice envelope. Its
thicknessis 2857142857142857* Yojanas.
Chapter - VTT 177
Think of tie creation of Tamas, Avarana;

From the Rajasa avarana one part,
From the original Tamas heap
Twelve parts are taken for mixture,
And truly just a few sattva parts-
These three mixing in the proper manner,
Being in them with his wife, He developed it round,
And created the Tamasa avarana,
Making it ten times that of Brahma's;
Thus He created the Avyakta avarana.
To one part of Rajas taken
from the second en-
and just a few
velope, twelve parts of original Tamas
parts of Sattva are added to make the Tmasa avarana.
Its thickness is- 1428571428571428 f yojanas. Putting
so the thick-
together the three envelopes described far,
ness will be 10,000,000,000,000,000, yojanas (17 fig-
are together spoken ol
ures). All the three avaranas
as Avyakta Avarana which is ten times thicker than
the Mahat tattva envelope presided over by
Brahma.
the benefit one

Sri Vijaya Dasarya tells us about
of these envelopes In
reaps by knowing the vastness of matter
this way,let praise the first envelope
people
It shines with the lustre of gems,
is joy
Sri Vijaya Vittalaraya, whose personality
sublime,
Dances in the mind with the name Avyakta.
of
Remembering the pervasive presence se
the envelopes of very vast dimensions
and
etable reward. He shows His presence
with joy. 'The proverb goes, He who has
name of the
knows its sweetness." The verysaid.
Lord brings us joy. Hence it is
Dadhi madhuram madhu madhuram

madhuraiva;
drafcsa madhuram sudhapi
Madhuranathasva
Madhuradapi ta^madhuram
nama madhuryam.
1 78 The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
Yogurt is sweet, honey is sweet; tlie grape is sweet;

nectar too is sweet beyond words. But the sweetness
of Sri Krsna's name is sweeter than tte sweetest.
Tie Second avarana is Mahat tattva of Prakrti;
Ten ofSattva group and one of Tamas,

And in addition, one from the 'Red' group;
f
Let the wise ones listen, in the equilibrium state (gunasamya)

They are red particles of the Avyakta avarana;
Tiey turn out to be material cause in the disturbed state
(gunavaisamya),
A third Rajas particle coming out and one from Tkmas,
All mixing together without disturbing harmony;
With His wife Sri Hari entered them,
And He developed it into round shape
And thus created Brahma's tattva (Mahat tattva);
Hence it is said four parts and five parts,
This is according to 'Sastra, to a portion of Mahat tattva, the
Same particle from the subtle first avarana
Came out in exact measure and mingled,
It rightlybecame of similar category;
The Four-faced and our Vayudeva,
Sarasvati and Bharati are in them;
It is always ten times the Ahamkara.
From the Sattva avarana, the very first, ten par-

ti cleesare taken. To it one particle of Rajas and one
particle of Tamas from the original heaps are added.
Again one Rajas particle and one Tamas particle from
the Avyakta avarana are taken out and mixed. With
the presence of Sridevh and her
spouse, this mixture
converts itself into Mahat
tattva, the abode of Brah-
madeva. It is like this
10+(2+2).
A
portion of the Mahat tattva is Vijnana tattva,
wherein one Rajas particle from Mahat tattva itself is
added. It is thus 10
+(2+2)+l. Because there are two
principles m
the same envelope with
slight difference,
it was said 'four
parts' andjfive parts'. Mahat tattva
1S 5
and Sarasva*i; Vijnana tattva for
andJ ^?- 5*
Bharati.
Vayu
CJbapter- VII
Taking a portion of Tamas from the Vijnana

tattvaand mixing Sattva, Rajas and Tamas taken
from Avyakta avarana, separately, three modes of
Ahamkara tattva are created. Vaikarika Ahamkara
results by Sattva of Avyakta mixing with- Tamas of
Vijnana 4acttva; Taijasa Ahamkara by the mixture
of Rajas; and Tamasa Ahamkara by the mixture of
Tamas.
We should note that the Rajas and the Tamas
particles of the Mahat tattva or Vijnana tattva are di-
luted by their contact with the Sattva property of those
tattvas. further addition of Rajas or Tamas taken
By
from the already diluted ones in the Avyakta avarana,
the new modifications become somewhat gross, com-
paratively*
The Ahamkara tattva gives rise to the material
principles which, are lower still.
From this Ahamtara tattva, citta,
Buddii, Manas are made; and from tie three Aiamfcaras
TLe other principles are also made, altogether twentyfour;
Th& deitiesgot their different bodies; Ahamlcara with manas,
Forming the third envelope; to the material Sky, its
Pervasion is ten times more

The master of Parana, Vjjayavittalaraya,
Nine kinds of Bhatti and Viraiti He gives.
Three material principles - Citta (Memory), Bud-
dhi (Intellect) and Manas (Mind) were created out of
Vaikarika Ahamkara.
The mind there to get experiences of the ex-
is
ternal world through the sense organs. Without the
backing of Intellect and Memory (Buddhi and Citta)
the mind cannot retain the Knowledge received by it.
Hence the Knowledge reaching Manas is termed 'Vrtti
often
rupa' or it is Knowledge of impulses only. Very
But, Bud-
it may get wrong or illusory impressions.
dhi has the ability to reason out and to define the im-
and retains those
pressions. Citta (Memory) judges
of mind.
impressions. It helps one to gain peace
From Ahamkara the bodies of

the three types of
deities lesserthan Maharudra were created. The ex-
tension of this avarana is ten times less than that of
Mahat tattva, but ten times greater than that of the
material sky envelope.
The sky and the other four gross elements make

the jivas to be attracted by worldly things and makes
them indifferent to God. If one remembers that
Maharudra, the Presiding deity of Ahamkara tattva,
is the chief master of Manas, that his detachment to
worldly affairs is perfect, and that he is the right spir-

itual master to initiate one in the meanings of Rama
c
Mantra', he will be helped by Sri Rama to develop nine

kinds of Bhakti in newer and newer ways and to prac-
tise detachment (Vairagya).
Tie Second Ahamkara is Taijasa

Itbeams with red colour;
The Lord, taking a portion of Taijasa,
Developed ten -.kinds of sprouts,
Tie ten Indriyas were thus formed.
The abilities of the five sensory organs and the five

motor organs were developed out of Taijasa Ahamkara.
Tien, from the Tamasa Ahamkara portion,

Mating ten divisions of it, hearing.
Touch, sight, taste, smell-these
Five dknnratras and five
gross elements upto Prtivi,
were created.
Prom
Taijasa Ahamkara five elemental Principles,
grosser than the abilities of organs but subtler thaja the
five gross were created. They are connected
elements,
with sensory organs and are called Tanmatras.
And
t e fiv element
i , l gross s are
only further modifications
of the Tanmatras,
Relationship between the Indriyas (Organs), the

lanmatras and the gross elements is shown here
below:
Chapter - VH 181
The five gross elements spoken of are not those

winch are known to us. They are only very subtle and
form the lesser deities functioning in them. However,
they are gross when compared to the higher elements.
Below Ahamkara avarana is the Akasa (sky)
avarana; and further below are the envelopes of air,
fireand water. The envelope of earth is Brahmanda
created later. Each of the envelopes is ten times bigger
than the envelope immediately below it.
Thickness of the envelopes, (avaranas)
Prthvi avarana 100 crore Yojanas

Jala avarana 1000 crore Yojanas
10000 crore Yojanas
Agni avarana
Vayu avarana 100000 crore Yojanais
Akasa avarfcna 1000000 crore Yojanas

Ahamkara avarana 10000000 crore Yojanas
Mahat tattva avarana 100000000 crore Yojanas
Know the truth; Citt*, Buddii, Manas, Ten

nine Envelopes the materials
Ihdriyas, five liamatras, the
of all these, with each other

Are very well connected, you must know,
The states of the Sky and the other four,
Wise devotees should very well understand;
Vyayavittalaraya, who has fullness of all auspicious qualities.
Along with master deities and with his consort
resides in each of them.
The material envelopesof the universe, extending

upto crores and crores of yojanas, and the principles
of Citta, Buddhi, Manas and the rest are all very well
inter connected in their functions. They are all manned
by several deities and guiding them, Sri Laksmipati is
there* He
takes care of the universe. If such luiowledge
is acquired by the" wise
devotees, they will be -happy
here and hereafter.
Is there any limit to the kindness of the Saviour of sinners!

Searching among all the gods, one who
Is so easily accessible, I have never never seen
Cursed is he who turns away from Him;
Cursed is his food and drink, his
ageing and his body are worth-
less;
Him is damnable;
Literature that does not praise
ForgettingHim_and visiting holy places is all wasteful;

Observance ofAsrama dharmas is futile without
Him;
With Sattvic offers even a drop of water
mindîfone
In the name of Sri Krsna, he earns such high merit that it
excels tie Meru
mountain,
The conqueror of daityas, who has fullness of
superb qualities;
Vyayavitthala
Always sports in the minds of devotees.
Purport; Being bom in human form, it will be

prof-
know the glory of the creator and of His cre-
itable to
fi^Yx
w *** W
t0 devel P Devotional attitude. It
ete nial
We should always rememberhappiness in
and
is only
God's Abode.
His sake, but for our own sakes. Him, not for
praise
Knowing that He is
the conqueror of
daityas and knowing that He is always
with us as He is
everywhere, will make us peaceful and
- VII
Ciapter i$3
happy without any sort of fear. He will save us from

sms and sinners.
IV, Tie Gods Offer Prayers:
So far we have seen that before the Brahmanda

was created, the three
envelopes of Sattva, Rajas 'and
Tamas and other six Mahat Tattva, Ahamkara Tatt
V,
Akasa Tattva, Vayu Tattva, Tejas and Van tattva,
(water) Tattva -
altogether nine envelopes were cre-
ated. Brahma and
Vayu became the presiding deities
over all the Tattvas.
Kudra, the master of Ahamkara
Tattva, gave birth to the over lords of the material
principles such as the sky and to those who were to
preside over the sense organs and motor organs (ten
in number), as well as to those whose realm was over
the five subtle elements
(Tanmatras) and the five gross
elements - sky, air, fire, water and earth that we know
of. After all this was done, ,then Brahmanda was to
be created. All the presiding deities were to enter the
Brahmanda and to carry on their functions. But none
of the deities were capable of
creating the Brahmanda
or to carry on their functions by themselves.
Not knowing the further course he stood
Having no potency to initiate, tie deities
.Designated to control tie Tattvas were struck with fear
this Brahmanda (to create)
By combining tie Thttvas in rigit modes not inowing tie skill,
the deities prayed to SriHari.
Within the Brahmanda top the deities had to man-

ufacture kinds of bodies for the variety of crea-
different
tures. They had to put together the tattvas already
created in the necessary modes. Therefore they ap-
pealed to the Mercy of Sri HarL
Tlie presiding deities stood like statues;
Entering into their souls

He stationed them into the Tattvas (material principles)
Along with these controllers, combining,
In this fashion all the envelopes and
The Brahmanda, He made-tie Giver of abii'ties.
184 The Process of Creation hi Dasa Sahitya
When it is said that Sri Sari entered into the s<

of the controlling deities who were stone-still, it r
be asked if He was not there already. It is true t
He is always in all the souls and in the material ca
giving them existence. Entering into the deities ^
various new forms to enable the manipulation of m<
rial changes and activities is known as 'entering ane
Here, Sri Vijaya Dasarya has made explicit the max

'Tena vina trnamapi na calati' (not even a blade
grass moves without His urging). Also, 'He created
Brahmanda means that He npiade everything ready
5
the creation of Brahmanda by entering into mate;

principles and their presiding deities.
Ten years of Brahma, born of the golden egg, elapsed
By now truly he had completed forty five years of his exist
Creation by Rudradeva took fourteen years;
spent one year in 'tapas', by which time thirty f
years of Brahmas life span was over. For the creation
the nine envelopes, Sri Hari entering into the matei
principles and the deities, it took another ten yea
Hence, Brahma had seen the wonderful creation by t
Lord during a period of forty five years.

In the ninth watery envelope the particles of t
earth principle were inter-mixed. The tenth envelo
of Brahmanda had not yet come into existence. Witl
the sphere of the earth principle contained by the ^
tery envelope, Sri Vasudeva reclined and enjoyed me
ital happiness with Mayadevi for two years.
Again Mahalaksmi, for one year, the Lord
She praised and worshipped.
Women of this world serve their husbands for tl

sake of fulfilling their desire for motherhood. But the:
isno such desire for Mahalaksmi. However, she servi
her Lord for the upliftment of the souls out of her in
measurable kindness. She praised and worshipped h<
husband for one full year entreating Him to create ti
Chapter - VII 185
providing the environment necessary for

of the souls.
f realization
y there in praising the glory of Sri Hari,

is
devotees know. It is therefore that Sri

asarya sang, "To praise Govinda, the son
haraja, is the sweetmeat of Supreme joy,"
Brahma was fortyeight years old. During
f the next two years, how Sri Hari went
chemical combination of material princi-
d for the creation of Brahmanda, is nar-. /
region of earth_ par tides in the watery envelope,

by Mahalatsmi
wifewho displayed Sri, Bhu and Durga forms,
2 Brahma, Visnu and Mahesa
as
anabha with Bis own portions (as full as Himself)
create the Brahmanda,
the material principles by admixtures
y put them together for further modifications.
ina, Panca Vrtti and Itivrtiarana:
sion, creating gross materials and Three-

Ettions)
manabha whose form combines within it-

other of His forms, was born in His own
hma. Visnu and Mahesa. (His ways are
i Then He proceeded with the task of the
>f the material principles. After that He
Brahmanda; and keeping within Himself
idra and the others along with the mate-
Ee,jentered it. Before knowing more details
reation of Brahmanda, it wiE be necessary
ails about the creation of gross materials.
we have learnt about the inter-mixture of

iginal principles Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
-
for the creation of the nine envelopes. The

When it is said that Sri Hari entered into the souls

of the controlling deities who were stone-still, it may
be asked if He was not there already. It is true that
He always in all the souls and in the material cause
is
giving them existence. Entering into the deities with

various new forms to enable the manipulation of mate-
changes and activities is known as 'entering anew
5
rial .
Here, Sri Vijaya Dasarya has made explicit the maxim.

*Tena vina trnamapi na calati* (not even a blade of
grass moves without His urging). Also, 'He created the
Brahmanda' means that He niade everything ready for
the creation of Brahmanda by entering into material
principles and their presiding deities.
Ten years of Brahma] born of the golden egg, elapsed
By now truly he had completed forty five years of his existence.
Creation by Rudradeva took fourteen years; He
spent one year in Hapas', by which time thirty five
years of Brahmas life span was over. For the creation of
the nine envelopes, Sri Hari
entering into the material
principles and the deities, it took another ten years.
Hence, Brahma had seen the wonderful creation by the
Lord during a period of forty five
years.
In the ninth watery
envelope the particles of the
earth principle were inter-mixed. The tenth
envelope
of Brahmanda had not
yet come into existence. Within
the sphere of the earth
principle contained by the wa-,
tery envelope, Sri Vasudeva reclined and enjoyed mar-
ital happiness with Mayadevi for two years.
Again Mahalaksmi, for one year, the Lord
She praised and
worshipped.
f * s world serve their
v of i.
husbands for the
sake
fulfilling their desire for motherhood. But there
W S de re fo * Mahalaksmi.
T, l
her TLord for the However, she serves
uphftment of the souls out of her im-
She Praised and
ESKS3 for
husband f ?T
one full year ^rshipped her
entreating Him to create the
- VII
Chapter 135
3raJimanda providing the environment necessary for

he courses of realization of the souls.
What joy in praising the glory of Sri Hari,

there is
mly the true devotees know. It is therefore that Sri

'urandara Dasarya sang, "To praise Govinda, the son
f Nanda Maharaja, is the sweetmeat of Supreme joy."
By now Brahma was fortyeight years old. During

b.e course of the next two years, how Sn Hari went
irough the chemical combination of material princi-
Les, required for the creation of Brahmanda, is nar-
ked.
Lying in the region of earth particles in the

watery envelope,
praised by Mahalaksmi
In His own wife who displayed Sri, Bhu and Durga forms,
Be was born as Brahma, Visnu and Mahesa
That Padmanabha with His own portions (as full as Himself)
In order to create the Brahmanda,
To expand the material principles by admixtures
And then to put them together for further modifications.
.
Panciiarana, Paffca Vrtti and Trivrtkaxana:
(Expansion, creating gross materials and Three-

Id modifications)
Sri Padmanabha whose form combines within it-

Lf all the other of His forms, was born in His own
fe as Brahma. Visnu and Mahesa.
(His ways are
jrsterious!) Then He proceeded with
the task of the
mixture of the material principles. After that He
âted the Brahmanda; and keeping within Himself
alima, Rudra and the others along with the mate-
1 things, He entered it. Before knowing more details
out the creation of Brahmanda, it will be necessary
know details about the creation of gross materials.
Earlier we have learnt about the inter-mixture of
5 three original principles - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
Accessary for the creation of the nine envelopes. The
inter-mixtures made for Mahat tattva and the othe

eight tattvas, however gross they may be called, ye
they are very very subtle in structures; of course, a
increase, the ma
the proportions of Rajas and Tamas
terial principles become more and more
gross com
paratively. Taking up the subtle enough principle
of the envelopes and them to form
combining really
gross ^principles is made
possible by the processes o
Tancikarana', Pancavrtti' and 'Trivrtkarana'.
*
*.
In the 'Suladi' of Sn Vijaya

Dasarya these matters
are just hinted briefly; we have to know more details
from other source boots.
It is this, for human beings, for aquatic creatures,
and insects,
for birds
For worms and for airy creatures
(Pisacas)
that gives the bodies.
Pancikarana: (Expansion of material

principles). Two
units of the subtle
enough principles of each of the last
five envelopes
(sky, air, fire, water and earth) are taken:
each one is divided into a hundred
parts. The hundred
parts of one in each is divided into five units of
twenty
parts. Such units are added to the other five original
units to give grossness. This kind of combination is
known as
Pancikarana', which may be comprehended
by the following table.
When 20 parts of the same subtle

Emanation:- prin-
P S Caeh f the other four
3?tE tfc *'i iL
mix together with 100 Principles
parts of the sky principle
gross sky matter is formed
Pnnci P le tlie
the >
(Ether).
J? V e
?K
20 parts of each of the
8 f the same
subtle Principle
other four mix with 100
parts
and
matter is form< In
gross ele ^^ts are also
-
Chapter VII 187
Thus, the formation of the five gross elements

by the inter-mixture of the subtle elements is called
Tancikarana'. Sri Vadirajasvami has provided such
tables and he has also provided the means to play the
4
game of PancIkarana\
In the previous table, the five elements shown
in the top horizontal column, forming gross elements
(tattvas), shall be considered as the principal ele-
ments and those fractional parts in the lower horizontal
columns shall be considered as similar fractions.
Remembering that the material particles of Nature
(atoms) are countless and each particle has countless
fractional parts (sub-atomic), let us take each principal
element now mentioned ana divide each one of them
into six parts of 100 units. Then, if we keep five parts
of each as principal and divide the sixth into five even
fractional parts of 20 units, and inter-mix them as be-
fore, let us see what new elements arise.
188 The Process of Creation in Dasa
3) JJQ tie same way,
in combination with even

Principal water element
fractional parts of sky etc. goes to form the five
-
(
Tanmatras
v - the finer parts of the gross elements
sky, air, fire, water,

earth. They bring the grosser
elements in touch with the sense organs.
The principal air element, in

combination with five
4)
-
fractional elements, goes to form the five life breaths
Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana.
5) The principal sky element, in combination with

the five fractional parts, goes to form the five depart-
c
ments of Antahkarana' which is commonly called Mind
( Marias). The five departments are
- Antahkarana,
Manas, Buddhi, Citta and Ahamkara. (Life principle,
mind, intellect, memory and ego respectively).
(Note : A complete picture of the five principal el-
ements, their presiding deities and the forms of the

Supreme Lord in them - the outcome of 'Pancikarana'
- can be gathered from the Appendix).
The five principal forms of Snman Narayana get

into one another to form the combined personalities,
which motivate the deities presiding over the elements.
How the combined personalities are formed is shown
here below:
Chapter - VII 189
Pancavrtti: The elements sky and air, fire and air, wa-
ter and 'earth axe separately mixed to endow individu-
als Twith gross bodies to help them to go through the
process of realization. This kind of mixing is known as
Paficavrtti. Details are hereunder-
(l)Sky
- 99 + Air - 1 = Sky (Akasa)
(2)Air -99 + Sky - 1 = Air (Vayu)
13
igO
- 99 + Air - 1 = Fire
II (l)Fire (Tejasj
-99 + Fire - 1
= Air (Vayu)
(2)Air
= Water
III(l)Water 99 +
- 'Earth - 1 (Udaka)
Water - 1 = Earth
(2)Earth -99 + (Prthvi)
TiivrtJcarana :
The fiery, airy, watery

and
earthy elements of
II and III become materials for giving bodies

groups
to the various creatures. Mixing these elements in a
Trivrtkarana. Its use
variety of ways is called
is as
shown in the table below:-

Trivrtkarana
VI. Tie value of material elements:

Having described the creation of the outer en-
velopes of Brahmanda, Sri Vijaya Dasarya heartily
praises the glory of the material principles out of whict
they are made,
Even before nay birth, my ancestral well-wishers,
While they^haa hidden rare treasure,
I did not dig the earth; wandering away,
Without wisdom, I did not search;
On my return. I found it fondly stored
Where is the limit for my
good luck!
What treasure is there greater
Than praising the Lord with four names, Vijayavittala!
The treasure hidden by well-wishing ancestors for
our sake is the wealth of Vedic literatures. We for-
get to make use of them and sutler. But. when a
spiritual master gives us guidance, we get tne use of
treasure. No worldly wealth can
compare with
of the Supreme and
Being His ways. One
be very very lucky to gain such
knowledge. The
Chapter - VII wi
four names' of -the Lord mentioned here are AnijucJ-

Hha, Pradyumna, Sannkarsana and Vasudeva; it is
with these forms that He goes on with the work of
creation.
There are twentyfour old coins,

Each bearing a different name,
Well impressed; the coin earth bears its name clearly;
You can search and find^ them in every Veda;
The devotees of Vijayavitthala who has four forms and names,
Their grace is blessing for me.
5
said that the 'old coins .hear clear im-
it is
pressions, it means they
contain scientific knowledge
which can be verified and experimented. Such knowl-
edge is found in every Veda. One should be really for-
tunate to secure sucn knowledge by the grace of those
who are true devotees of Vijayavtthala, wno is the same
as the one who took four names and forms - Vasudeva,
Sankarsna, Pradyumna, Aniruddha.
Sri Vijaya Dasarya then tells that the twentyfour
coins-the twentyfour material principles prove to be
very valuable if used in the name of Sri Hari.
Their colour exceeds sixteen carats,

No goldsmith can test it on the touch stone,
Jewellers cannot fix their values;
You can see them to be multi-cploured
The coins are self-made, not minted bj others
The prettiest one, shining lite gold-Vyayavitthala,
That goldsmith alone Jcnows their worth.
The worth of anything depends upon the use to
which it can be put. We know the value of our coins
value of
according to their economic worth. But, the
the twentyfour material principles cannot be under-
stood by us. Their value depends upon the abilities
of users. The divine beings know their value much
more than human beings. jBrahma knows still more.
Only Mahalaksml knows all the uses of the 'twenty-
four coins'; but even her knowledge is^ incomplete when
compared to that of the Supreme Being.
These cannot be melted; if any one begs,
No piece can be cut and given away;
Go wherever you will, iVis no unbearable burden;
Carry it for any length of time, it does not seem heavy;

You cannot swing it away and throw it down;
O coin, You care for him, who
Seeks refuge of SriVijayavitthala.
If only we remember that our bodies are made of

these twenty four coins, we can appreciate the meaning
of the verse quoted.
With one coin we can buy Indra and the other gods
Along with their wealthy abodes;
We can put an end to the poverty of
One hundred generations of our kins, old and new;
If one suffers with penury of^head
Itcan be dispelled instantaneously,
No doubt about it, Vijayavitthala, called 'Sama 7
Becomes our kinsman by means of these coins.

The least of the twenty four coins is Prthvitattva.
This envelope, which is Brahmanda, is the purest gold
and has a thickness of one hundred crore Yojanas. All
the fourteen worlds are contained in it. Then, is it any
wonder that Indra and the other gods can be bought
off with it? The material
principle acquires such value,
not by itself, but by its association with all the gods
in it, lorded over by Mahalaksmi, the dearest queen of
Sri Hari.
Penury of head means ignorance about the Spiri-

tual world. If one learnt about the creation and the
working of the twentyfour principles, he becomes a
4
jnani and lives in the light of such knowledge. The

scriptures tell us that, if one such there be, his ances-
tors and his progeny will be saved from hells.
When Sri Hari Himself is gratified by the deeds of

a devotee, what is there that the latter cannot achieve!
That is why Sri Purandara Dasarya challenged Sri
Krsnadevaraya of Vijayanagar with the question, "Is
your wealth great or is our (devotees) wealth great?"
- VII 193
Chapter
In my youthful lusts I did not know their value even a bit;

On account of merits earned in previous birtis, tie travails of
my cycles have borne fruit,
My wind is collected and can follow in the footsteps of the

devotees
Of the Lion-faced- Vijayavi tthala.
The verse quoted tells us about the value of births

d deaths, which is what we are all going through.
ay be it is a long
long course; but it is necessary
r the soul to realize his or her original nature. We
e not the judges in this respect; it is the Omniscient
.mighty who knows all about the soul and its needs.
is only at the fag end of the course of realization
at the original mind (part and parcel of Linga Sarira)

;comes composed and will be able to walk the path
devotees.
Keeping in His belly, expanding it into the earth

The Possessor of boundless wealth,
Vijayavitthala, lends for interest.
Sri Hari isto a money lender who takes

compared
savy interest. He has
boundless wealth (materials)
ored in His belly. He
spreads it in the^ form of the
niverse with the earth in it. He puts the jivas upon the
irth with gross bodies for the sake of realization. In*
ther words, He lends out His wealth. The interest He
our Linga Sariras (causation bodies). Can we
fcpects is
xpect any one else to lend His wealth in this manner?
>y relieving us of our false property,
He makes us richer
rith the joy of spirit.
II Tie glory of the five gross elements:
In order to remove the dirt of our bodies fully, such

>f
us, who are accustomed to take oil bath,
rub oil into
he skin and later wash it off by using hot water and
oapnut powder. In the same way, if the seeds of
Karma
are to be rid of, and
(ticking to our Linga Sariras got
f that body should be dried up and made thin enough
294
and
to bewashed away in the Viraja waters, nibbing
washing are necessary.
The sprouts of the Linga Sarira-
the twenty four material principles must come to rub
oi
with the twenty four external material principles,
which the universe is created. must get into We
hot
and cleanse ourselves by the soapnut powder
waters,
of wisdom.
has
It is expedient that the AU-knower
this
adopted in bringing souls into the
arena of the universe.
The role played by the twenty four material principles
in this drama of life is very great. Look at the exquisite
Vijaya Dasarya has portrayed

which it.
manner in Sri
"Whence did these elements emanate?

