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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 1: Sri Paraashara uvaacha - Avikaaraaya shuddhaaya nityaaya paramaatmane | Sadaika roopa roopaaya vishnave sarva jishnave || He does not have any vikaara, He is immutable, does not undergo any change.

Paramaatman’s svaroopa is explained wonderfully in the first seven shlokaas.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tat evam sankshepatah uktaanaam prati vachanaanaam vivaranatayaa
avataaryamaanasya puraanasya aarambham avikaaraaya ityaadibhih
saptabhih (navabhih) shlokaih puraana pratipaadya svaabhimata
devataa namaskaara poorvakam pratijaaneete | In the beginning, Paraasharar offers obeisance to his svaabhimata devataa, the Paramaatman, who is his favourite God, and one who is established in the Puraanaas, Mahaa Vishnu, whose nature is going to be established in this puraana, about whom he is going to teach in detail. Briefly Paraasharar told the answers to Maitreyar’s questions in one *shloka *( shloka 31, of Amsha 1, Chapter 1). Now he is going to explain that in detail. This entire puraana is going to explain in detail the answer given by Paraasharar very briefly in one shloka. He starts the puraana with [[44]] these seven shlokaas, starting with Avikaaraaya, thereby offering namaskaara to his favourite devataa and one who is established in this puraana.

Tatra kaaranatva abhidhaanatah prasaktam vikaaritvam nirasyati -
avikaaraaya iti | The moment something is told to be a cause of something, the cause undergoes a change - we see like this in the world. All causes are assumed to be undergoing some modification. Is Paramaatman also like that, is the first question we get. This is refuted in the very first *shloka *- that which is told to be having kaaranatva, the change that ensues is being negated. He does not have any vikaara, that is HIS essential nature.

Anena achetanaat vyaavruttih | By this, Paramaatman is different and distinct from the inert. Because all the achetanaas undergo change all the time, in svaroopa itself.

Achetanaa paraarthaa saa nithyaa satata vikriyaa. Achetana is also eternal, but undergoes change in essential nature all the time. It is achetanaa, not jnyaana aashraya. It is inert, and does not have knowership. It is paraarthaa, exists for something else. Chetana uses it for body, indriyaas, etc. It is eternal, in avyakta form. It is also a reality in our siddhaanta, along with chit and eeshvara.

Whereas Paramaatman is avikaari, so Paramaatman is distinct and different from achetana.

* Na jaayate mriyate vaa ityaadi shruteh kshetrajnyasya api samaanam
avikaaritvam iti tat vyaavruttim aaha - shuddhaaya iti | [[45]] Now, if Paramaatman is different from achetana, by telling as avikaari, even chetana is also avikaari, as it is told that he is not born, or does not die, does not undergo any change; jeevaatman in his essential nature is jnyaana svaroopa. Kshetrajnya who is jeevaatman is also equally avikaari. How is Paramaatman different from jeevaatman? Paramaatman is shuddha.

Shuddhih klesha karma aadi raahityam; * ashuddhaah te samastaastu iti
hi vakshyate | Jeevaatman has got karma, ajnyaana. These do not exist for *Paramaatman *- this is told as shuddhaaya. In Vishnu Puraana itself, it is going to be told that deva, manushya are *karma yonayah *- born due to karma, and so are all said to be ashuddha; they undergo grief, sorrow, sufferings. Paramaatman is said to be shuddha.

Eedrushi shuddhih muktasya api asti iti tat vvyaavruttim aaha -
nityaaya iti | By shuddhaaya, Paramaatman is different and distinct from jeevaatman, because jeevaatmans are all ashuddhaas; they are baddha jeevaas referred to here. So, Paramaatman is different from baddha jeevaas. This kind of shuddhi is there for muktaas also, because they have escaped from samsaara, liberated from samsaara; the muktaas do not have *klesha, *karma. In order to say that Paramaatman is different from muktaas, the next word nityaaya is told. Paramaatman is eternally *shuddha. *Muktaas were at one point of time baddhaas in samsaara; and after that got liberated; they are not eternally shuddhaas.

Shuddhatva akaarena nityaaya | Paramaatman is eternally shuddha.

[[46]] Avikaaritva shuddhatva nitya shuddhatva aadeeni nitya soorinaam api
saadhaaranaani iti ata aaha - paramaatmana iti | There is one more category of aatmans, who are nityaas. They are *avikaari, *shuddha, and also nitya shuddha, because they are called nitya sooris, eternally not connected with samsaara. So, *avikaaraaya, shuddhaaya, **nityaaya *- apply to even nitya sooris, so how is Paramaatman different. The word Paramaatman itself shows that He is different from nitya sooris also.

Paro yasmaat naasti sah paramah, aparaadheenah; niyantrutayaa
sarvasya vyaapanaat aatmaa, nitya soorayah tena paravantah | There is no one who is superior to Paramaatman. He is not under the control of anyone else, whereas nityaas are under the control of Paramaatman. He pervades everything, being the controller, this is why He is said to be aatmaa. Nitya sooris are also controlled by Him. he does not have any other controller.

Atah pada chatushtayena pradhaanaadi achetana brahma sanaka aadi
bhaavanaa yukta kshetrajnya mukta nitya sooribhyoh vyaavruttam
parama svaroopam shodhitam | By these four words - *avikaaraaya, shuddhaaya, nityaaya, paramaatmane *- what is established is that Paramaatma svaroopa is different and distinct from (i) pradhaana and all such achetanaas (kaala, mahat, ahamkaara, etc.), (ii) all the jeevaatmans (Brahma, Sanaka, etc.) who are all *bhaavanaa *yukta*, (iii) mukta, the liberated souls, (iv) nitya sooris, the eternal liberated ones. The nature of Paramaatman as different and distinct from all these, is established by these four words.

* There are three kinds of bhaavana, they are *bhaavanaa traya - karma *bhaavanaa, brahma bhaavanaa and ubhaya bhaavanaa. Brahmabhaavanaa is of the form of upaasanaatmaka jnyaana, karma bhaavana is karma anushthaana. Sanaka and other have brahmabhaavanaa [[47]] Hiranyagarbha and others have ubhaya bhaavana (some times karma and sometimes brahma bhaavanaa). All other devas and manushyas – have karma bhaavanaa. The explanation regarding mumukshus ( manushyas or devas) – is that they are also having karma bhaavanaa only as they think that ‘ upaasane’ is being done by them only ( svakeeyata buddhi). Hence it is not considered brahma bhaavana (because *Vishnu *Puraana shlokas are clearly stating such). We will come across this in 6th A msha.

Atha jnyaana shakti aadivat asaadhaaranam tadvat eva sarva
vilakshanam sva anuroopam jyotirmayam * aaditya varnam *
hiranmayah purusho drushyate * vidyutah purushaadadhi * iti upanishat
siddham svaroopam aaha - sadaika roopa roopaaya iti | Sadaika roopa roopaaya … - this part of the shloka is establishing the nature of Paramaatman which is established in the Upanishads as jyotirmayam, incomparable brilliance, lustre - *Aaditya varnam tamasah parastaat *- compared to *Aaditya, Hiranmayah purusho drushyate *- brilliance is compared to that of gold, *Vidyutah purushaadadhi *- lightning, etc - which is befitting His own svaroopa, different and distinct from everything else other than Himself, which is extraordinary or unique to Paramaatman, just like jnyaana shakti, etc. - this form of Paramaatman is told as *sadaika roopa *roopaaya.

Prathamo roopa shabdah svabhaava vaachee | The first roopa shabda is telling about svabhaava. Always of the same form, immutable. This is told as saidaika roopa.

Athavaa sadaika roopam tulya prakaaram, heya pratyaneekatayaa
kalyaana ekataanatatayaa cha svaroopa tulyam | Or sadaika roopa can also be interpreted as always of same form of nature - which is opposed to anything defiling, and abode to only all auspicious qualities. In whatever form He exists, these two are are always present.

[[48]] Dviteeyo roopa shabdo vigraha vaachee | The second roopa shabda is telling that He has eternal *shubhaashraya, divya *mangala vigraha. He has a form, an eternal auspicious form, immutable all the time.

Atha sarva vyaapti lakshanam aishwaram gunam khyaapayan
visheshyam nirdishati vishnave iti | The word vishnave is telling about His quality, of the form of ruling everything, pervading everything, Bhagavaan pervading everything controls everything from inside and outside.

Aishwara is about ruling everything. Eeshitavya is what is ruled. He is not like the things of this world who can only rule externally.

Vishu vyaaptou is the dhaatu.

Chit achit vyaaptyaa prasaktam dosham pariharati sarva jishnave iti | The moment vishnave is said, that He is pervading and controlling everything, all the defects of that chetana and *achetana *- do they ensue to Paramaatman? This is negated by the word sarva jishnave. He is untainted by any of the defects.

Jayo hi parasya sva vashe sthaapanam | Winning means establishing whatever is won over, establishing it under ones control. Controlling everything, winning over everything is also svaabhaavika.

[[49]] Taaccheelya pratyayena vyaapti jayou svaabhaavikou iti darshayati | The word Vishnu, according to vyaakarana is told as Taaccheelya, means one who pervades everything, it is the nature itself. This becomes svaabhaavika.

Pervading everything and controlling everything - both these are natural to Paramaatman.

Shloka 1 is a very important shloka, which establishes Paramaatman’s unique nature and attributes that He is different and distinct from everything else; He controls everything pervading from inside - antarvyaapti. He has a *divya *mangala vigraha, which is most lustrous, unchanging all the time. He is of the nature of being opposed to anything defiling, being abode to only auspicious qualities. This establishes the nature of Brahman in the most wonderful way.

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 2: Namo hiranya garbhaaya haraye shankaraaya cha | Vaasudevaaya taaraaya sarga sthiti antakaarine ||

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 3: Eka aneka svaroopaaya sthoola sookshma aatmane namah | Avyakta vyakta roopaaya vishnave mukti hetave ||

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 4: Sarga sthiti vinaashaanaam jagato yo jaganmayah | [[50]] Moola bhooto namah tasmai vishnave paramaatmahe ||

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 5: Aadhaara bhootam vishvasya api aneeyaamsam aneeyasaam | Pranamya sarva bhootastham achytam purushottamam ||

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 6: Jnyaana svaroopam atyantam nirmalam paramaarthatah | Tam eva artha svaroopena bhraanti darshanatah sthitam ||

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 7: Vishnum grasishnum vishvasya sthitou sarge tathaa prabhum | Pranamya jagataam eesham ajam aksharam avyayam ||

Paramaatman’s svaroopa is taught up to these seven shlokaas.

Question: Why Bhagavaan wanted to create? Answer: This is also asked in the Brahma Sutras. The answer given by Baadaraayana is Lokavat tu leelaa kaivalyam. It is His sport. Someone has grief, someone has happiness. Someone is enjoying, someone is suffering. Someone has knowledge, someone has ignorance. Why should Paramaatman create all this? It is said to be His sport. He is impartial. He does not have vaishamya and nairghrunya. He does not want someone to suffer. He does not have impartiality or cruelty. The suffering happens because of chetana’s karma; they have to experience the results of that; if they do not experience, there will be dosha of partiality on the part [[51]] of Paramaatman. A king, if he does not punish a criminal, will become partial; he has to enforce the law. Leelaa is sport for Him, and is ultimately dayaa, because He wants jeevaatmans to liberate themselves from samsaara. He gives them the mind, thinking power, *kriyaa shakti, chit *shakti, shows the aachaaryaas, teaches the shaastra, makes one to go in the right way, and they have to uplift themselves; if they don’t do, they have to suffer the karma.

