Adhyaya 1 PAda 4 AdhikaraNa 7
Brahman is Both Primary and Secondary Cause
Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
ViShaya: Now that he has refuted the atheistic
pradhAna theory, he will refute some theistic
theories and prove that all scriptural descriptions of the cause
of the universe refer to the Supreme Brahman. Let us consider the following scriptural passages.
tasmAd vA etasmAd Atmana AkAshaH sambhUtaH
"From AtmA the sky was manifested."
- TaittirIya UpaniShad 2.1.1
yato vA imAni bhUtAni jAyante
"From the Supreme these creatures were born."
- TaittirIya UpaniShad 2.1.1
sad eva saumyedam agra AsId ekam evAdvitIyaM tad aikShata
bahu syAm prajAyeya
"O gentle one, in the beginning was the Supreme, who was one
without a second. He thought: Let me become many. Let me
become the father of many."
- ChAndogya UpaniShad 6.2.1
sa aikShata lokAn nu sR^ijA
"He thought: Now I shall create the worlds."
- Aitareya UpaniShad 1.1.2
SaMshaya: Should Brahman be considering the
Primary Cause or the ingredient of the creation? Because the
UpasniShads say sa aikShata (He thought:
"Now I shall create the worlds") the first proposal, that
Brahman is the Primary cause and not the ingredient of creation,
should be considered true. Although the UpaniShad
says tasmAd vA etasmAd Atmana AkAshaH sambhUtaH (FromAtmA the sky was manifested) still this
should be interpreted to mean only that the Supreme is the
Primary Creator (and not the ingredient of creation) of the
worlds. The quotes tad aikShata bahu syAm prajAyeya
(He thought: "Let me become many. Let me become the
father of many.") and sa aikShata lokAn nu sR^ijA
(He thought: "Now I shall create the worlds."), because
of their clear explanation that the Lord.as thinking precedes the
creation, show that the Lord is the Primary Creator in the same
way a potter is the creator of pots. Because the creation itself
and the ingredients of which it is made must have the same
nature, the ingredient of the material creation must be the
material energy (prakR^iti). It is not possible to
say that the Primary Cause of creation is identical with the
ingredients of the creation. In the material world made of dull
matter the ingredients are earth and the other elements and the
creator is consciousness, just as pots are made of the elements
and the creator of the pots is the conscious potter. Here the
pots and the potter are clearly different. Furthermore many
diverse causes may create a single effect. Therefore it cannot be
said that a single thing is both the primary cause and the
ingredient of creation. The changing material energy (
prakR^iti), which is controlled by the unchanging Brahman
is the ingredient of the changing material universe and Brahman
is only its Primary Cause. This statement is not based only on
logic, for it is also supported by the following passage of the
Culika UpaniShad:
vikAra-jananIm aj~nAM
aShTa-rUpAm ajAM dhruvam
dhyAyate .adhyAsitA tena
tanyate preritA punaH
sUyate puruShArthaM ca
tenaivAdhiShThitA jagat
gaur anAdy-antavatI sA
janitrI bhUta-bhAvinI
sitAsitA ca raktA ca
sarvakAm adhunA vibhoH
pibanty enAm aviShamAm
avij~nAtAH kumArakAH
ekas tu pibate devaH
svacchando .atra vashAnugAm
dhyAna-kriyAbhyAM bhagavAn
bhu~Nkte .asau prasabhaM vibhuH
sarva-sAdhAraNIM dogdhrIM
pIyamAnAM tu yajvabhiH
catur-viMshati-sa~NkhyAkaM
avyaktaM vyaktam ucyate
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead meditates on the
unborn, eternal, unintelligent material nature (
prakR^iti), who has eight forms, and by His order the
material nature creates the material worlds and the various goals
of life adopted by the living entities. Material nature is a
beginningless, endless cow, the mother of the worlds. Without
knowing, her children, the creatures in goodness, passion, and
ignorance all drink her nourishing milk. The one independent,
all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead strongly enjoys her
with thought and deed, she who is the milk-giving mother of all,
who is drunk by the performers of sacrifice, and who is said to
be both the unmanifested and the manifested divided into 24
elements."
