Mokshadharma Parva — The origin of the universe. The creator and the living creature

Yudhishthira said Whence has this universe, consisting of mobile and immobile creatures, originated? Whom does it go to when it is destroyed? Tell me this, O grandfather.

Indeed, by whom has this universe with its oceans, its sky, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, been created.

How were all objects created? Whence has this division of creatures originated? Whence are their purity and impurity, and the laws about virtue and vice?

Of what nature is the life of living creatures? Where also do they go who die? Tell us everything about this and the next world.

Bhishina said Regarding it is cited the old discourse of the sacred words the Bhrigu said in reply to the questions of Bharadwaja addressed him thusकैलासशिखरे दृष्ट्वा दीप्यमानं महौजसम्।

Seeing the sage Bhrigu, endued with high power and effulgent seated on the peak of Kailasa mountain, Bharadvaja said him

Bharadwaja said By whom was this world its ocean, its sky, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, created?

How were all creatures first created? Whence originated this distinction of castes? Whence the purity and the impurity of conduct, and whence the laws about virtue and vice, for living creatures?

What type of individual soul is of the living creatures? Where they go after the death. What is this and next world? You are able to explain all the things.

Thus accosted about his doubts by Bharadwaja, the illustrious and twice-born Rishi Bhrigu who took after Brahma itself, replied to him thus.

Bhrigu said There is a Primeval Being, known to the great Rishis, by the name of Manasa. He is without beginning and without end. That Divine being cannot be cut by weapons. he is without decay and is immortal.

He is Unmanifest. he is Eternal, Undecaying, and Unchangeable. By Him are crcatures born and through Him they die.

He first created a Divine Being known by the name of Mahat (Great). Mahat created Consciousness, who created Space. That powerful Being holds all created objects.

From Space was born Water, and from Water were born Fire and Wind. Through the union of Fire and Wind was born the Earth.

Self-born Manasa then created a divine Lotus of Energy. From that Lotus originated Brahmana, that Ocean of Veda.

The Shrutis say that as soon as born, that divine Being uttered the words—I am He. For this He passed by the name of Consciousness. All created things are his body and He is their Creator. These five elements that we see are the Brahman of great energy.

The Mountains from his bones. the Earth forins his fat and flesh. the Oceans constitute his blood. space is his stomach.

The Wind forins his breath. Fire his energy. The rivers forms his arteries and veins. Agni and Soma, otherwise called the Sun and the Moon, are his eyes.

The sky is above his head. The Earth is his two feet. The cardinal and minor points of compass are his arms, Forsooth, He is incapable of being known and His Soul cannot be conceived even by successful ascetics.

That Divine Being, who pervades the entire universe, passes also by the name of Ananta (Infinite). He lives in Consciousness, and persons of impure souls cannot know him.

Asked by you I have now told you of Him who created objects, and from whom this universe had originated.

Bharadwaja said What is the extent of the sky, of the points of the horizon, of the surface of this Earth, and of the Wind? By telling me the truth, remove my doubts.

The sky you see above is infinite. It is the abode of successful ascetics and of celestial beings. It is lovely and consists of various regions. Its limits cannot be determined.

The Sun and Moon cannot sec, above or below, beyond the range of their own rays. There where are rays of the Sun and the Moon cannot go are luminaries which are selfeffulgent and shining like the Sun or the fire.

Know this, O giver of honours, that even these luminaries which have great effulgence, do not see the limits of the sky for the inaccessibility and infinity of those limits.

This Space which even the very celestials cannot measure contains many shining and self-luminous worlds each above the other.

Beyond the limits of land are oceans, Beyond water is darkness. Beyond darkness is water again, and beyond water is fire.

Underneath, beyond the neither regions is water. Beyond water is the region of the great serpents. Beyond that is sky once more, and beyond the sky is water again.

Thus exist water and sky alternately without end. Such are the limits of the god of water. The very gods cannot determine the limits of fire and wind and water.

The nature of fire, wind, water, and land, is like that of space. It is the absence of true knowledge that draws distinction between them.

Sages read in various scriptures the limits of the three worlds and the ocean.

Who is there, however, who can set limits to what cannot be seen and what is inaccessible?

If even it becomes possible to learn the limits of the sky which is the region of the gods and successful ascetics, it is not possible to set limits to that which is limitless and passes by the name of the Infinite, to that which answers its name, viz., the high-souled Manasa?

When again His form is sometimes contracted and sometimes expanded, how can any one else save one who is equal to him, perceive his limits?

From the Lotus sprang first the Omniscient lord Brahman, endued with form, of the essence of Righteousness, and the Creator of all mobile and immobile things.

Bharadwaja said If Brahman originated from the Lotus, then it is the Lotus that should be considered as the first-born and not Brahman. Why, however, is Brahman said to be the first? Do you dispel this doubt of mine.

Bhrigu said The Earth is called that Lotus. It was created for giving a seat to that form of Manasa which became Brahman.

Extending up to heaven itself, the Sumeru became the pericarp of that Lotus. Remaining within it, the powerful Lord of the Universe created all the worlds.