We had studied the Shloka 1, of Amsha 1, Chapter 2, where the *Paramaatma *svaroopa is established wonderfully, where He is different and distinct from everything else - achetana, baddha, mukta and nitya. Being the antaryaami of everything, He is the inner controller. He has a wonderful divine auspicious form, which is also eternal, and He pervades everything and rules over everything. All of this was established with various Shruti and Smruti pramaanaas.

Continuing further, Bhagavat svaroopa is established again, in various ways.

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 2: Namo hiranya garbhaaya haraye shankaraaya cha | Vaasudevaaya taaraaya sarga sthiti antakaarine || I offer pramaanams to Hiranya Garbha, Hari and Shankara, and also Vaasudeva, who makes everyone cross over samsaara and is the cause of creation, sustenance and *pralaya *(dissolution).

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary While Bhagavat svaroopa is being established, everything is directed towards Bhagavaan. But here, we see namaskaarams being done to Hiranya [[52]] Garbha and Shankara. What is its meaning? How is Bhagavat svaroopa known from this? This is explained in the vyaakhyaana. Brahma shivayoh tat vibhootitvam aaha - namo hiranyagarbhaaya iti | The aspect that Chaturmukha Brahma and Rudra are also vibhooti of Paramaatman, (vibhooti means *aishwarya, *Bhagavaan’s glory, being ruled over by him) - this is told by *Namo Hiranya *Garbhaaya iti.

Sva avataara chaturmukha rudra roopena hi srushti aadi kartrutvam | Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, who are the three devataas, responsible for srushti, sthiti and pralaya; sva avataara is Bhagavaan’s own avataara, along with Brahma and *Rudra *- in these three forms; He being the antaryaami of Chaturmukha Brahma, makes him do the creation; being the antaryaami of Rudra, He does dissolution in the form of Rudra; and Vishnu is His own avataara, He Himself stays as Hari; in the forms of Chaturmukha Brahma and Rudra, He does srushti and pralaya being their antaryaami.

Taaraaya - samsaara uttaarakaaya, moksha pradaaya | One who makes everyone cross over samsaara, and in getting liberated from samsaara.

Vaasudevaaya - vaasudeva roopena moksha pradatvam | Vaasudeva is Para Vaasudeva; Bhagavaan is present as *Para *Vaasudeva in Parama Padam; moksha pradatva is told for Him.

Hari shabde satyapi vaasudeva shabdo hareh avataaratva
jnyaapanaarthah | [[53]] When Hari is already told, why is Vaasudeva being told again; Hari is avataara of Paramaatman only; Para Vaasudeva Himself incarnates or manifests as Hari, to give equal status to Brahma and Shiva in srushti and pralaya, as they are His own vibhootis; He only has given them the powers to do the powers; He stays with them to give them the status.

* Tam eva viditvaa atimrutyumeti naanyah panthaa vidyate ayanaaya,
* maam eva ye prapadyante maayaam etaam taranti te (Bhagavad
Geetha), * samsaara paaram param eepsamaanaih aaraadhaneeyo hari
eka eva, * … The pramaanaas establish that Vaasudeva is only the one who can bestow moksha, atimrutyumeti is told as mrutyum atyeti; meditating on Paramaatman only, doing upaasana on Paramaatman only, one can cross over mrutyu, samsaara, there is no other way to cross over this; in order to cross over this prakruti, one has to surrender only unto Paramaatman; for those who want to reach the other end of samsaara, only Hari is to be worshipped.

… Brahmaanam shitikantham cha yaah cha anyaa devataah smrutaah |
Pratibuddhaa na sevante yasmaat parimitam phalam | … Those who are desirous of attaining moksha, they are called pratibuddhaas; they do not worship or surrender unto Chaturmukha Brahma, Rudra or any other devataa who is told like Varuna, Indra, etc. The reason is that the benefits gained by worshipping those deities is very limited as they are all in the prakruti mandala only; and whatever they can give is limited to their capacities, as they are kshetrajnyaas only; none of them can give moksha.

* Antavat tu phalam teshaam * ityaadibhih bhagavata eva moksha
pradatvam uktam | [[54]] Those who worship other deities, their fruits have and end, their benefits end at some point of time; it is not ananta phala, but antavat phala; only Bhagavaan can bestow fruits which are ananta; all these pramaanaas establish that moksha pradatva is only for Bhagavaan.

Atra hiranyagarbha aadivat hareh na vibhootitvam, * na hi paalana
samarthyam rute sarveshvaram harim * ityaadinaa tasya
sarveshvaratvasya uktatvaat | Here the vibhootitva is only for Hiranya Garbha and Shiva, and not for Hari; other than Hari, there is no other Sarveshvara, no one else can rule over or control, that capacity is not there for everyone else; He has been told to be Sarveshvara; He is not part of the vibhootis.

Shloka 2 establishes the offering of pranaamams to Bhagavaan, who is in the form of Hari Himself, and His vibhootis, who are *Chaturmukha *Brahma and Rudra, He being their antaryaami, does all their works, and Vaasudeva who bestows moksha, and is the cause of *srushti, *sthiti and laya.

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 3: Eka aneka svaroopaaya sthoola sookshma aatmane namah | Avyakta vyakta roopaaya vishnave mukti hetave || He is one also, and many also. He is also subtle, and expressed in the gross form. I offer pranaamams to Him. He is also in the unmanifested state and manifest state. He is the cause of moksha, Vishnu, who is the all pervading Paramaatman. I offer my obeisance.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ***Avyakta vyaktayoh api tat roopatvam aaha eka aneka iti | *** [[55]] Avyakta is the unmanifest, which are in the sookshma roopa, subtle form; and vyakta is the manifest, which are in the sthoola roopa.

This is how the anvaya has to be done. Kaarana dashaayaam eka sookshma avyaktatva aadeeni kaarya
dashaayaam aneka sthoola vyaktatva aadeeni vishnave tat vyaapine | In this, eka, sookshma and *avyakta *(He is One, subtle and unmanifest) have to be grouped together and are in the causal state, and *aneka, sthoola, **vyakta *(He becomes many, in the gross form, and manifest) have to be grouped together and are in the state of effect. One who pervades in the causal state and state of effect, is Vishnu.

Ubhaya avastha prakruteh mukti hetave sva vasha vartitvaat tat mukti
hetave | He is the cause of mukti in both the states, because everything is under His control, and everything acts being under His control only.

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 4: Sarga sthiti vinaashaanaam jagato yo jaganmayah | Moola bhooto namah tasmai vishnave paramaatmane ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Achit prasangaat kaala roopatvam aaha - sarga sthiti iti | Here, kaala svaroopa is being told, Bhagavaan being of the svaroopa of kaala.

[[56]] Jagat sarga aadi moola bhooto hi kaalah, * na kaalena vinaa srushti
nishpaadakrut bhavet * ityaadeh | Kaala is the cause of srushti, sthiti, laya. Everything is referred with respect to time. Time is always known with respect to objects. An object comes into existence at some time, it stays for some time, undergoes change, and gets destroyed at some point of time. For all these, kaala is said to be the root cause. Without kaala, Brahma cannot create, because creation is done at a particular time.

Jaganmayah - unmesha nimesha kalaa unmaana soorya gamana aadinaa
padaartha avacchedaka svaroopah | Here, Bhagavat svaroopa is told in the form of kaala itself. Time can be felt in aspects such as opening the eyes, closing the eyes, divisions of time like kalaa muhoortha kaashthaa paksha maasa samvatsara, a particular measure called unmaana, movement of the Sun in the morning, afternoon, evening - everything is bound by time, and Paramaatman only is told as that svaroopa. He binds everything with respect to time. He is only responsible for the rising of the Sun at a particular time.

Paramaatmane - akaala vashyaaya | Paramaatman is not controlled by time. Kaala is under the control of Paramaatman.

* Kaalah pachati bhootaani sarvaani eva sahaatmanaa | Kaalah pakvo
yamanveti yastam veda sa vedavit || Time cooks everybody. Kaala itself will get cooked by Paramaatman. Whoever knows this is said to be Vedavit.

[[57]] * Kaala muhoortaadi mayah cha kaalo na yad vibhooteh parinaama
hetuh * ityaadi | Paramaatman’s nitya vibhooti does not undergo any change. Kaala is having divisions of kalaa, muhoortha, kaashtha, etc., and is not the cause of parinaama of Paramaatman’s vibhooti. In Paramapada, kaala does not control anything; everything is eternal there, and there is no change; kaala exists but does not control anything in Paramapada. In prakruti mandala, kaala controls everything. Even Brahma’s time is limited by a particular number of kalpaas.

Shloka 4 tells about the kaala svaroopatva of Paramaatman.

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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 5: Aadhaara bhootam vishvasya api aneeyaamsam aneeyasaam | Pranamya sarva bhootastham achyutam purushottamam ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Samasthi kshetrajnya roopatvam aaha - aadhaara bhootam iti | The collectivity of all the chetanaas, souls, sentients - during pralaya, everything gets merged, and all chetanaas will be together - the Paramaatman who has all of this as His body, He has control over everything, and is the support of everything.

Vishvasya prakruti parinaamasya jeeva karma nimittatvena tat
shareeratayaa tat aadhaaratvam | The prakruti parinaama is due to the jeeva karmaas. Prakruti is the shareera for jeevaas, and because of jeeva karmaas, prakruti gets [[58]] modified into deha, indriyaas, etc., and is under the control of jeevaatman.

* Bhrutamaatraah prajnyaa maatraasu arpitaah (Koushitaki Upanishad)
* yayaa idam dhaaryate jagat * ityaadi | Pancha bhootaas are controlled by jeevaatman, and jeevaatman is controlled by praana shabda nirdishta Paramaatman; prakruti is supported by jeevaatman, jeevaatman is supported by Paramaatman.

Aneeyaamsam aneeyasaam prakruteh ati sookshma avasthaa
visheshaanaam api vyaaptyaa tato api sookshmataram | Jeevaatmans are also sookshma compared to prakruti, and they pervade the prakruti.

* Avyaktam akshare leeyate * ityaadi | Avyakta is prakruti in unmanifest state, it merges with akshara, which is the samashti jeevaatmans. This goes and merges into Paramaatman.

Sarva bhootastham sarva bhooteshu aatmatayaa avasthitam | Existing as the inner self in all the bhootaas.

Achyutam - tat vikaara rahitam | Prakruti vikaaraas do not affect the chetanaas.

Evam roopa samashti purusha shareeram purushottamam pranamya
kathayaami iti anvayah | [[59]] The anvaya is: All these are ultimately pertaining to *Paramaatma *svaroopa only, the Paramaatman who has all these as the shareera, the achetana as shareera, kaala as *shareera, samashti *kshetrajnyaas as shareera, and who controls all these being the inner controller of these, who pervades everything. One who has this kind of samashti kshetrajnyaas as His body, to one who is *aadheya, *niyaamya and shesha bhoota; I do pranaama to that Purushottama, and tell this.

This is directly told with saamaanaadhikaranya, that *sarva bhootastham **purushottamam, aneeyaamsam aneeyasaam purushottamam *- the Purushottama who has all these things as the body.

Yat vaa sarva bhootastham sarva aatmasu sthitam | Or sarva bhootastham can be taken as one who is existing in all the aatmaas also. Or it can be told as jeevaatmans who are existing in all the bodies, and Paramaatman, who is the controller of all these jeevaatmans.

Achyutam jeeva gata jnyaana sankocha aadi rahitam | When sarva bhootastham is taken as Paramaatman directly, Achyutam is taken as one who is vikaara rahita; the ups and downs in *dharma bhoota *jnyaana is not present in Paramaatman. When taken with respect to samashti kshetrajnyaas, Achyutam is taken as kshetrjnyaas who do not have the vikaara of prakruti which undergoes modifications in its *svaroopa. *Jeevaatmans undergo jnyaana sankocha in their dharma bhoota jnyaana, due to their karma.

