History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.107

v7.c95.107

Accounts of creation occur frequently in the Mahābhārata, mostly in the Śāntiparva. All cannot be set out here, but a few would be described. Chap. 175. 11-21 (=Ch. ed. 182. 11-21) states that from God known as *Avyakta* all beings were born, he first created mahān also called ākāśa, from ākāśa water was produced, from water were produced fire and vāyu, from the combination of these two the earth was produced. Then the self-existent created a lotus, from which arose Brahmā, known as Ahaṅkāra and he produced the whole world. In chap. 176 (183 of Ch. ed.) it is stated that Brahmā first created water, from water arose Vāyu, from the combination of water and Vāyu arose Agni and earth was produced from the combination of Agni, Vāyu and ākāśa. Chap. 177 (=184, Ch. ed.) explains that the Mahābhūtas (great elements) are five viz vāyu, ākāśa, agni, water and earth, that all bodies are made of these five, that there are five *indriyas*, five objects of sense and five qualities, śabda, sparśa (touch), rūpa (colour), rasa (taste) and gandha (smell); subdivisions of each of these five are mentioned. Chap. 178 (=189 of Ch. ed.) speaks of the five prāṇas and the spheres of their activities. Chap. 179-180 (=186-187 of Ch. ed) deal with jīva (individual self) and states at the end that the body is perishable, that the self passes from one body to another and that by yoga one can see the self in the Highest Self. Chap. 200 (=207 Ch. ed.) states that Puruṣottama created the five elements, that he reclined on waters, that from his navel sprang a lotus brilliant like the sun, from which arose Brahmā, who created from his mind seven sons, Dakṣa, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu. Dakṣa had many daughters (the eldest being Diti), from these daughters Daityas, Ādityas, the other gods, Kāla and its parts, the earth, the four varṇas, all kinds of men, Āndhras, Pulindas, Śabaras and others in Dakṣiṇāpatha and in the Uttarāpatha, Yauna (Yavanas), Kāmbojas, Gāndhāras, Kirātas, Barbaras and others were produced. Chap. 224 (=231 Ch. ed.) starts by saying that in the beginning there was *brahma*, beginningless and endless, unknowable and proceeds to divisions of time from *nimeṣa* to the yugas and their characteristics. Herein occur verses that are the same as in Manusmṛti I. 65-67, 69-70, 75-77, 81-83, 85-86. It is difficult to say who borrow as even the Manusmṛti (in X. 44) mentions Paoṇḍrakas, Oḍras, Draviḍas, Kāmbojas and Yavanas, Śakas, Pāradas, Pahlavas, Cīnas, Kirātas, Daradas and Khaśas, as having been originally sub-divisions or sub-castes of Kṣatriyas (Kṣatriya-jātayaḥ) but reduced to the position of śūdras, because of losing all contact with brāhmaṇas (X. 43) and because of the cessation of religious rites (like Upanayana &c.). In Śānti 311 (=cr. ed. 299) creation is described in Sāṅkhya terms with Brahmā thrown in. Brahmā (identified with *mahān*) was born in the golden egg, he remained inside the egg for a year, then he created within the two parts of the egg (heaven and earth), antarikṣa, from ahaṅkāra five elements were produced and their five qualities are mentioned. Āśvamedhika (Chap. 40-42 is similar to Śānti 311) states the order of creation as avyakta-mahat-ahaṅkāra-five elements, the only peculiarity being that in verse 2 mahān is identified with Viṣṇu, Śambhu, buddhi and several other words are given as synonyms thereof.