They are haunting everywhere!
They are sticking to us life after life full pervading,
They never leave us and stay on.
The workings of tlie five throw us
gross elements
into confusion. They are continuously with us; they
don't leave us.
Earth, water, fire, wind and sky

They are always called,
The higher ones' have wider expanse,
And are in close contact with each other.
The water element contains the earth element also;

the element contains earth and water. Air contains
fire
fire, water and earth; and, the sky contains all the other
four. Conversely the
sky is found in all the other four
elements. Similarly the other three exist in their lower
neighbours.
All tie words spoien and all the deeds done,

Sowing, growing, moving about,
Eating and all other actions are due to the elements
In this Brahmanda of
activities;
Pearls, diamonds, gold, silver, all other materials
Consist only of these elements.
195
Chapter-- VII
The connection between organs, Tanmatras and

to under-
the previously, will help us
elements, shown
stand the statements made in the above verse.
Children are shown charcoal, sugar and diamond

in and are told that all the three
their science classes
substances are the allotropic forms of carbon. With
this much of
knowledge they feel proud. But, if any
one can create a piece of diamond out of carbon, Ms
knowledge and skill may be extolled. Not that it
is
impossible; but one should know the right proportions

and mode of preparation. With proper use of the five
can
elements, not only diamond, but a new world itself
be created as was done by the sage Visvamitra.
Surrounding the Brahinanda they are

Envelopes, each ten times bigger;
Even Rudras and others cannot shake off,
They will not leave till Jb.rmas end;

Higher and higher deities support them
With their graded qualifications;
He who Ms all, has ordained them harmoniously.
Since the elemental envelopes lie around and

even
around, the higher ones being ten times bigger,
higher gods like Rudra cannot escape from their grip.
But it should not be .construed that the five ele-

ments are a hindrance to us. They are there only to
on the
help us. Our sorrows or our happiness depends
manner in which we use them.
From these elements we gain exaltation;
Frojn these elements we enjoy happiness;
From these elements all auspicious results;
From these elements all our gains;
Prom these elements wealth springs up;
From these elements all our ornaments;
From these elements lands and garments;
From these elements all importance;
From these elements looming sacred '
All castes flourish, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas;

From these elements there is honour;

From these elements the worlds are there;
Vijaya Vitthalaraya, the most opulent,

From these elements cuts our bonds.
The binding elements are made to disappear by

the grace of Him from whom we got into bondage.
Hence He praised, "Bandhako bhava pasasca bhava
is
pasena mocakah". But, if we misuse these gross ele-

ments it will be like the fox biting hard sugarcane and
suffering pain.
Sri Vijaya Dasarya takes his own example and ad-

vises others.
Having seen both the good and the bad sides,

Such that the elements do not land me into sin,
I seel- the means to cut across the darkness
By always singing the glory of Sri Hari's lotus feet
The true means to free oneself from tjhe sorrows of

this world is to cling to the lotus feet of Sri Hari.
The saintly Haridasa says further-

1 iave not stolen an/one's property,
I did not poke my
nose into other's matters,
In pursuance of vanity, imitating the better placed,
I did not go on beating my drum;
Which foolisli man, sitting near a sugarcane grinder,
Goes in for a drink of dirty drain water!
The saint has told us what not to do and what to

do. Pursuit of pleasures is
compared to a drink of dirty
drain water. Remembering Sn Hari and
enjoying easily
available pleasures is compared to
sugarcane juice.
Still further he says about human folly-
Jealous of others 'prosperity, and
Liie fasting on a feasting day;
For eyebrows sake,
losing the eye, and
Like living in the world
disgraced;
Giving two measures of gems and exchanging
With ashes to manure the
thorny tree.
- VZT
Ciapter
Finally he says-
Why do yon throw mud upon others?
This body is like a water bubble;
Using bad words, earned merit is lost,
And drowned in tie ocean of sin, there is no way out;
&e wio_praises Sri Jffari even for a while,
Him Sri Vyayavitthala truly blesses.
A glaring human weakness
is to find fault with
others and to speak of them. This, our saint says,
ill
18
doubly harmful. Merit is lost; sins accrue. And it is
very hard to get out of the whirlpool of sin. One who
spends even a few seconds in praising the glory of Sri
Harl will be considered holy.
Sri Vijaya
Dasarya described the glory of the five
gross elements and drew our attention to the necessity
of
remembering the lotus feet of the Almighty Lord.
1 tie
âctivities of the five elements involve also the ac~
^/^dtles of the nineteen higher elements pervading them.
Sri Vadirajasvami describes the
good and evil of all the
elements in his Vaikuntha Varnane. (111-33-35)
The Mahat tattva brings prestige,
Aiamiara males one proud,
Buddhi enables true perception
And theMind goes after this or that. 33
Vijiiana tattva, being almost the same as Mahat

tattva, it is the abode of Vayudeva. This material prin-
ciple helps one know the truth about God who works
through the agency of subordinate deities. It is for this
reason that Sri Vayudeva Is praised in the following
manner.
Btiddiiir balara jaso dhairyam nirbhayatvam arogata,
Ajadyam vakpatutvam ca IFanumatsmaranad bhavet.
34
Higher intellect, strength of mind and body, rep-

irtation, steadiness, fearlessness, immunity to sickness.
unimpeded conscience, elocution all these result b;

-
remembering the name of Hanuman*

The light of Truth that he bestows is known a
'Mahima or Prestige. That is the gift of Mahat tattva
9
Ahamkara tattva creates three kinds of ego. T<

say, "Aham tattva jfiani" or "I have learnt the truth
1
is Sattvic ego. Knowing the indwelling agents of Got
and still saying, "I did this; I did that" is'Rajasic ego
Forgetting the spiritual back-ground and proudly say-
ing, "I am the doer, I am happy? I am enjoying luxuries
all this is mine" is Taniasic ego. This is what is reall]
called ''Pride'.
When it is said, "Buddhi enables true perception/ 1
we must take into account one of the five aspects of th

mind, which isalso called Buddhi.
'
is in charge of it. It is immedi-

Siva's wife Parvati
ately connected with the mind of impulses; and it helps
right perception of things brought to the mind by the
not be wrong to say that the psycho
five senses.. It will
analysis of modem scientists stops here although they

5
speak hazily of the 'sub-conscius mind.
Citta, Cetana, Ahamkara, Buddhi and Manas axe
the five compartments of the Ahamkara
tattva, which
is often called as Manas too.
But the Manas, the
exterior-most section, is in direct contact with the ex-
ternal world. It creates immediate such responses as,
I want this, I want that, I must do must not do
this, I
that" and so on.
The ten Indriyas always towards
Worldly objects tend and this mind
They pall that way; if thus
engaged by ego,
Can man ever earn
prestige?
The sensoryorgans "fix the mind in worldly -at-
tractionsand the motor -organs run
forward, with the
mind, towards them. Those, always
dane engaged in mun-
pleasures can never rise to
respectable heights.
Mahat tattva does not come to their help
- VII
Chapter j
The worldly man,

Forgetting the daily and occasional religious duties,
Feels jealous of his superiors,
And puffed up by his possessions.
Rotates in the worldly cycle and suffers. 36
Legs pull where damsels display charms,

Eyes show their beauty,
Making to part with gold, with their spitting feed,
Ears go mad with their words. 37
t ~
Sri Vijaya Dasarya has given very sound advice in
this respect. In Ms Suladi on 'Woman', he says- "If
you are hyper-sexed, 'give pleasure to you_ lawful wife;
it makes
you happy and brings credit to you and to
1
your forefathers.'
The human body often behaves very badly.
Mates one to eat unholy food for tie sake of belly,

Drives into bad company,
Praising donors and Warning others,
One goes down and down into hells. 35
'The guardian deities are also in the same human

organs they are the promoters of all actions.
?
Do they
not suffer?' - one may ask. Sn Vadirajasvaini gives
the answer
The deities residing in the tattvas

Are not ruined by evil acts;
As everybody knows, the hand-cuffs at the command of a ting,

own hands? 5
Are they used to bind his
To the hosts of jfvas, by these tattvas

Administering sorrow, in the world
They are free from shackles by
Virtue of Sri Hari's Grace.
In their posts as masters ,of tattvas, the

with
are unaffected. But, when they are born
must also suffer
frames, they find no exception. They
of realisation.
if only to complete their courses
Sri
Vadirajasvami now tells about the benefit
yielded by the tattvas.
Tie very same tattvas that give rise to illusory wants,
When in the company of good souls
Always lead to the righteous path
And help to see the God in all 4,
Here, the Svamiji has shown the importance o:
'association with devotees'. That is the only way tc

get out of the maze of this world.
The words of Srimad Bhagavata support this

statement.
JVa hyammayani tirthani na deva mrtsila may&h,

Te punantyuru kalena darsanadeva sadhavah.
Merely visiting holy places and temples does not

purify one quickly; it takes a long time. But, true
devotees purify the worst of sinners
merely by their
sight.
This been still further clarified

point_has by Sri
Jagannathadasarya in his Harikathamrtasara.
Even if fire is
touched unwittingly
It burns; does
it not burn if touched
wantonly?
Those who are like
honey-bees sucking the nectax of Srf flaw's
lotus feet,
Devotees who are as such,
If their
company is sighted, immediately
They purify the one who prostrates before them.
For this very the
reason, elderly wise ones of the
previous generation used to
repeat often and often,
Let us be blessed
'Sadhu by Sanga' (company of devo-
tees) and let us get rid of our
t _
Linga Sariras".
Sri
Vadirajasvavami concludes-
They help us to
worship Him;
- VII 201
Ciapter
Showing up His form, and making us to praise,

They break down the fortresses of our pride
They melt our Self-importance and removing haughtiness,.
Put us into the path of religious duties;
They relieve us of false ego, and
They' always take care of us.
Titus if we tread tie path of virtue, and by prayers
Please the Lord of Srfdevi, He
Shows us His lustrous form and
Drives our sins far away.
Knowing tiat tie tattvas stand in tie way of native joy

Wliei is really eternal,
Thinking well about it, at tie end tiey pray
45
To tie Lord to free tiem from suci bondage.
advice
Sri Pranesa Dasarya has given us a welcome
tlms
Wlat is past is past; let it go by; ,
From now on, you take to tie pati of ngiit.

in this
This is the advice that every one of us needs
age of KaH. It removes the desperate feeling haunting
the mind of a perpetual sinner.
Thoughtoo sweeping, as it looks, the following

true.
proverbial saying is also mostly
Every saint had a past;
Every sinner ias a future.
VTJT. Creation of Braimanda:

of
In the 49th year of Brahma, after_the processes
mixed the
Pancikarana and the rest were over, Sri Hari
in Srideyi s
24 principles
P created so far and put them
The
womb in the form of generating fluid. MahatfoUowmg
Tattva
axe the 24 principles- Avyakta Tattva, of
Ahamkara Tattva, Manas Tattva, the ten
the fivePîples
Tanmatras
the sensory and the motor organs, - all ot
and the five gross elements
( subtle elements)
subtle nature, created earlier.
f
Sri Vadiraja svami has described, in simple terms,

this act of creating the Brahmanda thus-
Again resting in the waters with His queen,
Taking particles of the twenty four principles,
Converting them into 'the wonderful creating fluid, the globe
of golden shell
He, the Designer of reality (Satyasamkalpa) created.
All the particles of the earth principle,
Collecting and lodging in Himself,
Then, bringing it out of the genital of Ramadevi,

He created the Brahmanda.
One hundred crore yojanas all round,

Shining like the bright sun,
That enchantmg Brahmanda He entered again,
And took rest in the waters,
(Vaikuntha Varnane. Canto. 2)
In the 'Suladi of Vijaya Dasarya the Brahmanda

5
is said to be fifty crore yojanas in all directions. In

the Vaikuntha. Varnane of Sri Vadirajasvaixd it is said to
be one hundred crore yojanas all round. We should
understand that the first one refers to the internal di-
ameter and the second one tells how thick the shell of
Brahmanda is all round.
As there will be watery juice in a tender co-
canut to begin with, the newly created Brahmanda was
filled with water. How Sri Hari entered into it with
Sri Ramadevi, keeping" all the individual souls from
Brahma downwards in His own body, is described by
Sri Vijaya Dasarya-
Then again, the Supreme Being going by the name Brahma,
Swallowed all the other divine beings
And entered into Brahma the master of Mahat tattva

The Supreme Being, separately bearing the name Rudra
Entered into the shining body of Rudra, the Lord ofAhamkara,
tattva, who
By the behest of Sriman Narayana,
Chapter -.VII. 203
Entered gladly into Brahma (Lord of Mahatt&ttva)

That 'Brahma, Lord of Supreme intellect, with the
Whole multitude of individual souls,
Into tlie Supreme Being Visnu entered
be_
This truth visualised, surely, SndevI, called Prakrti (Mistress
is
of material causes),
Bore all t his in her womb by tie agency of Sri Hari
Along with His wife, the all-pervading Visnu (Vasudeva.)
Sportively entered into the Brahmanda.
To understand this description clearly we should

ecollect the descent of the divine beings recounted ear-
ier. Weshould also look into the relevent details in the
Lppendix,
f
-
Garuda, Sesa and Rudra all the three preside
>ver Ahamkara Rudra has three forms with
tattva.
he names Visnu, Brahma and Rudra 1. Vaikarika
iudra, the great grandson of Virinci Brahma; 2. Tai-
asa Rudra, the grandson of Vayudeva; 3. Tamasa
ludra, the son of Sesadeva.
CHART
Visnu
Sri Bhu Durga

Visnu Brahma
Purusa - Brahma
Savitri Gayatri '

Sarasvati
i
I
I
,
Vlrinci-Brahma Vayudeva Sesadeva (Jiva)

i I 'I
ayu-Prana(Bala) Garuda (Kala)
*
1
* I" I- I
, _
Sesadeva (Jiva) I
I
1 I Tamasa Rudra
/aikarika Rudra Taijasa Rudra (Ahamkarika
(Visnu) (Brahma) Rudra
Note: In all the gods shown in the chart ^the portions
of Vasudeva are present according to their grades. In

Vaikarika Rudra the portion of Visnu is in greater mea-
sure; Indra and the other deities were born of this
in the indivisible
Rudra. (To talk of divisible parts
looks like a paradox. Wherever Sri Hari is immanent
in the universe, there He does not display His fulness;
He acts the role of the thing or person. It looks as
though a portion of Him is at
work in each of them.
But He is in His fullness .wherever He be).
As shown by the arrow marks in the above chart,
Visnu who had come down by the name Brahma, took
into" Himself all the deities and entered into Ptirusa
Brahma. Visnu, with the name Rudra entered into
Ahamkarika Rudra. He, along with Taijasa Rudra en-
tered into Purusa Brahma separately. Purusa Brahma
entered into Visnu, son of Sridevi.
The creation of the gross elements within the

Brahmanda are through the agency of Taijasa Rudra
and Tam'asa Rudra. Therefore it is but proper that he
entered into Purusa Brahma separately.
Sri
Vijaya Dasarya says, "This is truth visualised,
surely." Sri Hari showed the process of creation to
Sri Vijaya Dasarya even as He showed His 'Visvarupa'
to Arjuna. Hence, what he has described is not with
the material gathered from varius texts as is done by
research scholars.
After taking everything into
Himself, Sri Mahavisnu who is not different from

Vasudeva, deposited all the materials of further ere-
* .
ation into the womb of Sridevi, and along with her He

entered the Brahmanda;
We may guess why Sn Hari thus keeps within Him-

self all souls and materials and then brings them out.
What we call as instincts in our daily life are not de-
- VII
Ciapter 205
iped by
ourselves. They develop when the grow-
child lies in the mother's womb. Such processes
the outcome of the Lord's Will. Urges are seen
aaterial factors ("Prakrti"); but they proceed
only
Q the Will of the Omniscient Lord
('Purusa'). In
way, the whole world is activated by the conjunc-
of Trakrti' and The fully independent
'Purusa'.
or who is
all-knowing sows the seeds of urges into
individual souls who have the ability to know and
isthem to use those urges in the world of experi-
>..
Seed-sowing in relation to urges takes place in
womb.
For this reason, He lodges everything in Sifdevi's
ib and, entering the Brahmanda, He rests there
n with His wife in the waters. The happy conver-
m, based on Vedic contents, going on between the
reme Lovers, forms the seeds of urges.
Hied witi tie waters,

Vhile the entire Brahmanda was filled with darkness,
feasuring from its bottom upwards,
.t tie region fifteen crore yojanas above,
'ilZ tie passage of four yugas Tie Lord,
mi/ing, stretcied Himself in the waters of the Brahmanda.

oving Master of His servants, our Vijaya VittiaJaraya,
!he renowned Purusa, created in tiis way.
'
* * *
xeation of Brahmanda, Visnu's forms of Brahma and Isvara

ntering into Virinci and Purusa Brahma
lese and tie earlier iappenings
'enumerated from tie beginning, by now fifty years,
lapsed for tie Lotus-born; and tiereafter
Vhat happened should be understood listening to the words
f
elderly knowers.
adma, Virata and Varaia KaJpa tiey are called
nd are pleasingly wonderful, being called 'Visarga*.
jjaya VittiaJa, Jdller oi tie demon Madiu, being truly tie
idependent Actor,
Note: In aU the gods shown in the chart the portions

In
of Vasudeva are present according to their grades.
Vaikarika Rudra the portion of Visnu is in greater mea-
Indra and the other deities were born of this
sure;
Rudra. talk of divisible parts in the indivisible
(To
looks like a paradox. Wherever Sri Hari is immanent
in the universe, there He does not display His fulness;
He acts the role of the thing or person. It looks as
though a portion of Him is at work in each of them.
But He is in His fullness .wherever He be).
As shown by the arrow marks in the above chart,

Visnu who had come down by the name Brahma, took
into* Himself all the deities and entered into Purusa
Brahma. Visnu, with the name Rudra entered into
Ahamkarika Rudra. He, along with Taijasa Rudra en-
tered into Purusa Brahma separately. Purusa Brahma
entered into Visnu, son of Sridevi.
The creation of the gross elements within the

Brahmanda are through the agency of Taijasa Rudra
and Tam'asa Rudra. Therefore it is but proper that lie
entered into Purusa Brahma separately.
Sri
Vijaya Qasarya says,
"This is truth visualised,
surely." Sri Hari showed the process of creation to
Sri Vijaya Dasarya even as He showed His 'Visvarupa'
to Arjuna. Hence, what he has described is not with
the material gathered from variu's texts as is done by
research scholars.
After taking everything into

Himself, Sri Mahavisnu who is not different from
Vasudeva, deposited all the materials of further cre-
ation into the womb of Sndevf, and along with' her He
entered the Brahmanda.
We may guess why Sn Hari thus keeps within Him-

self all souls and materials and then brings them out.
What we call as instincts in our daily life are not de-
Chapter- VII 205
yeloped by ourselves. They develop when the grow-

ing child lies in tlie mother's womb. Such processes
are the outcome of the Lord's Will. Urges are seen
in material factors
("Prakrti"); but they proceed only
from the Will of the Omniscient Lord (Turusa'). In
this way, the whole world is activated by the conjunc-
tion of 'Prakrti' and Turusa'. The fully independent
Actor who is all-knowing sows the seeds of urges into
the individual souls who have the ability to know and
helps them to use those urges in the world of experi-
ence.. Seed-sowing in relation to urges takes place in
the womb.
/ _
For He
lodges everything in Sridevi's
this reason,
womb and, entering the Brahmanda, He rests there
again with His wife in the waters/ The happy conver-
sation, based on Vedic contents, going on between the
Supreme Lovers, forms the seeds of urges.
Filled with tie waters,
While the entire Braimanda was filled witi dariness,
Measuring from its bottom upwards,

At the region fifteen crore yojanas above,
Till the passage of four yugas The Lord,
Smiling, stretched Himself in tie waters of tie Braimanda.
Loving Master of His servants, our Vijaya Vittialaraya,
The renowned Purusa, created in this way.
* * *
Creation of Brafcmanda, Visnu's forms of Braima and Jsvara

Entering into Virinci and Purusa Brahma
These and the earlier happenings
If enumerated from tie beginning,by now fifty years,
Elapsed for tie X,otus-born; and tiereafter

words
What happened should be understood listening to tie
of elderly knowers.
Padma, Virata and Varaia Kalpa tiey are called
And are pleasingly wonderful, being called 'Visarga'.
being truly tie
Vijaya Vittiala, filler oi tie demon Madiu,
independent Actor,
14
In union with His spouse PadmadevI, enjoying marital happi-

ness,
He creates the three worlds.
Having got everything ready for the creation of the

worlds and their activities and ^locating everything in
the womb of SridevI, where did Sri Hari stretch Himself
within the Brahmanda? The text says-
Measuring from its faottoji upwards

At tie region fifteen crore yojanas above.
From the bottom to the top of the frozen waters

within the Brahmanda it measures twentyfive crore yo-
is
janas. Fifteen crdfre yojanas from bottom upwards
the region where Sri Hari reclined in the waters as
Padmanabha, there being a gap of ten crore yojanas
upto the surface of the frozen waters (Ghanodaka or
Garbhodaka). The lotus of the fourteen worlds begins
one lakh yojanas beneath the surface of the waters and
rises above it upto Satyaloka, Underneath the lokas is
Adisesa supported by Vayu Kumra.
It is said that Padmanabha rested
for four years
for four yugas or one Mahayuga; some say that it was
for one hundred Mahayugas.
By that time Brahma had completed his fiftieth

year.
After this there is description as to how the worlds
were created to resemble the lotus flower. Hence that
period of creation is called as Padma Kalpa. The cre-
ator entered the fourteen lokas and on account of His
huge from pervading all the lokas to support them, He
is called Virat Purusa. Hence Padma Kalpa is also
called as Virata Kalpa.
* * *
Chapter - VIII
PADMA KALPA VIRATA KALPA -

*
J. Creation during Padma Kalpa:

Sri flari Himself, having gone through the work of external
creation,
He then filled the interior with His creation
Keeping Virinci in His womb and merrily
Entering tie Brahmanda along witi Sridevi,
He the Super Soul rested for a thousand years of the devas;
Pleased to do good, out of His navel
He fondly gave birth to Brahma
Who was then called Hiranyagarbha.
Formerly it was said that Sri Hari rested in the

"waters of Brahmanda for four yugas. Now it is said that
lie rested for one thousand divine years. should We
cleverly try to reconcile these statements; we should
not say they are self- contradictory.
One day of Brahma (day and night) will be equal
to 846 crore human years and his one year jvill be 360
times that.
We should understand thus - when just a small
part of Brahma's fiftieth year was left, Sri Hari created
the Brahmanda and entered into it. After that, one
hundred Maliayugas still remained. During that period
Sri Hari enjoyed marital pleasure for one Mahayuga
and then went to sleep, as it were, for one thou-
sand divine years (360,000 human years); after which
Sridevi again offered prayers to her Lord. At the com-
mencement of the 51st year, Sri Hari gave birth to
Brahma out of His navel. Since Brahma's body, per-

vading the fourteen lokas, is made of gold, of which the
Brahmanda is also made, he is called Hiranyagarbha.
Tie lotus representing the fourteen lokas tipto
Satya/o&a,
It swelled up
beginning from Patalaloka
?
In this way beamed the glorious form of

Vijayavitthala,
The same as the exalted Padmanabha, lying on His
serpent bed.
When it is said that Sri Padmanabha lay on His

serpent bed, here we must note that it was Sri Devi
herself who was in the serpent form. The lotus that
rose from the navel of Padmanabha was not like the
pigmy lotus that we see in pictures; but it was of the
height that is between Pat Ida and Satyaloka and was
proportionately broad and bulky. On the pedestal of
that lotus sat Hiranyagarbha, the lotus born.
The description of Brahma, who was thus born, is

worderful.
As soon as he was born, looking at the fc<ir directions,
Four faces he acquired, know you,
Brilliant jewels beset with gems, tie string of beads, instructive
The holy prop, the sacred pot, four hands,

The bright sacred thread (Yajnopavlta),
Clean white cloth (One for the loin, the other to cover the
body),
With these sitting in the middle of the lotus as the son of God,
The lotus-born looked at himself.
When Brahma wanted to look in aU directions, his
very wish was enough to form the four faces - two at the
sides, one behind and one above; he did not look round.
Even at birth he was fully adorned with the finest jew-
els. In his right
upper hand he held the string of beads;
in the second upper hand was the
prop. His other up-
per hand was so held as to indicate the ability to teach.
- VIII
Ciapter 209
The fourth hand held the sacred pot. Brahma wore the
yajnopavita too. The significance of the thread is de-
scribed in the puranas. Brahma looked at the sacred
thread he wore and contemplated. Instantly he visu-
alised Omkara (the shape of the letter AUM). Vedas
emanated from it. They took the shape of bright loose
cotton. Nine threads formed out of it and in them the
presiding deities showed themselves. The meaning was
clear that Yajnopavita furnishes one with purity and
knowledge while performing the prescribed sacrifices.
Simultaneously the spirit of the Jot us,
Durgadevi, created a wild storm-
Wi'ti drops of water; Brahma's body,
She wetted by besprinkling
Vidhi (Brahma), amazed in the darkness,
Shivering much on account of the biting wind,
Tormented by the waves of water,
Got frightened awhile his father,
Brahma recalled he to mind.
Just as a child lies playfully in its mother's lap,

Brahma sat in the lotus, which was Mahalaksmi herself.
It is that mother, with her 'Durga' form, who raised
tte storm. She raised big waves in the 'Garbhodaka*
and sprayed the body of Brahma all over. Brahma
wondered. There was darkness everywhere. Shivering
in the darkness, he remembered his father. This shows
that he was not an innocent child. We need not also
t>e surprised to think how he could see when it was all
darkness. He had the ability to combine the use of his
inner eye. (Incidentally we may note that darkness is
something that exists and not merely the negation of

light).
Listen; to.Brahma,
Wanton ignorance and fear, four times and twice
Occurred, you see, for different reasons
Wiat happened to Brahma in this context
Say not that it is the truth, Flawless ever,
How can such weakness arise? This, you know,
21 The Process of Creation in Dasa Saiitya
Is like the sun coming overhead at noon

And seeming to quiver, you see;
To the ignorant folk he appeared innocent,
With mysterious powers though,
That new-horn babes may thus experience,
The son of Padmanabha shivered.
It was only Brahma who was born at that time.

One may ask, if it was wanton ignorance and fear, who
was there to witness it? One answer is that there is
such description in the Vedic literatures and those who
read it may try to understand properly or may think
that Brahma is also a prey to ignorance and fear. The
other answer is that the 'Rjus' and the other deities
of high cadre could see the behaviour of Brahma from
where they were in the pervasive body of Brahma. The
gods of the higher cadres and those of the highest cadre
;
(the Rjus') can see everything in a general way without

the use of gross eyes according to their abilities. Full
realization of the Godhead helps them to see things to
the best of their abilities.
It is not surprising when we say that Brahma does
not become a prey to ignorance and fear. The more
wonderful fact is that all the eligible souls are knowl-
edgeable and fearless by their very nature; they are
not ignorant. But there is one fundamental difference
between the 'Rjus' and the rest-
Let this alone; another secret
There is of plain truth, though strange.
In souls of divine nature no cuase for sorrow lies
Only joy increases as days pass by;

They are full of excellences.
When slight demoniac influence
Issuperimposed, they are subjected to sorrow
In the same way, you see, to the hosts of demoniac souls no
real happiness;
To them it comes by super-imposed divine influence;
To the enemy ofMadhu, the demon, to that Lord ofVaikuntha.
I offer my
Obeisances by joining hands, admiring His sport
- VIII
Chapter 21 1
To those who belong to the 'Rju' class there is no

question of ignorance or other flaws at any time. The
other deities and the ordinary individual souls are also
not ignorant or sorrowful by their own nature; they
are purely of the stuff of knowledge and bliss. But
they are enveloped from beginningless time by what
is called the Liiiga Sarira (Causation body), which is
the seat of ignorance and which contains the seeds of
Karma. Until they come into creation and go through
the process of realization, they are not free from the
evil effects of ignorance. Before creation, the causation
body is an impediment for the experience of innate joy
and during the course of births and deaths it makes
them suffer, the seeds of Karma sprout and de-
when
velop. The
'Rjus' too have causation bodies; but those
bodies contain very little of the Rajas and Tamas ma-
terials and they do not stand as impediments.
After bringing the souls into creation Sri Hari

develops the 'Aniruddha Sarira' to cover the Linga
Sarira', and there He puts the deities and the demons
crowding as if it were a fair. The deities under the lead-
ership of Brahma, demons under the leadership of Kali
and the mediocre souls under the lead of Puranjana.
When evil deeds are done, the Lord of Mukhya
Prana motivates the actions through the agency of
demons and makes the individual soul, the possessor
of the body, to become a suffering partner in the deeds
and their fruit s^ by projecting the shadow of the foul
medium. At that time the owner - soul of the body
feels "I did wrong", and therefore comes under the
faint influence of sorrow (duhkhasparsa). This aspect is
clarified by the following verse - "Sukhaduhkhaprado
nanyat purusasyatmavibhramah." In this way, con-
necting the souls with evil-doers is known as
good
'asuravesa' (subjecting to the influence of demons).
The 'Linga Sariras' of demons are also of the stuff

of the three modes Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Their
-,-
innate nature is ignorance which is the cause of sorrow.

