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Re: creation

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jayasartn • May 5, 2002 


SRIMATE RAMANUJAYA NAMAH!

The nearly 2 dozen postings on the question of why of creation were 
food for thought and thought- provoking too. 

Let me in this message attempt to give some interpretations for the 
few questions further raised in the other messages and bring to the 
notice of the learned devotees some information on the question of 
why of creation. At the same time I honestly request the devotees to 
kidly pardon me for any mistake / lapse in this message.

Now the questions:-

QUESTION 1.
IS IT RIGHT FOR THE SEEKER OF VEDANTIC TRUTH TAKE CUES FROM THE 
LIMITED REALM OF PHYSICS/ SCIENCE?

In the interpretation of texts and in the defence of their 
philosophy, reason is to be fully utilised. Vedanta is not a cult 
based on mere faith, but a philosophgical inquiry employing methods 
of logical investiagtion. Even the Visishtadvada school of thought 
recognises the validity of observation, perception and inference. Sri 
Ramanuja had underscored the need to supplement and augment the 
primary scripture of Vedanta with the secondary scriptures like 
ITHIHASA, SMIRITI TEXTS as also DIVYA PRABANDAHAM.

But today's massive strides in astronomy and cosmology are too 
tempting to draw parallels and seem suitable enough to look at 
Vedanta through the prism of physics too. (Infact aren't the 
physicists too attempting to unravel the difficult question of our 
beginnings?)
 In my humble opinion it is not wrong to make such attempts. For is 
it not also a part/ branch of knowledge enshrined in the knowledge of 
the Absolute? But that it is also incompltete in answering the basic 
queries as any other branch of knowledge is indiputable!

At another level, loking at the mundane / physical world, one gets 
initiated into the meta physical world. As one gets divulged with awe 
into the observable things outside, the appreciation of the subtle 
springs up. Of  particular interest is the subtle exposition of the 
subtler essence of visishtathvaitha as one can  experience in the 
pasuram 845 (NDP) of THIRUCHANDA VIRUTHAM

" OONIN MEYA AAVI NEE, URAKKAMODU UNARCHI NEE.
AANIN MEYA AINDUM NEE, AVATRUL NINDRA THOOIMAI NEE.
VAANINODU MANNUM NEE, VALAM KADAL PAYANUM NEE,
YAANUM NEE ADANDRI EN PIRANUM NEE ERAMANE!
(Yaanum nee -advaitic;
en piranum nee - visesha advaitic)

The inquiry into the sthoola, trains the mind to look into the 
shookahma aspects of the sthoola. That is probably the reason the 
practioner is advised to go in stages from the ordiunary (mundane)to 
the ethereal.


QUESTION 2.
DOES CREATION ENTAIL CREATION OF JIVAS, THE NON LIVING OR THE 
CREATION OF THE UNIVRERSE FROM BIG BANG ONWARDS?

Ramanuja holds that souls are not created. They are birthless and 
eternal. Souls have existed in BRAHMAN from all eternity as a mode 
(prakara) of BRAHMAN. so have the elements. At the time of creation , 
the elements undergo a change in their essential nature, and 
therefore are said to be originated, but the jiva doesn't undergo any 
change. There is only an expansion of their intelligence, making them 
fit to enjoy the fruit of their karma, and so they are said to be 
uncreated. Hence texts which speak of their creation mean only their 
expansion of theuir  intelligence , like sparks emnating rom fires 
(BRAHMA SUTRAS)
The term creation (srushti) also is found missing in texts like 
Taittriya upanishad. It only uses the term 'sprang' ('BRAHMANA 
VIPASCHITHETI)
" fROM AKASHA , SPRANG VAAYU, FROM VAAYU AGNI, FROM AGNI JALAM, FROM 
JALAM PRITHVI, FROM PRITHVI OSHDAYAH(PLANTS) FROM PLANTS ANNAM, FROM 
ANNAM MANG, isn't it?)

In the first chapter of Taiittriya upanishad, upasana of 5 MAHA 
SAMHITHAS is recommended to the disciple. The MMAHASAMHITHAS namely, 
ADHI LOKAM, ADHI JYOTHISHAM, ADHI VIDHYAM, ADHI PRAJAM AND ADHYATHMAM 
trace the evolution of the subtle in the sthoola.