Furthermore, the ViShNu PurANa says:
yathA sannidhi-mAtreNa
gandhaH kShobhAya jAyate
manaso nopakartR^itvAt
tathAsau parameshvaraH
sannidhAnAd yathAkAsha-
kAlAdyAH kAraNaM taroH
tathaivAparigAmena
vishvasya bhagavAn hariH
nimitta-mAtram evAsau
sR^iShTAnAM sarga-karmaNi
pradhAna-kAriNI bhUtA
yato vai sR^ijya-shaktayaH
"When there is a fragrant flower before someone, the
fragrance is touched by the smelling power of the person, yet the
smelling and the flower are detached from one another. There is a
similar connection between the material world and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead: actually He has nothing to do with this
material world, but He creates by His glance and ordains. In
summary, material nature, without the superintendence of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot do anything. Yet the
Supreme Personality is detached from all material activities."
For these reasons whatever scriptural passages state that
Brahman is the ingredient of the creation should be interpreted
to have a different meaning.
SiddhAntaTo this argument:
SUtra 23
prakR^itish ca pratij~nA dR^iShTAntAnuparodhAt
prakR^itiH - material nature; ca - and; pratij~nA - theproposition to be proved;
dR^iShTAnta - example; anuparodhAt - because of not
contradicting.
Brahman is also the material nature (prakR^iti)
because this view is not contradicted by the statements and
examples (given in the scriptures).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
Brahman is the material nature (prakR^iti), the
ingredient of the world. How is that? It is so because
pratij~nA-dR^iShTAntAnuparodhAt, which means
Because this view is not contradicted by the statements and
examples of the scriptures." An example may be given from the
ChAndogya UpaniShad 6.1.3:
shvetaketo yan nu saumyedaM mahA-manA anUcAna-mAnI stabdho
.asy uta tam Adesham aprAkShIr yenAshrutaM shrutaM bhavaty amataM
matam avij~nAtaM vij~nAtam ity eka-vij
24Anena sarva-vij~nAna-viShayA pratij~nA
"Gentle shvetaketu, you are now very proud and arrogant,
thinking yourself a great Vedic scholar. Did you ask for the
teaching that makes the unheard heard, the unthinkable thinkable,
and the unknown known?"
Here the statement is the existence of a single teaching,
the knowledge of which makes everything known. This teaching must
be about the ingredient of the world for only that knowledge
would not contradict the description in this passage. That
ingredient of the world is not different from the original
creator of the world. They are one, unlike the pot and the
potter, which are different from each other.
The following example is given (ChAndogya UpaniShad
6.1.10):
yathA saumyaikena mR^it-piNDena sarvaM mR^iN-mayaM
vij~nAtaM syAt
"O gentle one, as by knowing the
nature of clay, everything made of clay becomes known, in the
same way by understanding this one teaching everything becomes
known."
These words of the shruti must refer to the
ingredient of the world. they cannot refer to only the original
creator of the world, for by understanding only the potter one
does not understand the pot. Therefore, to avoid contradicting
these words of the scripture, it must be concluded that Brahman
is not only the original creator of the world, but the ingredient
of which the world is made as well.
SUtra 24
abhidhyopadeshAc ca
abhidhya - will; upadeshAc - because of the
teaching; ca - and.
Because (the scriptures) teach (that in this age the world
was created by His) will and (in previous creations the world was
also created by His will, it must be concluded that Brahman is
both the original cause of creation and the ingredient of the
creation as well).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
In this sUtra the word ca (and)
means "and many other things that are not explicitly
mentioned here."
The TaittirIya UpaniShad (2.6.1) explains:
so .akAmayata bahu syAM prajAyeya sa tapo .atapyata tapas
taptvA idaM sarvam asR^ijat. yad idaM ki~ncana tat sR^iShTvA
tad evAnuprAvishat. tad anupravishya sac ca tyac cAbhavat.