When they are in the course of realization, if they en-
gage themselves in good deeds and enjoy happiness, we
must understand that it is due to motivation through
the agency of the deities residing in their 'Aniruddha
Sariras'. They experience the faint influence of happi-
ness (Sukhasparsa) and they are never fully happy.
When the demons come to know of their utter de-

pendence and realize that the shadow of happiness was
due to the agency of Gods, they grind their teeth an-
grily and say, "Have your happiness for yourselves; we
don't want your company; we wish to be in our own
original state even if it be sorrow." The great English
epic Poet Milton makes Satan, the hero of Paradise
Lost to say thus "I can make a heaven of hell".
In the same way when the souls of divine nature re-
dependence and lose the false ego, they
alize their utter
develop deep love for God and become 'Haridasas'-
devotees of Sri Hari.
/ .
Sri Vijaya Dasarya has said, "I offer my prayers to

this Director of the Drama of Life, with uplifted hands.
f
Virata Kalpa:- This name is given to the act of Sri

Hari creating the three worlds within the Brahmanda;
and, Himself being in Brahma, to make the latter to be
pervasive in all the worlds. This is not different from
Padma Kalpa.
Lost in amazement, upon the mighty ocean,
Was tie Lotus-born.
He saw and for each one of the Lotus petals,
He thought he must find the sign (indication)
Then he quickly went down the green stem; very
Hard it was, and he saw that it
Was the delusive work wrought by the Supreme Being;. Brahma
By the waves, tie strong wind and uproarious noise and whirls
Being hit hard, within the waters he,
not knowing aught, looked as though frightened.
- VIII 213
Chapter
Brahma a 'Tyakta Vaidika' - one who needs no

is
instruction from the Vedas, knowing as he does more
than their purport. Even as he understood the signifi-
cance of the Yajnopavita by contemplation, he wanted
to learn about the lotus upon which he was seated. To
know the origin of that lotus he entered the stem by
his yogic powers. It was to no purpose as the stem was
too hard to get into. The supreme creator had spread
5
his 'Maya in such manner.
Thinking it vain He came up again; in

The lotus that was his seat,
With full ardour in prayer to Sri flari,
He engaged himself by means of '.Recafca' (exhaling), 'Kumb-
1
hafca' (retention) and 'Puraka (inhaling)-
The three limbs of Pranayam, he made effort
And, he fully lost himself in deep meditation,

When Sri Hari Himself spoke (unseen) the words, 'Tapa, Tapa',
(mediatate with austerity)
Brahma did Tapas for a thousand divine years.
Note: Brahma engaged himself in the practice of per-

fect yoga, where true understanding and devoted med-
itation form the chief means of realization. If some one
engages himself in ordinary yoga by means of breath
control, he may attain only eight-fold siddhi and gain
worldly rewards which do certainly pull him down very
soon.
Anima mahima caiva garima laghima tatha,

Praptih PraJcamyam isitvam vasitvam ca asta bhutayah.
Sri Hari was pleased with Brahma's yogic medita-

tion and asked him to do more severe penance. And,
Brahma did such penance for a thousand divine years.
With mighty Kindness the Lord showed
Himself bearing sweet smile;
Along with tie host of released souls, being well adorned with
fine garments and a variety of superb jewels,
He showed sixteen of His forms like Vasudeva,
Connoting the supreme powers such as 'Utkarswi', consisting

9
of *Anima and others,
Being served by the retinue of His devotees
By Paramesti He was praised for a thousand divine years with
the supreme prayer,
Then very kindly all the Vedas, the Brahmatarka
As also Pancaratra He taught;
And Sri Hari vanished.
/ _ .
Sri Hari appeared before Brahma with all His yo

gic aspects in visible forms. Brahma, who had done
penance for a thousand divine years, now praised the
Lord for another thousand divine years. 'The Supreme
Prayer' means Purusa Sukta. Sri Hari taught the Vedas
etc., to one who is considered 'Tyakta Vaidika' only to
show more of His glory.
Brahmatarka not current in this world. The
is
all-knowing Purnaprajnacarya often quotes from Brah-

matarka in his commentaries. *
After Sri Hari disappeared, Brahma,

The Vedas that he had thus learnt directly,
He ruminated upon for another thousand years
Then soon he made up his mind to create,
The incomparable source of non-material bliss, Vijayavitthala,
He meditated upon, remembering His innumerable forms.
It is interesting to note that Brahma did penance

for a thousand divine years, read the Vedas from his
father for a thousand years and then meditated upon
their contents for another thousand years. There is an
important lesson for us to learn from this. If we want
to do anything that will surely be pleasing to God, not
merely for self-glorification, we have to serve Sri Hari

through the spiritual master for long long periods and
earn His Grace. We have to think deeply upon the
words of instruction. And then, we should make an
endeavour to achieve an object when the urge comes
from within by way of the Lord's will.
- VIII 215
Chapter
The lotus into the fourteen worlds

Expanded; supporting it
The lotus-born his 'Vairaja' form bore

So well made of 'mahat' and 'AhamJcara' materials;
Lord Padmanabha Himself, all the hosts ofjivas
Taking with Him, entered with His Purusa form;
From head downwards upto the feet
There stood the fourteen lokas.
We know that the four-faced Brahma wished to

know the meaning of the fourteen petals of the lo-
tus upon which he sat. By penance and by rumi-
nating the words of instruction, everything was now
clear. He created the fourteen worlds. It is not that
he sat somewhere and created the worlds elsewhere.
He entered into Ahamkara tattva with his body of
Mahat tattva, and creating the worlds from Satyaloka
upto Patalaloka, he himself entered into them with his
'Purusa^ form. Now, the fourteen worlds, formed by
the twentyfour elements from Mahat tattva down to the
five gross ones, became the body of Brahma. The ear-
lier material modifications outside the Brahmanda are
called 'Vaikrta' and the later modifications within the
Brahmanda are called 'Vaikrta'. Therefore, Brahma
with the Vaikrta body is To assume
called 'Vairaja'.
this Vairaja form, the four-faced Brahma has no inde-
pendent power. The Omnipotent Independent Actor,
the Parabrahma, called Purusa (Vasudeva) enters into
the fourfaced and does everything with regard to cre-
ation.
II. Quarrel among the deities:
Just asBrahma is the master of Mahat tattva,

Vayudeva the
is master of Vijnana tattva (slightly dif-
ferent from Mahat tattva), Rudradeva is the master of
Ahamkara tattva, there are other masters like Indra
and the rest overlording the other material principles
-such as manas, sensory abilities, tanmatras and gross
elements. For the activities of every material Princi-
ple, the particular master is like Brahma in his own
21 6 The Process of Creation in Dasa Sahitya
sphere.But as Vayu and Brahma axe subordinate to

Parabrahma, the other deities are subordinate to Vayu
and Brahma. They are unable to act independently.
Brahma and his spouse 'Vani (Sarasvati) are like 5
storekeepers in the affairs of the worlds, they sup-

ply the required materials. But the active agents are
Pranadeva (Vayudeva) and Bharatidevi. Sri Vijaya
Dasarya points out that the other deities are power-
less without the active presence of Vayudeva in them-
Many were born, the masters of material principles,

Born of the mighty Rudra as before
Know thou; after that, in the Virata Kalpa
Started thus, "I am great, I am great" -
'The life-giver question '. The masters of the material principles
together,
In order to decide, tested their powers in a body;
As the mightiest, the true master of souls and deities,
Pranadeva named 'Sutra', was proclaimed.
(Sutra means the holder of strings as in a puppet

show.)
Before the creation of Brahmanda, the other mas-
ter deities were created (given bodies) by Rudradeva,
the master of Ahamkara tattva; similarly they* were cre-
ated by Rudradeva within the Brahmanda too. These
deities, who had formerly admitted their inability to
create the Brahmanda and had offered prayers to the
Supreme Being in order to be established in their
principles, now grew proud to think that they could
carry on the activities in thier principles independently.
They failed to understand that the respiratory function
was the basis for all the other activities of a body. Each
one boasted that he could act by himself. This led them
to decide the question as to who was the ablest among
them.
In this connection, Sri Vadirajasvami has collected
the stories contained in the Talavakara, Chandogya,
Satprasna, Brhadaranyaka and the Aitareya Upanisads
Chapter - VIII 217
and summarized as follows, in his work 'Sarasa Bharati'

(Eighth Section)
Kin ca Pancopanisadam bhavam tvam ca vicaraya,
Suresu Vayoh sadrsam sancintaya na kancana.
You can yourself find out from the five Upanisads;

think well. There is no one among the gods to equal
Vayudeva.
Balina Kalfna tesam viparifca fcvacit Jcvacit,
Suranam ca bhaved buddhirna tu Vayormahatmanah
Sometimes the other gods may come under the
influence of wrong comprehension due to their associa-
tion with the powerful Kali. But this does not happen
in the case of the pre-eminent Vayudeva.
Yasyotthane pravese ca dehah patati tisthatL

Sa eva sarvadevanam gimaih srestho biavisyati
Vayasa ca sa eyaitah sarvajyestho bhavisyati.
He, by whose exit the living body falls dead and

He, by whose entry it rises up again, that person is the
highest among gods both by virtue of qualification and
of age.
ItthamuJctah sariratte niriyuh kramasah surah,

Tada pranasya balato deho 'sau napatatkUa.
Hearing the words of Brahma, the gods left the liv-

ing body, one after the other, to test the truth. Yet the
body did not fall dead because of pranadeva's ability.
CaJcsurmafcram netsate' rtham caksordevo gate sati,
*
Deho ndha dehavajjivanneva prana baladabhut.
J
When the presiding deity of the eye left, the eye

could not see; but the body lived like that of a blind
person; this was by the strength of Pranadeva.
Evam manah 'srotra mukhya devanam_ca kramadgatau,
Deho'yam napatadvayoh sat t vena tibaliyasah.

Similarly, when the deities of Manas, ear and the

other organs left, the body did not fall dead; it was still
alive by the
strength of the most powerful Vayu.
Ittham dehe vayu gatau patite tasya cagate,
Utthite sati sarve ca deva vismitamanasah,
Anvaya vyatirekabhyam vayoruttamatam hrdi,
Niscitya tustamanasastusvustam surottamam;
Tvameva Vayo jyestho'si Sresthascasi divaukasam.
When Vayudeva left, the body fell dead; and,

when he entered, it rose Then, by the rule
up alive.
of comparison and
contrast, the gods were convinced
of the greatness of
Vayudeva, and they praised him
with the words, "0, Vayudeva, you are the oldest and
the highest."
Ill Purva SadAjas;
Every act that is performed in this world converts

itself into a sacred offering
( Yajna). Recognising that
all that is
enjoyed in this world is a gift from god, that
every act performed is only by the presence and actua-
tion of the Supreme
Lord, that it is He who distributes
the fruits of actions and with such
knowledge dedi-
cating every act to Him is 'Yajna'. Dedication means
showing gratitude. If one should be capable of such all
embracing dedication one should have extensive prac-
tice of several kinds of
Yajnas prescribed by the Vedas.
It isstated that the master-deities at first performed
such Yajnas-
flaring created the wonderful world with

The host of deities
(controlling several aspects), for performing
5
Yajnas at first,
Creating the materials to be offered, Sri Hari was
Ine Supreme Lord, Spouse of propitiated*
Laksmldevi was pleased.
thC b k ng Su P reme Lord, Brahma
crÂ^ f
onderfj i
f the
^
deities and ^
deitts ?l >rld
along with the controlling
he provided the materials
with which to
make sacred offerings. The deities
praised the Supreme
.Chapter- VIH 219
Being with the Vedic hymns and performed Yajnas.

and blessed them; and He disap-
Sri Hari was pleased
peared. For this reason the master-deities came to be
called 'Purva Sadhyas'.
TV. Day-to-day Pralaya of Padmakalpa.

Brahma toot care of tie deities in the 'Anuloma' and the
1
Tratiloma ways,
He made them all wise;
When thus the affairs progressed, at the end of the Tadma

Ivalpa',
To start the work of annihilation, on the last day
The lotus-seated desired; The earth
He submerged under water by rain and the other destructive
agents;
Along with his wife Gayatri, in the Satyaloka
Resting, having blessed all the Souls,
He, the Purusa, enjoyed in the company of PraJcriti
With unabated spirits; This is the end of Padma Kalpa,
In another Suladi, Sn Vijaya Dasarya has stated

that not only the shapes of the fourteen worlds were
created; but mountains, rivers, animals, birds
and
ghosts too.
All the controlling deities, the alphabets,

The material principles of organs, materials' necessary for
yajnas,
The variety of metrical styles, the Vedas-and
their contingents;
Mountains, oceans and islands; nailed, horned, gilled

and den-
tured
Animals, birds, aquatic creatures, bushes,
Trees, ghosts of such varied types,
Brahma gave bodies to creatures.
Purport of the two quotations:
Brahmadeva cared' for the master-deities in the
the created trees,
way befitting them, and he reared
bushes, animals, birds, insects and other creatures,
ghosts and the rest in their own ways. These two
ways axe here referred to as 'Anuloma' and Tratiloma'.

'Anuloma' means the befitting way, 'Pratiloma' means
that which is not befitting. The masters of the ma-
terial principles and the host of their assistant deities
were to enter all kinds of bodies in the ensuing Kalpa
to carry on the functions in those bodies. Before the
deities were brought into the Brahmanda they had
already been invested with bodies predominantly of
the bright fire element. At first they performed the
yajnas with such bodies only. Teaching Vedic texts
and metres necessary for their prayers and providing
them with materials for sacred offerings and thus tak-
ing care of the deities according to their requirements,
is the 'Anidoma' way.
Installing the deities with their
spiritual sparks in the bodies of hills, trees, animals,
birds, aquatic creatures, ghosts and the like, and guid-
ing them to go through the functions of those different
kinds of bodies, is the 'Pratiloma' way. The deities
became 'Purva Sadhyas' in both these ways.
When it was the last day of the Tadma Kalpa',
Brahmadeva desired to anihilate all that had been cre-
ated so far. As has been already.said, annihilation does
not mean merely destroying, it is the gathering of the
fruits of the activities of beings during creation and
maintenance considering them as sacrifices - it is like
the harvesting of crops grown. This kind of collection
wiU be useful for what is to be done thereafter. It de-
cides salvation for the realized ones and the next step
to be taken in the cases of each of the others. An-
nihilation at the end of each of Brahma's day is for
continuing the courses of realization; but the annihila-
tion at the end of the last day is to grant liberation to
Brahma and to those who have completed their courses
of 'realization during the period of that Brahma.
As it is during final dissolution, the created worlds

undergo destruction by Sun's heat, fire, wind and rain;
but Satyaloka remains untouched by those forces of de-
struction. So also the Brahmanda'
(shell of the uni-
verse) and the nine other envelopes remain in tact. All
- VIII -221
Chapter
the worlds below Satyaloka collapse down to the level

of 'Patalaloka' and remain
submerged in the waters.
When annihilation thus takes place, just as Sri
Hari rests upon the banyan leaf during 'Maha Pralaya',
Brahmadeva happily goes to bed in his palace along
with Gayatridevi - for a period of one thousand
'Mahayugas' (4320,000,000 human years). In_
this
instance the name Trakrti* refers to
Gayatridevi.
Although allthe other worlds^ undergo destruction,
Prakrti and Purusa (Gayatridevi and Brahmadeva) fe-
main with unabated abilities.
f ^_
Sri Vijaya Daaarya tells us that it is meritorious

to hear the story of creation, maintenance and anni-
hilation as it helps to know the sublime glories of Sri
Hari, gives joy and becomes the means of liberation.
To him who hears tie story of Padmaialpa, Padmadevi's
spouse, our Vijayavitthala gives protect JOB.
15
Chapter-IX
CREATION OF LIVING BEINGS
I. Sveta Varaha Kalpa:
Now we are living in the Sveta Varaha Kalpa. For

one thousand Mahayugas by human reckoning, it is
night for Brahma. When he awoke early the next morn-
ing, there was no earth for him to create the living
beings. The demon Adi Hiranyaksa had held it down
in Rasatala without allowing it to go-up. It had been
submerged during the previous night before Brahma
went to sleep. How this obstacle was removed and how
cre&tion went on again, is described in this chapter.
Tie Kalpa of Svetadivaraha
Is during tie second day,
It is so said in tie Puranas;
Brahma (Dhata) the four-faced awoke and pondered upon
His father's lotus feet in his heart;
To create living beings earnestly,
When he anxiously thought that there was no earth,
The never born Sri Hari, from Brahmas nose
Manifested as the white Boar;
The demon Adi Hiranyaksa who had taken birth earlier
Stayed without fear there, (holding the earth);
Being pleased by the prayers of Brahma,
Sri Hari dexterously entered the
waters;
Wien tie demon came across to obstruct,
He killed him by his tusk;
And when Svetavaraha was on his way,
The demons grown powerful by
Vayudeva's backing stood in tie way;
He in the Boar form, {
Sauri, hacked them,
Made the earth hard and gave it to Brahma
- IX 223
Ciapfeer
The earth had been submerged; this Brahma

knew. His anxiety was not born out of ignorance. He
was only thinking of His master's glory in the way He
would bring the earth up.
Evenas thrs thought came in his mind the demon

Hiranyaksa came out of Brahma's left nostril. He
had
premonition of Sn Hari's readiness to raise the earth. If
it went up, it would be useful more for human beings
and the gods. This he did not want to happen. His
desire was to hold it under the waters so that it could
be like another Patala for the demons to enjoy. This
is demonical intelligence which underrates Hari's
^Sri
prowess. This is the ugliest facet of Ahamkara.
Very soon Sn Hari came out of Brahma's right

nostril like the young one of a pig. He changed His form
like that of an elephant and plunged into the disturbed
waters. He killed Hiranyaksa by his sharp tusk.
This the story of Adi Hiranyaksa or the one

is
who made his first appearance. The second time
he
the uncle of Prahlada Kumar, when he
appeared as
stole Bhudevi and carried her in his arm pit, down to
Rasatala; he did not take away the earth
itself. Only,
the western coast of India went down due to the kick he

This of
gave while plunging into the western sea.- part
the earth was lifted up by 'Bhu Varaha' the marks of
His tusks are there in the Varaha Paryata from whence
proceed the rivers Tunga and Bhadra.
Adi Varaha is at Snmusna and Bhu Varaha is upon

the Tirupati Hills, right at the brink of Svami Puskarini
lake!
The demons backed by Vayudeva were Madhu and

Kait abha. The Lord of the Boar form killed them also.
He mixed the fat of their mangled bodies into the earth
and made it hard before lifting it up.
II. Creation of Living Entities:

Late in the morning, by the power vested in him,
As per proper procedure, Tancaparva' the
Form of Sin he created-it is called Avidya.
Knowing its uselessness, again he-
(
The 'Latavya' of two Kalpas, Sanaka and others
He created affectionately.
Proper procedure means, accord to Sri Hari's will.

The five sins that he created are called Moha, Maha
Moha, Tama Moha, Tamisra and Andha Tamisra. It
is the demon
perpetrators of sin that he created with
those names. Since demons were created before the
5
creation of deities, they are called as Turva devah .
[Compare: Lucifer (Satan) was the first son of God

according to the Bible]
What is required for the
cultivation and harvest
of Karma is the rub betweenthe demons and the di-
vine beings both within and without. For this reason
the demons are created in the first instance. It is like
the thieves lying in ambush even before the gathering
at the fair. The creation of .demons, however, is not
pleasing to Brahma. Therefore, with love, he created
Sanaka and the other divine personages. But, when
they were asked to procreate, those born devotees de-
clined.
Upon these who defied his words, angrily
He looked with reddened eyes; from his eyebrow cemre,
See the wonder, immediately
He created Sadyojata'~Siva;
(
And he ordered hhn to create-

And Siva gave birth to horrible creatures.
^
Siva was born from the middle part of Brahma's

eyebrows. Associating with his wife Parvati, he created
very large numbers of males and females, who hungered
and were ready to eat their own parents. Brahma felt
dissatisfied,
When such horrid creatures were created, Brahma put a stop;
He himself, out of his ears, nose, face, tongue, teeth, hands,
Chapter - IX 225
s, private parts and from every hair pit created.

Now were born Indra, Kama, Aniruddha,
The Fire God, Brhaspati, Sukra, Candra, Daksa,
Surya, Varuna, Manu, Prana,
All classes of creatures as children of Brahma.
The Boss of Vayu, our Vijayavitthalaraya,
Created through the agency of Brahma.
Brahma, the four-faced, has his 'Virat' (Pervasive)

form in this universe. In him is Sri Hari as the original
c
Virat Purusa'. When it is said that Brahma created,
itonly amounts to saying that Sri Hari created and
gave credit to Brahma, making 'him the instrument of
creation.
With those already created, population still not being com-

plete,
Brahma gave birth to ten sons,
Who were all wise persons
Atri, Vasistha and the other sages.
Now, those that were born after them
I shall describe their names later
Listen to this also; from breast, heart, eyebrows, eyelids;
Thighs, lips, face, back, testicles,
Private organ, and the hair pits,
Brahma created eviJminded 'Kama', 'Lobha' and the like;
He then created the goddess of human speech;
And brought out the Vedas, Vedarigas, rules of caste,
conduct, and
Materials for holy sacrifices;
In this way Brahma filled the world.
The ten sons of Brahma, great sages like Atri

and Vasistha, bore many children in accordance with
Brahma's "wish. The latter created agents of evil deeds
from the parts of his body as he had created divine
of
beings. He created all facilities for the performance
caste duties and religious rites. Thus, creation was now
complete, as it were.
III. Procreation by marriage:
The creation described so far was all by mental

willing. Now, Brahma wanted to make creation still
more complete by means of the marriage institution.
Reflecting thus, Brahma, simultaneously

To Adi Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupadevi
Gave birth and, advising them nicely,
When he celebrated their marriage,
By their mating children were born, listen,
Goodnatured Uttanapada and Priyavrata,
Their sisters Akuti, Prasuti
The charming maiden, Devahutidevi;
These three, very virtuous, to sage Ruci,
Daks a and Kardama-all great ones,
Adimanu gave in marriage; by this
A very important stage of creation was reached.
How the earth was ^densely populated by means of
marriage will now be described.
Here about creation, its three and one varieties;

Count them-sweat-born, seed-born, animal-born and egg-born;
These together eightyfour lakh species-
Men, beasts, birds, insects, plants, aquatic creatures-
With these specifications they were born.
Brahma is known as 'Svayambhu.' The one born

of him is called Svayambhuva Manu. His role is very
prominent in the creation of living beings.
The
Bible gives just a few details about creation,
gleaned through the notes made by the Arabs and the
Egyptians during their contacts with India. That was
the period of religious renaissance after the catastro-
phes of Dvapara Yuga. Perhaps, Adam of the Chris-
tians and Adam of the Muslims is the same as Adi
Manu or 'Adima'. Svayambhuva Manu's wife was
Satarupadevi, one who could take a hundred forms
with a. hundred names. One of her names, Yuvadevi
must have been the one differently called as 'Eve' (Yu)
Chapter - IX 227
and 'Hawai 5
. For the Christians and the Muslims,
Adam, is the first of the human race, his name pro-
nounced differently.
This dilation is purposeful. Such comparisons
drawn and studied will, perhaps, pave the way for uni-
versal brotherhood.
Adi Svayambhuva Manu took different forms

along with his wife and brought forth eightyfour lakh
species of living beings. As it should be always
comprehended it is Sri Hari in Brahma and both in
Svayambhuva Manu, who were responsible for the en-
tire creation.
Details of 84 lakhs species
Total 84 lakhs.
Modern scientists have laboured hard and found

out the classifications and their numbers among living
creatures; but their analysis is not complete. We may
say categorically that they have not distinguished four
lakh varieties among the human beings. This asser-
tion is made just to point out that the oriental sciences
(Sastras) are the commentaries on the Vedas; they are
not based merely on human experimentation.
To Kasyapa Muni, Daksa Prajesvara his
Daughters, thirteen in number, gave
In marriage by good consent;
Dazmjas, Daityas, Devas/ Serpents,
Men and many other kinds-all denizens
Gradually he brought forth, variously;
The 7
dispeller of devotees distresses, our Vijayavitthalaraya,
Of His own will, fie does all this in sport.
Sage Kasyapa has an equally important role, like

Svayambhuva, in the creation of living beings He is
therefore known as Kasyapa Brahma. He married the
thirteen daughters of Daksa Prajesvara and begot all
varieties of living creatures. Creation was now com-
plete.
The
children of Danudevi were danavas; chil-
dren of Ditidevi were daityas; those of Aditidevi were
Aditeyas (devas). Kadrudevi gave birth "to serpents
and Vinatadevi to birds. In this way Kasyapa maharsi
was the parent of all kinds of creation.
Kasyapa Manu's creation plentifully
Crouded the whole earth; and
There was not an inch of space left;
Brahma reviewed the progeny of son and grandson and
contemplating,
With a smile he created the goddess of Death
It seems that the dame wept saying,
Why do you want to burden me with the sin of killing your

brood!
For the death of creatures, fevers and other sicknesses arose;
The Mine of numberless auspicious qualities,
Vijayavi t th alade va,

Created this world, He the Master Genius.
Thus, the deities of death in the forms of fevers

and sicknesses are those of a base order.
were creatures created? Why were they

"Why
doomed to die?" This is a legitimate question. The
answer is in the Suladi itself:
Perpetually accepting food and drink,
The Agency of creation, maintenance and nullification,
Brahma limited.
The multitudes of men and women, acting wisely and unwisely,
They reach their goals through karmas;
Making such arrangement, with the agency of deities,
Majimatha's Father, Vijayavitthalaraya
*
Sports; Brahma, the creator, is His 'reflection (Pratibimba).
Chapter - IX 229
An object or person before the mirror is 'Bimba 3
Original); what is seen with exactness in the mirror

'Pratibimba' (Reflection). The behaviour of the re-
ction or image is always similar to that of the orig-
al- From this analogy we should understand all the
flings
in this world. The Original of all originals
Sri Hari.
The immediate Pratibimbas (images) are
'ahma and Vayu, the masters of Mahat tattva and
jfiana tattva, respectively. Brahma is responsible for
L
Vayu is responsible for all activities in this

creation;
averse. The forms of the Supreme Being in Brahma
id Vayu, acting in every one of us through spiritual
asters, are differently the originals in us; we are all
flections.
Brahma, the chief Pratibimba of Sri Hari, has Gr-

ained that the bodies of living creatures should grow
imrislied by food and drink, that creatures should go
trough karmas impelled by presiding deities and

their
emons, and that they should die at the end of particu-

*r series of karmas. In this way he is causing creation,
laintenance and destruction. For changing varieties of
axmas, the chain of life and death is necessary. The
oddess of death removes our worn out clothes and
Srahma gives us new ones. This is real benediction; it
nswers the question raised.
I .have described creation to the extent of my understanding of
wiat I have heard

230 The Process of Creation in Dasa Saiitya
By the grace of Vijayavitthala, my Creator, my Adorable, my

Father.
Having described almost everything that we need

to understand about the process of creation in the sim-
/
pie lucid Suladi style, Sri Vijaya Dasarya says, Ho the

extent of my understanding'. For those who doubt
about the correctness of his statements, the Dasarya
tells, 'By the grace of Vijaya Vitthala'. The words of
one, who visualised God inside and outside, one who
guided master Haridasas of God Vision like Gopala
Dasarya and Jaganaatha Dasarya, are certainly above
board; no doubt about it.
X Chapter -
CREATION OF THE WORLDS

Virat Purusa
1. SnJadi of Sri Vijayadasarya:

to
"The form of tie Lord of SrfdevT, from Patala
limbs
SatyaZoia it pervades; in each of the
Of the lord of the worlds, the fourteen worlds,
The divine beings and the other souJs reside
Meditate upon each of these, especially

The worlds and the activities in them,
With attentive word, body and mind,
With discrimination and devotion - detached from worWJy
thoughts, '
r-, .
trust in the lotus feet of Snlf an.