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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 6: *** [[60]] Jnyaana svaroopam atyanta nirmalam paramaarthatah | Tam eva artha svaroopena bhraanti darshanatah sthitam ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Vyashti roopam aaha - jnyaana svaroopam iti | After telling about the samashti roopa of Paramaatman, which is the shareera of Paramaatman, now the vyashti roopa is being told. *Vyashti *roopa is that which is manifested, in the gross state. Samashti is the unmanifested state, avyakta, before the pancheekarana. After pancheekarana, whatever happens is called *vyashti srushti *- here name and form divisions happen, naama roopa vibhaaga.

Vastu vruttiyaa aparicchinna anukoola jnyaanaika svaroopam | It is not limited by any object, and it has got unlimited anukoola, and jnyaana aananda svaroopa.

Atyanta nirmalam sarvathaa mala roopa dukha ajnyaana aadi rahitam;
tam eva bhraanti darshanatah anaatmani aatma vijnyaanaat artha
svaroopena drushya svaroopena sthitam | There is no defect, there is no grief, ignorance. Bhraanti is *anaatmani *aatma vijnyaanaat, having an idea of aatman in that which is not the aatman. Drushya svaroopa is that which can be perceived with our eyes.

Yat vaa deva manushyaadi tat tat aakaara vishishta pinda
maatratayaa pratibhaasamaanam | In the vyashti roopa, the chetanaas and Paramaatman are existing in the forms of deva, manushya; and in all these forms, a jeevaatman is existing; [[61]] we see the body itself as the jeevaatman; actually, it is the *deha vishishta *jeevatma vishishta Paramaatman who is there; that which is perceived by the eyes in the form of deva, manushya, etc., He appears in that form alone. Inside the body, there is subtle jeevaatman, and this body and jeevaatman are the shareera of Paramaatman. Paramaatman Himself exists in this vyashti roopa.

In reality, He is without any defect, He is jnyaana aananda svaroopa; and Him only the people perceive wrongly, in this vyashti form.

7

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 7: Vishnum grasishnum vishvasya sthitou sarge tathaa prabhum | Pranamya jagataam eesham ajam aksharam avyayam || One who withdraws unto Himself, He is only responsible for creation and sustenance of the world. Having offered my pranaamams to such Vishnu, who is of the nature of avikaaraaya shuddhaaya, etc., He does creation, dissolution through Brahma, Shiva, He has everything as His body, *kaala, *samashti kshetrajnyaas, He is in the vyashti form also, He is the controller and pervades everything, He exists as everything, I offer my pranaamams.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Uktam artham upasamharati - vishnum iti | All these things which were established is being concluded here.

Prabhum srushti aadishu nairapekshyena svacchandam | He, by Himself, can independently do creation, etc., without any expectation. He Himself is everything - the *upaadaana kaarana, nimitta *kaarana, and sahakaari kaarana. [[62]]

Ajam aksharam - karma adheena janma naasha rahitam | He does not have birth and death due to karma.

Avyayam - poorvoktam mahaa vibhooteh aprachyutam | He has everything as mahaa vibhooti, that is His nature.

8

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 8: Kathayaami yathaa poorvam dakshaadyaih munisattamaih | Prushtah provaacha bhagavaan abjayonih pitaamahah || Having offered my pranaamams to Paramaatman of this wonderful nature, I will start teaching you the details as I heard. Daksha and all these sages, long back, told this.

9

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 9: Taih cha uktam purukutsaatha bhoobhuje narmadaa tate | Saarasvataaya tena api mahyam saarasvatena cha || Daksha and others who listened to Chaturmukha Brahma, and got the upadesha from him, they told Purukutsa, who was a king on the banks of the Narmada river; Purukutsa taught it to Saarasvata, and Saarasvata taught me.

The paramparaa comes like this - Chaturmukha Brahma, Daksha and other rishis, Purukutsa, Saarasvata, Paraasharar. This is the sampradaaya, and is most reliable and most authentic.

[[63]] Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha shrotrunaam aadaraartham svasya aaptatama guru parva kramam
aaha - kathayaami iti dvaabhyaam | In two shlokaas, Paraasharar says, in order to make the listeners get belief in that, and have faith in what he is going to tell, the order, the guru shishya paramparaa, the sampradaaya, how he actually acquired this knowledge which he is going to teach, that he is establishing here in two shlokaas.

Bhagavaan utpatti pralayaadi tattvajnyah, * Utpattim cha vinaasham
cha bhootaanaam aagatim gatim | Vetti vidyaam avidyaam cha sa
vaachyo bhagavaan iti * iti vachanaat | Bhagavaan is one who knows the utpatti and vinaasha of the beings, where do they go, how do they come, how are they born, which yonis they take, what janmaas they take, what is vidyaa, what is avidyaa.

Kutah? Abjayonih yato bhagavat aurasah tat shishyah cha | Why? Because He is said to be *abjayoni; *Paramaatman does upadesha of Veda to Chaturmukha Brahma, and so Chaturmukha Brahma becomes the first student of *Paramaatman; *Chaturmukha Brahma is also created by Paramaatman, and is also the son of Paramaatman. So, he is also told to be Bhagavaan.

* Yo brahmaanam vidadhaati poorvam yo vai vedaamscha prahinoti
tasmai * iti shruteh | He creates Chaturmukha Brahma, and also gives him the Vedaas, is what the shruti says.

10

[[64]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 10: Parah paraanaam paramah paramaatmaa aatma samsthitah | Roopa varna aadi nirdesha visheshana vivarjitah ||

These shlokaas are referred to by Bhaashyakaarar in *Vedaartha Sangraha, *Sri Bhaashya.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha vistarena puraanam vaktum aarabhate parah paraanaam iti | Now, Paraasharar starts the teach the puraana in detail.

Parah paraanaam svaroopa roopa guna aishwarya aadibhih
utkrushtebhyo api urkrushtah | In svaroopa, guna, aishwarya, He is supreme and superior to even those who are exalted.

Paramah svasmaat para rahitah | There is no one who is superior to Him.

Paramaatmaa - aapnoti iti aatmaa svayam aatmaantara rahitah cha | One who controls everything, supports everything, one who rules over everything. He is aadhaara, niyaamaka and sheshi. Everything else is aadheya to Him, everything is niyaamya, and shesha bhoota to Him. He does not have any other person who rules over Him.

[[65]] Aatma samsthitah sva aadhaarah | He is the support of Himself.

Roopam samsthaanam deva aadi jaatih varnah shukla aadih | Roopa is the samsthaana, the classes told as deva, manushya, etc., varnaas are the colours.

Aadi shabdena kriyaa dravye grahyete | Kriya and dravya like danda, kundala, are told.

Nirdeshah sanjyaa | He cannot be called with a particular colour or class because He can take any form He wants. It is not decided like the baddha chetanaas.

Etaih jaati guna kriyaa dravya naamaakhyaih kalpanaa hetubhih
visheshanaih vivarjitah | We cannot imagine Him to be only of a particular colour or jaati or dravya.

Roopa vargeti paathe vargo jaatih | There is a paathaantara, roopa varga, here varga means jaati.

11

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 11: Apakshaya vinaashaabhyaam parinaam vruddhi janmabhih | Varjitah shakyate vaktum yah sadaa asti iti kevalam || [[66]]

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Shadbhih bhaava vikaaraih varjitah iti aaha - apekshaya ityadinaa -
apakshaya iti | There are six bhaava vikaaraas which all beings undergo - *asti, jaayate, *vivardhate, viparinamate, apaksheeyate, nashyati. Here, apakshaya is apaksheeyate, vinaasha is *nashyati, *parinaama is viparinamate, vruddhi is *vardhate, *jamabhih include asti and jaayate. He is without any of these *bhaava *vikaaraas.

We cannot tell Him through roopa, varna. We cannot also tell Him with the six bhaava vikaaraas. How can we ever address Him. Is it possible to tell Him?

Sadaa asti iti vachanaat kadaachitka astitva vikaaro nirastah | Most objects we say that they exist at a particular point of time. This cannot be told so for Paramaatman.

Etat sattayaa anabhivyaaptasya kaalasya abhaavaat | For Chaturmukha Brahma, he does not exist after 100 years, but time exists after that also, but he does not exist. In a like manner, all objects exist at a particular point of time and do not exist beyond some point of time. Time exists all the time, but objects do not exist all the time. However, for Paramaatman, there is no time at which He does not exist. He exists all the time.

Anena kaala anavacchedah uktah | [[67]] He is not limited by time. This is told here.

12

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 12: Sarvatra asou samastam cha vasati atra iti vai yatah | Tatah sa vaasudeva iti vidvatbhih paripathyate || He exists in all the places, and everything exists in Him. he is told as Vaasudeva.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Desha anavacchedam naama vishesha nirvachanena darshayati sarvatra
iti | He is not bound by a particular place. This is told by telling the specific name of Paramaatman as Vaasudeva.

* Nainam oordhvam na tiryancham na madhye parijaghrabhat *
antarbahih cha tat sarvam vyaapya naaraayanah sthitah * ityaadeh
samastam atra vasati; jaati guna prabaadivat tat adheena dhaaranam
bhavati * bhartaa san mriyamaano bibharti (Taittiriya Aaranyaka) * iti
shruteh | Nobody can grasp Him anywhere, He exists pervading everything inside and outside. Samastam atra vasati, sarvatra asou vasati. How can everything exist in Him? How are they all supported by Him. This is just like jaati, guna, as sunlight is supported by Sun, as *jaati *- cowness is supported in a cow; in the same way, Paramaatman supports everything, and everything is dependent on Him. He supports everything, is told.

Agni jala aadibhih nabha iva sarva gato api tadgata doshaih
asamsprushto dyotate iti aaha - deva iti | [[68]] Vaasudeva - vaasu means *vasati samastam atra, sarvatra asou vasati; *devah means *dyotate *- He shines forth. He shines forth untouched by any defects, He is existing everywhere. Just like space pervades everything, He pervades water, fire, everything. The defects of water, fire, space do not touch space. In the same way, Paramaatman pervades everything, untouched by the defects of all the objects. He shines forth like that.

Bhagavad svaroopa is being explained in a most wonderful way by Paraasharar. All the achetanaas, and samashti kshetrajnyaas which are seen here, all drushya padaarthaas, and kaala, are Brahman only, are all shareera of Parabrahman. Paramaatma svaroopa is told in terms of all the tattvaas, and the nature of these tattvaas are also explained. These are controlled by Paramaatman, and He is the antaryaami of everything, everything being His prakaara, His mode, being His shareera. He is only existing as everything. This is what we see in the Shrutis.

Paramaatman, is Vaasudeva, the devataa vishesha. Vyutpatti of the word Vaasudeva is *vaasuh cha asou devah cha, vasati sarvatra, sarvatra asou **samastam cha vasati atra iti vai yatah, tatah sa vaasudeva iti vidvadbhih *paripathyate. Everything is residing in Him, and He resides in everything. He shines forth, and He is deva. Deva is dyotate, He has got most wonderful lustre; Sun and moon which have brightness are all possible to have that because of Paramaatman only. *Na tatra sooryo bhaati na chandra taarakam, **nema vidyuto bhaanti kuto ayam agnih, tam eva bhaantam anubhaati *sarvam yasya bhaasaa sarvam idam bibhaati, is told in Kathopanishad. Only because of His brilliance, everything else shines forth. He is Vaasudeva, the devataa vishesha, the Supreme Brahman, He is without any *shat bhaava *vikaara, He is ekaroopa all the time, He has a divya mangala vigraha.

