A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy c5.s3.2

c5.s3.2

17. The Muṇḍakopanishad offers a connecting link between such an emanatory theory of creation and a theistic theory as in the Śvetaśvatara which we shall presently discuss by suggesting a personal-impersonal theory of the origin of the universe and telling us that “at the beginning of creation, there existed a heavenly Formless Person who was unborn, without a mind, lustrous, and super-immutable. From him were born life, mind, senses, space, air, light, water, and earth, which last is the basis of the universe.....From him also were born gods of various descriptions, angels, men, beasts, and birds. From him were born rice and barley, penance and faith, truth, celibacy, and religious law .....He was likewise the source of all the oceans and mountains, the rivers which run to and fro, the herbs and trees, and the essence which runs through them, by which verily the inner Soul holds them all together” (S. 19). In this way were all earthly and celestial existences, all organic and inorganic nature, all moral and psychological qualities born from the primeval Person, who is yet described as formless and beyond even what we call the immutable. Even this account of the origin of the universe from the primeval Person is not entirely untainted by mythological considerations; but it stands much higher than any of the afore-discussed theories, and approaches the truly theistic theory of creation which accounts for the creation of all sorts of existences by the primeval Person. The truly theistic tinge, however, is yet lacking, because the passage from the Muṇḍakopanishad which we are discussing describes the Person as impersonal and speaks of emanation (Syandante) or generation (Jāyate) instead of creation proper.