History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c14.s1.13

c14.s1.13

The conception of cosmic evolution as advanced in the Chhandogya Upanishad is of an entirely different character. According to this, the universe in the beginning existed, so to say, in a highly refined or potential form like a seed or an embryo. This then changed into a grosser stuff, *ap* (water), which latter again changed into a still grosser body, egg. This egg, after a period of maturing, burst into two pieces, which gave rise to the two worlds, the Heaven and Earth. This is obviously a very crude picture, but curiously enough, bears some resemblance to the modern theory of evolution based on the idea of expanding universe.