13

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 13: Tat brahma paramam nityam ajam akshayam avyayam | [[69]] Eka svaroopam tu sadaa heya abhaavaat cha nirmalam || He is Brahman, eternal, unborn, does not undergo change, no change in state,

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Esha eva vedaanta vedyam brahma iti aaha - tat brahma iti | Vaasudeva who pervades everything, and everything is residing in Him. As established in the *Shrutis, antar bahih cha yat sarvam vyaapya naaraayanah *sthitah. He is known from Vedaanta, the Upanishads establish His svaroopa most wonderfully.

Akshayam apakshaya rahitam | He doesn’t undergo any change.

Kshaya is getting deteriorated, and that is not there for Vaasudeva.

Avyayam parinaama vivruddhyakhya avasthaantara rahitam | He is not undergoing different states like parinaama, vivruddi. There is no question of growing like what we see in the baddha jeevaas.

Atah eka svaroopam | Because of this, He is all the time of the same nature, unchanging immutable nature.

[[70]] Heyam avidyaa asmita aadi tat phalam malam; yathaa uktam * kaamah
krodhaha cha mohah cha harsho maano mado matih | Vishaadah cha
ashtamah proktah iti ete maanasaah malaah * iti | There are defects like avidyaa, asmitaa, raaga, dvesha, abhinivesha. He is without any of those defects. The eight defects of the mind, which make it impure, are told - *kaama, krodha, moha, harsha, maana, mada, mati, *vishaada. Mati means desire. These defects do not exist in Paramaatman.

Five pancha kleshaas are told in Yoga Sutra. Asmitaa is thinking of *chitta, *antahkarana, ego as aatman. Pancha kleshaas come due to karma.

In mukta aatmaas also, at one time they were associated with heya, these kind of defects; after that they got released from that. *Heya abhaavaat *nirmalam differentiates Him from *baddha jeevaas. Sadaa heya abhaavaat *cha nirmalam differentiates Hims from muktaas also.

Gunaah sattva aadayah | Gunaas are sattva and others.

14

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 14: Tat eva sarvam eva etat vyakta avyakta svaroopavat | Tathaa purusha roopena kaala roopena cha sthitam || All these things are that Brahman only. Four entities are told here -*vyakta *(when prakruti is differentiated into name and form, and is visible, what is manifested), *avyakta *(unmanifest state of prakruti), *purusha *(all the chetanaas) and kaala.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[71]] Vastutah anavacchedam aaha - tat eva iti | He is not controlled or bound by anything. He is present in all objects - it cannot be said that He is present in one object and not present in another object. He is present in every object at all times in all places.

Vyakta avyakta svaroopavat etat sarvam tat eva brahma; tathaa tat
eva samashti vyashti purusha roopena kaala roopena cha sthitam | Whatever we see in the manifest or unmanifest state are Brahman only. Chetanaas are also existing in two forms - *samashti *(collectivity of all sentient beings during *pralaya *- it called akshara); in the vyakta state, each sentient enters into a body, this is called vyashti; kaala is also Paramaatman, being under the control of Paramaatman.

*Avyakam akshare leeyate, aksharam tamasi leeyate. *

Chit achit prakaarasya brahmana eva vastutvaat vastu antara
paricchedah | If something has to be called as a vastu, Brahman has to do *antah pravesha, *anu pravesha, name and form have to come into existence; Paramaatman makes the jeeva enter, and He enters along with him. Paramaatman associates jeeva with deha, indriya, and gives him the jnyaana. Chetanaas during pralaya, have no knowledge, and are just lying down just like achetanaas. During pralaya, everything merges into Paramaatman. During srushti, He makes each jeevaatman enter a body based on the karmaas, and gives them the awareness, the *dharma bhoota *jnyaana which is there all the time. He gives the chetanaas an opportunity to act, think, understand, and uplift themselves. If Paramaatman does not enter, and does not do anupravesha, does not do differentiation into name and form, there will be no vastu at all. If something has to be called as a vastu, it is only because Paramaatmans existing as its antaryaami, by anupravesha, everything existing as His mode, as His shareera. [[72]] Everything is His prakaara, mode, and He is the *prakaari. *Chit and achit both are His modes. Every name and form denotes Paramaatman in the ultimate sense - this is called *aparyavasaana *vrutti. Why we don’t feel like this, is because of our lack of knowledge, we limit the connotation of name and form to that chetana only. We don’t experience the depth of the complete connotation of the words. All the chetanaas in samashti, vyashti or in any state, are all modes of Paramaatman, and become vastu because of Paramaatman only. There can be no object which is without Paramaatman. There is no object in which Paramaatman does not exist.

15

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 15: Parasya brahmano roopam purushah prathamam dvija | Vyakta avyakte tathaa eva anye roope kaalah tathaa aparam || Four things are told - purusha, vyakta, avyakta, kaala. All these are said to be Brahmanah roopam.

This is a very important shloka for our siddhaanta.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Heya pratyaneeka kalyaana guna aashrayasya brahmanah vikaara
apurushaartha aadi dosha aashraya sarva taadaatmye tat gataa
doshaah prasajnyeran nityaashankya * yasya aatmaa shareeram *
ityaadi shruti siddha shareera aatma bhaavena taadaatmyam na tu
svaroopena iti aaha parasya iti | The taadaatmya, that Paramaatman is existing in everything as antaryaami; everything is Brahman, sarvam khalvidam brahma, everything is a mode of Paramaatman, being His shareera; this identity, oneness, taadaatmya, is it by svaroopa itself, or through *shareera aatma bhaava *- is what we have to [[73]] understand. It is not in the svaroopa. If it was svaroopa, only one will exist, and second one cannot exist. Taadaatmya is not by svaroopa but through *shareera aatma bhaava. *Chetana and achetana exist, Paramaatman also exists; they both exist inseparably all the time, Paramaatman being the controller and support all the time, chetanaas and achetanaas being the controlled and supported, they are independent entities always associated with Paramaatman inseparably; without Paramaatman being there, they cannot even exist; their sthiti, pravrutti is controlled by Paramaatman. This existence of Paramaatman in all these forms - this tree is Paramaatman, this book is Paramaatman, this table is *Paramaatman *- this oneness is by shareera aatma bhaava. All these are shareera to *Paramaatman. *Paramaatman exists as inner controller. This is established in the Shrutis, as in *Yasya aatmaa shareeram. Yah pruthivyaam tishtan, yah pruthivyaam **antarah, yam pruthivi na veda, yasya pruthivi shareeram, yah pruthivim *antaro yamayati, … says Yaajnyavalkya. Finally, he says, *yah aatmani **tishthan, aatmano antarah, yam aatmaa na veda, yasya aatmaa shareeram, *yah aatmaanam antaro yamayati, sa te aatmaa antaryaami amrutah. Even jeevaatmans are also His shareera. Pruthivi, ap, etc. are all His shareera. He exists in everything, controlling from inside. None of them know that He is existing there. He is all the time present in everything. This is told in the Shruti itself.

Otherwise what is the defect that comes. Paramaatman is of the nature of heya pratyaneeka kalyaana gunaashraya. His nature is opposed to everything that is evil, and He is abode to only auspicious qualities. There are two objects we see - chetana and achetana. Achetana has got the defect of *vikaara *- it undergoes change in its very essential nature itself; its svaroopa itself goes on changing. For jeevaatmans, there is *apurushaartha *- contraction and expansion in their *dharma bhoota *jnyaana. For these kind of objects which have these defects, if Paramaatman is said to be one with these, will not the defects of these objects also ensue to Paramaatman? This doubt is removed by the *shruti *pramaana, yasya aatmaa shareeram. [[74]]

In this shloka, the word roopam is paryaaya pada for shareera. This is explained clearly by Bhaashyakaarar in Vedaartha Sangraha, and also by *Sri *Sudarshana Suri in the vyaakhyaana. Shrutis and smrutis use many words which are paryaaya padaas for *shareera. Tanu, vapu, shakti, amsha, kaaya, **roopa *- are all used for shareera. There are three relationships - *aadhaara *aadheya, niyaamaka niyaamya, sheshi shesha.

Purushasya kartrutva bhoktrutva chetanatva aadinaa prakrutim iti
praadhaanyat prathamyam | Compared to prakruti, purusha is superior because Purusha has *kartrutva *(agency), *bhoktrutva *(enjoyership), *chetanat**va *(He has jnyaana aashraya, He is knower).

Purusha, vyakta, avyakta, kaala are His shareera.

16

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 16: Pradhaana purusha vyakta kaalaanaam paramam hi yat | Pashyanti soorayah shuddham tat vishnoh paramam padam ||

Avyakta is also called pradhaana.

This is also an important shloka for our siddhaanta.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[75]] Sarvasya brahma roopatva vachanena chodyam katham parihrutam
ityata aaha - pradhaana iti | The doubt raised here is: Everything is Brahma roopa, it was said. Brahman exists as samashti, vyashti, everything. At the same time, we say that Brahman is without any defect and is abode to all auspicious qualities. If we see Brahman in all objects here, how do we know that Brahman has this shuddha svaroopa also.

Paramam padam - padyata iti padam, para praapyatva roopam, yatah
pradhaana aadi roopebhyah paramam vilakshanam tasmaat soorayah
shuddham roopa bhoota pradhaana aadi gata vikaara ajnyaana aadi
rahitam paramam jnyaana aananda aadibhih sarvotkrushtam cha
pashyanti iti arthah | The meaning of padam is that which is attained, this is the form of Paramaatman which is attained ultimately, and is called Parama Pada. This is also explained by Bhaashyakaarar in *Vedaartha Sangraha. Parama *Pada has got three meanings (i) It is the svaroopa of Paramaatman, (ii) jeevaatma svaroopa, because that is also something which is attained, (iii) Sri Vaikuntha, where Paramaatman is present, and the nitya sooris are all there. Here, it is the form which is attained in Vaikuntha. Compared to pradhaana, purusha, vyakta, kaala, it is different and distinct. This is where the shuddha roopa of Paramaatman is present, and the *nitya *sooris are seeing all the time, *sadaa pashyanti soorayah. Bhagavaan’s divya *roopa which exists in Sri Vaikuntha, said to be Parama Pada here, is shuddha, does not have the vikaara and ajnyaana which is present in pradhaana, purusha, vyakta, kaala which have a form. He is different and distinct from all these. The doubt raised is thus cleared.

17

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 17: Pradhaana purusha vyakta kaalaah tu pravibhaagashah | Roopaani sthiti sarga anta vyakti sadbhaava hetavah || [[76]]

This shloka establishes many important aspects of our siddhaanta.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Nanu pradhaana aadeenaam naana roopatvena bhedaat brahmanah
tadgata vikaara aadi doshaah maa bhoot | Pradhaana, purusha, etc. each has a different form. There is a clear distinction from one to the other. Let us accept that the vikaara does not touch Brahman. Brahman is untainted by defects of all these objects.

Jagat upaadaana bhootasya brahmanah katham vikaaraadi apraapti iti
ata aaha - pradhaana iti | But, if Brahman is said to be the material cause of all these objects, how can Brahman be without the defects of all these things? Brahman if it is the material cause, has to undergo a change to become the effect. How can there be not the defect of modification or change in Brahman? This is the next doubt. This is answered here.

