November 10, 2026
sargo ‘yamiti tad buddhaṁ kṣaṇaṁ yatkacanaṁ citaḥ
kalpo ‘yamiti tad buddhaṁ kṣaṇaṁ tatkacanam citaḥ (10)
RĀMA said:
In this world-appearance with all its bewildering diversity, how does the cosmic order (niyati) function? How is it that the sun of all the celestial bodies is so hot and who ordained that the days be long some times and short at other times?
VASIṢṬHA replied:
The cosmic order arises and exists in the supreme being or the infinite consciousness by sheer coincidence (as the ripe cocoanut falls when a crow coincidentally alights on it). The manner in which it is is known as the universe. Because of the infinity and the omnipotence of consciousness, this cosmic order is seen to be endowed with intelligence. What thus exists is known as the cosmic order, niyati.
A momentary movement in consciousness is understood by it as “This is creation”; when there is a momentary movement of energy in consciousness, it knows it as “This is an epoch”. Similar movement of energy in consciousness alone is known as time, action, space, substance, etc. Even form, sight and the thought concerning these are but movement of energy which arises of its own accord in consciousness which is formless. Whatever arises in this manner is known as the character of the respective substance: this has come to be known as the cosmic order.
Essentially, a moment and an epoch are similar movements of energy in the infinite consciousness. They both arise naturally in consciousness and are therefore regarded as nature or the cosmic order. In this manner, in the one consciousness countless substances arise with their own characteristics. Thus, for instance, the earth is endowed with solidity and firmness and is able to support living beings – that is its characteristic in the cosmic order. Even so, it is the same in the case of the five elements, etc., including the sun. Their characteristics arise in the infinite consciousness as a corresponding movement of energy, and they come to be known as the cosmic order. The stellar sphere revolves like a wheel, again on account of the movement of energy that arises in consciousness. In that, some are brilliant and some less brilliant and some do not shine at all. Diverse are the characteristics of these diverse objects in this world-appearance. In reality, however, these have not really been created as objects. It is the infinite consciousness alone that appears as all these. The manner in which they appear to exist as long as they do exist is known as nature or the cosmic order, niyati.