Studies in the Epics and Puranas c8.101

c8.101

Another account follows giving a description of nine creations.⁵² To Brahmā, in the beginning of the Kalpas, whilst he was meditating on creation, there appeared a creation beginning with ignorance and consisting of darkness. From that great being there appeared five-fold ignorance, and subsequently he produced animal creation, ūrdhvasrotas and arvāksrotas. This is known as the first creation or the creation of Brahmā, i.e., the evolution of mahat. From this was evolved ahaṃkāra, and from this the five subtle elements (*tanmātras*)—śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha which became manifest respectively as the five *bhūtas*, ākāśa, vāyu, tejas, ambhas and pṛthvī.⁵³ This was the second stage, the Bhūta Sarga. In the next stage, the five karmendriyas, the five jñānendriyas and the mind proceeded from the intellectual principle (*buddhi*). These three stages were Prākṛta Sarga (creation from Prakṛti). All these principles and elements through the influence of Puruṣa combined and formed an egg, Brahmāṇḍa, wherein, assuming the *rajas guṇa*, he became active. Brahmā next brought into existence this world, which represents the fourth creation; and later through meditation originated fifthly, the animal kingdom, sixthly the gods, seventhly mankind, eighthly the intellectual notions called *anugraha*, and ninthly Sanatkumāra and other semi-divine mind-born sons who remained celibate whence this creation is called Kaumāra. In all these, the three *guṇas* existed in different states of predominance. The first three *sargas*, as already stated, were called Prākṛta, the next five were known as Vaikṛta, and the last one, the ninth, was the Kaumāra.⁵⁴