Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1329

c9.1329

Svottha was concretised conception born out of the ultimate sky. Conceptions originate and die automatically. The whole visible world is imaginary. The world is there only when there is conception and in its absence no world exists. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and Indra are only parts of that conception. It is conception itself, which creates the world of three cities in nothingness or vacuum. On account of the blessing (will) of that fundamental Caitanya (awareness, life) the formless conception attains Brahmanhood (the universal self) and engages itself in the process of creation. The glittering city said to have been created in the sky is the fourteen worlds, the gardens in it are forests and woods, the play hills therein are mountains like the Himālayas, Meru etc. The two eternal lamps of heat and cold of the story refer to the Sun and Moon. The creepers or garlands of pearl refer to rivers. Special gems have been described as tendrils of lotus and fire in the ocean and the seven seas are described respectively as lotus and the seven tanks. The statement that in this three-tiered city the king of conception built play-houses referred to the creation of individual bodies. The houses were connected as those in the upper, middle and lower parts to denote living beings in the three worlds, Devaloka, Manuṣyaloka and Pātāla. Movement is the journey of bodies due to the flow of Prāṇa (breath). Pieces of wood refer to bones and the plastering is skin. Black grass said to have been used for thatching is hair on the head. The nine doors are the nine openings in the body. Windows refer to the ear, nose etc. The hand arms etc. are roads and the five sense organs, lamps. The guards, who shun and quit light, are the egoes which run away from knowledge and discretion. The king of conception or imagination born from non-materials finds enjoyment in the house of the body, but the enjoyment is only ephemeral. Imagination develops a moment and is extinguished, like the lamp, the next moment. The place or status of conceptions in the body may be compared to that of waves in the ocean. When desire takes place for things conceived it returns to the ‘body-house’, which is to be born, and it ends or perishes on achievement. Rebirth due to desire (will-power) is never for happiness, but is for unending sorrow and pain. The wide world causes sorrow because it is felt to be real. Absence of this feeling ends the sorrow as night swallows clouds. Lamentation is the appeal or expression of the mind remembering forbidden practices in life and ānanda happiness, the proud state of mind remembering noble practices. The three bodies of the king according to the three states-the best or highest, the middle one and the low-denote the three attributes (Sattva rajas-tamo guṇas) Causative of the existence of the world. The lowest of the attributes (tamoguṇa) or conceptions according to them, getting more and more pain-giving on account of uncultured action lead one to lower forms of life like the worm, tree, grass etc. Conception of real knowledge and truth is realisation of duty, righteousness and wisdom. It is next to the state of salvation called Deveśvara state. Rājas (the middle attribute) guṇa functions as material activities in the form of attachment to wife, son, wealth etc. When one has rejected the forms of guṇas (conceptions) and the very conception is thus annihilated, one attains the supreme state. Therefore, Oh! son! you reject all external perceptions, control the mind by itself and completely annihilate all internal and external conceptions. Whether you live in heaven, on earth or in pātāla and do intense tapas for thousands of years, unless conception is eliminated you will not attain salvation. After hearing the above explanation about the illusions in life, from his hiding place Vasiṣṭha went away. (Jñānavāsiṣṭha, Canto 17).