Pradhaana purusha vyakta kaalaa roopaani pravibhaagashah -
parasparam vikaaritva bhoktrutva aadi svabhaava asankarena
sthityaadeenaam vyaktou jnyaptou sadbhaave cha hetavah | It is answered that it is not so, because the characteristic of vikaaritva of pradhaana, and bhoktrutva of chetanaas, they are all without getting mixed up, they are the ones which are the forms of pradhaana, purusha, vyakta, kaala. Without getting mixed up with each other, they become the cause of sthiti, etc., being seen by the eyes, being known when they manifest, and their presence itself.

[[77]] When we plant a seed, after some time, we can say that a tree has come into existence, and we can see that it is a tree. Every object, every entity exists here without any saankarya. The cause of their forms is their own bodies, and not Paramaatman. Paramaatman exists as inner controller, not getting changed; the change is in the body, shareera. Paramaatman does not undergo any change.

Vyaktih visheshah | There is a special characteristic.

Hetu shabdo brahmanah tebhyo niyantrutva sheshitva aadinaa vishesha
pradarshanaarthah | The cause of all these things is their own forms, and Brahman is different and distinct from these. There is a change - the *jeevaatman’s dharma *bhoota jnyaana undergoes a change. Achetana undergoes a change in essential form itself. These two being the shareera of Paramaatman, the change is in the shareera, and not in the Paramaatman Himself, though He becomes the upaadaana kaarana.

18

Why should Paramaatman do the srushti? This is answered here. Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 18: Vyaktam vishnuh tathaa avyaktam purushah kaala eva cha | Kreedato baalakakasyeva cheshtaam tasya nishaamaya ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Nanu pradhaanaadeenaam srushti aadi hetutvaat vishnoh katham
kaaranatvam ata aaha - vyaktam iti | [[78]] If we say that pradhaana and others are the cause for the changing world, then how can Bhagavaan be told as the kaarana? How can we say that He is the sarva kaarana? This is told in this shloka.

Vyaktaadeenaam tat adheena svaroopa sthiti pravruttitvena tat
shareeratvaat tat vishishtasya vishnoh kaaranatvam na anupapannam | Though there is a modification in the shareera only, how can it change without Paramaatman being there? Everything is controlled by Paramaatman. The very existence of these chetana achetanaas, their functioning, and their essential nature, everything is under the control of Paramaatman. In this way, they become the shareera of Paramaatman, and Paramaatman who is qualified by these becomes the cause. This is not unreasonable.

Vyaktam vishnuh iti aadi | Vyakta aadi shareerako vishnuh iti arthah | Vishnu is only what is manifested, the unmanifest is also Vishnu, purusha is also Vishnu, kaala is also Vishnu, the meaning is *vyakta shareerakah **vishnuh, avyakta shareerakah vishnuh, purusha shareerakah vishnuh, kaala *shareerakah vishnuh. The saamaanaadhikaranya has to be like this only.

Saamaanaadhikaranya has been explained as *bhinaa pravrutti nimittaanaam *shabdaanaam ekasmin arthe vruttih saamaanaadhikaranyam. If two words which are in the same vibhakti tell the different aspects of the same object, this is saamaanaadhikaranya. The object which is qualified by these characteristics is one only. The identity is not in the object and attribute, but the two objects which are qualified by two different aspects, for example, jagat kaarana vishnuh, and vyakta shareeraka vishnuh, these are in saamaanaadhikaranya. The vyakta which is brahmaatmaka, having Brahman as the inner controller, and Vishnu who is the *jagat *kaarana, there is saamaanaadhikaranya. Vishnu is one only in both. It is not between Vishnu and vyakta that the saamaanaadhikaranya is to be taken. [[79]]

Nanu avaapta samasta kaamasya prayojana abhaavaat srushti aadih na
upapadyate iti at aaha - kreedata iti | Kreedaa eva prayojanam iti
arthah | This is all a play for Paramaatman, just like a boy is playing with a ball. Just like a boy plays for mere pleasure, Paramaatman also does srushti for kreedaa. It is mere sport for Him, though He is *avaapta *samasta kaama. Whatever He wills, He will attain it. If He does sankalpa, that will definitely happen.

Lokavat tu leelaa kaivalyam. Leelaa eva kaaranam. This is explained by Bhaashyakaarar. A saarvabhouma, ruler who has got everything, also engages in sport, just for entertainment. Like this, it is not unreasonable for Paramaatman to do srushti, as leelaa. Leelaa is also explained as *dayaa *kaarya, as all chetanaas are lying as achetana, and if srushti does not happen, they cannot uplift themselves. Out of compassion, Paramaatman does srushti.

19

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 19: Avyaktam kaaranam yat tat pradhaanam rishi sattamaih | Prochyate prakrutih sookshmaa nityam sat asat aatmakam || ***The cause which is unmanifest, the primordial matter, as told by Manu
and other rishis. ***

20

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 20: Akshayam na anyat aadhaaram ameyam ajaram dhruvam | Shabda sparsha viheenam tat roopaadibhih asamhitam ||

21

[[80]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 21: Trigunam tat jagat yonih anaadi prabhavaapyayam | Tena agre sarvam eva aaseet vyaaptam vai pralayaadanu ||

22

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 22: Veda vaada vido brahma niyataa brahma vaadinah | Pathanti chaitamevaartham pradhaana pratipaadakam ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha srushtim vaktum pralaya avasaane avasthitaanaam pradhaana
purusha aadeenaam svaroopam aaha - avyaktam ityaadi panchabhih | The svaroopa of pradhaana, purusha, etc. at the time of end of pralaya, are told, in order to tell about creation. This is told in these five shlokaas.

Avyaktam iti | Yat tat iti | Bhagavat roopatayaa uktam yat avyaktam
tat prakrutih pradhaanam iti aadi shabdaih uchyate manvaadibhih, na
saankhyaadi abhimatam, nityam sat asat aatmakam - chetana achetana
aatmakatvena nityam | * Daaruni agnih iti vakshyati | Whatever was told as the shareera of Paramaatman, the unmanifest primordial matter, is called as prakruti and pradhaana, by Manu and other rishis. Whatever they have told is in line with what is taught in the Shrutis. There are others like Saankhya by Kapila which are opposed to what is told in the Shrutis, these are not acceptable.

The name of Kapila comes in the Shrutis, and whatever is told by him has to be accepted, is the objection. This objection is removed by *Brahma Sutra *kaarar, Baadaraayanar, that Saankhya Smruti has a lot of things which are [[81]] opposed to what is taught in the Shrutis. One of them is that pradhaana is abrahmaatmaka; they do not accept Brahman; they have only purusha and prakruti; creation happens when the pradhaana modifies itself; it is abrahmaatmaka they say, and it acts by itself; this is not acceptable and is not as per what is told in the Shrutis.

Sat shabdavaachya brahma is told. Asat shabdavaachya is also told, which means that naama roopa vyaakarana was not there. When nothing was differentiated into name and form, it is called as asat. This entire universe of chetanaas, achetanaas was existing as sat shabda vaachya, as *sookshma *chit achit vishishta Paramaatman, before srushti. He became *sthoola chit *achit vishishta Paramaatman, after srushti. Like fire which exists in the wood, but is not seen. When two wood pieces are rubbed, then agni is supposed to be produced.

Akshayam iti | Akshayam akrutsna parinaami | Akshayyam iti paathe
kshaya anarham | Na anyat aadhaaram akaaryatvaat anyatra
asamavetam | Anyatra shabdasya pullingatve api dandaadheshah
samaase tat alopascha aarshou | Ameyam - desha kaala aadinaa |
Ajaram - kaalena na jeeryati | Dhruvam spanda rahitam | Vishesha
guna raahityam aaha - shabdeti | Chetanaas are existing inside achetana, and are unseen. Prakruti is told as akshaya, meaning that it does not change completely; part of the prakruti undergoes change and mahat is formed. In the avyakta form, it is nitya, eternal. Primordial matter is nitya means that it is not the effect of something; akaarya means that it is not an effect, does not have a *kaarana. *Paramaatman does not create avyakta during srushti; avyakta is an eternal entity existing all the time - achetana. In the avyakta form, it is an eternal entity. Paramaatman only makes avyakta to undergo modification being its inner controller, antaryaami; it becomes mahat, ahamkaara, etc., they then merge back in the reverse order, and then it remains as *avyakta. *Meya means measurable, and ameya means immeasurable. Prakruti is existing everywhere in this prakruti mandala. It does not become old. It is [[82]] without any vibrations. It does not have shabda, sparsha, etc., they comes only after pancheekarana. After pancheekarana, the aakaasha is formed, and it has got quality of shabda, vaayu has got quality of shabda and sparsha, etc. Even the forms are not there before pancheekarana.

Trigunam iti | Trigunam gunatraya aatmakam |
Anaadiprabhavaapyayam - aadih kaaranam, prabhavah janma, apyayah
layah, taih viheenam | Agre srushte poorva kaale; pralayaadanu
praakruti pralaya kaala ante, vyaaptam grastam, ambhasaa iva
lavanam | It is *tri gunaatmaka. Aadi prabhava aapyaya rahitam *anaadiprabhavaapyayam, there is nai samaasa; it does not have a kaarana, it is always existing, it is not created, and is an eternal entity; everything merges into it and stays in eki bhaava with Paramaatman. Before srushti means at the end of praakruta pralaya. Vyaaptam means eclipsed, or surrounded, just like the salt is dissolved in water, all these were swallowed by pradhaana, avyakta at the end of praakruta pralaya.

Vedeti | Veda vaada vidah veda vaado vaidika nyaayah; tat vidah,
brahma niyataah vedaartha eka ruchayah; brahma vaadinah - brahma
eka kaaranatva vaadinah | Etam uktam eva artham prati, pradhaana
pratipaadakam shloka dvayam pathanti iti aaha - pathanti iti | Veda vaada means according to the logic as told in the Vedaas, those who are knowledgeable about it. Brahma niyataah means those interested only in what is taught in the Vedaas. Brahma vaadinah means those who understand and believe and know that Brahman only is the sole cause of everything. They tell about these two shlokaas telling about pradhaana.

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shlokaas 23, 24: [[83]] Na aho na raatrih nabho na bhoomih na aaseet tamo jyotih abhoot cha
naanyat | Shrotraadi buddhyaa anupalabhyamekam praadhaanikam brahma
pumaan tat aaseet ||

Vishnoh svaroopaat paratodite dve roope pradhaanam purushascha
vipra | Tasya eva te anyena ghrute viyukte roopaantaram tat dvija kaala
samjyam ||

These shlokaas are pradhaana pratipaadaka shlokaas. We shall take them up in the next class.

Question: Please explain the terms mahat and prakruti. Answer: Prakruti is also told as avyakta or pradhaana, which is primordial matter, which is the unmanifest state of matter, at the time of pralaya. During srushti, Paramaatman being the antaryaami, makes it to undergo change, and a part of it undergoes change. It is trigunaatmaka. It undergoes change and becomes a new entity called *mahat *- this is also an inert tattva, unseen, unmanifest. Paramaatman who is antaryaami of mahat, makes it to undergo change, and it becomes ahamkaara. There are three *ahamkaaraas - *saatvika, raajasa, taamasa. From the saatvika and raajasa ahamkaaraas, eleven indriyaas are created. From the raajasa and *taamasa ahamkaara, *pancha tanmaatraas and pancha bhootaas are created. Then pancheekarana happens.