"He desired: I will become many. I will father many
children. He performed austerities and created everything. Then
He entered within the world He had created. After He entered He
became all that is manifest and all that is unmanifest."
Because it is here taught that by His own desire He resides
as ParamAtmA within all conscious living entities and unconscious
matter, and because it is also taught here that he is the creator
of everything, it must be concluded that He is both the
ingredient of the which the creation is made and the original
creator and as well.
SUtra 25
sAkShAc cobhayAmnAnAt
sAkShAt - directly; ca - certainly;
ubhaya - both; AmnAnAt - because of direct statement.
(Brahman is both creator and the ingredient of creation)
because both (truths) are directly stated (in the scriptures).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The word ca here means "certainly."
The TaittirIya BrAhmaNa (2.8.9.6) explains:
kiMsvid vanaM ka u sa vR^ikSha AsIt
yato dyAvA-pR^ithivI niShTatakShuH
maNIShiNo manasA pR^icchataitat
yad adhyatiShThad bhuvanAni dhArayan
brahma vanaM brahma sa vR^ikSha AsIt
yato dyAvA-pR^ithivI niShTatakShuH
manIShiNo manasA prabravImi
vo brahmAdhyatiShThad buvanAni dhArayan
"What was the forest? What was the tree? From what tree
in what forest did He fashion heaven and earth? Ask these
questions, O wise ones. Where did He stand when He created the
worlds? Brahman was the forest. Brahman was the tree. From
Brahman He created heaven and earth. O wise ones, I tell you, He
stood on Brahman when He created the worlds."
These questions and answers clearly show that Brahman is
both the creator and the ingredient from which the creation is
made. From the tree-ingredient the creation, designated by the
word "heaven and earth" comes. The word
niShTatakShuH means "the Supreme Personality of
Godhead created." Although niShtatakShuH is plural,
the opposite, the singular, is intended here. This is a use of
Vedic poetic license. The questions "What is the tree?
What is the forest where the tree rests? Where does He stand when
He created the worlds?" are asked in terms of the things of this
world and the answers describe something beyond this world. In
this way it may be understood that Brahman is both the creator
and the ingredient of which the world is made.
SUtra 26
Atma-kR^iteH pariNAmAt
Atma - self; kR^iteH - because of making; pariNAmAt - becauseof transformation.
(Brahman is both the creator and the ingredient of the
creation) because He transformed Himself (into the world).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The TaittirIya UpaniShad (2.6.2) says:
so
.akAmayata
"He desired: I shall become many."
It also says (2.7.1):
tad AtmAnaM svayam akuruta
"He created the
world from His own Self."
In this way the scriptures explain that
Brahman is both the creator and the ingredient from which the
creation is made.
Someone may object: How can the eternally-perfect
creator be also the creation?
To answer this objection he says
pariNMAt (because He has transformed Himself). This
does not contradict the changelessness of Brahman for a certain
kind of transformation is not incompatible with changelessness.
Here is the truth of this. In the following passages the
shruti explains that Brahman has three potencies:
parAsya shaktir vividhaiva shruyate
"The Supreme has many potencies."
- shvetAshvatara UpaniShad 6.8
pradhAna-kShetraj~na-patir guNeshaH
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of
pradhAna (material nature), kShetraj~na
(the individual spirit souls), and guNa (the
three material modes)."
- shvetAshvatara UpaniShad 6.16
The smR^iti (ViShNu PurAna) also
explains:
viShNu-shaktiH parA proktA
kShetraj~nAkhyA tathA parA
avidyA-karma-saMj~nAnyA
tR^itIyA shaktir ucyate
"The potency of Lord ViShNu is summarized in three
categories: namely the spiritual potency, the living entities,
and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge;
the living entitles, although belonging to the spiritual potency,
are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which
is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities."