Sitting undisturbed, put your
=
The guide of the mistress of the 'Word' (Vedas Laismidevij
Our Vijaya Vitthalaraya,
IVuJIifies our sorrows if thus one meditates".
Here is described the glory of the Supreme Being

and at the same time
pervading the fourteen worlds it is highly use-
lodging them within His body because form of
ful to Contemplate upon the mighty pervasive
in earher
the Lord with devotion. [Those, who have tbe
form for
days made pictures of the Lord's pervasive
shown the location
sake of devotional meditation, have of
of the worlds in the limbs of the standing posture
shown in
are
the Lord. In this treatise their locations
we attempt, it
the sitting posture. In whatever manner
between one world
is impossible to show the distances
of the master of the
and the other within the figure in the. sit-
worlds. The distances look more reasonable
according to scale.
ting posture but never perfect
measures only 89 thousand yojanas from Patala

It
upto Bhuloka; and it is 16 crore and 25 lakh yojanas

to the upper limit of Satyaloka. Therefore, the sense
of measurements is not very important so far as the
picture is concerned.
The purpose of the picture will be served, if we,

picturise in the mind the Lord's pervasive form and
then consider that the spark of a particular limb is
found in the world shown as located in that limb and
that the world is sustained by the particular limb. Here
there is yet another feature of, importance. The limbs
of the Lord, who is in His fullness even in a sub-atornic
particle, are not like our limbs. We find every one of His
limbs in every spot; also each one of His limbs can carry
on the function of any other limb. Therefore, when we
speak of the location of the worlds in His limbs, it just
means denoting the particular limb of the pervasive
form which gives importance to the particular world.
Although the supreme personality appears in the

forms of the different worlds, those forms are the effects
of innumerable other forms put together they being en-
tirely different from the worlds. In this way, the mighty
Lord assumes, apparent minute fractional forms and
bigger forms resulting from the fractional forms. If we
think of a form of fullness pervading the worlds and
identify the same with the picture presented in this
book, it will be very helpful for devotional meditation.]
H we bear in mind that the Lord with His perva-

sive form is supporting the divine beings and the other
souls and is always doing good to them, and if we trust
Him fully in word, action and mind, where is there
any room for fear or sorrow? Hence have the Hari-
dasas said, "Nambi kettavarillavo Rangayyana, nam-
bade kettare kedali" (Kannada) (= There is none ru-
ined by placing faith in God, who bear the charming
name Ranga,; None can help those who seek ruin by
not keeping faith.)
Chapter -X 233
There is yet another significant fact to be noted.

Whatever material, situation or forms of the Lord exist
in the universe, they are all found in the body of ev-
universe
ery individual like Prototypes. Therefore the
is called 'Brahmanda' and the body of an individual
is called Tindanda' (that which has developed from
the muscular lump). Of course, it is necessary to con-
template the pervasive form of the Lord and His glory
filling the universe; but it is much
more important to
one's own body in
contemplate such form and glory in
order to get over the dirty sense of EGO. One becomes
a true knower only when this is achieved. Till then,
whatever knowledge is acquired and amassed ends in
pedantry.
(2) The .fourteen worlds:
Now let us see the relationship, that exists between

the fourteen worlds and the pervasive form of the Lord.
Sri Vijayadasarya says thus-
PataJaloka:
The origin of Patala, its support
and yet different from
bot-
Understand properly that ft is ffis PataJa arises from the
tom of His foot;
The famous Vasuii, San&ha, Kalilce, Prabala,
Sveta, Dhrtarastra, Maha Sankha, Dhananjaya,
Dhata, Sariihacuda and such great serpents
Along with their brood fill that world,
of the rarest variety and other
enjoying opulence, diamond
gems,
furious they are;
Displaying their lustres; quite
With JBTis luminous form Vjj'ayavitthalaraya
meditate.
Supports the Patala loJca thus
-
Patalaloka that appears in the universe

is
The
from the foot f the
the effect of a spark emanating
of the PatMa
supreme Lord: it means that the shape feet and He
loka arises from the property of the Lords
of the loka.
resides in it with the same shape as that
But the Lord's feet itself is not that loka; it is entirely

different from the material world.
The most famous

serpent lord's such as Vasuki
and Sankha spend their time happily there along with
their families and relatives. Temperamentally they
are quite irritable. These serpents with five, seven,
ten, hundred or thousand hoods dispel the darkness of
Patala looks by the light of the gems in their hoods -
thus it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam.
Panca sapta dasa sata sahasra sirsanam phanasu viracita
maiamanayo rocisnavai patala vivara nikaram

timira
svarocisa vidhamantL" (V Canto-Ci. 24)
This loka is provided with all the luxuries neces-

sary for the enjoyment of mundane pleasures.
Jtasata/aloJca:
"Tie producer of earth and its support,

worshipped by Brahma, Siva and other Principal deities,
Bearing the marks of 'Dhvaja', 'Vajra', 'Ankusa, 'Sankha\
'Cakra',
Also 'gada' and 'padma\ origin of (deva gariga',
Creator of the four castes, resembling the rising sun in colour.
Maker of horses, Camels, elephants and such animals,
Having toe-nails excelling the lustre of gems, to devotees
firm support, such feet give rise to Rasatala;
Diti's son's are iere; with varying names,
In creation and such endeavours skilled,
With their kin they are hiding in a cave
for fear of hearing the 'mantra' of Sri flari's name;
Here is a wonder - He wio was in tie form of a dog
During tie *Satamedia', Sri Hari of that name,
Is being worshipped there along with the master deities.
He is the redeemer of sinners, our Vijaya Vittiajaraya;
Always meditate upon the backs of His feet".
In this suladi it is said "The producer of earth

and its* support". It means, the producer of 'Prthvi'
principle and not the creator of Bhuloka. From Patala
Chapter - X 235
upto and inclusive of Bhuloka, all the worlds consist

largely of the Trithvi' or earth element. The state-
ment is in conformity with the Purusa Sukta which
says "Nabhya asidantariksam Sirsnoh dyauh 'srotrat
tat ha lokan akalpayan." (The Antariksaloka was cre-
ated out of the navel, the upper worlds out of the head,
the earth from the feet and the sky from the ears,) In
respect of meditation upon the Viradrupa (Pervasive
form) of the Lord, the description is very meaningful.
It says that the lokas mentioned were created from spe-
cific parts of His body; however, it is not said that the
lokas are located in those parts.
The back
of the feet means the upper part not the
bottom, which gave rise to patalaloka. The Rasatala
loka was created from the tip of the toe-nail and is
supported (maintained) by it. The demons of that loka
are afraid of Sri Hari's name uttered by the devotees
there. Hence, they hide .in caves and spend their time
in gross pleasures.
From Atala down to Patala there are not only de-
moniac creatures, but there are also many many devo-
tees.
That Sri Hari is worshipped in Dog form in the

Rasatalaloka must be an eye - opener to us. When the
Supreme Being took on Himself the forms like those of
the fish and the pig and is in the dog form too, necessar-
ily we must give due regard to every kind of creature
in
this world. Sn krsna's words in

the^Biagavadgitabear
witness to this point Sum" caiva Svapateca pandit ah
samadarsinaJi. Knowers of truth recognise the Lord
who 'Sama and who looks upon every crea-
is called
9
ture with equal grace, whether it is in a dog or in the

basest person who cooks and eats dog's flesh. When
this is the basic truth, it is indeed a great crime to look
down upon the depressed classes and to illtreat them.
It is the duty of every enlightened person to educate
the down - trodden sections of people and to lead them
23$ The Process of Creation In Dasa Sahitya
and useful lives. In this

to live clean age, such service
surely amounts to worship of God. .
MaJiataJaloJca:
two ankle knobs, born and supported,

"In the
Is the Mahatalaloka, and there,
Serpent lords with numbers of hoods
Are everywhere with their kith and km;
And, Kulahaka, Taksaka, Kaliya, Susena-
Such serpents, all very furious, live
Always in fear of Garuda they move about
With their families, yet intoxicated as it were.
The mighty serpents of Mahatalaloka forget them-

selves in their pleasures; yet, they are in constant feax
of Garuda.
TalataJfa/oia;
Understnad that the creation of Talatala is from

Tife well-rounded inner thigh, which support it;
The architect of the demon clan, Maya,

When
the three sky-cities he had created
Were destroyed by the disc hurled by Rudra,
<He did penance and earned Sri Earis grace;
Now guarded by Maha Rudra, he is
Living happily there with all his powers.
Remember the greatest among gods, Vijayavitthalaraya
And contemplate upon Talatalaloka.
Mayais the architect for demons as Visvakarma

is for the gods. For his three demon friends, he had
created three floating cities which could not be de-
stroyed by any ordinary power; those demons were
the people on earth, Backed by Brahma and
pestering
Visnu, Siva destroyed those three cities. After that,
Maya found shelter in Talatalaloka after propitiating
Sri Hari. Siva also blessed him.
Chapter - X 237
Tie Sutalaloia is there,
Mirror like shining at the two knee caps,

It was very nicely made;
The jewel among devotees, person of great fame,
Whose holy deed ispraised, that Balicakravarti
Is highly blessed; head to krsna who came as
offering his
Vamana,
He earned the Grace of the killer of demons,
He worked up and got the post oflndra;
Remember in this way; Vijayavitthala
Becomes pleased, accepting 'bhakti\
The sutala loka emanated from the kneecaps of

the Virat Purusa and it is cared for by that part of
Sri Hari's body. Balicakravarti is there enjoying the
opulence
*
of Indra's state. Sn Krsna Himself W '
guards
1 1
Jus palace gates. This status, Balickravarti gained by
the charitable tendency he displayed when Sri Hari
came to beg him like a bachelor boy, Vamana. He
offered his own head to Vamana who had assumed
the "Trivikrama' form filling the entire Brahman da and
measuring the whole earth by one foot, and the entire
firmament by the other. According to promise, Bali-
cakravarti had to give land measured by the three steps
of Vamana - a boy of tender age. But to Trivikrama,
Vamana's changed form, Balicakravarti had to show
his head as the ground for measuring the third foot.
While thinking of Sutalaloka, we must think of Sri
Hari's kindness to Balicakravarti.
VitalaloJca:
The seat oflndiradevi, birth place ofvaisyas and their shelter,

Of great beauty- the two thighs, from
Them created is the Vitalaloka; Mayas
Soi}, Bala, a veritable demon,
Produces ninety six iinds of magical effects;
They 611 Vitala; tiere are learners
Thronging. If Bala yawns, from his mouth
16
Come out TumscaJi' belles,
Smiling, with the males as they like

They revel very amorously.
Sri Hari's thigh is the seat for Indiradevi - goddess
of wealth* The thigh in a person is the reservoir of
strength. The Vaisyas strengthen a nation by creating
wealth by their commercial dealings; hence were they
born of the thighs of Virat Purusa.
The Vitalaloka wascreated from the thigh, the
seat of wealth and strength. Bala, son of the demon
Maya, dwells here. He is an adept in ninety six kinds
of magic. There are many eager to learn magic from
him. Just if he yawns, beautiful, smiling, youthful girls
come out. They enjoy pleasures with the males so as
to tire Uhem. These females are therefore said to be of
the 'Pumscali' type.
"The Moon-crested (Siva) is there beside river 'Hataka\

Surrounded by his many followers,
Served by them in different ways
And rejoicing in the company of the Mountain-born (Parvati).
that loka, who have
The denizens of
Strength of ten thousand elephants, at all times
From the Hataka river, worshipped by gods,
Drink deep and using Hataka gold
They wear many a wonderful ornament,
And they spend time in the adoration of Sri Hari;
To the god of multi-million forms, Vijayavittalaraya,
Offer obeisance and know about Vitalaloka.
In the Vitalaloka, as in the other nether worlds;

there are good souls as well as those of evil tenden-
cies. In this loka, Siva and Parvati dwell in pleasures
and are served by many attendants. The people there
are very very strong and they enjoy life always remem-
bering the grace of Sri Hari, who is everywhere with
His innumerable forms in the wonderful objects of His
creation.
239
Chapter.-X
That there are wise devotees of God in the midst

c^-
of pleasure seeking demons is a matter of strange
istence. The demoniac souls forget their creator and,
of pleasures, they
finding themselves in the whirl-pool
re-
go to damnation. The devotee souls-enjoy pleasures
and its comforts and they
membering the giver of life
earn blessings.
AtalaloJca:
In the Atalaloia, all kinds of beasts and birds

Are created from the buttocks of Sri Hari; there
-
Are beautiful gardens and many kinds of beings Daityas,
Danavas, serpents, who

Spend their time happily with their wives,
children, relatives and others.

There is to Maya's magical products
no end
Big palaces decorated with gems, towers steeples,
Roads with perfect squares and many many beauty spots
there enjoy life;
Mating beasts, birds and other kinds
Flowers like tie lotus of hundred petals and other flower plants
are there in plenty;
This loka provides satisfaction to every one
Let men know that the unalterable
of all,
Vi/ayavitthalaraya is the core
And thus meditate upon AtalaloJbi."
In Snmad Bhagavatam it is said that Maya's son,

Atalaloka. Again,
Bala, spreads his magic in the arc to be
skills
it is said that Maya's architectural
seen in all the seven nether worlds. In the suladi ol
Sii Vijayadasarya, Maya is said to be residing in the
Talatalaloka under the protection of Lord

Siva. We
should learn to reconcile all these statements.
in the seven sub-

Thestrange objects of pleasure
whose head
terranean heavens are all created by Maya of
The magical creations
quarters are in Talatalaloka.
Bala are to be seen both in Atala and Vitala.
SriVijayadasarya has made mention of a few

things fitting with his description. A few more details
taken from Srimad Bhagavatam are given here below-
Fifth Canto -
Chapter-24
Avanerapyadhastat sapta bhu vivara

ekaikaso yojanayutantarenayama vistare
nopaklipta Atalam Vitalam Sutalam,
Mahatalam, Rasatalam PatalamitL
Below the level of Bhuloka, within the hollows

of solidified waters (ghanodaka) are the seven nether
worlds, each ten thousand yojanas broad apd ten thou-
sand yojanas high.
Etesuhi bila svargesu svarga-

dapyadhika kama bhogaisvaryananda
bhuti vibhutibhih susamrddha bhava -
nodyana kndaviharesu Daitya Danava
Kadraveya nitya pramuditanurakta
Kalatrapatyabandhu suhrdanucara
grhapataya isvaradapyapratihata
Kama maya vinoda nivasanti.
In these lokas, which are heavens of the under-

ground worlds, there are the progeny of Diti, (daityas),
of Daim (danavas) and of Kadru (serpents), always in
the company of their dear wives, children, friends, ser-
vants and others. These house holders out of best enjoy
illusory pleasures unhindered even by the Lord of all
the worlds, all the time. There are facilities to enjoy
more pleasures than available in Svargaloka - houses
and recreational grounds filled with all kinds of trea-
sures.
Chapter - X 241
The pleasures enjoyed by the organs of the phys-

ical body, using material things of this world, are all
provided, by the Almighty Lord externally; those are
not pleasures springing from the inner joyful nature of
the soul. They are transitory; and illusory, because
they result by the wrong concept of the body as heing
all in all.
Esu maharaja Mayena mayavina

Vinfrnutab pura uana manipravara praveia
Viracita vicitra biavana prakara gopura
sabha caftya catvarayatanadibiih
Nagasura mithuna Paravata 'Suka Sari-
Kakirna kritrima bhumi bhih vivaresvara
Grhottamaih samalaihkrtascakasanti.
' . / .
Sri Suka Maharsi addresses king Pariksit:
In the seven underground worlds, Maya has cre-

ated beautiful cities houses decorated with gems, sur-
rounded by pretty fortifications, towers, assembly halls,
worship places, quarters for sacrifices and all other con-
veniences. The palaces of the leacung denizens are
crowded, with loving pairs of Nagas, Asuras, as well
as parrots and other pet birds.
Yatra ha vava na bhayam ahoratradibhih
Kalavibhagairupalaksyate.
In these. worlds there is no fear of day breaking
and night setting in. It means, it is no work and all
pleasure.
Prom should understand that God does
this we
not hasten the course of realisation as many would un-
duly desire. He gives plenty of chance by giving birth
In the different worlds to enjoy mundane pleasures and
to realise that the soul can enjoy happiness if oppor-
tunities are provided. The soul is also made to realise
the transitory nature of the things of this world and
to think of securing eternal happiness. Then only the
vedic literatures come to help they lead him on to the
Eternal Abode of Sri Hari.
Yatra hi mahahipravara siromanayah

Sarvam tamah prabadhante
The gems in the hoods of the mighty serpents dis-

pell all darkness from the subterranean lokas.
Udyanani catitaram mana indriyanandibhih

Kusuma phalastabaka kisalayavanata
Rucira vitapa vitapinam latangalingitanam
Sribhih samithuna vividha vihangama
Jalasayanamamala jala purnanam jhasa-
Jcumuda
Jrulollarighana, Icsubhita niraja
kuvalaya kalhara nilotpala lohita satapatradi
vanesu krita niketanameka viharakula
madhura vividha svanadibhirwdriyotsa-
vaih amaraloka sriyam atlsayltanL
In the sub-terranean heavens there are lovely gax-

dens pleasing to the senses and the mind. They are
thick with trees overhanging by the burden of fruits,
flowers and sprouting tender leaves. The creepers em-
bracing them add to their beauty. In those trees and
upon the waters of the neighbouring lakes, there are al-
ways male and female birds happily moving together.
When the fish leap up from the waters and go down
again, artistic ripples rise in circles and make the lo-
tuses dance in glee. The sweet noises made by birds
enhance the merry aspect of the gardens.
Here is. a description of trees and flowers in the
worlds where no sun or moon appears. With the knowl-
edge of ordinary modern science it may be asked how
plant life flourishes without the sun. But we cannot
judge the mysterious ways of God by the standards of
modem science. However, as science advances, it. may
not be difficult to find answers even by human experi-
ments.
BJbuIoJra;
Tie origin of BhuIoJca and its support

Is tie- waist adorned by brocaded silk and golden belt;
Chapter -X 243
Bright like the sun in many a way

Is the
Jambudvipa with nine continents,
Unique in the entire stretch of earth; there are
Islands, mountains and rivers; beasts-cattle-birds-men,
All engaged in the paths of 'Karma';
Deities and demons take birth iere,
Sri flari comes down with JBTis incarnations;
Days and nights are made for this lolca, the sages affirm;
Here there is room for earning great merit
Ever changeless is Vijayavitthalaraya;
He should thus be comprehended as the Bimba of Vayudeva.
t
The Bhuloka was created from the waist of Sri

Hari, the Vifat Purusa. Whenever something is de-
scribed, it is natural for knowers of truth to praise the
connected form of the creator. Hence it i^ .that Sri
Vijayadasarya praises the adorned waist of Sri HarL
Although there no distinction between one part
is
and the other in the form of the all-pervasive God, yet,
according to human understanding, the head occupies
the top rank and the feet take the lowest position, the
waist is in between the two.
In order to continue the courses of realisation
through karma, denizens of heavens as well as those of
subterranean worlds must take birth only in Bhuloka.
Thus, we find in the human beings qualities.of heavenly
beings mixed with those demoniac beings devotion as
-
well as disregard. When demoniac nature prevails in
general and devotees find it hard to survive, Sri Hari

appears with His incarnations to curb indiscipline and
to promote righteous living (dharma).
In this Universe there are creatures of aH the 84

lakh species every one undergoing the course of or-
dained 'Karma but cope for understanding and quick
5
progress is provided only in the human form. Going

through the prescribed course of Karma one attains
true knowledge gradually. - Karmana jnanam apnoti
jnanena amrti bhavatL
But the courses of life in the form of other species

isnot futile. For instance, a pair of bullocks ploughing
the field and helping to grow corn to feed hundreds of
mouths earns merit, though unwittingly. On the other
hand, if those bullocks were used to carry smuggled
articles and for such dirty purposes, it does carry the
load of sin. Hence, the lines of the suladi have said-
"Beasts - cattle - birds - men
All engaged in the paths of Karma".
Even in the human frame, there are opportunities

for ordinary merits and sins, and special opportunities
too. Doing good to others, speaking kind words - all
such things bring merit. Harming others is certainly
sinful. But giving up
one's prescribed duties or going
through them in hap-hazard manner brings heavy sins;
while their sincere and regular performance brings co-
pious merits. It is merit earned by prescribed duties
that leads to true spiritual knowledge; and it is their
negligence that throw one into the dark ways of igno-
rance.
In the lines quoted, there is also special reference

to Jambudvipa as the land meant for going through
ones prescribed duties profitably. Later, it will J>e
clearly pointed out that Bharata Varsa in Jambudvipa
is the 'KarmabhumF -
expecially that part of it known
as Bharata Khanda.
Yet another point to be noted in the kbove lines
is this -
Days and nights are made for tiis loia tie sages affirm
"
* .
.
Vijayadasarya has made very clever use of

Sri
words in this respect. It is because, matters relating to
the Antariksaloka are quite knotty. It becomes much
more so, especially for those who that the earth
say
is a planet going round the sun. But it is not
really
puzzling to our Dasarya, who is no other than Bhrgu
Maharsi. Yet, unless it is God's signal, he would do
nothing; say nothing. He simply says, "Sages affirm".
Chapter - X 245
The sages have also explained the divisions of day

and night and the right periods of the day for specified
duties. In the self lighted upper worlds there are no
nights at all; and in the lower worlds there are no days
at all. Hence it was said
Bays and nights are made for
this loka.
Finally, Sri Vijayadasarya has advised that one

should make his life on earth fruitful by always remem-
bering that Sri Hari is at the root of every thing in this
creation and that true knowledge accrues by serving Sri
Vayudeva through whom the Lord gives every benefit.
Antaxiksaloka or BiuvarloJba;
From the part of the navel, Antariisaioia
Was made, its delaik you learn from
Tie region of the clouds and texts; others
Are at heights as indicated in them
There are deities looking after the different directions,
Spouse of Sri Laksmidevi accepts their service;
There are otier deities above and below.
Telling that the Antariksaloka was made from the

navel of the Virat Purusa, Sri Dasarya has said that
more details may be gleaned from texts like Srimad
Bhagavatam. He wants to be pertinent to the point,
which in this case is the picturisation of Virat Purusa
for purposes of meditation. More details would make
the present Suladi too voluminous.
In the same way he gives a brief description of the
scorpion form of the Lord over the Meru Mountain,
controlling the movements of the heavely bodies, the
stars and planets.
Supporting the mountain of gold,

The Lover of devotees, Sri Simsumara,
The Ahnighty Supreme Being, in His form
Holding the heavenly bodies, controls;
Look! at tie tip of tie tail end is Diruvarava; at tie tail end
Are Agni, Prajapati, India and Dharma;
At the beginning of the tail are Dhata and Vidhata,
In His belly are the Seven rsis;

Sukra in the navel, Candra in the mind,
Surya in the chest, Brhaspati upon the shoulders,
Mangala in the mouth, Sani in the.genital,
And the others -
Budha, Rahu, Ketu and
The Stars in different positions in His form,
At all times they are under His control,
Wheel-like He turns ordaining times,
The wheel-bearer is in scorpion form;
He shows Himself to the released ones, our Vijayavitthala;
He controls the innumerable divine vehicles looking like stars.
The mountain of gold is the Menu This is right at
the centre of the earth standing to a height of eighty
four thousand yojanas or 1,286,400 K.M. Its peculiarity
is that it is thin at the base and broad at the top*
Above this mountain, the Supreme Lord is standing
upside down in the form of a scorpion. The height of
thisform is 3,600,000 yojanas or 34,560,000 K.M. He
holds the Meru mountain in position. He also controls
the movements of all the celestial bodies.
The seven rsis are the group of seven stars, the
Great Bear in modern terminology. Sukra is Venus.
Brhaspatiis Jupiter and Mangala is Mars.
TheLord in the Scorpion form is called

Simsumara. JEe is the wheel-bearer in two ways. He
is Cakradhiri or bearer of the discus
weapon. He also
bears or controls the wheel of Time (Kalacakra).
SmrgaloJca;
"Tie producer of Suraloka, its sustainer, yet different,
(The most charming Person, always
In the embrance of Indira) is His
Breast bedecked with jewels and garland of Tulasi leaves
Indradeva worships Vamanamurti;
He enjoys whatever pleasures he chooses,
His elephant Airavata, Ucchalssrava the horse, his
queen
Chapter - X 247
Sacidevi, Matali the charioteer, his garden named Nandana,

Amaravati his capital city - seated
On his throne, he is gladly served by the deities
Who have taken different forms to play their roles in the world;
Blazing with the lustre of the Sun, our Vijayavitthalaraya,
Tates one to Suraloka if he meditates in the right manner.
It is the well adorned breast of Sri Hari, embraced

by Sri Laksmidevi, that gave Svargaloka and
rise to
Ijives
it protection. Here it isimportant to note that
Sri Hari Himself is different from that loka as in the
case of every other creation. The proper interpretation
of the text is this. The qualities and abilities of the
breast show themselves in Svargaloka; it is ruled by
tke emotions natural for the breast.
There are innumerable deities behind the physical
aspects of our world. They care for our world as the
deputies of Indra, the king of the gods. His position is
so exalted that he is permitted by the Supreme Being
to enjoy all sorts of pleasures; yet, he is not unmind-
ful of the master of the whole universe. He worships
Upendra, who came as Vamana before Balicakravarti.
One who meditates upon the glories of Svargaloka,
naturally longs to be there. Sri Hari takes him to that
loka if he is sincere and dutiful.
Maharloia;
That whici gives rise to MaharJpia and supports it
Being different from it, shining like the conch shell,
Weanling the Ivaustubia jewel, reciting tie Vedas always, it
is tlie neck.
Vrtra's rival Indra is the Lord there,

All the Gods Kama, Aniruddha, the great
Naradamuni, are there "worshipping Sri Hari,
Adoring him in their hearts.
That Sn Hari isalways reciting the Vedas is very

meaningful. Sn Mahalaksnu, the chief presiding deity
248 The Process of Creation In Dasa Sahftya
of the Vedas, is always in them, thus, she who is also

in the form of jewels worn by Sri Hari, adorns His neck
both inside and outside. The statement, again, denotes
that the Vedas are eternal. Their expression in the
material verbal form is transitory, but they are ever
the same with their non-material form.
One mayask, "What need is there for Sri Hari to
recite the Vedas? He does so principally to give joy
5'
to His eternal companion and to give joyful impetus to

Brahma and the gods having their shares in creation.
Devendra, lord of Svargaloka, is also the master
in Maharloka where gods and sages are engaged in the
worship of Sri Hari.
JanaJoJra:
Listen to this; creator of Indra, Agni, Sarasvati,

Tie source of all knowledge, glowing
With lustre excelling thousands of moons
The destroyer of devotees, impediments, that face brings up
the Janaloka;
Maitreya, Sanaka and other rsis, under Rudra's
Regime, are in that loka;
The Gods and goddesses of spiritual powers, the groups of
'Bhutas* - all
Worship Lord Siva; Brhaspati is there;

There are marvellous gardens, and
Birds and beasts giving voice to wondrous sounds,
The Lord of our souls, Vijayavitthalaraya,
Meditate upon Him in the form of the loka.
Janaloka, ruled by Mahadeva, is created fronrthe

charming face of Virat Purusa. The deities of spiritual
- the retinue of
powers and those with terrible forms
Siva, worship the Supreme Being through their Lord;
Brhaspati is there. Great sages worship Sri Hari under
the guidance of Maha Rudra.
Beasts and birds, and trees and plants of gardens
are in the nether worlds, and they are in the upper
Chapter - X 249
worlds also. This leads us to conclude that the be-

haviour among the lower categories of living creatures
issimilar to those of higher beings in as much as there
are the well-behaved and the ill-behaved
among those
creatures too.
We have to keep in mind the original of all, Sri

Hari, when we think of Janaloka or any other loka. He
acts the roles of all objects and beings, Himself un-
affected by consequences.
TapoioJca:
Rudra's origin, Sri Earis forehead, for Tapoloka;
Brahma is the overlord there;
Rudra dwells in that loka with all the rsis,
Worshipping the awe-inspiring form of Narasimha,
With minds very will cleansed;
Taking shelter under Maha Rudra and adoring him,