QUESTION 3
 CAN THE QUESTION OF CREATION AND THE NATURE OF CRAETION BE EXPLAINED 
BY OUR LIMITED PERCEPTION?

Certainly not. But that need not be a dettereent for the seeker to 
put in place the pieces that he/ she gets to understand to build a 
better undwerstanding of the question.
It is said
YATHO VACHO NIVARTHANTE/ APRAPYA MANASA SAHA/ (TAI II-9)
(FROM  WHERE SPEACH TOGETHER WITH THE MIND TURNS AWAY)
Here a question arises, talking in a literal sense - When will 
something be turned away? After striking something?  Is it sent back? 
(like echo)if so it can be assumed that the words and the mind have 
actually struck the BRAHMAN but for want of a wholesome experience 
(as aided by manas, vigyana and ananda) they can not understand and 
are turned back. 
Can it be like this?  Like the 6 blind persons who actually got to 
explore the big elephant, but understood only in parts due to their 
limited perception and came out with varying description of the 
elephant.Our words and perception are similar to this and hence it is 
said unless one has experienced It, one cannot explain It (But 
kandavar vindilar and vindavar kandilar is also true)
Therefore it is said, AANADAM BRAHMANO VIDVAN/ NA BIBHETHI  
KUTASCHANETHI/ (TAI II-9)
(the one who has attained or experienced the BRAHMANANDAM feels no 
fear)
Strtching this, it can be said our perception, though limited and the 
subsequent inference can lead us towards the right path of 
knowledge,TOWARDS brahman,  of course with the aid of scriptures and 
acharya anugraha.

QUESTION 4
DO SCRIPTURES ANSWER WHY CREATION HAS HAPPENED? 

The answer lies in the ii chapter of BRAHMA SUTRAS (sutras 32 and 33)
NA PRAYOJANAVANTHVATHU/
LOKAVANTHU LEELA KAIVALYAM/
(BRAHMAN's creation has no motive behind except a sportive impulse)

Nobody engages in any action without a motive or purpose. But did God 
have a motive to create? This purpose can be two fold.  It can be 
either to satify one's own desire or for the sake of others. Brahman 
being self sufficient, It has nothing to gain for Itself by the 
creation of this world.If it is for the sake of others- the jivas, to 
get released from bondage, It could have created a world full of 
happiness. But herein comes to play the law of karma according which 
the jivas dispose of their bondage.
34 th sutra of the Brahma sutra implies that God takes into account 
the past karma of various beings before creating them as gods, men or 
lower animals. (A man becomes good by good work, bad by abd work- 
Brihadaranyaka)The lord is only the operative cause in the creation 
of beings, the main cause is the past karma of the  jivas. Just as 
rain helps differenrt seeds to sprout, each according to nature,  ao 
the lord is the general efficient cause in bringing the latent 
tendencies of each individual into fruition.

That the reason is LEELA is also confirmed by
NDP

Read NAMMAZHWAR THIRUVAIMOZHI  -3002 (IN THE JANMAM PALAPALA - 7th 
PASURAM 7th LINE )

THUNBAMUM INBAMUM AAGIYA SAI VINAIYAI
ULAGANGALUMAI
INBAMIL VEN NARGAHGI INIYA NAL
VAAN SWARGANGALUMAI
MAN PALLUYIRGALUMAGI PALA PALA
MAAYA MAYAKKUGALAL
INBURUM EV VILAYAATTUDAIYANAI
PETRATHUM ALLINANE

( vilaiyaattudaiyanai - the one who effected creation as a sport/ 
play)
read ramanuja's SHARANAGATHI GHADHYAM.
THE  following lines depict creation as a LEELAI

"SWA SNAKALPAANUVIDHAYI SWAROOPASTHITHI PRAVRITHI SWASESHATAIKA 
SWABHAVA PRAKRITHI PURUSHA KAALAATHMAKA VIVIDHA VICHITHRANTHA BHOGHYA 
BHOKTHRU VARGA BHOGOPAKARANA BHOGHATHANA ROOPA NIKILA JAGAT UDHAYA 
VIBHAVA LAYA LEELA/

QUESTION 5
DOES NOT TELLING OF CREATION AS A SPORT, PAINT A BAD PICTURE OF THE 
LORD, WHO THEN WILL BE SEEN AS ENJOYING THE SUFFERINGS OF THE  
JIVAS?  DOES IT NOT AMOUNT TO GIVING A BAD ATTRIBUTE TO HIM 
PARTICULARLY WHEN HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ATTRIBUTE LESS? 

