The concept of Srishti in Mahabharata

ಲೋಕೋಽಯಂ ಕೇನ ನಿರ್ಮಿತಃ? ಕಥಂ ಸೃಷ್ಟಾನಿ ಭೂತಾನಿ? This world is created by whom? How are the Pancha Bhutas created? These questions were asked of Bhrigu by Bharadvaja.

Everything that is Anatma (other than the pure consciousness) is considered to be made of Pancha Bhutas or Mahabhutas. Hence it is important to know who created these Pancha Mahabhutas and how they came about.

Bhrigu responded:

12175011a ಮಾನಸೋ ನಾಮ ವಿಖ್ಯಾತಃ ಶ್ರುತಪೂರ್ವೋ ಮಹರ್ಷಿಭಿಃ|

12175011c ಅನಾದಿನಿಧನೋ ದೇವಸ್ತಥಾಭೇದ್ಯೋಽಜರಾಮರಃ||

12175012a ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಇತಿ ವಿಖ್ಯಾತಃ ಶಾಶ್ವತೋಽಥಾಕ್ಷರೋಽವ್ಯಯಃ|

12175012c ಯತಃ ಸೃಷ್ಟಾನಿ ಭೂತಾನಿ ಜಾಯಂತೇ ಚ ಮ್ರಿಯಂತಿ ಚ||

In the past, the Maharshis had heard of a ದೇವ who is ಅನಾದಿನಿಧನ (without beginning or end), ಅಜರ (without old age), ಅಮರ (without death) , who is ಅಭೇದ್ಯ (un-dividable), and who is known as ಮಾನಸ (consciousness). He was also known as ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತ (un-manifest), ಶಾಶ್ವತ (permanent), ಅಕ್ಷರ (without decay) and ಅವ್ಯಯ (without loss). He created the Pancha Bhutas. One important feature of these Bhutas is that, unlike the Consciousness, they ಜಾಯಂತೇ ಚ ಮ್ರಿಯಂತಿ ಚ come to being and they cease to be too.

He first created Akasha (space), also known as Mahat (vast). From Akasha, Aapa (water) came; from Aapa came Agni (fire) and Vayu (wind). From the combination of Agni and Vayu, Bhumi (earth) was born.

Then he created a divine Padma, from which Brahma, who had Veda as his wealth, was born. This Brahma is also known as Ahankara and consists of the Pancha Mahabhutas. Mountains are his bones, earth is his muscles. Ocean is his blood and Akasha is hi stomach. Wind is his breath. Agni is his radiance. Rivers are his nerves. Sun and the Moon are his eyes. End of the sky is his head, earth is his feet, and directions are his shoulders. He is Vishnu, known to have no end. He resides in every thing that exists, but is not easily known to those who have not realized themselves. He only created Ahamkara, to cause the birth of this universe.

While describing Krishna's greatness, Bhishma also describes how Vishnu caused the creation of Mahabhutas. He also describes that Vishnu, who was sleeping making the water itself his bed, thought of the first of all beings - Manasa or Sankarshana who is the bearer of all beings, the one contains all past and future beings.

12200008a ಮಹಾಭೂತಾನಿ ಭೂತಾತ್ಮಾ ಮಹಾತ್ಮಾ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮಃ|

12200008c ವಾಯುರ್ಜ್ಯೋತಿಸ್ತಥಾ ಚಾಪಃ ಖಂ ಗಾಂ ಚೈವಾನ್ವಕಲ್ಪಯತ್||

12200009a ಸ ದೃಷ್ಟ್ವಾ[1] ಪೃಥಿವೀಂ ಚೈವ ಸರ್ವಭೂತೇಶ್ವರಃ ಪ್ರಭುಃ|

12200009c ಅಪ್ಸ್ವೇವ ಶಯನಂ ಚಕ್ರೇ ಮಹಾತ್ಮಾ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮಃ||

12200010a ಸರ್ವತೇಜೋಮಯಸ್ತಸ್ಮಿನ್ ಶಯಾನಃ ಶಯನೇ ಶುಭೇ|

12200010c ಸೋಽಗ್ರಜಂ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನಾಂ ಸಂಕರ್ಷಣಮಚಿಂತಯತ್||

12200011a ಆಶ್ರಯಂ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನಾಂ ಮನಸೇತಿ ವಿಶುಶ್ರುಮ|

12200011c ಸ ಧಾರಯತಿ ಭೂತಾತ್ಮಾ ಉಭೇ ಭೂತಭವಿಷ್ಯತೀ||

With Sankarshana was born the Padma, in which Brahma came to being, illuminating all the directions.

12200012a ತತಸ್ತಸ್ಮಿನ್ಮಹಾಬಾಹೋ ಪ್ರಾದುರ್ಭೂತೇ ಮಹಾತ್ಮನಿ|

12200012c ಭಾಸ್ಕರಪ್ರತಿಮಂ ದಿವ್ಯಂ ನಾಭ್ಯಾಂ ಪದ್ಮಮಜಾಯತ||

12200013a ಸ ತತ್ರ ಭಗವಾನ್ದೇವಃ ಪುಷ್ಕರೇ ಭಾಸಯನ್ದಿಶಃ|

12200013c ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾ ಸಮಭವತ್ತಾತ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಪಿತಾಮಹಃ||

 

A Guru instructs his Shishya on the greatness of Krishna:

12203012a ಯತ್ತದಕ್ಷರಮವ್ಯಕ್ತಮಮೃತಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಶಾಶ್ವತಮ್|

12203012c ವದಂತಿ ಪುರುಷವ್ಯಾಘ್ರಂ ಕೇಶವಂ ಪುರುಷರ್ಷಭಮ್||

 

 

 

[1] ಸೃಷ್ಟ್ವಾ (ಗೀತಾ ಪ್ರೆಸ್).