The Lord of three worlds (Indra) and other Gods
Worship Rudra with perfect .courtesy;
And there are wise minor deities of the Vedas;
There are splendid gardens cities and buildings with high tow-
ers;
To pay their respects to Brahmadeva,
All the deities and rsis go with Rudra;
The giver of all auspicious benefits, our Vijayavitthala;
If His lotus feet you desire, meditate upon Tapoloka.
The Supreme Being, with His all-pervasive (virat)

form indwelling Brahmas virat - form, gave birth to
Rudra from the mid-brow of His forehead; He gave rise
to Satyaloka from the same point. Brahma holds sway
here. Rudra worships Narasimha with cleansed mind
along with the rsis that follow him. The minor deities
of the Vedas and all other gods take the lead of Maha
Rudra to approach Brahma or to seek the grace of the
awe-inspiring form of Sri Narasimha.
Tapoloka too has its pleasure gardens and homes
of supreme comfort.
Satyaloka:
Brahma's Satyaloka was created from the head,
There, the Fourfaced worships in different ways,
All the incarnations of Sri JEfari,
Himself adored by all the other gods;
Sri Maruti dwells in that loka
Acting the primary role in the world

River Ganga flows there with the name
Viraja,making everything holy;
And then she displays her greatness
Washing away the sins of those 'on earth.
Satyaloka, born of the Virat Purusa's head, stands

at the top of all other lokas; and is superior to every
one of them. The capital city of Brahmadeva is in it.
There, Brahma is engaged in the worship of all the in-
carnations of Sri Hari, remembering the glorious acts
of those roles. The other deities assist him in his act of
worship. Vayudeva is the Prime Minister of the divine
kingdom; he holds the reigns of the entire administra-
tion. Hence he is called 'Sutra Vayu'.
The waters of the 'Jalavarana' immediately out-

side the Brahmanda, entered into it through the crack
made by the touch of the toe nail of Sri Trivikrama.
Washing his foot, it flowed downward and reached
Satyaloka in due course. Brahma collected the waters *
in his bowl and let down a part of it to flow around his
capital city. Purifying the citizens of Satyaloka, this
Devaganga reached the lower worlds of gods and ul-
timately, this holy river touched the top of the Meru
mountain and surrounded Brahmas city there. The
river is called Viraja because it is really as holy. It nul-
lifies the influence of the
linga sarira to such an extent
as to make the mind turn towards God.
Then the
river divides itself into four branches
flowing in the four principal directions. The south-
ern branch, Alakananda, reaches Bharata Varsa to
flow down from the Himalayas and to sanctify this
Chapter - X 251
karmabhumi. More details may be gathered from the

supplement in this text.
"The description of the fourteen Joias, understand well;
Think of them both day and night;
In the head, at the foot and in between
All the details contemplate in the different parts of the body
Of Virat Pizrusa that sustainer, Sri Vijaya Vitthala,
Praise His ways and loot at Him to your hearts content "
Knowledge leads to liberation. True knowledge is

the understanding of the glory of the Supreme Being in
the activities of the Universe so kindly created for the
liberation of souls from their beginningless bondage.
This is called 'Mahat&iya Jiiana. Therefore Sri Vijaya
Dasarya advises us to think of the fourteen lokas day
and night in order ib understand the Virat Purusa in
them. Such understanding develops detachment from
worldly affairs and devotion to God,
Satyaloka affords greater joy in its recreational
grounds than any other loka.
Having grown wiser by vedic studies, if one acts ac-
cording to the injunctions of the Sastras, he can reach
up to Satyaloka and enjoy more and more opulence.
But, there is a limit to the enjoyment of pleasures
in the higher worlds even if it be for thousands and
millions of years. Soon after the account of earned
merits is closed, one has to return to Bhuloka to com-
plete the remaining course of Karma. Hence it is said,
"Ksine Punye martya loiam vis'anii" The same thing
is said by Sri Krsna in Bhagavatgita "Abrahma bhu-
vanallokah punaravartinorjuna" Even those who get
.
into Satyaloka by virtue of very high merit, must come

back to Bhuloka one day or the other.
Good souls continue their march in the light of
knowledge and by the strength of detached devotion,
they rejoice in the realm of 'Bhakti'; and they has-
5
ten to 'Mukti But sinful souls increase their fascina-
.
tion for illusory pleasures tormenting others for their

gains, and, by reviling and illtreating devotees, they

get branded as enemies of Visnu; ultimately they rush
to the depths of eternal Hell.
With this understanding, one should praise the

Lord who has created the fourteen worlds.
As Sri Hari has created the worlds and dwells in
them, supporting, He has created all the deities to dwell
in these worlds and to serve Him. But it is really He
who, being in them, does their work. It is His kindness
that He gives them credit. The following suladi-lines
speak about it.
Jayanta from the feet, Daksa from the genital,

And mitra was of the testicles
* * *
Listen, they were born in the required manner;

Do ordinary souls possess such powers?
Therefore, the Highest Being, Vijayavitthala
His qualities praise every day with steady mind.
As the Purusa SuJcta relates "Candrama manaso

jatah caksoh suryo ajayata, mukhad indrascagnisca
pranad Vayurajayata", Sri Vijaya dasarya has de-
scribed in great detail the birth of the different deities
from the different parts of the Virat Purusa's body.
Since, the list is very long, just a few important details
are listed here below to enable contemplating upon the
pervasive form of the Supreme Being. Feet - Jayanta;
Genital - Daksa; Testicles - Mitra; Breast - Dharma;
Ears - Controllers of the directions; Tongue - Varuna
for taste and Agni Mind - Brahma, Moon
for speech;
and others; TeethGayatri and
- the other deities of
metrical compositions; Skin (epidermis) - Ahamkarika
Prana etc.
Farthnr:
From head to foot, the pervasive form
Of two types, meditate in three ways;
Knowing that all, all materials and creatures are in Hun,
And learning about it from sagely persons, washing off sins
Chapter -X 253
Of allthe previous births and developing clean conscience,

Shaking off the 'Ego' the root of all troubles,
-
Keep your and Sraddhapati,

trust in Sripati
Gaining supreme knowledge contemplate ,
That, variously, all forms, karnias, time factors, reactions of

material modes,
All activities pertaining to the bodies of creatures
Are only due Hari in them;
to Sri
He protects those that engage themselves in /dharma', thought
simplified; He is the only independent Actor.
He, whose form is pure joy, destroys the wrathful demons
He is Gopala, full of perfect attributes,
Weal-worker of the world, the most benevolent,
Free from all material contamination, flawless,
He is the Lord of Lords
In this way, In MuJchya Prana ffis presence
Recognising, of that beginningless being
All forms and activities remembering
In the southern part of Jambudvipa make efforts;
For him, who thus meditates within frimself where is room for
any fear!
If this practice is continued steadily without breai,
He takes you across the dark abysmal ocean of life;
In order to reach the lotus feet of
Who is dear to the Vijayavitthaia, sweet heart ofDraupadi,
This and this only is the means
In each and every visiWe form adore
The MatchJess Master, Vijayavittala with ffispervasive form.
(Visvarupa or Viradrupa.)
/ _
In describing every stage of creation, Sri Vi-
jayadasarya has been impressing upon us the need of
understanding the aim of life and the way to achieve
it. How this can be done is explained very clearly in
the suladi section quoted above.
said that the pervasive form of Sri Hari
He has
should be understood in two ways and that it should
be contemplated in three ways. The Almighty Lord
is in the material objects like them. He is in the pre-
17
siding deities behaving like them. Thus His pervasive

form is in those two manners. Knowing how the Benev-
olent Supreme is doing good with the two fold perva-
sive forms and considering how with the two forms He
is also in our bodies doing our deeds and helping us,
we should show our gratitude to Him whole heartedly.
This the third way of understanding Him. Sri Vi-
is
jaya Dasarya seems to have said everything that one

should necessarily know. Yet he says, "learn about it
from sagely persons". This points out to the need of
sitting at the feet of a spiritual master and getting per-
sonal instruction in addition to whatever is learnt in a
general manner. That is^ why, after having taught the
whole of the Bhagavadgita, the Teacher of all teachers
told Arjuna,
Upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninah tattvadarsinah;

Tarn viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya.
(Sages, who are the knowers of truth, will give you

Gain such knowledge from
direct instruction. them by
serving them and by questioning.)
Then only our false 'Ego' dies and we are free
from the sinful loads of innumerable births; they are
allburnt down and the mind becomes tranquil and
happy.
/ _
Vijayadasarya has specifically said that one
Sri
should contemplate upon the helping handôf God
through the 'sweet heart of Draupadi' - Bhimasena.
Earlier it was said "Keep your trust in Sripati and
'Sraddhapati'.
/
Sraddha
is another name of
Bharati, who played
the main role in the individual body of Draupadi, in-
deed there were other souls also in the same body
'Syamaladevi' - wife_qf Yamadharma, Sacidevi - wife
of Indra and Usadevi wife of the
Asvins; also Parvati
devi.
Chapter - X 255
Why name of Bhimasena, we shall now

take the
understand. We
should know that, as there are the
good and the evil ones in this world, there are impellers
of good and bad actions in our own bodies. If we should
stick to the path of right, we must free ourselves from
the clutches of the demons in our own minds. That
this is the true position, is corroborated by the words
of Sri Krsna in the Bhagavadgita.
Arjuna questioned:
Atha kena Prayuktoyam papam carat! purusah,
Anicchannapi Varsneya baladiva niyojitah
(O Krsna, by whom impelled does one commit sin

although unwilling, as it were?)
Sri Krsna, answered:
Kama esa krodha esa rajoguna samudbhavah, papmanam pra-
jaJii hyenam jnana vijfiana nasanam.
(Listen, Arjuna, the evil in one's mind is due to

the workings of demons like Kali and Kalanemi who
are seated in the rajoguna, backed by Tamoguna; they
are the presiding demons of properties like 'Kama' and
4
Krodha' endeavour to conquer them; otherwise they
make you lose both ordinary and extraordinary under-
standing).
But the question arises as to how one can conquer
his evil mind Sri Krsna Himself has given the answer.
Indriyani paraiiyahuli indriyebhyah par am manah
Manasastu para buddhih yo buddheh paratastu sah
Evam buddheh param buddhva samstabhyatmanam atmana,
Jahi satrum mahabaho kainarupam durasadam
(The deities presiding over the indriyas (sense or-

gans) are stronger than those presiding over sense ob-
jects. The duties of the mind are stronger still Mukhya
Prana, master of the higher intellect is much more pow-
erful. The Supreme Being is the mightiest. Knowing
thus and seeking their help according to need, gain vic-
tory, over the master of sins.)
The Almighty Lord does not come to our aid di-

rectly. He gives us succour only when we think of
Mukhya Prana (Bhimasena) as His deputy, who only
was daring enoughjto smash veteren villains like Duryo-
dhna. It is this Bhimasena who is the immediate 'Prat-
ibimba (Reflection) of Sri Hari, very dear to Him; and
5
it is he who is going to occupy the seat of Brahma dur-
ing the next Kalpa. Next only to Sriman Narayana

and Ramadevi, he is the all-knower (Sarvajna) and
rightly the first and foremost spiritual instructor in
the world (Lokaguru). Sri Hari showers His grace only
through the spiritual master. Hence it is said Gu-
rudvaraprasada krit.
The Madhvas believe that Sri Madhvacarya is the
/
incarnation of Mukhya Prana. Sri Vijaya Dasarya,

belonging to the Madhva Sampradaya, has rightly in-
structed that the surest way of smashing the demons
like_Kali is to take shelter under the name "Drau-
padipati-Priya"; and, by this advice, he has rendered
yeomen service to the 'Haridasa Parampara'.
When describing the creation of Bhuloka it was
said that it is the earth to which all souls should come
to undergo their courses of Karma in a fruitful way.
Now, Vijayadasarya tells precisely where on
Sri earth
the 'Karma bhumi' is. He says "Pursue your course of
Karma at the southern end of Jainbudvipa" By this he .
means that, in the whole universe, it is Bharata Varsa

which is designated as the benevolent 'Karmabhumi';
it is therefore a
precious jewel of creation. In the other
parts of the earth and in the other worlds one can en-
joy inconceivable pleasures; but to cross the ocean of
births and deaths, it is necessary to
get rid of the Kar-
nias and to earn merit
only in Bharata Varsa. The
ordeal of Karmas makes one to realise the flatness and
transience of worldly
pleasures.Learning about the mu-
nificent ways of
God, one will certainly learn to seek
the Grace of the
Saviour, especially when he is for-
Chapter
- X 257
tunate to get the blessings of devotees. The spiritual

master will give the final touch! Then, the individual
will be inclined to sit in close meditation.
This does not
mean that he shuts himself in a secludedplace to think
of God. Close meditation (Ekanta dhyana)
means to
For
think of God in all our dealings and at all times.
the true knower, even, the noisy fair will be a fit place
is to
for such meditation. The right way of meditation
of Sri Hari in every one;
recognise the pervasive form
this the real one!
every where. This is the expedient,
Neglecting this gradual
and solid course of reali-
a sharp and painful
sation, if any one were to preach
with the teachings ol
course, it is not in conformity
un-
Vedas and Upanisads. Sri Krsna has said this in
equivocal terms.
Manusyanam sahasiesu kascidyatati siddhaye,
Yatat'amapi siddhanam fascia
mam vetti tattvatah
Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate.
some one endeavours
(Among thousands of men, those who get at the
to know the truth. Even among
truth, only a few understand
ME as I am;
they^
are
the true knowers. Such knower reaches

me after
long a
he devotion
series of births, during which time develops
and endears himself to Me.)
* * *
Chapter - XI
THE EXTENT OF THE EARTH
1. The Meru Mountain:
Âlthough Bharata Varsa is the chief 'Karma

Bhumi' yet the embodied souls are in all the four-
teen lokas. Having therefore described life in the
other
lokas, now Sri Vijaya Dasarya gives a detailed account
of Bhuloka.
Tie Aferu mountain is a lakh jojanas

high,
Sixteen thousand yoj anas of it underneath the
earth;
It is brilliant
being made of gold;
The rest of the measurement is thus
It is eighty four thousand above
the earth;
The divine abode has eight mountain
peaks around;
There are lovely gardens and lakes and
ponds;
The palace of Brahma is ten thousand
yojanas wide;
Right in the heart of it, 'the Divine
Ganga
Descends and jumps down to a
depth of one yoj ana;
Then gaily flowing, it divides itself into
four;
The river enters the sea of the
east;
It has four different
holy names
The palaces oflndra and other
directional gods
Is each two and a half
thousand yojanas wide.
The Meru mountain stands at the very centre
the terres nal stretch and
of
fixed there. The pecu-
it is
is that it is thin at the base
?hbroad^mountain
and at the top, where its
diameter is thirty two
thousand yojanas. From the surface
of the earth it
Chapter - XI 259
rises to a height of 84,000 yojanas. While

lk,000 of it is
iirside the earth. From bottom to it has extensions
top
with mountain peaks so that the whole looks like a
lotus of one hundred thousand petals. The extensions
contain divine recreational grounds with
gardens, lakes
a.nd ponds. In this connection the Vayu Purana says
(Ch.4. St.35,36)
Aneka varna nicayam sauvaxnamarunaprabham,

-Kan tarn sahasra parvanam sahasrodakakandaram;
Sahasra sata padmam tarn viddhi merum nagottamam.
Vleaning: The golden mountain Meru, which looks like

'He early, rising sun shines with multi colours. It has a
iKousand projections and looks like a lotus of one lakh
Petals.
RiverGanga flows round the palace of Brahma

tt op the meru arid then descends in four directions with
our names - Sita, Alakananda Caksu and Bhadra.
The hub of the wheel of the Sun 's chariot is in fuIJ contact with
the Meru,
And tie chariot makes its daily rounds about it;
Twelve deitiesof the Sun's cadre, month after month
Hold office in the orb; Observer of Kaunas
Sriman Narayana, Himself to the Meru
Gives stability in the form of 'Simsumara';
That mighty Lord stands to a height of thirty six lakh yojanas
There are six other islands around Jambudvipa
it different distances. In the last of them; Puskara
Ivipa, there is the Manasottara mountain like a vast
ing around the Meru. Just above it, is the time wheel
ipon which the sun's chariot makes its daily rounds.
Phis chariot has but one wheel. Its hub is in con-
act with the top of the Meru mountain, as it were;
ictually its control line starts from the mouth of the
icorpion form of Sriman Narayana stationed above the
head down and tail up. Another control line
starts from the where Dhruva Maharaja rules

tail tip
in the pole star. In a similar manner, control lines
starting from the pole star and from the different parts
of the Simsumara form keep all the heavenly bodies go-
ing round and round The control
at different velocities.
lines are called
'Vayupasas' while these proceed from
Simsumara Murti Himself, the reputation of weilding
the Vayupasas goes to Dhruva Maharaja.
/
The Simsumara form

is 36 lakh yojanas in height,
it is the measuring rod of Antariksa loka. To un-
like
derstand the arrangement made for the movements of
heavenly bodies the example of the native oil press-
ing machine is given. The beam at the bottom stands
for the control line proceeding from Simsumara Murti 's
mouth and that from the pole-star compares with the
rod connecting the beam to the top of the huge wooden
club within the stone mortar of the machine.
' _
Sri Laksmi Narayana
is the true deity worship-
pable in the sun' s orb. Yet there are others who get
the credit, they are eleven of them, the twelfth
being
Sri Visnu Himself. Thus there are .twelve
Adityas. The
Sun not only gives us light to work; but he elso watches
our deeds. Therefore he is called 'Karma Saksi!
The very high meru mountain, quite broad at the
top and thin at the bottom, stands steady because, of
the support it receives from Simsumara Murti in the
form of magnetic attraction, we
may say.
II. Other important Mountains;
It is like this,
listen,
At the foot of the Meru mountain
To the east and in other
directions,
Twenty Glamental mountains there are,
Each has a different name;
Kuranga, Kuravaka, Vaikanka, Kubumbhakadri,
- all these to the east.
Trikuta,
Chapter -XI 261
Patanga peak, Utsanga, Nisadha,

Sita and Vasuii to .the south;
To tie direction of Varuna (west) Kapila, Samkha, Vaidurya,
Jarudhi and Hamsa- these five .mountains;
Similarly count Vrsabha, Naga, Kalanjana
And Naradagiri to the moon's direction (north);
These are the mountains around the Meru base.
As there will be filaments all round the pedestal of

the lotus, there are mountains around the Meru which
is like the pedestal of the lotus - the terrestrial world.
East: Kuranga, Kurara, (Kurava) Vaikanka,

Kusumbha, Trikuta;
South: Patanga, Utsanga, Nisadha, Sita, Vasuki;
West: Kapila, Samkha, Vaidurya, Jarudhi, Hamsa;

North: Vrsabha, Naga, Kala, Aiijana and Narada.
Furthur I will tell you; Mandaradri,
Merumandara, Parsva, Ivumuda these four are supporting
mountains,
Each one is ten thousand Yojanas high;
There are in each of these mountains, the trees Jambu
(rose-apple) Cuta (mango),

Kadamba and
Mighty Nyagrodha (banyan); each one has
Branches spreading over eleven hundred Yojanas'
They yield milk, honey, ghee and clear water

Which flow to collect into pools measuring
one hundred yojanas each;
There are other four JaJces -
Arunoda, Bhadra,
Beautiful Siloda and Manasa and

-
There are paris four Sanandana,
Citraratha, Vibhrajilca and
Sarvatobhadra are tieir names.

The pools all contain sweet water but the first

three provide milk, honey and ghee respectively when
wished for.
The juice of rose apples flows as the Jambu river

and forms a fine variety of gold called Jambunada. The
divine beings visit this region, make ornaments of such
gold for themselves and drink the sweet juices coin-
ing from the four trees mentioned earlier. Having en-
joyed enough pleasures in Svargaloka for merits earned,
other beings too stay here to go
through the happy life
still to be
enjoyed. Since they remember the Supreme
Being during their stay here they develop devotion;
their actions are not meant to
go through the regu-
lar karma when they are in Bharatavarsa. Therefore,
those parts of Jambudvipa other than Bharatavarsa are
called 'Bhoga Bhumi'
(Land of Enjoyment).
1>ees Lire the sweet mango, visited
by gods,
Always provide whatever is wished for;
In the company of wines and other relations
All the
gods sport here as they like,
Wearing gold ornaments and enjoying a variety of pleasures;
Chapter - XI 263
,
beasts and other creatures are there,
'f
get ting hostilities and playing together;
*o garden trees look like decorated festival cars,
is beyond words to describe them.
This description leads us to construe that Ilavrta

LJ stretching around the Meru mpuntain, must
a secluded inner part and the open exterior part
id by divine beings and inhabited by others. The
mountains just now mentioned must be standing
tnpenetrable round the secluded part,
fort walls all
tt is the private sporting ground for Siva and Par-
Other males should not enter this area. In the
&*d Bhagav&tam it is said that tresspassing males
out to be females here on account of the curse
ed by Bhavanidevi. Since every Varsa has one or
*Khandas' (continents or well defined clumps of
dimensions), The secluded central part of Ilavrta
ELmust be Ilarrta Khanda, a high platform sur-
ded by the four supporting mountains.
eeping within bounds, JiJce tie four pedestal moun tains,
them there are sequestering mountains,
are in pairs, each one
thousand Yojanas wide and in length,
ne thousand and nine thousand they are;
ioy are laiddown thus - to the east
fc,ara, Devaiuta; and in

Etilasa, IvaravJra; Pavana, Pariyatra; and
Agapurita and Makara
- these four
Jce holy Ivusa grass bundles, they look.
The sacred fire meant for oblations will be sur-

ded by thin, long bundles of Kusa grass to
I of evil influences. The golden Meru is like
sacred blazing fire and the eight mountains un-
consideration look like those Kusa grass bundles
istirna). In this respect, SrimadBhag&vatam says,
h pa'ristrto'gniriva paritai
calcasti Jcancana girih
rounded by these on all sides, the golden moun-

There are two mountains
glitters like blazing fire).
together on each side, making a total of only four for

all practical purposes, the length of each of these eight
mountains is nine thousand yojanas; width two thou-
sand yojanas. It will be reasonable to imagine that
the four supporting mountains and the eight seclud-
ing mountains are somewhat bow-shaped. There are
two reasons for this. If the mountains in pairs were
straight and continuous, they would not be consid-
ered as two on each side. Also,_since the eight other
bounding mountains of Jambudvipa are definitely said
to be bow shaped, the mountains of Ilavrta must also
be bow-shaped to keep artistic harmony. Again, since
Ilavrtavarsha is thirty four thousand yojanas wide, if
we allow a straight measurement of eighteen thousand
yojanas to the sequestering mountains, the outskirts
of Havrtavaxsa would measure only eight thousand yo-
janas on each of the four sides. But if each of the
pairs of mountains bulges inward, the width of the ex-
teriors would be nine thousand, consistent with the
other varsas. Vadirajasvami says, "Navatvam ca
Sri
na hiyate" - The measure
of nine thousand yojanas for
each Varsa will not be broken.
These mountains are:
East -
Jatara, Devakuta;
South -
Karavira, Kailasa;
West -
Pavana, Pariyatra;
North -
Trisrnga, Makara.
The suladi lines also state,
The spouse of Gauridevi, dwelling in Kailasa,

Devotedly meditates upon the name of Sri Rama.
Siva and Parvati have their abodes in several

parts
of the worlds and they are in one of them si-
every
multaneously. They are in the Kailasa mount of our
Himalayas, in the Kailasa of the Bigger Himalayas, in
the Kailasa mountain of
Ilavrtavarsa, at the foot of the
Meru and in Janaloka too.
Chapter - XI 265
3. Jaznbudvipa;
Six by six, Jess two thousand yojanas,
Is the extent of the middle frhanda,
It goes by the name
Ilavrta;
All that is said is from authoritative texts.
While describing Jambudvipa, a description of

Ilavrta is_first taken up because it is the mid point of
Jambudvipa. Its measurement is given as 6 x6-2 = 34
thousand Yojanas. It is almost a square as described
in the previous section. Its bounding mountains bend
to some extent towards the Meru.
All round the Ilavrta Khanda

The remaining eight varsas are situated;
These are Bhadrasva and Ivetuma/a,
Each one measures thirty one thousand yojanas,
Adding, count, to the east and to the west.
In the two quotations given above, we see that

the words 'Varsa and 'Khanda are used as though
5
they were synonymous. Really it is not so; it

is just usage. Reasonable thinking will show that
'Khanda is only part of a 'Varsa'. The Vayu Pur ana
5
says, "Samudrajalasambhinnam khandam khandi

krtam smrtam", and "Plaksa khandah Kimpuruse"
"Suinahan nandanopamah; "Varse Kimpuruse punye
Plakso madhuvahah subhah". (1. A part of the earth,
distinct from others by virtue of being surrounded by
oceans, is a khanda. 2. In the Kimpurusa Varsa,
Plaksa JKhanda is beautiful like Nandanavana. In the
auspicious kimpurusa Varsa there are Tlaksa' trees se-
creting pure honey.) From this example it may be con-
cluded that there are distinct khandas in the varsas of
Jambudvipa.
To the eastof Ilavrta is Bhadrasvavarsa and to the
west, Ketumalavarsa. Each of the two measures thirty
one thousand yojanas. But the circular Jambudvipa is
said to be one lakh yojanas in diameter. That is why
The pools all contain sweet water but the first

three provide milk, honey and ghee respectively when
wished for.
The juice of rose apples flows as the Jambu river

and forms a fine variety of gold called Jambunada. The
divine beings visit this region, make ornaments of such
gold for themselves and drink the sweet juices coin-
ing from the four trees mentioned earlier. Having en-
joyed enough pleasures in Svargaloka for merits earned,
other beings too stay here to go through the happy life
still to be enjoyed. Since
they remember the Supreme
Being during their stay here they develop devotion;
their actions are not meant to
go through the regu-
lar karma when they are in Bharatavarsa. Therefore,
those parts of Jambudvipa other than Bharatavarsa are
called 'Bhoga Bhumi'
(Land of Enjoyment).
Trees like the sweet mango, visited by
gods,
Always provide whatever is wished for;
In the company of wines and other relations
All the gods sport here as they like,
Wearing gold ornaments and enjoying a variety of pleasures;

Chapter - XI 203
Birds, beasts and other creatures are there,

Forgetting hostilities and playing together;
The garden trees look like decorated festival cars,
It is beyond words to describe them.
This description leads us to construe that Havrta

Varsa, stretching around the Meru mpuntain, must
have a secluded inner part and the open exterior part
visited by divine beings and inhabited by others. The
four mountains just now mentioned must be standing
like impenetrable fort walls all round the secluded part,
which is the private sporting ground for Siva and Par-
yiati. Other males should not enter this area. In the
Srimad Biagavatazn it is said that tresspassing males
turn out to be females here on account of the curse
littered by Bhavanidevi. Since every Varsa has one or
more 'Khandas' (continents or well defined clumps of
liuge dimensions). The secluded central part of Ilavrta
Varsa must be Harrta Khanda, a high platform sur-
rounded by the four supporting mountains.
"Keeping within bounds, JiJce the four pedestal mountains,

Beyond them there are sequestering mountains,
They are in pairs, each one
Two thousand Yojanas wide and in length,
Nine thousand and nine thousand they are;
They are laid down thus - to the east
Jatara, Devakuta; and in

KaiJasa, Jvaravira; Pavana, Pariyatra; and
Srngapurita and Makara these four
-
Lite hoJy Kus'a grass bundles, they loot.
The sacred firefor oblations yvill be sur-

meant
rounded by thin, long bundles of Kusa grass to
ward of evil influences. The golden Meru is like
the sacred blazing fire and the eight mountains un-
der consideration look like those Kusa grass bundles
(Paristlrna). In this respect, SrimadjBJiagavatam says,
EtaiJi paristrto'gniriva paritah caJcasti Jcancana girih
the golden moun-
(Surrounded by these on all sides,
tain like.blazing fire). There are two mountains
glitters
together on each side, making a total of only four for

all practical purposes, the length of each of these eight
mountains is nine thousand yojanas; width two thou-
sand yojanas. It will be reasonable to imagine that
the four supporting mountains and the eight seclud-
ing mountains are somewhat bow-shaped. There axe
two reasons the mountains in pairs were
for this. If
straight and continuous, they would not be consid-

ered as two on each side. Also, jiince the eight other
bounding mountains of Jambudvipa are definitely said
to be bow shaped, the mountains of Ilavrta must also
be bow-shaped to keep artistic harmony. Again, since
Ilavrtavarsha is thirty four thousand yojanas wide, if
we allow a straight measurement of eighteen thousand
yojanas to the sequestering mountains, the outskirts
of flavrtavaxsa would measure only eight thousand yo-
janas on each of the four sides. But if each of the
pairs of mountains bulges inward, the width of the ex-
teriors would be nine thousand, consistent with the
other varsas. Sri Vadirajasvami says, "Navatvarn ca
na hiyate" - The measure of nine thousand yojanas for
each Varsa will not be broken.
These mountains are:
East -
Jatara, Devakuta;
South -
Karavira, Kailasa;
West -
Pavana, Pariyatra;
North -
Trisrnga, Makara.
The suladi lines also state,
Tie spouse of Gauridevi, dwelling in Kailasa,

Devotedly meditates upon the name of Sri Rama.
/ __
Siva and Parvati have their abodes in several parts

of the worlds and they are in every one of them si-
multaneously. They are in the Kailasa mount of our
Himalayas, in the Kailasa of the Bigger Himalayas, in
the Kailasa mountain of Ilavrtavarsa, at the foot of the
Mem and in Janaloka too.
Chapter - XI 265
3.
Jambudvipa,:
Six by six, less two
thousand yojanas,
Is the extent of the middle
khanda,
It goes by the name
Ilavrta;
All that is said is from authoritative texts.
While describing
Jambudvipa, a description of
Ilavrta taken up because it is the mid
is^first point of
Jambudvipa. Its measurement is given as 6 x6-2 = 34
thousand Yojanas. It is almost a square as described
in the previous section. Its
bounding mountains bend
to some extent towards the Meru.
All round the Ilavrta Khanda

The remaining eight varsas are situated;
These are Bhadrasva and Ketumala,
Each one measures thirty one thousand yojanas,
Adding, count, to the east and to tie west.
In the two quotations given above, we see that

the words 'Varsa' and 'Khanda are used as
though
they were synonymous. Really it is not so; it
is just usage. Reasonable thinking will show that
'Khanda' is only part of a 'Varsa'. The Vayu Purana
says, "Samudrajalasambhinnam khandam khandl "
krtam smrtam", and "Plaksa khandah Kimpuruse"

"Sumahan nandanopamah; "Varse Kimpuruse punye
Plakso madhuvahah subhah". (1. A part of the earth,
distinct from others by virtue of being surrounded by
oceans, is a khanda. 2. In the Kimpurusa Varsa,
Plaksa |Chanda is beautiful like Nandanavana. In the
5
auspicious kimpurusa Varsa there are 'Plaksa trees se-
creting pure honey.) From this example it may be con-
cluded that there are distinct khandas in the varsas of
Jambudvipa.
To the east of Ilavrta is Bhadrasvavarsa and to the
west, Ketumalavarsa. Each of the two measures thirty
one thousand yojanas. But the circular Jambudvipa is
said to be one lakh yojanas in diameter. That is why
the hint was given, "Adding, count". Thus it would be

as follows:-
Ilavrta Varsa - 34 thousand yojanas.