We were studying the nature of prakruti and purusha, that existed before srushti, at the end of pralaya. In order to teach about *srushti, *Paraasharar tells about the svaroopa of pradhaana and purusha and others, at the time of the end of the pralaya, before srushti. Then he will start [[84]] telling about srushti. While telling this, he tells that everything is Paramaatman only, everything is Bhagavaan’s shareera; the change that happens is only in the shareera and not in the Paramaatman, who is inseparably associated, and is immutable. If He does not undergo any change, if the change is only in the shareera which is chetana and *achetana, *(svaroopa vikaara in the achetana and svabhaava vikaara in the chetana in the dharma bhoota jnyaana), how can Paramaatman be called the cause of creation? It is because the very existence, sustenance and functioning of these chetanaas and achetanaas, is controlled by Paramaatman, and they are all inseparably associated with Him. As a qualified entity, He can also be called as the cause - He is the main cause. Creation is a mere sport for Him, Kreedato baalakakasyeva cheshtaam tasya nishaamaya, just like a boy is playing. Kreedaa eva prayojanam iti arthah.

Avyakta, which is called as pradhaana by Manu and other rishis, is the cause. It is prakruti, very subtle, sookshma, nitya, eternal. It is not an effect; it is the cause of mahat, ahamkaara; it is an eternal entity, always existing. There is no vibration - sattva, rajas, tamas are all equal in proportion at the time of pralaya. It is triguna, has three qualities. *Shabda, *sparsha, etc. are not there at the time of pralaya, and are manifested at the time of vyashti srushti, when the division happens into name and form.

Veda vaadis, establish reality only based on what is taught in the shrutis. Brahma vaadis accept that Brahman is only the kaarana, the cause.

Two shlokaas about pradhaana are well known.

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shlokaas 23, 24: Na aho na raatrih nabho na bhoomih na aaseet tamo jyotih abhoot cha
naanyat | [[85]] Shrotraadi buddhyaa anupalabhyam ekam praadhaanikam brahma
pumaan tat aaseet || There was no day, no night, no sky, no earth, no tamas, no light or darkness. There was nothing which could be known from shrotra and others. Pradhaana, Brahma and samashti purusha, were there.

Vishnoh svaroopaat paratah udite dve roope pradhaanam purushascha
vipra | Tasya eva te anyena dhrute viyukte roopaantaram tat dvija kaala
samjyam || This tells about kaala.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tat eva shloka dvayam darshayati - na ahah iti | Shrotra aadi
buddhyaa na anupalabhyam - shabda aadi raahityaat shrotra aadi
janya jnyaane agamyam | When we hear something, we understand it - this is shrotra janya jnyaana. By seeing, we get some knowledge - this is chakshur janya jnyaana. Because there was no shabda, etc., everything was merged in pradhaana, prakruti, it was avyakta, and not divided into name and form. *Pancha bhoota *tattvas were not there. There was nothing that could be known through shrotra and others.

Pradhaanam eva praadhaanikam, svaarthe thak pratyayah | Pradhaana means moola prakruti, it was avyakta.

[[86]] Brahma cha, pumaan samashti purushascha ekam aaseet, * tam aaseet
tamasaa goodham agre, * tamah pare deve ekee bhavati * ityaadi
shruteh | Pradhaana, Brahma, samashti purusha, the collectivity of all the *chetanaas *- were all existing as one. Shruti pramaanaas are given. Srushti happens, and pralaya happens in the reverse order. In srushti, causes become effects, and kaarana becomes *kaarya, *prakruti becomes mahat, mahat becomes *ahamkaara, *ahamkaara becomes tanmaatraas, etc. In pralaya, it is reverse order, tanmaatraas become merged into ahamkaara, ahamkaara merges in mahat, mahat merges in prakruti, then all the samashti purushaas join together, everything joins *Paramaatman. Avyaktam akshare leeyate, *aksharam tamasi leeyate, tamah pare deve ekee bhavati.

In shruti, it is told wonderfully about pralaya. There is naasadeeya sookta, in Rig and Yajur vedaas. There was nothing - there was no death, nor immortality, it was one with svadhaa. There is a question asked - who knows from where everything came? Who created all these things? *Yah asya *adhyakshah parame vyoman. In parama vyoma, one who is presiding over all these things, He knows. He only knows, nobody else knows.

Na aho na raatrih iti sthoola kaala upaadhi bhoota jyotitaraadi
nishedhe api tadaa aaseet iti nirdeshaat sookshmah kaalah asti iti
gamyate | Kaala is said to be two - akhanda kaala and *khanda kaala. Akhanda *kaala means there is no division - there is one time. Khanda kaala means we see divisions like *kalaa, kaashtha, muhoortha, aho, raatri, paksha, maasa, **samvatsara *- this is oupaadhika. It is told that there is no day, no night, no light, no darkness - those which give the division of time we see here. The word tadaa indicates time. Though there was no division of time we see here, like day, night, etc., one akhanda kaala, the sookshma kaala still existed at that time. [[87]]

So, what existed before srushti was pradhaana or *avyakta, *Brahman and samashti purushaas. Brahman is *nitya vibhooti vishshta. Nitya *vibhooti is outside the scope of this creation and destruction. *Nitya *vibhooti is eternally present there. Paramaatman who is *nitya vibhooti **vishishta, divya soori vishishta, divya bhooshana, divya aayudha, divya *mahishi, was existing, along with pradhaana and samashti purusha.

Vishnoh svaroopaat iti | Atra svaroopa shabdo roopa vachanah;
svaroopaat roopaat | This means from Vishnu’s shareera. It is not that Bhagavaan’s essential nature itself divided into purusha and pradhaana.

Chetana samashti and achetana which was existing as *avyakta *- they were present at that time. Two forms which are pradhaana and purusha manifested.

Udite udbhoote; aarshah sandhih | We can say as paratah udite, which is aarsha sandhi.

Dite iti paricchede vibhakte iti arthah tasmaat tamas sanjaayate * iti
shruteh | Or can say that paratah dite, viyukte, separated. Two forms separated from Him, inseparably associated but differentiated.

Te roope viyukte |

[[88]] Srushti arha samyoga virahite yathaa syaataam tathaa tasya eva, yena
anyena ghrute stah tat roopaantaram kaala sanjyam | Avyakta and samshti purusha were united into Paramaatman as if they cannot be separated as though they are one. During srushti, they manifest in such a way that they can become effects, can manifest themselves in the gross form; they become separated from Paramaatman in such a way that they can manifest. Another thing which supports this is kaala, time.

Te anye anye aarshatvaat saadhuh sandhih | This is the aarsha sandhi told by a rishi.

25

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 25: Prakrutou samsthitam vyaktam ateeta pralaye tu yat | Tasmaat praakruta samjnyah ayam uchyate pratisancharah || Pratisanchara means pralaya. This pralaya is called praakruta pralaya. Whatever was present in prakruti, when creation happens, it gets manifested. Because it was all merged into prakruti, and present in prakruti, it is called praakruta pralaya.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Prakrutou iti | Prakrutou samsthitam leenam | Pratisancharah -
pralayah |

26

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 26: Anaadih bhagavaan kaalo naanto asya dvija vidyate | Avyucchinnaah tatah tu ete sarga sthiti anta samyamaah || [[89]] Avyucchinnaah means unceased, or uninterrupted. Kaala is always there, it is like a pravaaha.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Kaalasya prakruti purusha samyojakatvaat vyakta utpatti aadi
pravaaha hetutvaat cha vyaktavat na prakrutou layah iti aaha -
anaadih iti | Paraasharar says that everything is merged into prakruti, so it is called praakruta paralaya. Purushaas are existing separately, they are chetanaas, they are united together as tamas, united in Paramaatman. At time time, what happens to kaala? Everything happens at a particular time, srushti happens at a particular time. Getting manifested, creation, are like a continuous stream happening; in this way, one of the causes is also kaala. Like vyakta, whatever is manifest, kaala does not merge into prakruti. Kaala is said to be *anaadi *- there is no beginning and there is no end.

Tatah - kaalaat; kaalasya anaadyantatvaat sarga kaala nirodhah
samyamah jagat niyamana anupravesho vaa | Sarga (creation), *sthiti *(sustenance), *anta *(the end or pralaya), *samyama *(cessation of creation) - these four things are told. Or samyama can be told as jagat niyamana anupravesha doing anupravesha for controlling happens.

Prakruti purusha roopavat kaala roopam api parasmin antarhitam | Just like prakruti and samashti purushaas which get united with Paramaatman and stay one with Him, kaala is also united with Paramaatman.

27

[[90]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 27: Guna saamye tatah tasmin pruthak pumsi vyavasthite | Kaala svaroopam tat vishnoh maitreya parivartate || Now, starting of srushti is going to be told.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Prakruteh avishada satata parinaama ganita dvi paraardha
kaalaavasaane prathamam srushti kaala unmeshanam aaha guna
saamya iti | The srushti kaala starts. Paraardha is half of the life of *Chaturmukha *Brahma. Dvi paraardha means two paraardhaas. Paraardha is said to be the highest number that is possible to count - this is 50 years of Brahma’s life. Avishada means that is not manifest. At the end of hundred years of Chaturmukha Brahma, is when praakruta pralaya happens. Up to that, it is continuously undergoing changes. After that is praakruta pralaya, and then srushti happens, creation starts.

Guna saamye sattva aadi guna saamya roope guna saamya
niroopaneeye tasmin pradhaanam pumsi cha prutham vyavasthite
pruthak viyukte sthite sati, tat kaala svaroopam parivartate - srujya
jeeva karma anuguna sarga anukoolam bhavati iti arthah | In pralaya time, sattva, rajas, tamas are all equal. If one of them changes, srushti happens. At the time when pradhaana can be known as having sattva, rajas, tamas as equal, when the primordial matter and chetanaas were existing separately, how does time get modified? It becomes favourable for creation according to the karmaas of the sentients who are all going to be part of creation. We can say that time becomes ripe for creation.

[[91]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shlokaas 28, 29: Tatah tu tat param brahma paramaatmaa jaganmayah | Sarvagah sarvabhooteshah sarvaatmaa parameshvarah || Then the Paramaatman, who has everything as His body, is present everywhere, the ruler of all beings, …

Pradhaana purushou cha api pravishyati aatmecchayaa harih | Kshobhayaamaasa sampraapte sarga kaale vyaya avyayou || Vishnu, Sriman Naaraayana, out of His own willing, sankalpa, enters into pradhaana and purusha, when the time for creation comes, causes disturbance in prakruti, which is vyaya, which undergoes change, and avyaya, which is the chetanaas, jeevaatman who do not undergo any change, after entering into them.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha srushtyartham pradhaana pumsoh kshobhamaaha - tata iti |

Pradhaanam iti | Aatmecchayaa * bahu syaam iti sankalpaatmikayaa,
pravishya - vishayeekrutya, kshobhayaamaasa sarge unmukhou
chakaara | Pradhaanasya kshobho guna vaishamyam pravrutti
unmukhatvam cha, pumso jnyaana vikaasah samskaara udbodhah cha |
Vyaya avyayou - vyayati iti vyayah, avyayah - vyayarahitah, vikaara
kootasthou iti arthah | He does sankalpa that ‘Let Me become many, let Me be born’. He is present everywhere, what does it mean that He is going to enter? It means making that as the object of His action. Disturbance, is that He made them ready for creation. What is the readiness of pradhaana for creation, means, He creates disturbance in the three qualities, sattva, rajas, tamas, so that it [[92]] starts getting modified. For chetanaas, the readiness for creation is *jnyaana *vikaasa; during pralaya, their dharma bhoota jnyaana is contracted very much, so that they are lying down like achetana; during srushti, He will make them know, and his experiences and impressions from the earlier births, he will be made aware of all that. Vyaya is vikaara, undergoing change, and avyaya is kootastha, jeevaatmans will not be undergoing any change. Through this disturbance, He makes them ready for creation.

