Mokshadharma Parva — The creation : The Brahma

Yudhishthira said Tell me, O sire, that high Yoga by which, O Bharata, I may obtain liberation. O foremost of speakers, I wish to know everything about that Yoga truly.

Bhishma said 'Regarding it is cited the old narrative of the discourse between a preceptor and disciple on the subject of liberation.

There was a twice-born preceptor who was the foremost of Rishis. He looked like a mass of effulgence. Endued with a high soul, he was firm in truth and a complete master of his senses.

Once upon a time, a highly intelligent and attentive disciple, desirous of obtaining what was for his highest good touched the preceptor's feet, and standing with joined palms before him, said,-If O illustrious one, you have been pleased with the adoration I have offered you, you should solve a great doubt of mine.

Whence am I am and whence are you? Tell me this fully. Tell me also what is the final cause. Why also, O best of twice-born ones, when the material and destruction take place in such dissimilar ways? You should, O you of great learning, also explain the object of the saying in the Vedas, the meaning of the injunctions of the Smritis and of those injunctions which apply to all classes of men.

Listen, O disciple, O you of great wisdom. This what you have asked me is not described even in the very Vedas and is the highest subject for thought or discourse. It is called Adhyatma and is the most precious of all branches of learning and of all sacred institutes.

Vasudeva is the Supreme (cause) of the universe. He is the origin of the Vedas (viz., Om). He is Truth, Knowledge, Sacrifice, Renunciation, self-control, and Righteousness.

Persons well-read in Vedas know Him as pervading, all Eternal, Omnipresent, the Creator and the Destroyer, the Unmanifest, Brahma, Immutable.

Hear now from me the story of Him who was born in the Vrishni family. A Brahmana should hear the greatness of that God of gods, called Vishnu of immeasurable energy, from the lips of Brahmanas. A Kshatriya should hear it from persons of that order. One who is a Vaishya, should hear it from Vaishyas, and a high-souled Shudra should hear it from Sudras.

You deserve to hear it. Listen now to the sacred accounts of Krishna, that theme which is foremost of all themes. Vasudeva is the Wheel of Time, without beginning and without end. Existence and Non-existence are the qualities by which His real nature is known.

The universe rolls like a wheel, depending upon that Lord of all beings. O best of men, Keshava, that foremost of all beings is said to be Indestructible, unmanifest, Immortal Brahma, and Immutable.

The highest of the high, and without change or destruction himself, he created the departed manes, the gods, the Rishis, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Asuras, and mankind.

He also created the Vedas and the eternal duties and customs of men. Having reduced everything into nothing, he once more, in the beginning of a (new) cycle, creates Prakriti.

As the various phenomena of the several seasons set in one after another according to the season that comes, so creatures come into being at the commencement of every cycle.

Corresponding with those creatures who came into being, rules and duties are paid for regulating the world's course.

At the end of every cycle the Vedas and all other scriptures disappear. Through the favour of the Self-create, the great Rishis, by mcans of their penances, first re-acquire the lost Vedas and the scriptures.

The Self-create (Brahman) first acquired the Vedas. Their branches called the Angas were first acquired by Brihaspati. Bhrigu's son (Shukra) first acquired the science of ethics which is so beneficial for the universe.

Narada acquired the science of music; Bharadvaja that of arms; Gargya, the history of the celestial Rishis; the dark son of Atri that of medicine.

are Various other Rishis whose names connected therewith, promulgated various other sciences such as Philosophy, Logic, etc. Let that Brahma which those Rishis have described by arguments drawn from reason, by means of the Vedas, and by inferences drawn from the direct evidence of the senses, be worshipped.

Neither the gods nor the Rishis were able to grasp Brahma who is without beginning and who is the highest of the high. Only the divine creator of all things, viz., the powerful Narayana, had known of Brahma.

From Narayana, the Rishis the foremost of the deities, the Asuras, and the royal sages of old, acquired the knowledge of that highest panacea for the cure of sorrow.

When Prakriti creates through the action of Purusha, the universe with all its potencies begins to spring from it.

From one lighted lamp thousands of other lamps are capable of being lighted. Similarly, Prakriti produces thousands of existent things. On account of its infinity, primordial matter is never exhausted,

From the Unmanifest flows the Understanding determined by acts. The Understanding creates Consciousness. From Consciousness proceeds Space. From Space proceeds Wind.

From the Wind proceeds Heat. From Heat proceeds Water, and from Water is produced the Earth. These Eight form primordial Prakriti. The universe rests on them.

From those Eight have originated the five organs of knowledge, the five organs of action, the five objects of the (first five) organs, and the one, viz., the Mind, forining the sixteenth, which is the outcome of their modification.

The car, the skin, the two eyes, the tongue, and the nose are the five organs of knowledge. The two feet, the anus, the organ of generation, the two arms, and speech, are the five organs of action.

Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell are the five objects of the senses, covering all things. The Mind lives upon all the senses and their objects.

In the perception of taste, the Mind becomes the tongue, and in speech Mind become words. Covered with the different senses, Mind becomes all the objects.

These sixteen, existing in their respective forms, should be known as god. These adore Him who creates all knowledge and lives within the body.

Taste in the attribute of water; scent is the attribute of space; vision is the attribute of fire or light; and touch is the attribute of the wind. This is the case with all creatures at all times.

The Mind, is the attribute of existence. Existence springs from the Prakriti which exists in That which is the Soul of all existent beings.

These existence's, resting upon the supreme Divinity that is above Prakriti and that is inactive, uphold the entire universe of the mobile and immobile objects.

This sacred building of nine doors (body) is endued with all these existences. That which is high above them, viz., the Soul, lives within it, pervading it all over. Therefore it is called Purusha.

The Soul is not subject to decay and death. It has knowledge of what is manifest and what is unmanifest. It is again all-pervading, endued with qualities, subtile, and the refuge of all existence and qualities.

As a lamp shows all objects great or small, similarly the Soul dwells in all creatures as the principle of knowledge.

Making the car to hear what it hears, it is the Soul that hears. Likewise, making the works, it is the Soul that sees. This body supplies the means by which the Soul derives knowledge. The bodily organs are not the doers, but it is the Soul that is doer, of all acts.

There is fire in wood, but it is never seen by cutting upon a piece of wood. Similarly, the Soul lives within the body, but it can never be seen by cutting the body.

The fire which exists in wood may be seen by proper means, viz., rubbing the wood. Similarly, the Soul which lives within the body may be seen by employing proper means, viz., Yoga.

Water must exits in rivers. Rays of light are always attached to the sun. Similarly, thc Soul has a body. This connection is not stopped because of the constant succession of bodies that Soul has to pass through.

In a dream, the Soul, endued with the five senses, leaves the body and moves over wide areas. Similarly, when death takes place, the Soul passes out of one body for entering another.

The Soul is fettered by its pristine acts. Fettered by acts done by it in one state. Indeed, it is led from one into another body by its owni acts which are of very powerful consequences.

I will not describe how the owner of a human body, casting off his body, enters another, and then again into another, and how, indeed, the whole range of beings is the result of their respective acts.