Bhadrasva - 31 thousand yojanas.
Its boundary mountain 2 thousand yojanas.
Ketumala Varsa - 31 thousand yojanas.
Its boundary mountain 2 thousand yojanas.
100 thousand yojanas

(one lakh)
Established are Harivarsa, Kimpurusa and Nabhi
On the side of the sun s son; on the north,
1
You must know, are Ramya, Hiranmaya and Kuru Khanda;

Each one stretches up to the sea;
The width of each, nine thousand yojanas,
Six vaxsas have thus spread out,
Side by side, longer in the east west direction,
They have clearly the shapes of bows;
The other three varsas are some what straight but bent
SriPadmanabha, the charming Lord (Rariga),
Vijayavitthalaraya,
For the clear minded gives the true picture.
(Son of Sun = Yamadharama, Lord of the south)

To the south of Ilavrta are the three varsas -
Harivarsa, Kimpurusavarsa and Nabhivarsa. Because
Nabhi cakravarti had earned great fame, Bharata Varsa
is known also by his name. To the north of Ilavrta
are the Varsas Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Uttara Kuru.
These six stretch up to the salt sea, surrounding the
Jambudvipa. Their width is nine thousand yojanas,
in each case. The boundary mountains like Nisadha
and Nila are bent like the bow; hence the varsas
bounded by them are also bowshaped. The parts of
mountains bounding Ilavrta are only parts of the bow-
shapes. Therefore that Varsa is like a square but
the sides are not perfect straight lines. Similarly the
Bhadrasva and the Ketumala Varsas are bounded only
by parts of the bow-shaped mountains. For this reason
Chapter - XI 267
f .
Sri Gokavi Anantacarya, author of Srinivasa Kalyana'

m Kannada, has described the two Varsas as drum-
shaped.
It is
interesting to note that Sri Vijayadasarya as-
serts that lie has described the Jambudvipa as visu-
alised by his inner eye by the grace of Vijayavitthala.
His is not a scholarly attempt; but, it is a masterly
stroke.
The boundary mountain of each varsa

Is firmly set; for Ketumala and BhadrasVa,
Malyavanta and Gandhamadana are the boundaries;
These mountains of two thousand broad, each,
Their lengths thirty four thousand yojanas.
The two mountains lie between the Nisadha and

the Nila mountains; they are therefore thirty four thou-
sand yojanas long, the same as the breadth _of Ilavrta
Varsa. Like other mountains of Jambudvipa, their
bases are two thousand yojanas broad in each case.
Then, to the remaining six varsas, boundary

Mountains of these, to the south JVisadha,
Hemakuta and Himalaya are there; to the
North Nila, Sveta, and Srrigavan
They are called; and they measure
Two thousand yojanas wide, and in length
The NiJa is ninety six thousand yojanas,
The next two Jess by ten and ten,
These mountains reach eastward and westward
upto the salt-water ocean.
The Nila mountain divides Ramyaka Varsa from
Ilavrta and it is ninety six thousand yojanas long.
The next one, Sveta mountain divides Ramyaka from
The
Hiranmaya and it is eighty six thousand long.
Uttarakuru Varsa;
Sringavan divides Hiranmaya from
it is six thousand yojanas long. These three
seventy
seem to touch the salt-water ocean at each end.
The Nisadha mountain is similar to Nila Mountain

towards the south of Ilavrta. It
separates Harivar|a
from Ilavrta. It is ninety six thousand yojanas in
length. He Hemakuta, eighty six thousand miles
long, is between Harivarsa and Kimpurusa Varsa.
The Himalayas stand between Kimpurusa Varsa and
Bharata Varsa. The mountain bearing the same name,
lying to the north of Bharatadesa, is different
from
it. The former is seventy six thousand yojanas long
(456000 miles), two thousand yojanas wide and
ten
thousand yojanas jiigh like the other important moun-
tains of Jambudvipa, whereas, the Himalayas known
to us, is only about two thousand miles long.
The salt sea ocean, spoken of is, different from

allthe seas and oceans jvith which we are familiar; it
surrounds the Jambudvipa and has a width of one lakh
yojanas.
In the- different parts of Bharata Khanda, by sinful or
Meritorious deeds,
Men get opportunity to make themselves eligible for divine
worlds
Or even to reach the Abode of Eternal Happiness;
They may go to hell or to heaven;
Even for gods to get rid of the load of Jcarmas,
This is the right place
Sri jffari appears with His incarnations and shows
Bis merciful ways;
Bharata Khanda is the veritable karma Bhumi;
Divine Ganga and other rivers, holy places,
Prayaga inown as the holiest place of pilgrimage,
Are here; to carry out all Jcinds of vows, for charity,
for religious purity and for seeking knowledge,
And thus gain purity of mind, one should
This is the surest land to see Sri Hari face to face;
One can develop knowledge, detachment and devotion
By the grace of a spiritual master.
There are other worlds and wide stretches of the

earth itself, where one can enjoy the fruits of Karma.
Chapter - XI 269
But, to give momentum karma imbed-

to the seeds of
ded in the Linga Sarira and to get rid of them gradually,
one must find birth inevitably in Bharata Khanda.
Bharata Varsa is a very wide area, about 70 thou-
sand yojanas long and nine thousand yojanas wide.
But whenever mention of Karma Bhumi is made in
the Puranas, they seem to describe only Bharatadesa
lying between the Himalayan range and Cape Kanya
Kumari. This aspect is fully discussed in the supple-
ment incorporated in this text.
In the nine Varsas of Jambudvipa, the devotees
worship different forms of Sri Hari. Instead of quoting
them from the Suladi, the necessary list is given here
below-
The 'salt sea: (Lavana Samudra)

"To the Jambudvipa of nine continents
The salt sea is like a girdle;
In it there are eight cities and islets;
Their names are Svarnaprastha Candrasukta Avartana,
Ramanaka and after that Mandara Harina,
Pancajanya, Simhala and the one over which

Havana ruled - Lanka;
The truth is, when Sagara's sons, sixty thousand
in a body went
And dug holes in the sea and raised mounds;
These became the eight islets;

Let devotees hear the greatness of Jambudvipa,
To describe every detail of ft,
There is no end; knowers must tell
The eight (Upadvipas) mentioned are

islets
Svarnaprastha, Candrasukla, Avartana, Ramanaka,

Mandara Harina, Pancajanya, Simhala and Lanka.
The capitals of these islets bear similar names. The
Puranas say that sixty thousand sons of Sagara
Cakravarti went with their servants to find out the
stolen horse meant for sacrifice. Thinking that the
horse might have been taken down into the nether-
worlds, they began to dig the sea and raised big heaps
of earth. These, in course of time, became the eight
islets.
'In it' means

in the salt-watery ocean mentioned;
it also
means, with in the Jambudvipa where there are
continents and their seas. As we know Simhala or Cey-
lon is just to the south of Bharatadesa. The Lanka of
Ravana is said to lie one hundred yojanas away from
the southern tip of this country. Therefore, it must also
be within the Indian Ocean, 600-800 miles away from
Cape Comerin or the pier of Dhanuskoti. One, Sampat
lyengar, B.Sc., has in his calendar, argued that Lanka
is some where in the Indian ocean, 600-800 miles away
in the south-west direction.
Prom what has been gathered so far, we can say

that the sons of Sagaracakravarti dug holes in the
oceans around Bharatakhanda - Indian Ocean, Pacific
Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Since Bharatadesa is
the chiefest part of Jambudvipa, it being the rallying
point of Karmabhumi, and since the Puranas were ad-t
dressed to the people of this country, it is but natural to
talk more about it only. A few of the
eight islets may
be in thejngger salt-water ocean too. For example,
Candradvipa is said to be to the west of Uttara Kuru
Khanda within the 'Lavana Samudra'. More about this
may be learnt from the supplement (Chapter XII)
Chapter - XI 271
Now, the six other islands and their surrounding

seas will be described.
The story of the creation of the seven islands and

oceans of the earth is very interesting.
At first, when the earth was created, the seven

islands and the seven oceans were not there. The credit
for creating them goes to Priyavrata Maharaja.
When Adivaraha the sub-merged earth, it

lifted
was like a big mound round the Meru mountain.
all
Priyavrata Maharaja, prompted by the Supreme Being,
created the islands and the oceans for the convenience
of people to come. For this purpose he raced in his
chariot keeping pace with the sun's velocity. Therefore,
even nights were turned into days for him. The deep
ruts made the wheels of his chariot became the seas and
the parts of earth left in between became the islands.
Even the internal divisions of the islands were created
by him.
In this connection there is something that we
should understand. Modern Geographes say that the
continents were formed by the breaking and moving
apart of the earth's crust. The reason given for this
assumption is that the edges of the continents seem
to fit into each other's. For example, the coast lines
of the Americas are so formed that, if they are moved
forward, they will exactly fit into the coastlines of Eu-
rope and Africa. But, the reason may be, and really
is different. It is the work of Priyavrata Maharaja. If
one sees the furrows made by a plough, it will have
left on either side, land parts which seem to fit with
each other, their shapes depending upon the courses
taken by the plough. The wheels of Priyavrata's char-
iot took the required directions to create the required
land shapes.
The chariot of Priyavrata was like a divine bull-

dozer which could alter its size according to needs. The
thus described
mighty task achieved by Priyavrata is
in Snmad-Bhagavatam-
"Priyavratakrtam karma konu kuryadvinesvaram,
Yo nemi nimnai rakarot cayam ghnan sapta varidhin"
"Bhu samsthanam krtam yena saridgiri vanadibhih
Simaca bhutanirvrityai dvipe dvipe vibhagasah.
(V-l-39-40)
(Without the utmost grace of the Supreme Lord,

who can achieve a task as was done by Priyavrata,
dispelling darkness and creating seas
and islands by
the deep ruts and mounds of earth made by his chariot
wheels and planning boundary mountains, hills; rivers
and other features within the divisions of the islands?)
"Yavadavabhasayati suragirimanu parikraman Bhagavan

Adityo vasudhatalam ardhenaiva pratapati
ardhenaivachchadayati tadahi Bhagavadupasanopacitati
purusa prabhavastadanabhinandan samajavena rathenajyotir-
mayena rajanimapi divam karisyamiti saptakrtvastaranimanu
paryakramatsa dvitiya iva patangah" (V-l-30)
"Ye va iha tadrathacarana nemikrta parikhastah sapta sind-

iava asan yata evam krtah sapta bhuvo dvipah". (V-l-31).
(The Sun God, going around the Meru, gives light t
only to half of the earth and keeps the other half in

darkness. Thus reflecting, Priyavrata Maharaja, grown
powerful by his deep reverence to God, did not approve
of the sun's course of conduct. He decided to convert
nights into days and racing with the sun with equal
velocity, he rode in his chariot seven times around the
Meru Hke a second sun. The moats created by the
wheels of his chariot became the seven seas, leaving
the gaps as islands.)
This famous Priyavrata Maharaja made his seven

sons the_ rulers of the seven islands. Their names
are Agnidhra, Idhmajihva, Yajnabahu, Hiranyareta,
Ghrtaprstha, Medh^tithi and Vitihotra.
Chapter - XI 273
IV. Plaksa and the other Islands and the Seven Seas:
Here is a description of Plaksadvipa which engir-
dles 'Lavana Samudra' (Salt-sea ocean).
"The second island is called Plaksa,
It is twice the size ofJambudvipa in breadth;
There is in it a tree of the same name,
Eleven hundred yojanas it spreads, its height the same;
The and mountains are seven in each case
Varsas, rivers
Siva, Isa, Subhadra, San tan u, Ivsazna, Amrta and
Abhaya are the seven varsas there;
Manikuta, Pavikuta, Indrasayana,
Jyotirbhanu, Dhumravarna, ffiranyagriva,
- are the mountains;
Meghamala
Aruna, VimaJa, Angirasa and Savitri,
Suprabha, R tambhara as well as
- these are seven rivers;
Satyambhara
In this island, ruling over tie divisions,
Sovereigns are seven of the same names of Varsas;
Always, Sri Suryanarayana murti
They worship, being in their respective tracts,
And they pray to Vij'ayavitthaJaraya
To takie them into His Abode by maJcing them eligible through
Bhak^L
The Plaksadvipa is two lakh yojanas in width.
In it there is a plaksa tree 1100 yojanas high and its
branches spread 1100 yojanas. The tree gives its name
to the island. Plaksadvipa has seven mountains divid-
lord of
ing the island into seven varsas. Idhmajihva,
of the seven varsas to his
Plaksadvipa, gave mlership
The rulers of these seven varsas worship Sriman

Narayana dwelling in Surya (Sun god). In Plaksa
and
the other islands and in the Varsas of Jambudvipa',
other than Bharatavaxsa, worship helps to enhance joy
in mukti; it does not end in the pleasures of the higher
worlds. In Bharatavarsa, especially Bharata Khanda,
the result of activities is mostly expending karmas and
gaining experience by pleasure
and pain, the suffering
may be in heavens or hells too. But the activities in
other parts of the earth result in joy and the enhance-
ment of devotion.
Salmaladvipa:
"Tie sea of sugarcane juice surrounds Plaksadvipa;

It is also two lakh yojanas ,in width
Crossing you reach Salmaladvipa
it
Know its width to be four lakh yojanas

A tree of the same name spreads its fragrance
In this island too are seven varsas,
Hills and rivers with different names,
Are there; Surocana, Sasinasya, tie ioly
Ramanaia its neighbour, Devabarha,
The strong Paribiadra, Abiibaria and Paryadanu
Are tie seven varsas all well-fcnown
Tie boundary mountains are Surasa, Satas'rnga,
Vamadeva, Kundajka, MuJrunda, and tie
Divine Puspavanta and also Sahasrati
The rivers - Anumati, Sinivali, Saras vati/ Kadru,
Dexterous Eanjini, JVanda and Raka are the seven;
The rulers of the Varsas witi tie same names,
Worsiip tie lord residing in Candra
And earn merit for the best of Abodes;
Knowing the 'do's and don'ts' (vidhi-nisedha) in their palaces,
They carry on religious worship separately
Like a girdle around Salmaladvipa
Four lakh yojanas is the sea of Sura;
Keep our Vi/'ayavittiala, adored by all gods,
In your ieart wiile listening to these accounts.
Chapter - XI 275
Iksurasa (Sugar cane

juice) ocean liesbetween
Plaksadvipa and Salmaladvipa, its width being two
lakhyojanas. Salmala tree of sweet aroma gives its
name to the island.
Vargas "Mountains Rivers
1. Surocana Svarasa Anumati
(Surasa)
2. Sasinasya Sinlvall
Satasrnga
(Sumanasa)
Sarasvati
Kadrfi_(Kuhu)_
Ranjini (Rajani)
Nanda
Raka
The rulers and the inhabitants of

Salmaladvipa
know the do's and dont's prescribed
by the Vedas;
they act accordingly. The Lord's form
worshippable
ly them is Vamanamurti, dwelling in the Moon land.
Tlie sea of Sura is as broad as the Salmaladvipa - four
Ia.kh yojanas.
/ -
Sri Vijayadasarya never fails to remind us that we

learn about the different parts of the Universe mainly
to recognise the glory of the All Pervasive Lord.
JKTusadvipa:
A column of Kusa grass is there, shining like gold,
Eleven hundred yojanas in height;
The island containing it is Kusadvipa,
Eight lakh yojanas in width;
It has seven varsas in it-
VasUy Vasudana, Drdiaruci, Nabhigupta,

Shining Satyavrata, Vipra, Vamadeva;
Well-laid Catra, Srriga, Kapila
Devanilca, UrdAvaroma and Dravina
Are the mountains; then, Kulya, Madhukulya,

Bright Srutavindya, Mitravindya,
Vedagarbha, Ghrtacyuta and Mantramala - seven rivers.
The seven rulers with the names of varsas
Are famed in all the ten directions;
They worhsip the Lord indwelling the eldest of Vasus,
Each one in his own city
Offering the best of Bowers and other substances;
The peerless Vijayavitthalaraya
Shows Himself to his devotees, shining like the
moon;
The ocean of ghee spreads around, as wide as the island.
7. Vamadeva Dravina Mantramala

The rulers and residents of Kusadvipa worship Sri
Parasurama, residing in Agni (fire god). The ferocious,
blazing form of Parasurama looks soft and cool to His
devotees.
The surrounding o_cean of Ghee is eight lakh yo-

janas wide like Kusadvipa.
Tie fifth one is the

Krauncadvlpa,
Extending sixteen lakh yojanas, it is very
beautiful;
There is in it a mountain of similar
name; '
Varsas, mountains and rivers seven each

nn'L ** _ >
Sudiama, fisi
CBAra/istaj, Loiitarnata
And Vanaspati are the seven varsas;
SuiJagiri, Vardnamana, Upabarnana, t7pabnoja
Chapter - XI 277
Nanda, JVandana, Sarvatobhadra-mountains;

Abhaya, Amrtaugha, and Aryata^
Slow-moving Tlrthavati, Rupavati, Suchavati,
And Suklavati are tie seven rivers;
All the rulers worship Matsyamurti
Resident in the consort of Gangadevi.
Consort of Gangadevi is Varuna, who is the

worhsipper of Matsyamurti.
Whitisi like the moon, around Krauncadvipa
There is the sea of Curds,
It is sixteen lath yojanas wide,
Thici and lovely it is to loot
The sea of curd surrounds the Krauncadvipa; it is
sixteen lakh yojanas wide.
two lath wide,

Anusatadvipa is thirty
There is a Saia tree in it;
Count the seven Varsas, mountains and rivers
Purojava, Manoj'ava and Pavamana,
Ghana and Vicitrarupa, Bahurupa and Visvadhara;
Mountains - Is'ana, Varasrriga, Balabhadra,
Satatesara, Sahasrota, Devapalana,
And Mahamaha; the seven rivers
Amogha, Ayurda, Ubfiayasprista, Aparajita,
Pancajana and Sahasroti, and JVijadh^ti;
Aselsewhere, seven rulers with names of Varsas,
And they worhsip the Lord of Vayudeva;
In regular shape encircling, the
Milt ocean is there, similar in width,
In its heart is the enhanting svetadvipa,

It shines like a cluster of gems,
Tie wise knowers are aware of its extent;

If Manmatha's father, Vijayavitthalaraya
Condescends, there is nothing impossible
Description of Anusaka (Saka) Dvipa-
The and inhabitants of Sakadvipa worship

rulers
Sri Hari,immanent in Vayudeva. The milk ocean, sur-
rounding it, is thirty^ two lakh yojanas wide; it is the
same as the width of Sakadvipa. The Milk ocean (Kslra
Sagara) is truly the rarest jewel within the terrestrial
bounds. How, we shall learn presently. When Sri Vi-
jayadasarya says that nothing is impossible if one is
blessed by Sri Hari, we may guess that he himself was

so blessed and had the good fortune to visualise the
things that he has described. Being an incarnation of
Bhrgu Maharsi, it is but right for him to say so. In-
deed, it was he who actually went to Svetadvipa in the
Milk Ocean and kicked at the breast of the Lord there!
The speciality of the milt Ocean is that one of the
three permanent abodes of Sn Hari is in it. It is called
Svetadvipa. Sri Vijaya Dasarya has thus described its
super eminence.
Chapter - XI 279
In the midst of the milJc ocean, twenty lafcli yojanas

In expanse is Svetadvipa
Three parts in it - twelve and eight;
Bhu, Durga and Sribhagas eight lakh;
Two seas are there - Ara and JVya,
Each one lakh yojanas wide,
One lath in Sribhaga too; And
Within the central twelve lafch,
The lotus-eyed, Vijayavitthala dwells
Joyfully in the company of Ramadevi
The milk ocean is thirty, two lakh yojanas wide.

In Jhe north part of it the abode of Sri Hari, Sveta
dvipa lies spreading over an area measuring twenty lakh
yojanas long and equally wide. It has on the eastern
side the Bhubjiaga-the earthly portion; on the northern
side the Durgabhaga - the portion of Darkish touch.
Each of these two is four lakh yojanas in width.
*
The middle part of Brightness Sribhaga contains?

fortification surrounded by the Viraja* river. Inside is
the Ayodhyanagari, right at the heart of which is the
palace of Vasudeva, Lord of SvetavTpa. The Bhubhaga
contains the outer fortificatioji_and the Ara laka with
its banks of Bhubhaga and Sribhaga. Similar is the
Durgabhaga with its lake, Nya.
Svetadvipa is similar to Vaikunta in all respects;
only, measurements are different proportionately. As

shown in the picture Tridhama, the Svetadvipa is lo-.
cated upon a heap of solidified milk, one and a half
lakh yojanas high. Sn Hari's palace is at the top of a
tall column of hardened milk. It is said to exceed the
height of Svargaloka.
Here is a description of Lord Vasudeva, reclining

on the serpent bed (Sri MahalaksmI serves as His bed).
280 The Process of.Creation in Dasa Sahitya
"The superb form of Sri Vasudeva is two lakh and a half

yojanas long,
Stretching upon the bedstead, you see;
The length of the feet thirty six thousand,
Then upto the waist it is one lakh,
The navel is eighteen thousand higher,
And the belly and the chest fifty two,
The face is twenty two thousand long;
Understanding this huge form of Vijayavitthala
Seek His refuge as the Supreme Master.
/ / _
Sri Vasudeva of Svetadvipa is reclining upon a
bedstead (serpent form) which, is three lakh yojanas
in length. His form has the following measurements:
Length of the feet 36 thousand yojanas

Prom foot to waist 100 thousand yojanas
upto the navel 18 thousand yojanas
Belly and chest 52 thousand yojanas
Face 22 thousand yojanas
Crown upon the head 22 thousand yojanas
(to be imagined)
250 thousand yojanas
The great shepherd saint, Kanakadasa, has spoken

of the human frame as being one of eight cubits whereas
we generally come across bodies of seven cubits. The
former measure is peculiar to divine beings. Sri Hari's
form described belongs to this category, (face 22 full
measure 22x8=176, plus neck, crown of the head and
the ornamental crown - 38 -f feet 36 250 yojanas) =
Tie forehead is three hundred high,
Each one of the ears is one thousand,
The two eyes reach upto the ears,
Each eye-brow is two thousand inlength,
The nose itself is three hundred long;
Those who listen and know, earn merit ,
This is the Original, Vijayavitthala, on serpent bed.

