History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.61

v7.c95.61

The Upaniṣads are full of theories of creation and of the nature of the First Principle A few passages may first be cited about creation The Bṛ Up. I. 4 (in 3-4, 7) has an original and significant passage on creation Some part of it is set out here ‘In the beginning this was Ātman alone in the form of Puruṣa; He (being alone) found no pleasure; he desired to have a second (a companion), he became of the extent of a male and a female in close embrace, he made this very Ātman fall aside in two parts that became husband and wife; from them were born men and he produced lower animals up to ants; this (universe) was then undeveloped (or not unfolded), it was then developed in names and forms, that (Ātman) entered into this up to the finger tips, just as a razor remains hidden in a sheath or just as the all supporting (fire) is not seen in wood’. In this passage the popular idea of the creation of the world is taken up and related to the one reality, Ātman, and the emphasis appears to be placed on the theory that the sole reality is Ātman, under the phantasmagoria of world phenomena. In Ch. Up VII. 10 1 it is said ‘this earth, mid regions, heaven, gods and men, beasts and birds. grass and herbs, animals including insects, butterflies, ants. These are all nothing but waters in solid form.’ The Chān. Up. (VI. 2. 3–4 and VI. 3. 2–3) states “in the beginning *Sat* alone was existent, one without a second; it thought ‘I shall become many, I shall have progeny”; it created heat (tejas), from tejas waters were produced, from water food; that divinity proposed ‘I shall enter into these three divinities (heat, water and food) with this living self and unfold name and form’. Here reference is made to three elements only viz *tejas*, water, and earth (*anna* is produced from plants which spring from the earth). It is not, however, proper to hold that only three were then recognized, these three were the most obvious and the other two Vāyu and Ākāśa mentioned in Ait. and Tai. Up. are elusive. The Ait. Up. (quoted in note 2451) begins “In the beginning there was here this Ātman alone, there was nothing else that was active (lit. that opened and closed eyes); He reflected’ I shall create worlds’. He created these worlds, the *ambhas* (water above heaven), marīci ‘rays’ (i e.) atmospheric region, death, waters”. Then the Up. proceeds: He created guardians of worlds and proposed to produce food for them. Then he reflected ‘how can this frame subsist apart from me? Then he reflected ‘by what way shall I enter into it?’ Then it is stated that he split open the crown of the head and entered by that door. The Tai Up. II. 6 says “He (the Ātman) desired ‘May I become many, I shall have progeny’; having practised tapas, he created all this (universe) whatever it is; after having created it he entered into it" and again in II. 7 'in the beginning this was *asat* (not unfolded), then it became *sat* (developed), it unfolded itself'. This is the basis of V. S I. 4. 26 (ātmakṛteḥ pariṇāmāt) which establishes that brahman is both *kartṛ* (agent) and *karma* (object) of creation. The same Up. in II. 1 speaks of the creation of ākāśa from the Ātman, of Vāyu from ākāśa, of Agni from Vāyu, of waters from Agni and of the earth from waters Here we have five elements instead of three (as in the Chān Up). The Ait. Up. III. 3 names the five elements and calls them Mahābhūtāni (though the usual order is not followed), so do Praśna VI. 4, Śv. Up. II. 12, Kaṭha III. 15 (where the five guṇas, śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha, each peculiar to the five elements from ākāśa to pṛthvī, are mentioned).²⁴⁵³