Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2444

c8.2444

2) Puruṣa is the vital sentient Truth that sets in action the entire Prapañca. This Puruṣa is Supreme among the Supreme, beyond human comprehension, without form, colour, name, without origin, growth, change or end, residing in himself and that which can only be imagined to exist. This puruṣa has got two different forms, the visible and the invisible and also a third imaginary one, time. The sages call Puruṣa the Sūkṣmaprakṛti (The subtle all-pervading spirit, the supreme soul). This Sūkṣmaprakṛti which cannot be measured by any unit of measure, is not attached to anything, is imperishable, is without decrepitude, is immovable and is without the senses of sound, touch smell or form. This Prakṛti endowed with the three guṇas, without beginning or end is eternal, is the root cause of this Prapañca. This Prakṛti pervaded over Prapañca from the beginning of the great Deluge to the beginning of creation. Brahmajnānins who were great seers and who knew the truth of the Vedas speak about Prakṛti thus : “There was no night or day then, neither the earth nor the sky, neither light nor darkness. There was nothing but this. There was only one Brahman merged in which were Prakṛti and Puruṣa, a brahman which could not be understood by any of the five senses nor by intelligence. It was from the supreme being of Viṣṇu that the two forms Prakṛti and Puruṣa originated. These two were separated from Viṣṇu at the time of the great deluge and again joined together at the time of creation. The form of Viṣṇu from which these occurred was termed Time. During the last great deluge this visible Prapañca merged with it and so, this deluge was called Prākṛtapralaya. Time is eternal, having no end and so the process of Sṛṣṭi, Sthiti and Saṃhāra (creation, existence and destruction) continued without any interruption.