30

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 30: Yathaa sannidhi maatrena gandhah kshobhaaya jaayate | Manaso na upakartrutvaat tathaa asou parameshvarah || This is an example given. Just by mere presence, mere nearness, fragrance creates disturbance or agitates what is nearby, of the mind; fragrance by mere nearness, can cause change to undergo in the mind, without being an instrument; in the same way, by Paramaatman, the disturbance is like that.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Eeshvarah prakruti purushayoh kshobhane api svayam avikaarah iti
aaha - yathaa iti | Paramaatman is avikaara, does not undergo any change; His mere presence, His sankalpa can cause disturbance.

Yathaa gandhah kinchit vikaara rahito api sannidhi maatrena manasah
kshobhaaya sukha dukha aadi vikaaraaya bhavati | The fragrance does not undergo any change, it is just present nearby. Just its mere presence causes sukha and dukha, which are vikaaras of the mind. The mind undergoes change. [[93]] The fragrance does not undergo any change, it is just present nearby. Just its mere presence causes sukha and dukha, which are vikaaras of the mind. The mind undergoes change. Just like this, Paramaatman’s presence can itself cause change in chetana and achetana.

31

A question arises. Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 31: Sa eva kshobhako brahman kshobhyah cha purushottamah | Sa sankocha vikaasaabhyaam pradhaanatve api cha sthitah || The one who causes this disturbance is also He only, the one who undergoes disturbance is also He only.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Gandha drushtaantena tasya nimittatvam eva kim iti aashankaayaam
upaadaanam api sa eva iti aaha - sa eva iti | The gandha which is present, which causes disturbance in the mind, is not upaadaana kaarana for those effects, it is only nimitta. Is Paramaatman also only nimitta kaarana, as gandha drushtaanta is given. How can He be told as upaadaana kaarana also? This is established here.

Kshobakah san pradhaana purushaatmakam svayam eva kshobayati | He, who has pradhaana and purusha as His body, changes Himself.

Na hi svasmaat bahirbhootam kulaalo mrut pindam iva, * tat
aatmaanam svayam akuruta * aatma kruteh; * sah abhidhyaaya
shareeraat sukhaat * ityaadibhyah | [[94]] It is not like a potter who creates a pot out of mud, which is external to him. It is not like that for Paramaatman. Paramaatman is not doing like that. He Himself makes effect into Himself.

This is told wonderfully in the Prakruti Adhikarana, which is the last-but-one adhikarana of the fourth paada of the First Chapter of Brahma Sutraas. There are six sutraas, and the first of these says " *Prakrutih cha". *Paramaatman is only the upaadaana kaarana. One of the reasons why He is told as upaadaana kaarana is aatma kruteh. From His own shareera, doing sankalpa, He created all these beings. Achetana, chetana are all His shareera, inseparably associated. Still He remains unchanged all the time. There is no change in His svaroopa svabhaava. There is change only in His attributes, which are chetana and achetana. Achetana undergoes change in svaroopa itself, and chetana undergoes change in svabhaava, according to the karmaas of the jeevaatman.

Na kevalam jagat upaadaanam, kaarya bhootam jagat api sa eva iti
aaha - sa sankocha iti | Sankocha-vikaasaabhyaam yuktah
pradhaanatve api sthitah sa eva | He is nimitta kaarana is told first; then it is told that He is *upaadaana *kaarana. Not only upaadaana kaarana, He is only present as effect. The world which is an effect is also He only. Associated with contraction and expansion, He is also present as pradhaana. Everything is Himself, but He is also their shareeri. They are all inseparably associated. The shareeri does not undergo any change.

We also see this in the jeevaatman. During young age, middle age, old age, all the changes happen to the body, whereas jeevaatman remains unchanged inside. They are associated inseparably. In the same way, Paramaatman who is antaryaami, though there is change in the jeevaatman’s dharma bhoota jnyaana, He does not undergo any change. He being antaryaami of everything, is present as everything, as everything is [[95]] His shareera. Anything which has name and form is there only because He has done antah pravesha.

32

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 32: Vikaasa anu svaroopaih cha brahma roopa aadibhih tathaa | Vyakta svaroopah cha tathaa vishnuh sarveshvareshvarah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Vikaasa iti | Vikaasa anusvaroopaih vyashti samaashti roopaih cha,
tathaa brahma aadi roopaih cha yuktah; sa eva vyakta svaroopah -
mahat aadi svaroopah cha | Vikaasa svaroopa is whatever is manifested in the gross form. And what is in the samashti, collectivity, and Brahma and other forms; everything, He is only associated. The mahat, ahamkaara, etc. are also He only. He is the supporter of everything.

33

Now, srushti is going to be told. Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 33: Guna saamyaat tatah tasmaat kshetrajnya adhisthitaat mune | Guna vyanjana sambhootih sarga kaale dvijottama ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Srushtim aaha - guna saamyaat iti | Tatah - kshobhaanantaram |
Kshetrajnya karma preritaat guna saamyaat - guna shakti saamya
roopaat pradhaanaat, vyajyante anena gunaa iti guna vyanjanam
mahat tattvam, tasya sambhootih | [[96]] Tatah means after Paramaatman starts creation. From the pradhaana which was existing before srushti, having all gunaas in equality, being impelled by the karmaas of the kshetrajnyaas. At the time of srushti, the first thing created is guna vyanjana, which is mahat tattva. In the *moola *prakruti form, the gunaas are all equal. Whereas when there is some disturbance, and something undergoes change, then prakruti becomes mahat. In the mahat, some guna will be prominent.

We saw so far how before srushti, Paramaatman makes them ready for creation, and brings awareness, samskaara, and makes it ready for *guna *vaishamya; He being antaryaami is the cause, and everything happens in Him. Everything is Him only, and the effect is also Him only. He is only the upaadaana kaarana, the material cause. Though He is *upaadaana *kaarana, He does not undergo any change. It is not like a potter who makes a pot out of mud.

Bhagavaan will start when the time comes; He does the sankalpa, kaala will make everything ready. Time becomes right for creation to start, according to the karmaas of all the jeevaas. Paramaatman will do anupravesha, He will impel them; the guna saamya will get disturbed; guna vaishamya will come in pradhaana, He will do sankalpa - bahusyaam prajaayeya. With all the changes happening in prakruti and purusha, Bhagavaan remains unchanged.

An example was given, of fragrance. Fragrance, when present creates a reaction in the mind, and it does not get changed in any way. Paramaatman also does not get changed in any way; He brings about changes in prakruti and purusha. And, He is also not just *nimitta *kaarana like fragrance, but He is also the upaadaana kaarana, as the changes happen in Him only. Because everything is associated inseparably with Paramaatman only. Changes are in Paramaatman’s shareera and not in His svaroopa or svabhaava. Achetana and chetana are inseparably associated [[97]] with Him as His shareera. He is controlling them, He is their support and master.

Creation of the various tattvaas, in order, is going to be told now.

33

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 33: Guna saamyaat tatah tasmaat kshetrajnya adhisthitaat mune | Guna vyanjana sambhootih sarga kaale dvijottama ||

There is a vaishamya in the gunaas which is happening, one of them becomes more or less, and creation starts. Moola prakruti becomes *mahat. *Mahat becomes *guna vyanjana. Vyajyante anena gunaah *- qualities are shown in this. Impelled by the karmaas of the kshetrajnya, the jeevaatmans, due to prakruti, the mahat tattva is formed at the time of creation.

34

The next stages of creation are explained. Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 34: Pradhaana tattvam udbhootam mahaantam tat samaavrunot | Saatviko raajasah cha eva taamasah cha tridhaa mahaan ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Pradhaana tattvam iti | Udbhootam mahaantam tat pradhaanam
samaavrunot | Pradhaana tattva envelops the mahat tattva.

[[98]] Yadaa udbhootam iti pradhaana visheshanam | Saatvika ityaadi |
Saatvikatvaadikam pradesha bhedhena udbhootam guna trayam | Sattva, rajas and *tamas gunaas *- one of them becomes more and based on this, the state changes. This modifies into three different *tattvaas *- *saatvika *ahamkaara, raajasa ahamkaara, taamasa ahamkaara. The three qualities of pradhaana, saatvika, raajasa and taamasa are told. From that, they are manifesting.

35

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 35: Pradhaana tattvena samam tvachaa beejam iva aavrutam | Vaikaarikah taijasah cha bhootaadischaiva taamasah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Pradhaana tattvena iti | Samam bahissamantatah | Samam means from outside completely. As though the seed is enveloped by outer skin, the mahat tattva is enveloped by pradhaana. Pradhaana is *moola *prakruti.

Vaikaarikah - saatvikah, taijaso raajasah, bhootaadih taamasah,
vaikaarika padena avikaara roopasya parama sattvasya vyaavruttih, *
Kaamam devaah cha munayah sattvasthaa nrupasattama | Heenaah
sattvena sookshmena tato vaikaarikaah smrutaah | Iti moksha dharma
ukteh | Vaikaarika is saatvika ahamkaara, taijasa is *raajasa ahamkaara, *bhootaadi is taamasa ahamkaara. Saatvika, raajasa and *taamasa *ahamkaaraas are told by the terms vaikaarika, taijasa and *bhootaadi. *Vaikaarika means that it is of vikaara svabhaava, undergoes changes. Bhootaadi also means that it is the cause of pancha bhootaas. There is one more sattva known as shuddha sattva, or parama sattva, which [[99]] is in Parama Pada; this sattva is different from the sattva guna of prakruti. Because the sattva guna of pradhaana undergoes changes. Whereas the shuddha sattva in Parama Pada does not undergo any change. The Moksha dharma quotation is told about how the vaikaarika word is mentioned.

36

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 36: Tri vidho ayam ahamkaaro mahat tattvaat ajaayata | *Bhootendriyaanaam hetuh sah trigunatvaat mahaa mune | Tathaa pradhaanena mahaan mahataa saa tathaa vrutah || These are the three types of ahamkaara tattva created from mahat tattva. This is the cause of pancha bhootaas and the eleven indriyaas. ***

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Trividha iti | Bhootendriyaanaam hetum sah iti atra taamasa amshena
bhootaanaam hetuh, saatvika amshena indriyaanaam | Raajasa
amshena ubhayoh anugraahakah | Ahamkaara is of three types. From the saatvika ahamkaara, eleven *indriyaas *- jnyaanendrika, karmendriya and manas are created. From *taamasa *ahamkaara, pancha bhootaas and pancha tanmaatraas are created. *Raajasa *ahamkaara helps both in the creation of the respective indriyaas and *pancha *bhootaas.

37

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 37: Yathaa pradhaanena mahaan mahataa saa tathaa vrutah || Bhootaadih tu vikurvaanah shabda tanmaatrakam tatah | Sasarja shabda tanmaatraat aakaasham shabda lakshanam || [[100]] The way mahat tattva is enveloped by pradhaana, in the same way, the ahamkaara tattva is enveloped by *mahat tattva. Taamasa *ahamkaara will modify and create shabda tanmaatra.

Tanmaatra is a middle state. When milk becomes curd, the mid state between milk and curd, called as kalala, is like the tanmaatra. In the same way, taamasa ahamkaara becomes shabda tanmaatra, and then becomes aakaasha. Shabda tanmaatra is a very sookshma avasthe.

From taamasa ahamkaara, assisted by *raajasa ahamkaara, shabda *tanmaatra is created. From shabda tanmaatra, aakaasha is created. From aakaasha, sparsha tanmaatra is created. From *sparsha tanmaatra, *vaayu is created. From vaayu, roopa tanmaatra is created. From *roopa *tanmaatra, tejas (agni) is created. From tejas, rasa tanmaatra is created. From rasa tanmaatra, ap is created, water. From ap, gandha tanmaatra is created. From gandha tanmaatra, pruthivi is created. *Aakaashaat vaayuh, **vaayoh agnih, agneh aapah, apbhyah pruthivi. Aakaasha, vaayu, agni, ap, *pruthivi are the pancha bhootaas. In between states are the tanmaatraas.