Chapter - XI 281
The measurements of the facial parts given are

not in conformity with the size of the face. However,
we must remember that the words ten, hundred and
thousand mean 'many according to the Sastras. In
5
this way we have to reconcile.
The word 4
'serpent' referring to Sesa' should not

be confused. It refers to the soul that occupies the
post of 'Sesa' as is generally understood. But, strictly
speaking, it refers to the Supreme Being who has the

serpent form; it also refers to Mahalaksmi in that form,
serving as the bed for her spouse. But, whether it is the
Sesa we know of or whether it is Mahalaksmi in serpent
form, Sri Hari is also in them in the same form, only
He being the original.
That Sri Vasudeva is lying on the serpent bed in
His abode of Svetadvipa, need not be doubted. The
words of Sri Varadavyasavitthalarya support this view.
He says in his Tattvasara' "The bedstead is three lakh
and the serpent form is the same length"
Each arm hundred thousand long,
is
And each finger, one thousand yojanas;

The ornamental pedestal is seven laih from bottom to top,
The tower of Sri Hari's palace rises to a height of fifty one
lakh yojanas,
The Almighty, Omnipresent Lord, our Vijayavitthala,
Has condescended to take this form on earth.
The palm coning down to touch the

fingers in the
knee almost said to be a royal feature. Such is the
is
description. The entire figure is 2 \ lakh yojanas, *and

each arm is one lakh yojanas.
The tower being 51 lakh yojanas high, goes beyond
Svargaloka.
The mighty Lord who is everywhere, unseen, is
staying on our own earth. Only we should make our-

selves eligible to see such glorious form.
Now, a description of Puskaradvipa, the last of the

seven.
Puskaradvipa :
The one highly blessed is Puskaradvipa,

Sixty four lakh yojanas it is,
Ramanaka and Dhataka, its two Varsas

Occupying the inner half and outer half;
There is a very holy late, in which eleven hundred
Yojanas wide, blooms a golden lotus
Birds of various kinds Sock together
And play without hurting each other;
The rulers of the two Varsas worship
Sri Hari in Brahma, with pure hearts.
The ringlike Manasottara Mountain, a huge ring
nineteen crore miles jn diameter, runs right in the mid-
dle of tlie Puskaradvipa, which has a width of sixty four
lakh yojanas nearly four crore miles. The Ramanaka
Varsa is towards its inner side and Dhataka Varsa to-
wards the outer side. The rulers too bear the same
names Ramanaka and Dhataka. In one of the lakes of
.
the Puskaradvipa, there is a lotus of gold, eleven hun-

dred yojanas wide; and, it has ten crore petals. This is
the seat o^Brahmadev^pn earth. The inhabitants of
Puskaradvipa worship Sri Hari through Brahma.
There is a mountain in the middle
Manasottara by name; it is circular;
It is ten thousand yojanas broad and the same
height;
It beams with great lustre;
The sun travels over this mountain
In his chariot having but one wheel
Sri Hari, the supreme, with His four
forms,
Is present - Vasudeva,
Sankarsana,
Pradyuimia, Aniruddha, in the four directions; the gods adore
Him.
On top of the Manasottara mountain there are

the abodes of Indra, Yama, Varuna and Candra in
the four directions - East,
South, West and North re-
Chapter -XI 283
spectively.Indra worships Vasudeva, Yama worships

Samkarsana, Varuna worships Pradytunna and Candra
Worships Aniruddha.
"Of the Sun 's course in his chariot

you must know hereafter"
/ _
Sri Vijaya Dasarya has said that he would de-

scribe the Sun's movements later on. Unfortunately,
the Suladi bearing on that subject is not available.
Ibis topic will be dealtwith in the supplement to this
êxt, Chapter XII, basing conclusions on texts such as
Srimad Bhagavatam.
And then, with the same breadth, the sweet water ocean,
Is like a very huge wristlet, quite profound;
It is sixty four lakh yojanas wide
Beyond that is the land of gold,

Its breadth is ninety six lath,
And then is tie diamound ring
Five Jalci yojanas, its breadth;
That marts the limits of dame earth.
If we consider the entire stretch of earth from end

to end, it will measure seven crore, fourteen lakh and
odd yojanas every way, it being a perfect circle. It is
like this-
Sri Vadirajasvami has defined the measure of the

yojana in the following table.
7 mustard seeds - 1 paddy seed

(Sarsapa) fVnhi)
(Big seed of Krt ayuga) * (of Krt ayuga)
3 Vnhis - 1 Inch (Angula)
24 Angulas - 1 Hasta (Cubit)
4 Hastas (cubits) - 1 Danda (Staff)
1000 Dandas (staves)
- 1 Krosa
4 Krosas - 1 yojana
1 Yojana
- 32000 feet or 6.06 miles
Some take the yojana to measure 8 miles or 10

miles or 12 miles or even sixteen miles according to
different standards. But, in this text the measure of
6.06 miles per yojana is accepted for the following rea-
son.
According to modern calculation, the sun is

9,30,00000 miles from our globe. The distance between
the Meru Centre and the Sun's globe according to Sri
Vadirajasvani is 9,51,00000 x 6.06 x 7 diveded by 22 x
2 = 9, 50,00000 miles.
Note The diameter of the time wheel, upon which

:
the sun's chariot races, is 9,51,00000 yojanas for-

mula used D II x 1/2)
Vadirajasvami has divided the diameter of

Sri
Brahmanda (50 crore yojanas) in the ratio of 1:2:4 and
has given precise measurements of the terrestrial, the
Hellish darkness and the solid water rings (Bhubhaga,
Tamobhaga and Ghanodakabhaga respectively).
Shining with great lustre is oialoia,

x
Tie mountain, adjecent to the land of gold,
It is all round the earth like a wiirl,
Half lit by the sun the other half, not,
}
Hence is it called Lokaloka

(Loka = seen; Aloka = not seen)
The mountain ring known as Lokaloka stands to a
height of 51 lakh yojanas, so tht only the inner side of
it receives
light from the sun and the other luminaries.
The outer side is completely dark and slopes towards
the pit of darkness 'Tamobhaga'.
Chapter -XT 285
The limits of earth include the seven islands and seven seas;
Imagining always their shapes and extents; praise;
Sri Hari, who is in
every one of them, takes care of you,
In every one of the whorls, think of the forms of God,
It is not a wasteful
pursuit; you earn merit
The enemy of Mura, Lord of three worlds, Vijaya
Vitthala raya,
Has put all these into our bodies, look!
Knowing details about the seven islands and the

Seven oceans is not a purposeless job. One gets to know
how Sri Hari is in those parts of the earth aiding souls
to achieve realisation, and this in turn brings devotion
as well as merit.
It is very important, however, to recognise that all

the elements of the seven islands and seven seas are in
our own bodies along with the presence of the universal
being. Sri Abhinava Janardana Vitthala Dasarya says,
Know that the seven body elements are the seven seas,
All the smaller rivers are in each of the nerve strings
Epidermis, dermis, muscles, blood, fat, nerves and

bones are the seven elements of our body. All the fea-
tures of the seven islands and the seven seas are in
them in miniature forms. Every nerve string represents
a river.
To know that our bodies are miniature universes,

that they are the true temples of God and to lead clean
and devoted lives is the surest way to smash our egos
and to reach the Abode of Eternal Happiness,
/
All this has been beautifully summarised by Sri

Vijaya Dasarya in the following lines:
To tie Jraower who listens to the holy account of the seven
islands
Sri Vyayavitthala becomes a loving well-wisier.
* * *
19
Chapter - XII
CREATION
Supplement
Introductory Remarks:
Our forefathers have described creation in the

Puranic way. People of our times describe it with the
new scientific outlook. These twq views seem to contra-
dict each other. This treatise, 'Srsti Prakarana' (Cre-
ation) is written for the sake of contemporary readers.
Of them, only a few have the Puranic frame of mind.
All others are admirers of the modern rational outlook.
Some flaws are found in the views of both. Therefore,
at the outset it is necessary to tell how the Puranic
thinkers should develop more broad- mindedness and
the moderns should become much more rational.
Modern scientific equipments are growing vastly

innewer and newer ways. Not only did man set foot
on the moon-land, but information is being collected
about the far off planet, Saturn. It has been made
possible to control space crafts by means of different
light rays; facts are precisely described in mathemati-
cal terms. Just because their
findings appear to con-
tradict Puranic statements it is not
right (clinging to
the Puranic seat) to condemn modern scientists as false
and deceitful. Puranic thinkers who put trust in visual
evidence (Pratyaksa) cannot but accept at least some
of the findings of scientists as true.
Modern thinkers, too, must accept that there are

defects in their way of thinking. However
great be the
intellectual ability of human
beings, it cannot equal
Chapter - XII 287
the intellect of the Supreme Being who has created

this wonderful universe. Also human ability of rational
understanding, by itself, cannot probe into all the se-
crets of God's wonderful creation. His 'Maya' (Power)
is overwhelming. Keeping this in view, Vijayadasarya
says, 'God can sink a feather or float a rock'. This
remark applies to all material concepts such as time,
space and speed.
/
All those who have faith in the words of Srimad

Bhagavatam must agree that individual souls are al-
ways of three types. The story of Vena found in
the seventh Skandha confirms this statement. "Jaya
and Vijaya were born in association with the demons
Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa; Vena was a demon
without any good association, therefore, he courted
eternal hell." Thus said Narada Maharsi to kind Dhar-
maxaya. In our daily lives also we can meet with three
types of souls. There are those who repent for their
sins when they reap bitter consequences, and there are
those that foster only evil tendencies and indulge in
criminal acts. There are scientists who believe, like
Einstein, that the hand of a Universal Master is per-
ceivable behind this marvellous universe, and there are
those who declare that everything in this universe is
but an effect of physical factors. Therefore, the wise
ones shold not become a prey to deception in the name
of modern science.
Gist of the argument ~ we should respect scien-

tific attitude, and we should study the Puranas with a
discerning mind.
In order to understand the meanings of Vedas we
need the aid of historical epics and the Puranas. The
events narrated in the epics and the Puranas are not
accidental happenings. God, who is the Director of the
drama of life, brings into creation the necessary char-
acters and causes dramas to be enacted in reality; and
through them He enables us to understand easily the
secret meanings of Vedas and Upanisads. Many are
not aware of the fact that Sri Vyasamaharsi had com-

posed the Mahabharata even before the Mahabharata
war took place. But that is a fact. From this we come
to know the real purpose of Mahabharata.
Sri Vyasamaharsi has himself said that he has used

three types of languages in the Puranas and the epics
'Guhya 'DarSana' and 'Samadhi'. The import of
5
-
'Guhya bhasa' can be understood only by proper in-

struction. 'Darsanabhasa requires critical insight to be
understood. 'Samadhibhasa' is easily comprehended.
Those who are familiar with the first two types of
bhasas or languages can see that all the Puranas mean
the same thing. They can also find out if stanzas
are deleted or newly added. Eventhough there may
be 'guhya' and 'darsana' languages in Sattvic Puranas
they don't come in the way of general understanding.
/ _
Srimad Bhagavatam is a Sattvic Purana venerated
by one and all. While describing the process of Cre-
ation the Haridasas of Karnataka have strictly followed
Srimad Bhagavatam. If we find any difference in the
words of some, Haridasas we should reconcile them with
the facts in Srimad Bhagavatam; or, we may safely
omit them as interpolations. The 'Suladis of Sri Vijaya 5
Dasarya
/ _
and the 'Bhugola Varnanam' in Samskrt by
* *
*,..
Sri Vadirajasvami are in close conformity with Srimad

Bhagavatam.
There is another reason to
say why we need not
accept all that is offered by scientists as visual proof.
There is a wise saying in Kannada meaning, that we
should inspect rationally even if something comes as a
visualized fact. By means of modern scientific equip-
ments many evidences might have been gathered to
help understanding the universe. But fresh evidences
inight be found later to refute the older ones. This
is accepted by scientists too. When such is the
case,
it would be soul-destructive to steer one's course of
life in the light of modern scientific

knowledge without
Chapter -JOT 289
properly understanding the Vedas and their concomi-

tants (Smrtis) which form a veritable collection of true
knowledge.
With the background so fax painted, we shall now
try to understand judiciously Puranic Geography and
Astronomy.
Tie Foul-teen Lokas:
Within the golden shell of 100 crore yojanas thick-

ness (Brahmanda) there is space which measures fifty
crore yojanas every-way. At the botton half of it the
shell water (Andodaka, or Garbhodaka) is frozen, it
is said in the Puranas that upon the surface of this
frozen water, in the middle o;f it there is Bhuloka (Ter-
restrial world) stretching over a circular area of seven
crore yojanas in diameter; above it there are six up-
per worlds like 'Antariksa' and 'Svarga'; and below it
are the seven lokas like 'Patala'. But according to the
opinion of modern scholars the whole universe is filled
with star galaxies lying very far from each other; in
the galaxy known as the Milky way (Akasa Ganga)
our sun is an average star; among the planets that go
round the sun, our earth is also a planet, round like
a ball (a Its diameter is about 13000 K.M. its
globe).
circumference is about 40000 K.M. The most distant
star from us is at least 2000 light years away - 300000
x 60 x 60 x 24 x 365.25 x 2000 K.M. There seems to be
no end to the measurements of the universe. Some axe
of opinion that the universe is still expanding. But ac-
cording to Einstein's opinion, it is within the confines
of a circular limit. "However vast the universe you my
conceive, yet it is not infinite. It is finite, elliptical and
curved like our earth which gives the false impression
of its infinity" (quoted by G.S. Sampath lyengar, in his
book 'Calendar').
Points to ponder over:
There may be defects and shortcomings due to

natural causes in the guessing of the nature of stars
and their distances from each other, however fine the

modern instruments may be. Some scientists them-
selves agree that the error may be upto 50% in their
calculations. Scientists do not answer in definite terms
when asked if they have observed galaxies towards the
east or west or south as they have observed towards the
north. As such, it is only a guess to say that the Milky
Way is one of the galaxies and that our solar system is
a part of it. It is not a confirmed fact. Charts may be
prepared. Coloured pictures may be placed before us.
We cannot but say that they are more the products of
imagination.
What we see as stars are described in the Puranas
as worlds of light and heavenly vehicles of divine be-
ings. Accordingly, Sri Varadirajasvami has said in his
'Bhugola Varnanam'.
Madhyadiarasu Gandharva Siddhadyah punya karminah,
Bhasvadvimana kotistha ramante Sastriaih sada.
Upon the mid- way strips of the Kalacakra, crores

of bright divine chariots of Gandharvas and others axe
always moving. Those merited beings spend their time
happily with their wives.
Tararupeiia tadyananyasamkhyani bhuvi sthitaih,
Narairadyapi drsyante jyotiscakram tatoviduh.
The countless divine vehicles appear to men on

earth like stars. Hence Kalacakra, consisting of such
vehicles of light, is called 'Jyotiscal^ra'. In addition to
these there are also other divine vehicles in large num-
bers in and around the upper worlds like Svargaloka.
Perhaps, these have been called galaxies by scientists
due to illusion. To try to find out the nature of such
light worlds' by means of modern instruments is to
look at one's face in a concave or convex mirror. If
the creator's illusory ppwer is clubbed with it, all the
calculations of scientists go to dogs.
Instead of trying to grow knowledge out of igno-

rance, it would be more profitable to organise life in a
useful manner in the light of true knowledge.
Chapter - XII 291
If we look at some of the geographical facts re-

counted in the Puranas without the aid of modern
equipments, we can understand that they have spo-
ken only the truth based on scriptures. Let us take an
example. The mid-point of the ringBke Manasottara
mountain, situated in the Puskaradvipa, is 9 crore, 50
lakh miles (1.575 x
6.06) from the base of the Meru
mountain. The course of the Sun's chariot is above
the Manasottara mountain.
Therefore, the distance
between the sun and our part of the earth is about 9
crore, 40 lakh miles. It is the same distance as found
out by scientists.
The rim of the Kalacakra supporting the Sun's

chariot has a circumference of 9 crore, 51 lakh yojanas
according to puranas. Its radius, then, is 1.54 crore
yojanas, or 9 crore, 25 lakh miles. This calculation is
also correct.
Earth the globe:

y
Puranic people say that although the vast earth

may have ups and downs, it is round and flat as a
whole. On the other hand, even school children in these
days give the following reasons to say that the earth is
a globular planet - 'Aeroplanes fly round the earth.
Rockets too go round similarly and they have provided-
photographs of the earth by means of cameras lodged in
them. Seasons occur because the earth goes round the
sun with its axis inclined at 23|. Because the Polar
regions are far away from the equator, they receive the
slanting rays of the sun and are snow-capped. Days and
nights recur since the earth makes one rotation about
its axis every twenty four hours. Focaults' Pendulum
experiment has definitely proved that the earth rotates

about its axis.
When the Puranic and the modern views are

thus divergent, how can we decide the shape of the
earth? There is a proverb in Telugu - "Ayyavari mata
xnirakudadu; gaddapara mingaradu" (You cannot gain-
say the words of elders; at the same time you cannot

swallow a crowbat). We cannot lay aside the Puranas
and the epics which speak the eternal truths; and we
cannot take in all scientific theories as truth. Such is
our plight.
in a nut-shell, the earth is both flat
To put things
and round. As described in the Puranas, the earth
comprising of the seven islands and seven oceans is flat
and round like a rupee coin. But big lumps of earth
(Khandas) in those vast ring-like islands are of different
shapes. The middle-most
Ilavrita Varsa of Jambudvipa
is more or a square, while the Illavrta Khanda is
less
like a round platform at the base of the Meru mountain.
Bharata Varsa at the southern end of Jambudvipa is
bow-shaped; Bharata Khanda is globular - almost like
a round ball.
When Bharata Khanda thus described, it satis-
is
fies the modern mind to some
extent, but thinkers of
the old school feel dissatisfied. They pick up a quarrel
questioning, "where is it thus said? What is the basis
to say so?" Let us answer them first.
Suppose the entire earth is only flat in general; it

isimprobable that the sun should appear overhead at
noon while he is going round above the Manasottara
mountain at a distance of 9~ crore miles. If only
we concede that Bharata Khanda, the present known
world, is like an inverted round pot, the sun appears
overhead to those living in the tropical zone. This
kind of answer is no escapism. It is supported by the
Brahmanda Purana.
Vidurabhavadarkasya bhumirlekhavrtasya ca,
Liyante rasmayo yasmat tena ratrau na drsyate;
Ucchrayasya pramanena jneyamastam athodayam.
The sun is very far from the earth. The earth is
girdled by lines of longitude and latitude; because the
earth resembles a pot, we can imagine 360 of longi-
tude and 180 of latitude from pole to pole. As the sun
- XII 293
Chapter
moves towards the western longitudes, his rays are not

seen by those at the eastern longitudes, and the sun too
vanishes from sight. As we go farther to the north or
to the south of the equator, differences in the periods
between sun-rise and sun- set are observable; days and
nights become longer or shorter.
There is another objection raised by the older
4
school. They say that the words Varsa' and 'Khanda'
are equivalent terms - they don't mean differently. It is
true that the two words are used as equivalent terms in
the Puranas. But in Vayu Purana we find such expres-
sion as "Kimpurusa Varse, Plaksa Khande". It is also
a well-known fact that while reciting the preliminary of
'Sandhyavandana' we do say Bharata Varse, Bharata
Khande. Therefore we should admit that 'Varsa' is a
wider 'terrestrial stretch and 'Khanda' is a part of it.
In the Vayu Purana (Ch.48) it is* also said- "Samu-
drajala sambhinnam khandam khandikrtam smrtam"
= A Khanda is a detached unit separated by the ocean
from other parts.)
Now let us meet the objections of modern thinkers.

The first objection is, when rockets are able to go round
the earth and take its photographs, how can it be said
pot?' Our answer
-
that the earth is like an inverted
Rockets go round the earth in oblique directions; not
in the north-south direction. Hence the analogy of the
inverted pot cannot be ruled out. What is wrong in
saying that the part of Bharata
Khanda near its South
Pole extends again to be connected with the other parts
of Bharatavarsa? Secondly, the photographs of the
earth taken piecemeal are arranged together in the de-
sired way to form a mosaic picture; rocket cameras
have not photographed the earth as a whole, the pho-
tographs of the earth taken
from the moonland are also
have not shown the earth to us
partial, not entire; they
in-
like a floating globe. As the proverb goes, 'one-tenth
if an artist
spiration and nine-tenth perspiration', Cre-
ates a picture out of the few available data provided
by the Camera, to believe it as the whole truth is also

blind faith.
now meet another objection based on the

Let us
experiment made by Focault, a French Scientist. It
issaid that his experiment has, definitely proved that
the earth is rotating on its axis; as such, it is wrong
to say that the earth is firm in its place. The exper-
iment is this. A pendulum, suspended from a great
height and made to swing automatically, changes its
direction westward, moment after moment, and com-
pletes 360 in 24 hours. This can be only due to the
fact that the earth rotates eastward on its axis. This
is the modern view. But the reason for the change in
direction shown by Focault 's Pendulum is quite differ-
ent. That pendulum being a part of the earth's atmo-
sphere, it cannot change direction independent of the
earth's gravitational pull. It will be more reasonable
to say that such change in direction occurs because of
the concentric air currents created by the fast-moving
'Kalacakra',
"If we conceive that Jambudvipa is a circular

stretch, one lakh yojanas wide, and that Bharata
Khanda is at its southern end, the moon, which is
about two lakh miles from India, will be at least seven
lakh miles away, from America situated on the northern
side of Bharata Khanda. Therefore the moon should
appear smaller to the Americans than it appears to the
Indians. But it is not so; it appears the same size. How
can it be? There is still another objection. It is known
to scientists that small things appear bigger due to re-
fraction of light in the atmospheric medium. Instead of
thinking that the globular earth has a globular jocket of
atmosphere, if we consider that the almost fiat and cir-
cular Jambudvipa has a circular atmospheric covering
5
above it, upto 'Antariksa Loka then the moon's rays
,
reaching America through seven lakh miles of atmo-

sphere cause the moon appear the same size as to the
Indians. Then there is also another point to remem-
ber. Although other parts of Jambudvipa are covered
Ciapter - XII 295
by the layers of atmosphere, the atmospheric proper-

ties in those parts are not the same as around Bhaxata
Khanda. The effect of refraction is there; but not ex-
actly as it is through the atmosphere known to us. This
is a guess; perhaps, it is
right.
When such objections are raised and answers
given, we should not forget that Sri Vyasa Maharsi,
who composed Srimad Bhagavatam, does not belong
to the oridinary class of
sages. He is Sriman Narayana
Himself, To say thus there are evidences like the fol-
lowing statements.
We should make efforts to understand properly the
geographical and the astronomical aspects described in
Srimad Bhagavatam and reconcile other findings with
the statements found in that text. We must not con-
tradict them.
In the eyes of the present day generation what

looks highly contradictory to the Puranic view of As-
tronomy is the nature of stars and the distances be-
tween each other among them. Scientists have classi-
fied stars into six grades according to their colours and
brightness. And, keeping in mind the time. taken by
light to travel across space at 3,00,000 K.M. per sec-
ond, they have said that the sun that we see is within
the galaxy known as the 'Milky way' and is an average
star. They say that there are stars far bigger than our
sun and that they are millions of miles apart from each
other. All this is a matter of mathematical calculation
and not a proved fact. As has been often remarked,
there may be many flaws and defects in the calcula-
tions made by scientists, there may be unknown phys-
ical factors causing illusion. Therefore we should not
revile Vedic literature depending on theoretical guesses.
One more objection still remains to be answered.

"The Meru mountain stands to a height of 84 thousand
Yojanas, measuring 16 thousand yojanas at its base.
How can the sun or the moon be seen by Americans
with the Meru mountain standing as an obstruction?"

Here is the answer. A conical mountain with a diam-
eter of 32 thousand yojanas at the top cannot have a
diameter of 16 thousand yojanas at the base above the
earth, the true base point being 16 thousand yojanas
underneath the earth. The diameter at the surface base
is 5 thousand
yojanas, not 16 thousand. Here is a de-
scription of the shape of the Meru mountain given by
Sri Vadirajasvami in his 'Bhugolavarnanam':
The golden mountain is thin at the base and
goes on becoming wider and wider gradually; it is
quite broad at the top. This mountain resembles the
unmatta flower. Apart from this aspect, excepting
Bharata Khanda, the Karma bhumi all the other ter-
restrial regions, meant for enjoyment only, are made of
finer material elements.
Among these, the Meru moun-
tain the most wonderful. Although it is made of gold
is
and presents four different colours in four different di-
rections, it is still transparent like glass. In the 34th
Chapter of the Vayu Purana, in stanza 37, it is said-
The materials of the Meru mountain, including lakes
and such other features, are invisible. Therefore, the
mountain does not obstruct the sun or the moon from
view; it is invisible to the human eye.
The Sun's Chariot:
The Puranas describe that Sri Surya Narayana

goes round upon the Kalacakra sitting in a Chariot
having one wheel and drawn by seven horses of seven
colours named after the Vedic metres such as
GayatrT.
At first sight this description looks to be metaphori-
cal and we are prone to think that there is no chariot
or horse or driver in reality. We
are aware of descrip-
tions comparing the human body to a chariot with the
sense organs and motor organs as
horses, the as mind
the reins, the individual as the driver with half-
^soul
grown limbs like Aruna, Sri Mukhyaprana as the truly
able driver and the Supreme God as the" Master in the
Chapter -XII 297
chariot. The body is also metaphorically picturised as

a boat sailing upon the turbulent ocean of life. And
it looks as if the of the sun's chariot is
description
also metaphorical. But God's deeds are surpassingly
wonderful. Truly there are the chariot and its phara-
phernalia, all of the stuff of light predominantly, and
they also convey metaphorical significance. The sun's
rays convey not only heat and light but also propagate
,
Vedic meanings. The horses draw the chariot and also

act as presiding deities of Vedic metres.
The length, breadth, height and such other details

of the sun's chariot are noted in the Puranas. Accord-
ing to Srimad Bhagavatam, the length of the chariot is
36 lakh yojanas and its breadth, 9 lakh yojanas.
According to figures gathered by a devotee, Sri

UppaK Madhava Rao, from various sources, the total
height of the Sun's chariot comes to 2 lakh yojanas or
1,200,000 miles. If we suppose that the sun's globe of
light appears with a diameter of 1,200,000 miles, the
calculation made by modern scientists and the calcula-
tion provided by the votaries of Dasa Sahitya come very
close together. According to modern astronomers the
diameter of the sun globe is 110 times bigger than that
of the earth. The diameter of the earth is about 8000
miles and the diameter of the sun should be 880000
miles. The difference of about 300000 miles may be
taken as the extent of the corona around the sun's
globe.
According to the calculation of measurements

mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam, the size of the^ Sun's
Chariot will be far too big. Its width itself will be
54 lakh miles; and its extensions at the front and the
back sides will be another 54 lakh miles each. It is
difficult to guess the import of these figures. Perhaps,
the bigger dimensions include the Chief central part of
1200000 miles and the further extensions provided for
other purposes.
While describing the wheel of the sun's d

iot, it said to consist of 'Trinabhi', 'Saijnemi'
is *
'Dvadasara' (containing three-fold hub, six-fold

and twelve spokes). There is also a description
the presiding deities on each side of the 'wheel?
sixty thousand pigmy sages named Valakhilyas,
e
as small as a man's thumb, in the front part of
sun's chariot, of divine beings like the Gandha*
at the rear worshipping Suryanarayana with so
and dances, and of great devotees like Naradamah*
around the middle part of the chariot. This descript
makes us think that the details given are true as *
as figurative. The three-fold hub suggests the tb
'Caturmasya' periods of the year; the six-fold rim $
gests the six seasons counted by the Indians;
and
twelve spokes refer to the twelve months of the y*
If this metaphorical picture should be shown as soi
thing real, the wheel of the Sun's Chariot must be

made and adjusted in a model of the Kalacakra as
make the starting point of the wheel to touch the sa
point of the Kalacakra, where it started, at the end
360 rounds.
We actually see a circus lady mounted on a wh
with just a seat and peddles and riding upon a wi
As such we need not feel surprised at the single wh
of the sun's chariot. That Chariot is not -driven j
by the agency of Aruna, with his undeveloped lim
Although he is called the driver, the Chariot is actua
moving by the authority of Lord Simsumara. A re
of force proceeding from the mouth of Siriisumaramii
and another proceeding from the Pole Star (wind ro]
as they are called) keep the Sun's Chariot in positi
and make it go along its course. The movements
all stars and planets are also controlled in the sai
manner.
Although Simsumaramurti has taken the form o

Scorpion standing upside down above the Meru moi
tain, He pervades the entire system
of the Time Wh
Ciapter - XII 299
and the whole universe in unseen form.

