Chapter 182

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Whence has this universe consisting of mobile andimmobile creatures been created? Whom does it go to when destruction setsin? Tell me this, O grandsire! Indeed, by whom has this universe with itsoceans, its firmament, its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire,and its wind, been created. How were all objects created? Whence thisdivision into separate orders of existence? Whence are their purity andimpurity, and the ordinances about virtue and vice? Of what kind is thelife of living creatures? Where also do they go who die. Tell useverything about this and the other world.’

“Bhishma said, ‘In this connection is cited the old narrative of thesacred words that Bhrigu said in reply to the questions of Bharadwaja.Beholding the great Rishi Bhrigu blazing with energy and splendour,seated on the Kailasa summit, Bharadwaja addressed him in the followingwords.’

“Bharadwaja said, ‘By whom was this world with its ocean, its firmament,its mountains, its clouds, its lands, its fire, and its wind, created?How were all creatures first created? Whence this distinction of castes?Whence the purity and the impurity of (behaviour), and whence theordinances about virtue and vice, for living creatures? Of what kind isthe life of living creatures? Where do they go who die? It behoveth theeto tell me everything about this and the other world.’ Thus addressedabout his doubts by Bharadwaja, the illustrious and regenerate RishiBhrigu who resembled Brahma itself, replied unto him, saying these words.’

“Bhrigu said, ‘There is a Primeval Being, known to the great Rishis, ofthe name of Manasa. He is without beginning and without end. That DivineBeing is incapable of being penetrated by weapons. He is without decayand is Immortal. He is said to be Unmanifest. He is Eternal, Undecaying,and Unchangeable. Through Him are creatures born and through Him theydie. He first created a Divine Being known by the name of Mahat.[549]Mahat created Consciousness. That Divine Being created Space. Thatpuissant Being is the holder of all created objects. From Space was bornWater, and from Water were born Fire and Wind. Through the union of Fireand Wind was born the Earth. Self-born Manasa then created a divine Lotuspregnant with Energy. From that Lotus sprang Brahman, that Ocean ofVeda.[550] The Srutis say that as soon as born, that divine Being utteredthe words, ‘I am He!’ For this He came to be called by the name ofConsciousness. He has all created things for his body and He is theirCreator.[551] These five elements that we see are that Brahman of greatenergy. The mountains are his bones. The earth is his fat and flesh. Theoceans are his blood. Space is his stomach. The Wind is his breath. Fireis his energy. The rivers are his arteries and veins. Agni and Soma,otherwise called the Sun and the Moon, are called his eyes. The firmamentabove is his head. The earth is his two feet. The cardinal and subsidiarypoints of the horizon are his arms. Without doubt, He is incapable ofbeing known and His Soul is inconceivable by even persons crowned withascetic success. The Divine Being, who pervades the whole universe, isalso known by the name of Ananta (Infinite). He lives in Consciousness,and is incapable of being known by persons of uncleansed souls. Asked bythee I have now told thee of Him who created Consciousness for evokinginto existence all created objects, and from whom this universe hassprung.’

“Bharadwaja said, ‘What is the extent of the firmament, of the points ofthe horizon, of the surface of this earth, and of the Wind? By telling methe truth, solve my doubts.’

“Bhrigu said, ‘The sky thou seest above is Infinite. It is the abode ofpersons crowned with ascetic success and of divine beings. It isdelightful, and consists of various regions. Its limits cannot beascertained. The Sun and the Moon cannot see, above or below, beyond therange of their own rays. There where the rays of the Sun and the Mooncannot reach are luminaries[552] which are self-effulgent and whichpossess splendour like that of the Sun or the fire. Know this, O giver ofhonours, that possessed of far-famed splendour, even these last do notbehold the limits of the firmament in consequence of the inaccessibilityand infinity of those limits. This Space which the very gods cannotmeasure is fall of many blazing and self-luminous worlds each above theother. Beyond the limits of land are oceans of water. Beyond water isdarkness. Beyond darkness is water again, and beyond the last is fire.Downwards, beyond the nether regions, is water. Beyond water is theregion belonging to the great snakes. Beyond that is sky once more, andbeyond the sky is water again. Even thus there is water and skyalternately without end. Even such are the limits of the Divinityrepresented by water. The very gods are unable to ascertain limits offire and wind and water. The nature of fire, wind, water, and land, islike that of space. They are distinguished through want of trueKnowledge. Sages read in diverse scriptures the limits that have beendeclared of the three worlds and the ocean. Who is there, however, thatwould set limits to what cannot be grasped by vision and what isinaccessible (in all its parts)? If even it becomes possible to ascertainthe limits of the firmament which is the track of the gods and beingscrowned with ascetic success, it can never be possible to set limits tothat which is limitless and known by the name of the Infinite, to thatwhich correspond with the name by which it is known, viz., what has beencalled the high-souled Manasa? When again His form is sometimescontracted and sometimes expanded, how can any one else except one thatis equal to Him, be able to comprehend His limits? From the Lotus (ofwhich I have already spoken) was first created the Omniscient lord,Brahman, endued with form, of essence comprised of Righteousness, and theCreator of all mobile and immobile things.

“Bharadwaja said, ‘If Brahman sprang from the Lotus, then it is the Lotusthat should be regarded as the First-born and not Brahman. Why, however,is Brahma said to be the first? Do thou remove that doubt of mine.’

“Bhrigu said, ‘The Earth it is that is called the Lotus. It was createdfor giving a seat unto that form of Manasa which became Brahman. Reachingup to heaven itself, the Sumeru became the pericarp of the Lotus.Remaining within it, the puissant Lord of the Universe created all theworlds.'”