July 8, 2026
evaṁ saṁpadyate brahmā tathā saṁpadyate hariḥ
evaṁ saṁpadyate rudra evaṁ saṁpadyate kṛmiḥ (37)
VASIṢṬHA continued:
As the particle of consciousness moves in space, it does “there” what it did “here” earlier. Thus sequence of time arises, as well as spatial distinctions like “above”, “below” and the directions. Though it is of the nature of space or void, it seems to become time, space, action, matter and awareness of the meaning of words, etc. Thus the ātivāhika (subtle) body comes into being. This itself by continued awareness of itself seems to condense into the material body.
Consciousness becomes embodied though it is truly like space, incapable of being contained. In it there arise the ideas of “head” and of “feet”, and it sees these as existing organs. Even so with the other limbs of the physical body. The same consciousness considers itself to be being and non-being, taking and rejecting, order and all the rest of it. It sees these notions as if they were real. Even so does it become Brahmā the creator; even so does it attain (to the state) of Hari or Viṣṇu; even so does it attain (or seemingly become) Rudra or Śiva; even so does it seemingly become a worm. In truth, however, it has not become any of these; it is as it is, pure void in void, consciousness in consciousness.
That is the seed of all bodies in the three worlds. It is the seed of even the saṁsāra (world-illusion) which bars the gate to liberation. It is the cause of all and it is the leader of time and action. It is the first person who, though unborn, seems to be born. “It does not have a material or physical body; hence it cannot be caught. Just as a man who is fighting with a lion in a dream shouts in that dream, though in truth he is silent and asleep, the infinite consciousness which entertains all these notions is at peace and silent within itself. The universe which extends to millions of miles in all directions exists in the minutest subatomic particle and the three worlds exist within one strand of hair (in comparison to the infinite consciousness).
Even Brahmā the creator, though he presides over the universe which is unimaginably vast and which is his body, exists in an atom; in fact, he does not occupy any space at all, just like the mountains seen in a dream. The cosmic person has been called svayaṁbhu Brahmā (the self-born creator) also as virāṭ (cosmic person); but in truth, O Rāma, he is but pure consciousness. Because this consciousness becomes aware of motion, it experiences such motion or life-force. This is the prāṇa and the apāna whose whirling motion comes to be known as wind in the universe which is the very heart of the universe. The exudations, as it were, of this prāṇa are known as vāta or wind, pitta or heat and śleṣma or moisture (the three humours of the body) and their cosmic counterparts wind, sun and the moon.