avyakta origin mythology

Source: here.

The two tantric upaniShads, avyakta and nR^isiMha-tApini are clear in their pA~ncharAtra affinities. Yet the saMkhya origin mythology of the avyakta is a pretty remarkable piece that is worth considering, for it is a rather distinctive expression of earliest stages of the universe. While in general concepts is similar to the thoughts expressed in other pA~ncharatra sAMkhya origin mythologies, such as the lakShmi-tantra, it different in the details. Of course it does not go into the details of the ta~nmAtras and their ontology like the account in the viShNu purANa, but its clarification of the early events in just two paragraphs is useful.

purA kiledaM na kiMchannAsIn, na dyaur nAntarikshaM, na pR^ithivI |
kevalaM jyotI rUpam anAdy-anantam anaNv-asthUla-rUpam arUpaM rUpavad avij~neyaM j~nAna-rUpam AnandamayaM AsIt |

In the past there was neither the heavens, nor the mid-regions nor the earth. There was only an entity of the form of light, which was without a source nor end, it was neither an atomic particle nor a continous mass, it had not distinct form, yet had a certain distinctness, it was unknowable, yet of the was of the form of information, it was endowed with the “blissful” consciousness.

tad ananyat tad dvedhAbhUd-dharitam ekaM raktam aparam |
tatra yad raktaM tat puMso rUpam abhUt |
yad-dharitaM tan mAyAyAH |
tau samagachChataH |
tayor-vIryam evam anandat |
tad avardhata |
tadaNDam abhUd-dhaimam |
tat pariNamamAnam abhUt |
tataH parameShThI vyajAyata ||

That one entity without a second then produced a pair, one ‘yellow’ and the other ‘red’.
The one which was red becme that form known as the puruSha.
The one which was yellow became that form mAyA.
The two united.
Thus their generative power was satisfied.
It expanded.
It [thus] became the glowing [golden] egg (hirANyagarbha).
It underwent further evolution.
From that emerged parameShTin.

-The word for evolution in the sAMkhya ontology, pariNamana is clearly used.
-The first paragraph and the first portion of the second roughly maps to the philosophical account of origin mythology provided by the nAsadIya sUktaM or the R^igveda. The second half of the second paragraph corresponds to the hirANyagarbha sUktaM of the R^igveda. From these ancient starting points it is interesting to note that the Hindus developed several accounts of the origin of the universe each differing somewhat in their details. Examples of such are seen the bR^igu smR^iti, the manu smR^iti, and the later tantric texts. So these ideas have hoary continuity in the Hindu world and should be considered the result of endogenous speculation on such topics.