For this we must attempt to answer what is LEELA. Is vilaiyattu a 
game of playing with the lives of the JIVAS? If karma is the only 
cause of creation, the scope for LEELA does not arise. It can only be 
said that God was highly compassionate enough to show a way out for 
the Jivas to cross the 'Piravi Perum kadal'But why LEElA?
If it is vilayattu, both HE and the JIvas must be able to enjoy the 
play. Jivas can not be omitted from the LEELA game for they form a 
part of it because it is for them , that Creation holds a larger 
meaning.So when or how can they become part of the play and enjoy it 
too? (By asking this question . all that I am trying to do is to 
build a logical answer, taking help from scriptures. For, this LEELA 
part , in my limited knowledge of the scriptures has not been 
extensively discussed.
To draw some supportive information,
"In the beginning, dear boy, there was this being alone, one and 
only"( Chandogya vi -ii-1)
35th Brahman sutra (chapter ii) says no!The Jivas and their karma 
form an eternal stream  which is beginningless.Individual Jivas are 
not created  but existed even before creation in a subtle form as in- 
distinguishable from BRAHMAN " All this was unmanifest. It became 
manifest only as name and form" (Brahadaranuyaka)
"know that Prakriti and Purusha are both beginningless (Gita xiii, 19)
when scriptures talk of creation, they mean only the beginning of a 
new cycle. This is borne out by texts like, "The lord devised the Sun 
and the Moion as before" (Rig Veda) Hence shedding of karma become sa 
motive in subsequent cycles.
Assuming as scriptures say, that the cycles had no beginning,and were 
anaadhi, Why call it a LEELA?

Thinking of -"IT WILLED, 'MAY I BE MANY'" ( CHANDOGYA)
"He sees without eyes, He hears without ears, without hands and feet 
He hastens and grasps" (Swetasvatahra)
-shall we say that 
-the unmanifest which possessed all forms of manifestation -
- the attributeless one which had all the attributes - 
indulged in the LEELA  to bring out the arttributes into manifested 
forms. 
-To see for Itself and enjoy the many praises of Its own Vibhoothi -
of Its attributes as sung by the Jivas who inturn can become relieved 
from bondage singing in praise of Him.
Then don't  we say that the Lord is STHUTHI PRIYAN OR ALANKARA PRIYAN 
etc? 
Can we conclude that the primary cause of creation was to bring out 
manifestations to sing the praise of God.
 The Nithya suris are already there singing in praise of the Lord. 
And it is for the manifest Jivas to derive pleasure in extolling the 
graetnmess of the Lord thereby sheddig of the karma bondage.
Did  THIRUMAZHISAI ALWAR had this in mind when he said, 
"SOLLINAL PADAIKKA, 'NEE' PADAIKKA VANDU THONDRINAR" (THIRICHANDA 
VIRUTHAM, 762  NDP)
(To sing in praise  of you, YOU have created them )
or is the LEELA another version of BRAHMAN COMING TO RESIDE IN THE 
JIVA rather than vice versa. 
Innumerable examples from NDP can be cited to substantiate this.
a few -
"UNAKKU IDAMAAI IRUKKA ENNAI UNAKKU URITHAKKINAIYE" (471, PERIYALWAR)

 "MUTHANAAR MUKUNTHANAAR PUGUNDU NAMMUL MEVINAAR"(866, THIRUCHANDA 
VIRUTHAM)

Instead of the well publicised(?) goal of the Jiva reaching HIM, the 
prospect of HIM coming to glow in the jiva is probably the LEELA  God 
had been fascinated about. Probably this is right or not necessarily 
so. But then both are true for, BRAHMAN encompasses everything, both 
right and wrong,as perceived by scriptures!

ONCE AGAIN BEGGING FOR PARDON FOR MISTAKES IN INTERPRETATION (THOUGH 
UNINTENTIONAL)

jayasree sarnathan. 






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