In this way the scriptures explain that Brahman is both the
creator and the ingredient of which the creation is made. He is
the first (the creator) by the agency of His spiritual potency
and He is the second (the ingredient of which the creation is
made) by the agency of the other two potencies. This
interpretation is confirmed by the aphorism sa-visheSheNa
vidhi-niShedhau visheShaNam upasa~NkrAmate (an adjective
describes both what a noun is and what it is not).
The scriptures also explain (shvetAshvatara
UpaniShad 4.1):
ya eko .avarNo bahudhA shakti-yogAd
varNAn anekAn nihitArtho dadhAti
vi caiti cAnte vishvam Adau sa devaH
sa no buddhyA shubhayA saMyunaktau
"May the one, unrivalled Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who for His own purpose created the many varieties of living
entities by the agency of His potencies, who created everything
in the beginning and into whom everything enters at the end,
grant pure intelligence to us."
As the supreme unchangeable the Supreme Brahman is the
original cause of creation, and as the pariNAmi
(the transformable) Brahman is also the ingredient of which the
creation is made. In His subtle nature Brahman is the creator and
in His nature as gross matter He is the creation itself. In this
way it is established that the Supreme Brahman is both creator
and creation. The creation is thus like a lump of clay that may
be shaped in different ways. The word pariNAmAt
(because of transformation) in this sUtra clearly
refutes the theory that declares the material world a
vivarta (illusion) that has no reality. The statement
that the material world is an illusion superimposed on Brahman
just as the existence of silver is an illusion superimposed on an
oyster shell with a silvery sheen cannot be accepted because the
oyster shell is an object that can be placed before the viewer,
but Brahman, because it is all-pervading cannot be placed before
the viewer and therefore an illusion cannot be superimposed on
it. One may object that although the sky is all-pervading
illusions may be superimposed on it. However, Brahman is not like
the sky in the sense that the sky may be approached by the
material observer but Brahman remains beyond the reach of the
material senses and therefore an illusion cannot be superimposed
on it. Furthermore, the existence of an illusion implies the
existence of something different from the thing on which the
illusion is superimposed. Without the existence of something
separate there is no possibility of an illusion. In the end,
therefore, the vivarta theory postulates the
existence of something different from Brahman. This is the fault
in their theory. When the scriptures state that the material
world is an illusion it should be understood these words are are
a device intended to create renunciation. This is the opinion of
they who know the truth. The material world, however, displays a
complicated structure of different elements grouped in categories
of higher and lower, and in this way it is very much unlike an
illusion, where nothing is very stable and one things is
continually changing into another. In this way it may be
understood that the vivarta theory (that the
material world isd an illusion) is untrue and the
pariNAma theory (that the material world is a
transformation of Brahman) is the truth taught in the Vedic scriptures.
SUtra 27
yonish ca hi gIyate
yoniH - the place of birth; ca - also; hi - indeed;gIyate - is declared.
(The scriptures) declare that (Brahman is the) womb
(from which the material world was born).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The shruti-shAstra explains:
yad bhUta-yoniM paripashyanti dhIrAH
"The wise see that Brahman is the womb from which
everything was born."
- MuNDaka UpaniShad
1.1.6
kartAram IshaM puruShaM brahma-yonim
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original
creator, the womb from which everything was born."
- MuNDaka UpaniShad 3.1.6
In these verses the word yonim (womb) describes
Brahman as the ingredient of creation and the words
kartAraM puruSham (the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the original creator) describe Brahman as the creator. In this
way Brahman is described as both the creator and the ingredient
of which the creation is made. The word yoni (womb)
means "the ingredient of which the creation is made."
This is confirmed in the words:
pR^ithivI yonir oShadhi-
vanaspatInAm
"The earth is the womb from which the trees
and plants are born."
In both common sense and Vedic revelation
the creator and the ingredients from which the creation is made
are considered are always considered different and it is not
possible to say that the creator and the ingredient of which his
creation is made are identical. However, the previously quoted
passages from the shruti clearly explain that in
this case Brahman is both the creator and the ingredient of which
His creation is made.
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