Thoughtful Newton, no doubt, discovered some fea-
tures of the Laws of Gravitation; but
though gravita-
tion is a property of material objects, that force can-
not act by itself. It is active because of the
presence of
Simsumaramurti in material things. He is in *Vayu
all
Kurma' (Tortoise of the chief of winds) beneath
forfci
the fourteen worlds and He himself is Visnu Kurma
supporting the Brahmanda (golden shell of the uni-
verse). It is on account of this that there is another
gravitational or magnetic field created in the North-
South direction. Instead of questioning the basis for
such surmise it is better to think that it is possible to
arrive at such conclusions only by means of the avail-
able data.
(The grace of a spiritual master gives the ability

to arrive at correct meanings.)
"Yasya deve para bhaktih yathadeve tatha gurau,

Tasyaifceiya JcathftaJhyartiiali prakasante mahatmanah."
(To him who has as much reverence for the spiri-

tual master as for God, hidden meanings reveal them-
selves.) We must give credit to the sayings cited above.
Scientists tell us that there are two kinds of mag-
netic fields surrounding the earth; and therefore rock-
ets cannot fly round the earth in the North-South di-
rection. The truth of this statement lies in the se-
cret of the two types of gravitational force set up by
Srmsumaramurti as controller of the time wheel and as
the supporter of the worlds in His Tortoise form. It may
be possible to overcome the effect of these lines of forces
by the use of specially designed mechanism. The Lord
of the universe, who goes by the name 'Yugadikrt', pre-
viously promoted the 'Mantrayuga' (age of mantras)
and 'Tantrayuga' (age of secret manipulations); and
now He is running the 'Yantrayuga (the age of ma-5
chinery). If it is His will, nothing is impossible.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that the sun's

chariot races keeping the Meru to the right, also to the
left. It is said that Aruna looks forward as well as
backward.
Suppose an ant is moving upon a potter's wheel in

the same direction, when the point of the wheel where
the ant started reaches the same starting position after
one complete round, the ant will be far behind that
point. It lags behind more and more during each round.
When the ant is moving forward, the hub of the wheel
is to its right, while lagging behind, the hub is to the
left. In the same manner the movements of the planets
like the sun are also of two kinds.
The Kalacakra (Time Wheel) covers a little more

than 9 crore, 51 lakh yojanas in 24 hours. The Sun's
Chariot moves on that wheel in the same direction with
less velocity. For this reason the lag of the Sun's Char-
iot is one degree every day; it lags 30 in one month.
Thus it covers each constellation of the Zodiac every
month by retardation. Aruna, the driver controls the
forward motion of the sun's Chariot keeping in view
the retardation to be effected. Hence he is said to look
forward as well as backward.
The velocity of the moon's Chariot exceeds the
velocity of the Sun's Chariot in retardation; hence it
covers each constellation in 2| days.
The Meru is to the right of the sun or the moon

in view of their forward movement; and it is to the left
in view of the retrograde motion.
Vadirajasvami has made

Sri this point clear in his
Bhugola Varnanam.
Laksocchritah suryarathassarunah saptavahanah,
Kalacakra sthitan rasin mandam mandam vrajan kramat;
Prsthe prsthe sthitam rasim sprsennottara gaminam,
Aid vama gatih prokta cakradhara sthitasya ca,
Kramena Prstha rasim tu masamatre sprsedravih;
Chapter - XII 501
Candrascapi tato mandagatitvat prsthasthitam;

Rasim sardhadina dvandvenalva samsprsat kramat
Atastvara Pristhagatau natottara gatau vidhoh;
The Moon:
Followers of the Puranic way of thought may un-

derstand the situation of the sun somewhat easily. But
when the question of the moon comes it is very diffi-
cult to convince them. According to the Puranas the
sun is one lakh yojanas above the earth and the moon
is one lakh yojanas higher. Clinging to this statement
they argue, "the moon must be above the sun. It is

not right to say that the moon is two lakh miles from
our earth as is opined by the modern folk. That men
landed upon the moon is but a black lie". By geometri-
cal calculation it will be found that the moon is about
two lakh miles from us. It is thus - Look at the moon or
the sun simultaneously from two distant places on the
same latitude, with a difference of 30 - 40 longitude.
Observe the angles made to the moon or the sun from
the two points of observation and construct a trian-
gle accordingly. The altitude of the triangle gives the
distance between our earth and the sun or the moon.
There may be some physical factors unknown to us,
giving room for some illusion. Yet the geometrical
ob-
servation is almost correct. To close one's eyes to such
open facts in the name of Puranas is ridiculous.
Let us now see if reconciliation can be made with
the Puranic statements. In Srimad Bhagavatham the
text runs as follows:
Evam candrama arJcagabiastibliyali

UparistaJJaksa yojanata, upalabhyamanah.
(Canto V. Ch. 22)
The moon situated one lakh yojanas above the
is
rays of the sun. Srimad Bhagavatam does not say that

the moon is above the sun. Even if we say that the
moon's path is very near to our earth and show that
20
it isone lakh yojanas above the sun's rays, it will not

be wrong. The Gayatri mantra says that the Sun's
rays spread from the earth upto the Heavenly abode of
Indra (Svargaloka).
Om bhuhj Om
bhuvah, suvah,Om
Tatsavituh varenyam bhargah
We may say that the influence of the Sun's

rays even reach upto Satyaloka as seen from Pranava
Mantra.
It is also said that the path of Rahu is 10 thou-
sand Yojanas below that of the sun, that there are the
playgrounds of Yaksas, Raksasas, Pretas, Pisacas and
5hutas below Rahu and that the atmosphere extends
upto that.
Tato, dhastat yaksa raksah pisaca preta bhuta

Gananam viharajiram antariksarn yavadvayuh
Pravati Yavan megha upalabhjaiite"
(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto V, Ch. 24)
It is further said that lower still there is the earth
upto 100 yojanas and strongwinged birds like swans
and vultures are found flying there.
i -
Tato, dhastac chata yojananantara iyam prtlivi
yavadd hamsa bhasa syena suparnadayah patatri
pravara utpatantiti
(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto V. Ch. 24)
we find the paths of the sun and the moon
Since
swerving to the north and to the south of the equator
of our earth, it will not be right to consider the entire
terrestrial stretch from Jambudvipa to Puskaradvipa
as being uniformly flat. If we take into consideration
the measurements of the Sun's Chariot, the gap be-
tween its course and Rahu's path and the rest, it will
be seen that the rim of the Kalacakra supporting the
Sun's chariot should be one lakh yojanas above the ter-
f
restrial level c Puskaradvipa. If the height of the Sun's
chariot is two lakh yojanas, the mid point of the Sun's
Chapter - XII 303
orb, which almost in line with the earth's equator

is
(Bharata Khanda in Jambudvipa) will be about two

and a half lakh yojanas above the land of Puskaradvipa.
Therefore when we want to picturise the entire stretch
of earth,_we should understand that it slopes from
Jambudvipa upto Puskaradvipa, step by step consider-
ing Rahumandala and other features mentioned under-
neath, the Salt-water ocean surrounding Jambudvipa
must be one lakh yojanas down below. To say that the
moon's path lies one lakh yojanas above the Salt-Water
ocean touched by the Sun's rays, would be agreeable to
the words of Srimad Bhagavatam and to the rational
outlook. Here we must make use of the hint thrown
by the Matsya Purana that knotty points concerning
Bhugola and Khagola (Geographical and Astronomi-
cal questions at issue) must be resolved under shelter
of logic.
When it is thus said, naturally some one may ask,
"Is the moon's path a lakh of yojanas above the salt-
water ocean? What is the Puranic basis to say so?"
In the 45th chapter of the Vayu Purana we find

the following stanzas-
Uttaranam Kurunamtu parsve jneyantu dafcsine,

Samudram urmimaladlijam nana svara vibhusitam;
Candradvipam iti khyatam CandramandaJa samsthitam,
Sahasra yojananam tu sarvatah parimandalam.
Candradvipa within the bounds of the moon's

is
path. As there is Bharata Khanda to the south of

Jambudvipa, Uttarakuru Khanda is to the north. To
is the Candradvipa in
itswest, a little to the south
the midst of the Salt- Water ocean. Therefore it is
but right to say that the moon's path is above the
Salt-water ocean, about two lakh miles from Bhaxata
Khanda. This agrees with the finding by the geomet-
rical method.
Those of the older school have to bear another

point in mind. Instead of actually counting the heights
of the planets one above the other, it would be proper
also to take into account the controlling points in the
body of the Simsumara form of the Lord. For example,

the Sun's chariot is controlled by the mouth and the
moon by the 'Manas' (Heart) since Simsumaramurti
standing head down, tail up, the heart is above the
head by one lakh yojanas. This control point is
also known as Candra Mandala as seen from Srimad
Bhagavatam when the Descent of Ganga is described.
(V-17-4)
Tatoneka sahasra koti vimananika
Samkula devayanenavatarantindu
Mandalamavarya Brahmasadane nipatatL
Having watered the Saptarsimandala the holy

Gajiga, covered the Candramandala and then de-
scended to the top of Meru mountain where there is
an abode of Brahma.
If the! moon were above the Sun; this description
looks ridiculous.
Hence we have to cleverly reconcile well-known

facts with Puranic words.
The chariot of the moon is said to have three
wheels and ten white horses. We may guess that there
are two wheels causing the full-moon and The new-
moon phases and a third regulating the retardation
necessary to cover the constellations. Since the sun's
rays of seven colours unite to form the white rays, it
is said in the Vedas that one horse is designated by
seven names - Moon's light is derived from the sun in
the form of white raiys reflected. Therefore it is repre-
sented as ten horses having domain over properties of
water, growth of plants human psychology, etc. The
presiding deities of {he above factors are in the forms
of horses attending to concrete and abstract functions.
Chapter - XII 305
As stick, it need not be called repetition if it is said that

such descriptions are both figurative and substantial.
Any one can easily observe at nights how the moon

changes her path during every dark phase and bright
phase to the south and to the north. As the northern
course of the sun is day and the southern course night
for the divine beings (six months each), the moon's
northern course during the bright phase is day for the
deities of the moon sphere and the southern course
during the dark phase is night for them. Conversely,
the fortnight of the dark phase is day for the 'pitrs'
(Parental deities) and that of the bright phase is night.
Full-moon day is auspicious for the deities of moonland;
new-moon day is auspicious for the 'Pitrs'.
The cause for variation in the moon's brightness
during the two phases is explained in a particular way
by modern astronomers. However, we can show by di-
agram that the variations occur because the sun's lag-
ging in the constellations is slower and that of the moon
is quicker. During a period of two weeks when the sun
has covered 15 degree of a particular constellation, the
moon will have reached the constellation right in the
opposite direction. Then it is full-moon. At the end of
the next fortnight the sun and the moon will be at the
same constellation. Then it is new-moon. The increase
or decrease in the moon's brightness occurs gradually
during the successive fortnights.
Extension of the Orbits:-
Yadadas taraner mandalam pratapatas tadvistarato

Yojanayutamacaksate dvadasa sahasram
somasya trayodasasahasram rahoh.
(Srlmad BMgavatam Canto V. Ch. 243)
Commentators have opined that 'dvadasa' may be
taken to mean 'dvidasa' and Hrayodasa' to mean Hri-
dasa'. Basing their concepts on this provision and the
words of other Puf anas, many say that the orb of the
sun is ten thousand yojanas wide, the orb of the
moon is twenty thousand yojanas and that of Rahu,
thirty thousand yojanas. Some say that Rahumandala

is 40,000 yojanas. But all this is contrary to visual
proof.
Therefore this aspect must be comprehended with
a different meaning. The world 'mandala' has two
meanings globe and circle (orb and orbit). By
suryamandala we mean the Sun's orb as well as the
orbit of the sun above the circular Manasottara moun-
tain. Similarly by Candrarnandala we mean the moon's
orb as well as the moon's orbit around the Meru
mountain. The part of Antariksaloka encompassed
by the orbit and the point of control in the body of
Siihsumaramurti must also be considered as meaning
'mandala'. The whole sky under the umbrella shape
formed % from the mouth of Simsumaramurti upto the
moon's orbit is 'Candramandala' There is good reason
for this interpretation. While describing the descent of
Gang a that came down from the crevice in Brahmanda
caused by the touch of Lord Trivikrama's great toe of
the left foot, Srimad Bhagavatham (V. 17.4) says,
Tato' neJta sahasralcoti vimananiia samkula devayanena avata-

rantindumandalamavarya Brahmasadane nipatati.
The moon's orb is at a lower level than that
of the Meru top. When it is said that the flow of
Gang reached Candramandala and then came down
a
to Brahma's abode atop the Meru moutain, it must be
understood that it touched the region of Simsumara
murti's heart and covered the sky down to the top of
that mountain. This description also proves that the
moon's orb is not above that of the sun. If the two were
one above the other, the flow of Ganga shoud have de-
viated its path horizontally to reach the moon about
ten crore miles away from the Meru and then returned
to reach Brahma's abode.
We shall now consider how the orbits are relatively

bigger. In the 53rd chapter of Vayu Purana it is said-
Chapter - XII 307
Daksinayana margastho yada bhavati rasmivan

Tada sarva grahanam sah suryodhastat prasarpati
Vistirnam mandalam krtva tasyordhvam carate sasl (95-96).
During the southern course of the sun, when he is to

the south of the equator, the sun's path is below that
of every other planet. The moon extends his orbit dur-
ing that period and keeps company with the sun in the
matter of rising and setting. 'Tasyordhvam' does not
mean above the sun. It means, 'upon the extended
path! In this context we should take into account the
width of the orbit in the north-south direction with ref-
erence to the word 'mandala' we know that the bangles
worn by women-folk may be thin like a wire or wide like
a broad strip. In the same manner we should consider
Suryamandala
v or Candramandala. The side width of
:
the Sun's orbit is equal to the diameter of the sun's

orb. Then, when We speak of the extension of the orb,
it means that the sun's path extends 10 thousand yo-
janas to the north or 10 thousand yojanas to the south.

The time wheel rises up for six months and goes down
for six months by the influence of Siriisumaramurti.
This fact is stated in Srimad Bhagavatam thus:
Yanmadiya gato bhagavamstapatampatis

Tapana atapena trilokim pratapatyava bha
sayatyatma bhasa sa esa udagayana
daksinayana vaisuvata samjabhir mandya
saighrya, samanabhir* gatibhih arohanavaro
hana samana sthanesu yathasavanam abhipadyamano
makaradisu rasisvaho ratrani dirgha hrasva sam&nani vidhatte.
Canto V Ch. 21
The glorious sun god, who is in between the two

hemispheres of the Brahmanda, and who is the Lord
of all the bright worlds, gives heat to all the three
worlds and brightens them. by his own light. This sun,
having three courses, viz. Uttarayana, Daksinayana
and Visuvadayana (equatorial path) and moving with
quick, slow or mean velocities, appearing in the upper,
the lower or the middle courses, according to seasons,

goes through the constellations like Makara and makes
the days and nights longer or shorter or even.
From the above description it must be now clear
that Bharata Khanda is globular like an inverted pot.
Because the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capri-
corn, lying to the north and to the south of the equator,
are smaller than the equator in circumference, the sun
rises earlier and sets later for those in the northern
hemisphere during the northern course (uttarayana)
when the days are longer and nights shorter. At the
same time days are shorter and nights are longer for
those in the southern hemisphere. The effect is re-
versed during the southern course of the sun.
Here we may also note down that the northern and
the southern courses of the sun are due to the raising
and lowering of the time wheel and not due to the earth
going round the sun with inclined axis as proposed by
Kepler.
As the rim of the Time wheel, supporting the sun's
chariot, goes up or goes down ten thousand yojanas
each way, the rim supporting the moon's chariot goes
up or goes down twenty thousand yojanas each way;
and that of Rahu, forty thousand yojanas up or down.
On account of this arrangement eclipses take place
when the sun, the moon and Rahu (including ketu)
are at the same constellation, close to each other.
ECLIPSES:
School children of these days tell us that Lunar
Eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the Sun
and the moon, and Solar Eclipse takes place when the
moon comes between the earth and the sun. They even
make figures as found in their books and place before
us. Similarly the Indian Almanac framers follow the
Helio Centric Theory of modern astronomers to say
that the sun is the centre of the planetary system. They
say that the earth is a planet and do not include Rahu
Ciapter - XII 309
or Ketu in this sytem. In line with the modern thinkers,

they say that Rahu and Ketu are only nodes that seem
to form by the apparent intersection of the orbits of the
sun and the moon. Yet, strangely enough, they give
places to Rahu and Ketu in the 'Navagraha Worship'
(Worship of the nine planetary deities) and keep idols
of Rahu and Ketu in the Navagraha Temples.
Therefore it is clear that pur Almanac framers

have been caught in the whirlpool of modern astron-
omy, though unwilling to give up the ancient system.
They are struggling because they have not been able
to point out Rahu and Ketu as planets.
If it be so, one may ask, how do the Almance

Pramers arrive at precise calculations? Whether we
say that the earth goes round the sun or that the sun
goes round the earth, there will be no difference in
calculations. Sri Arka Somayaji, the author of Jyotir
Vijnanam (Sampurnananda Grant hamala) says that
this is a fact.
Ravim parito bhramati bhumavina paddhatya,

Asmasu bhu prsthe vartamanesu bhumim sthiram
Prakalpya ravireva bhramati id vaktum sakyate.
(According to modern Astronomy the earth goes

round the sun. We, living on earth, may consider the
earth as fixed and we may say that the sun goes round
the earth.)
Rahu, the Son of his demon mother Simhika, is

a planet with the lion's head. A hundred serpent-like
tails, attached behind Rahu, go by
the name Ketu. The
course of these two united planets is upon the lowest
rim of the time wheel, ten thousand yojanas below the
sun's path.
Kalacakradi dharayam raiormandaJamiritam,

Tafcraiva ketu satakam rahuna saha tisthati
(Bhugola Varnanam of Sri Vadirajasvami)

Rahu is a black coloured planet, tie throws a jet of

black shadow. Ketu is a brown planet, throws a brown
jet.
Svarbhanostu tathaivavasvah krsnahyastau manojavah,

Ratham tamomayam tasya 80
Atha ketu rathasyasva .... palala dhuma samkasah (82)
-
Vayupurana ch. 52.
The
sun's orb or the moon's orb observed during
an may sometimes look blackish and some times
eclipse
brownish. This may be varified. When the eclipsed
part looks black, it is the eclipse caused by Rihu; when
it isbrown, it is caused by Ketu. These shadows do not
affect the sun or the moon actually. Because the black
or the brown jets intercept the rays coming towards
us, it looks as though shadows have fallen on the Sun
or the Moon. Therefore it is said that Rahu or Ketu
swallows the sun or the moon. But the shadows do fall
on the earth.
Right at the moment, when the nodes are said to

be formed according to modern astronomers, the sun,
the moon and Rahu come together in about the same
longitudes of particular constellations of the Zodaic,
they don't actually obstruct each other.
Yadaiia rasau yogassyat tadahurgrahanam budhah;
Adhovapyurdhvadeseva raseh samyena ya gatih
Saeva yogah sarvesam natvekatra saha sthitih,
Urdhvadho gaminam tesam kathamekatra sangamah.
(Bhugola varnanam of Sri Vadiraja svami)
(Learned people say that an eclipse takes place when

the sun, the moon and Rahu meet together in the di-
rection of a particular constellation. Either above or
below, their appearance in the compass of a particular
constellation is said to be their coming together, not
their being in a horizontal line with the same
longi-
tude. How can they be in the same line when their
paths lie above or below?)
Chapter -XII 311
If we ask a good modern astronomer to say

whether the sun, the moon and the earth lie in a
straight line at the time of eclipse, they say that it
is not so; they appear to be in a line due to the effect
of parallax.
The rays of the sun and the moon enter into our
nervous systems through our skins ( direct rays or their
pervasive eifects) and healthy influences on the func-
tions of our organs. At the time of an eclipse this
healthy influence is cut off; also, the evil effects caused
by Rahu or Ketu are there. Therefore, during the pe-
riod of an eclipse, if we bathe and chant mantras and
do such other things to please the gods, they will save
us from the evil effects of the eclipse. To free the sun
or the moon from the clutches of Rahu or Ketu only
means freeing ourselves from the evil effects. It is like
saying, 'Let the Lord be victorious', which means, /Let
him help us to be victorious'.
Jambudvipa;
/ _
Sri Vadirajasvami has said,

Idam lokatmakam padmam ghanodambujavad babliau.
(This lotus
- form of the worlds has come up
like a lotus from the water frozen at the bottom in
Brahmanda)
Therefore, when we want to get a picture of the
worlds, we should think of a lotus or a cluster of lotus
flowers, variously arranged.
We may say that the shape of Jambudvipa is some-
what a shallow basin because, the rim of the basin,
like
called Jambudvipa, is high enough to prevent the light
coming from the sun, the moon and the low-lying stars
from reaching the middle parts of the island.
Madhyamam yanmaya proktam namna varsarn ilavrtam,

jVa tatra suryastapati nacajiryanti manavah.
Candrasuryau sa naksatra vaprakasa vilavrte.
(Vayu Purana Ch. 46.)

(In the Ilavrta Varsa, stretching around the Meru

Mountain in the middle of Jambudvipa, sun's heat is
not experienced. The people of that region do not grow
old. The moon, the sun and the stars do not shed their
light upon the Ilavrta Varsha
Althouth Jambudvipa is basin like on the whole,

the physical features of its nine varsas, are varied on
account of mountains and river valleys. The six varsas
(sub-divisions of the island) to the north and to the
south are bow- shaped, each measuring 9000 yojanas
north - south. The Bhadrasva and the Ketumalavarsas
are on the eastern and the western sides of the
island,
each varsa being 33 thousand yojanas wide. But, says
Sri Vadirajasvami, the
sage of God- Vision, that each
of these varsas has two mountains such that the sym-
metrical shape of the island may not be spoiled.
Ekasminnapi varshesmin dvaugire nirmitau kramat;

Caturdiksu ca samyaya praticyam caivameva hi.
Ata ekopi varsoyam tredhasyat khanditodribhih;
Sarva bhagepi samyaya navatvam ca na hanyate.
This being the case, in each of the two varsas -

Bhadrasva and Ketumala, excepting the space occu-
pied by the three ranges of mountains each two thou-
sand yojanas wide, there will be three stretches of land
left, each nine thousand yojanas in width.
If thus we conceive the basin shape of

Jambudvipa,
a doubt arises that the Ganga waters coming down
from the Meru mountain must collect. in Ilavrta varsa
instead of reaching the salt-water ocean surrounding
Jambudvipa. But, the Ganga waters do not descend
from the top of Meru mountain like torrential water
falls, they descend in vaporous form and move from
one mountain top to the other to run down like rivers
in the plains of the varsas. (Bhugola varnanam of
Vadirajasvami).
Ciapter - XII
As tie rivers flow they cut through the hills and

mountains to form gorges and they finally reach the
salt- water ocean. (Vayu Purana. Ch. 42)
Bharata Varsa, Bharata Khanda and Bharata Desa:

Bhaxata Varsa, the 'Karma Biumi' (land of
fruitive actions), is the most important region in the
whole universe. While describing this varsa, the
Pnranas have given enigmatic accounts making us al-
most helpless. It is difficult to guess the reasons for
such misleading accounts.
A general statement is made that the width of
Bhaxata Varsa is nine thousand yojanas from tJfie salt-
water ocean to tie Himalayas, its nortiern limit. But,
alZ tie mountains and rivers said to exist in Bharata
Varsa are only those found in Bharata Desa (India).
Let alone this oddity. In the Vayu Purana, ciapter
45, it is said tiat tie extent of Biarata Varsa is from
JCanyaJcumari (Cape Comerin) to the Himalayas where
river Gariga taies its birti.
Tie extent of tie varsa, tien, will be only 2000

miles instead of nine thousand yojanas or 54 thousand
miles. Then again it is also said tiat tiis island is one
thousand yojanas from south to north; which comes to
6000 miles. It looks strange when further it is said that
Bharata Varsa ias nine islands and ours is the middle
one of them.
Bharatasyasya varsasya navabhedah Prakirtitah;

Samudrantarita jneya ste tvagamyah parasparam,
IndradvipaJi Kaserusca tamravarni gabhastiman;
Nagadvipastatha saumyo gandharvastvatha varunah;

Ayam tu navamastesam dvipah sagara samvrtah.
Purana - Ch. 45)
Having said such contradictory things, it is said again

that the width of Bharata Varsha is 9000 yojanas.
"Tiryaguttara Vistirnah sahasrani navaiva tu"
Matsya Purana gives the same account.

Yojananam sahasram tu dvipo' yam daksinottaram;
Ayatastva kumaribhyo gangayah prabhavava dhih
Tiryagurdhvam tu vistirno sahasrani navaiva tu. ,
(ch. 113)
With judicious interpretation we can solve the
riddle created by the above descriptions. The entire
stretch of Bharata Varsa is nine thousand yojanas from
the salt-water ocean to the Himalayas forming the bor-
der between Bharata Vaxsa and Kimpurusa Varsa. The
<land area of Bharata Khanda on our side is one thou-
sand yojanas or 6000 miles from Cape Comerin to the
Arctic ocean. The most important part of Bharata
Varsa, tie BJiarata Desa, spreads, only from Cape
Comerin to the Himalayas with which we are familiar.
The Khanda or isolated lump of earth is surrounded by

oceans indicates that land masses of Bharata Khanda
are surrounded by the pacific ocean, the Atlantic ocean
and the Indian Ocean. It is therefore that the Khandas
like Indradvipa and the rest have no intercommunica-
tion.
It is only Bharatadesa
(India) which is meant for
washing off sins and earning merit by means of sacri-
fices and penances, and to acquire spiritual
knowledge,
habit of detachment and devotion to god. For this
reason Srimad Bhagavatam gives a description of the
hills, rivers and holy places of only Bharata Desa and
that persons who have earned great merit get the
tells
chance of being born in this country.
Aho amisam kimakari sobianam,

Prasanna esam svidutassvavam Harih:
Chapter - XII 315
Yairjanma labdham nrsu bharatajire;

Mukunda sevaupayikam sprha hi nah
Kalpayusam sthana jayat punarbhavat,
Ksanayusam bharata bhujayo varam;
Ksanena martyena krtam manasvinah
Samnyasya samyantyabhayam padam Hareh
Prapta nrjatim tviha ye cajantavo
Jnana kriya dravya kalapa sambhrtam;
Na vai yateran na punar bhavaya te,
Bhuyo vanaunka ivayant! bandhanam.
(Srimad Bhagavatam V -
19)
(Denizens of heavenly regions say thus. Those human

beings who are born in that Bharata Desa, where we
aspire to be born, must have earned very great merit
or, Sri Hari must have Himself showered His grace upon
them. Being born in Bharata Desa is beneficial to serve
the Lord of Vaikuntha which only is the acme of a
purposefull life.
It is better to live in Bharata Desa for just a while

rather than to spend long long periods equal to 'Manu
Kalpas' in the higher regions of happineses. By dedi-
cating the wisely done deeds to Sri Hari in this land,
one can achieve salvation in the minimum span of time.
Those, who are born in Bharata Desa, which is

conducive for the performance of sacrifices and for gain-
ing spiritual knowledge, will be caught once again in
the net of worldly life if they do not endeavour to gain
the 'Permanent Abode of Liberated Life' (Vaikuntha
Padavi)
Living beings, wherever they may be found in the
universe, certainly commit sins or do good deeds. They
must necessarily eat the fruits of such deeds. Jaya and
Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, axe in evidence
of this truth. It is not such deeds that cause Bharata
Varsa to be called 'Karma Bhumi'. One is fully re-
warded for his meritorious acts of wisdom in the form
of sacrifices and duties prescribed for castes and
stages
life, if performed in Bharata Varsa, expedally i

-Bharata Desa, which is most congenial. Hence, tho&
feorn in this land are the highly merited ones.
The performance of prescribed duties was of in
F>ortance in the previous ages (yugas) ; but any ac
which is sanctified by spiritual knowledge is what J
Prescribed for this age of democracy. Let the citizen
*>zid the domiciles of Bharata, who are the owners c
tie rich mines of true knowledge, make use of sue
knowledge in their lives and disseminate the seeds c
enlightenment through out the world to serve humanit t
i-n the right manner. Let everyone enjoy the

Blessing
ojf tie Almighty Lord, Sri Hari, the spouse of Sri Devi
V. BADARAYANA
* * *
r.T.D. Religious Publications Series No S71
:
Price : Rs. 25/-
/"
Printed and Published by Dr. I.V. Subba Rao. I.A.S., Executive Officer,
T.T. Devasthanams and Printed at TTD Press, Tirupati

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THE PROCESS OF CREATION

TIRUMALA TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAMS, TIRUPATI

T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No.; 571

First Edition : 1999

All rights reserved

T.T. Devasthanams Press

Through their lyrics in simple Kannada, the

The mystery of creation as revealed in the

We believe that the reader will be benefited by

The aim of every one is to secure happiness. But

differentanswers from different persons. Among them,

There are also those who shape their views ac-

II. Ways of Gaining Knowledge:

If reality as it is, we can see that

of books. But the modernists' stand is to brush aside

thing only by the experimental method.

Not being properly acquainted with Knowledge

The wise ones should reasonably understand all

Naturally, the answers to the above questions may

literature of the Haridasas of Karnataka, backed by

Ill Greatness of tie Vedas:

Vedic literatures form the very foundations of all

pressions conveying the greatest truths. All the

ings of the Vedas are beginningless and spiritualistic.

All the religious faiths that we see in the world to-

day have taken shapes following the footsteps of Vedic

there (Aryavarta) we must seek not only for

the cradle of Brahmin religion but also for the cradle

Theogony of the Hindus P. 168 Count Bjornstjerna

Will Durant in his

"India was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the

Arecent Russian History of India, in three Vol-

Warren Hastings who was Governor General of In-

"There is nothing like oriental largeness for our

When scholars of foreign countries are thus show-

The western writers of Indian History argued thus-

"According to Darwin and the other scientists of

Let us examine this standpoint. It is declared in

Modern scholars try to understand the progress of

true that there are descriptions of certain ge-

ographical regions and a few famous rivers of India

Historians with the Darwinian outlook, say that

On account of some of the latest discoveries the

legorical in as much as they stand for the perpetual

Merely by looking at the linguistic differences it

Those of the Hindus, who perform, daily prayers

The Vedas describe the ways of Creation and the

the Time factor, the prime material causes and the

Hence it willright to say that the Vedas were

The very terms 'Veda', 'Sruti', and 'Amnaya' in-

'Srutis'because they have been heard by the ancient

from beginningless time in the same form without the

Here is the evidence of Vaxaha Purana in this

Maxmuller, the well-knowncritic of the Vedas has

IV. Scientific OutJoolc in Vedic Literature;