We should understand that there should not be any virodha between shrutis and smrutis. In shrutis, in one place, it says ’ Ashtou prakrutayah, shodashakascha vikaaraah’ - there are eight causes, and there are sixteen effects. The eight causes are *moola prakruti, mahat, *ahamkaara, and five tanmaatraas. The sixteen vikaaraas, effects, are eleven indriyaas and pancha bhootaas.

In the srushti prakarana of Chandogya and in Taittriya Upanishad, the tanmaatraas are not mentioned. Whereas in the *laya *prakarana of Subaalopanishad, the tanmaatraas are mentioned. Tanmaatraani bhootaadou leeyante.

[[101]] Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Bhootaadih ityaadi | Tato bhootaadi vikurvaanah kshubhyan, anabhi
vyakta vishesha shabda gunakam shabda tanmaatram sasarja | Shabda
tanmaatraat shabda vishesha lakshanam sthoola aakaasham abhoot iti
arthah | Bhootaadi undergoes disturbance, change, shabda tanmaatra, in which the shabda guna is not manifested, is created. Aakaasha, which is having the quality of shabda, the gross aakaasha, when the pancheekarana is not yet done, is created.

38

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 38: Shabda maatram tathaa aakaasham bhootaadih sa samaavrunot | Aakaashah tu vikurvaanah sparsha maatram sasarja ha || Bhootaadi envelopes shabda tanmaatra and aakaasha both. The previous tanmaatra envelopes the next tanmaatra and the *vishesha. *Aakaasha got modified to sparsha tanmaatraa.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Shabda maatram iti | Shabda maatram - shabda tanmaatram; tathaa
aakaasham - sthoola aakaasham cha, sah bhootaadih, aavrunot | Etena
poorva poorva tanmaatram uttara uttara tanmaatram tat vishesham
cha aavrunot iti darshitam | Aakashah tu iti | Aakaashah - tanmaatra
roopa sthoola aakaasham iva sparsha tanmaatram cha sasarja | Bhootaadi enveloped aakaasha and shabda tanmaatra. By this, we have to understand that the previous tanmaatra envelopes the successive tanmaatra and the vishesha, where the qualities are manifested. Aakaasha gets modified into sparsha tanmaatra.

39

[[102]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 39: Balavaan abhavat vaayuh tasya sparsho guno matah | Aakaasham shabda maatram tu sparsha maatram samaavrunot ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Balavaan iti | Balavaan abhoot vaayuh, sparsha maatraat iti sheshah |
Sparshah sparsha visheshah | From the sparsha tanmaatra, vaayu is created. The quality of vaayu is sparsha. It has got shabda and sparsha both. Previous tanmaatra envelopes the next vishesha and next tanmaatra. Because of this, the qualities are carried over from the causes to the effects.

In our siddhaanta, we accept that pruthivi has all the five qualities, *shabda, *sparsha, roopa, rasa and gandha. Aakaasha has got only shabda. Vaayu has got shabda and sparsha. Tejas has got shabda, sparsha, roopa. Ap has got shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa. Pruthivi has got all five.

40

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 40: Tato vaayuh vikurvaano roopa maatram sasarja ha | Jyotirutpadyate vaayoh tat roopa gunam uchyate || Vaayu undergoes change and creates roopa tanmaatra. From the previous shabda tanmaatra, and the roopa tanmaatra, tejas, or agni or jyoti is created.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[103]] Tata iti | Vaayuh tanmaatra roopah roopa maatram sasarja | Jyotiriti
| Vaayoh roopa tanmaatra sahitaat vaayoh, sparsha tanmaatra
roopaat sthoolam jyotih utpadyate iti arthah | Atra idam
anusandheyam | Poorva poorva tanmaatra sahitaat eva uttara uttara
tanmaatraat sva vishesha utpattih na kevalaat | Tathaa sati vaayvaadi
bhoota visheshaanaam tat tat guna aadhikya ayogaat; kaarana
kramena hi kaarye guna sambhava iti | Atra puraanaantara vachanam |
* Aakaasham shabda tanmaatram sparsha tanmaatram samaavishat |
Roopam tathaa eva aavishatah shabda sparsha gunou ubhou | Shabdah
sparshah cha roopam cha rasa maatram samaavishat | Tasmaat
chaturgunaah ete visheshaah cha indriyagrahaah || ityaadi | The next element is created by the immediate tanmaatra, along with the previous tanmaatraas. For agni, roopa tanmaatra, along with the earlier shabda and sparsha are needed. If it is not so, if the previous tanmaatraas are not associated, it will not be possible. Because of this, aakaasha has only shabda; vaayu has shabda and sparsha; agni has got shabda, sparsha and roopa; ap has got *shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa; *pruthivi has got all the five including gandha. Whatever the cause has got, the effects will have that accordingly. There is a pramaana quoted from Vaayu Puraana.

41

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 41: Sparsha maatrah tu vai vaayuh roopamaatram samaavrunot | Jyotischaapi vikurvaanam rasamaatram sasarja ha ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Sparsham iti | Jyotih roopa tanmaatram | This is about agni. From the tanmaatra only the next utpatti happens, and not by the element itself.

42

[[104]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 42: Sambhavanti tato ambhaamsi rasaadhaarana taani cha | Rasa maatraani cha ambhaamsi roopamaatram samaavrunot ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Sambhavanti iti | Tato ambhaamsi - tatah rasa tanmaatraat poorva
tanmaatra traya sahitaat | Though it is said that it is rasa, it is also associated with the previous three tanmaatraas. From these four, ap is created. Ambhaamsi is waters. The previous tanmaatraas enveloping this tanmaatra and the vishesha.

43

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 43: Vikurvaanaani cha ambhaamsi gandha maatram sasarjire | Sanghaato jaayate tasmaat tasya gandho guno matah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Vikurvaanaani iti | Ambhaamsi rasa tanmaatraani, sanghaatah
bhoomih, samhata shabda aadi sarva gunakatvaat, tasmaat gandha
tanmaatraat poorva tanmaatra chatushtaya sahitaat | The ap which is undergoing modification, creates gandha tanmaatra. From gandha tanmaatra, pruthivi is created. Pruthivi is said to be sanghaata, bhoomi. It is called sanghaata because it is collectivity of all the five qualities, shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa, gandha. Tasmaat means, from the gandha tanmaatra, associated with the previous four *tanmaatraas, *pruthivi is created. Its main quality is said to be gandha, and it has also the previous four qualities.

[[105]] The five elements are created from the tanmaatraas. Aakaasha itself will not create vaayu, but aakaasha will modify to shabda tanmaatra, and vaayu is created from shabda tanmaatra. Vaayu itself will not create tejas, but vaayu will modify to roopa tanmaatra, and tejas is created from it. Tanmaatraas are the causes of the elements, they being assisted by the previous tanmaatraas.

There are other views. One view is that aakaasha will get modified into sparsha tanmaatra and vaayu. But ultimately, Paramaatman being the upaadaana and nimitta kaarana of everything, and antaryaami of everything, everything culminates in Him. He is the sole creator of everything. There is a pramaana that Adbhyo agnih, agni is created from water, in Taittiriya Aranyaka. Whereas in the srushti prakarana, it says agneraapah, that ap is created from agni. The pramaana from Taittiriya Aranyaka is to be taken as vyashti srushti and not samashti srushti. For example, lightning is said to have water as its cause - from the water carrying cloud, lightning is created.

The first element aakaasha has shabda as quality. Second element vaayu has got shabda and sparsha as qualities. Third element tejas is created from roopa tamnaatra, has shabda, sparsha, roopa as qualities. Ap is created from rasa tanmaatra, it is associated with the previous three tanmaatraas, and has got four qualities. The final element, pruthivi, is created from gandha tanmaatra, and is associated with *shabda, sparsha, *roopa, rasa.

44

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 44: Tasmin tasmin tu tanmaatram tena tanmaatrataa smrutaa ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[106]] Tasmin iti | Tasmin vyomaadou vishesha rahita shabda sparsha aadi
guna maatram; tena tasmin tattve tanmaatrataa | In aakaasha, vaayu, agni, ap, pruthivi, only those tanmaatraas which are not having those qualities manifest. Gunaas are there, but they are subdued, and not manifest.

45

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 45: Tanmaatraani avisheshaani avisheshaah tato hi te ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tat eva aaha tanmaatraani iti | Avisheshaani vishesha rahitaani; tatah
tena, te shabda aadayoh avishesha sangyaah | These tanmaatraas are told as avisheshaas. They are not having the visheshaas manifest in them.

46

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 46: Na shaantaa na api ghoraah te na moodhaah cha avisheshinah | Bhoota tanmaatra sargo ayam ahamkaaraat tu taamasaat ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Vishesha shabda artham vyaakurvan tat tat bhaava vishesham aaha na
shaantaa iti | Avisheshinah shaanta ghora moodhaakhya triguna janya
vishesha rahitatvaat avisheshinah | Uktam bhoota sargam nigamayati
bhoota tanmaatra iti | Bhootaanaam tanmaatraanaam cha sargah
ahamkaaraat tu taamasaat | Ayam ukta kramena, na tu
avyavadhaanena | Kechit, * aatmaana aakaashaat sambhootah,
aakaashaat vaayuh * ityaadi shruti darshanaat aakaasha aadi bhoota [[107]] visheshaanaam poorva poorvam prati prakrutitvam aahuh | Tat *
ashtou prakrutayah shodasha vikrutaya iti shruti viruddham | Teshaam
api prakrutitve prakruteenaam aadhikyam vikruteenaam nyoonatvam
cha syaat | Tasmaat * ashtou prakrutaya ityaadi shruti virodhena *
aatmaana aakaashah * ityaadi shruteh iti taih artho vyaakhyeyah |
Vyaakhyaatah cha adhatastaat asmaabhireva poorva poorvam
tanmaatram sva vishesham uttarottara tanmaatram cha utpaadayati iti
aachakshaanaih | * Pruthivyaa oshadhayah * iti oshadhi vikrutitve api
pruthivyaah na tattva prakrutitvam iti avirodhah | Tasmaat ukta
prakaara eva srushti kramah | Now, the explanation of the vishesha is given. Tanmaatraas are said to be avishesha, and elements are said to be vishesha. Sattva, rajas, tamas, give rise to the qualities of shanta, ghora and *moodha *- peaceful or quiet, frightful; these qualities are not seen in the tanmaatraas and hence are called avisheshaas. With this, the creation of the elements is concluded. The elements and their respective tanmaatraas, are all created from taamasa ahamkaara. This is in the order that is told, and not just directly. There are some statements that say that from aakaasha only, vaayu is created, from vaayu only agni is created, etc., this is opposed to what is told in the shrutis, that there are only eight causes and sixteen effects. Sri Engal Aalwaan says that even he has commented that aakaasha comes from shabda tanmaatra only, and from there, sparsha tanmaatra comes, etc. and the order has to be like that. Shruti also says that from pruthivi, trees are all created. When prakruti modifies into trees, pruthivi is not the cause of tattvaas; so there is no virodha there. For example, vaayu is not counted as a cause, but sparsha tanmaatra is counted as a cause. But, if pruthivi becomes a cause for the trees, is this not opposed to the shrutis, means, pruthivi is not the cause of any tattva. There is no contradiction here, as this happens in vyashti srushti only. Therefore, what is told here is the order in which is has to be accepted.

47

Now, the creation of indriyaas is going to be told. [[108]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 47: Tejasaani indriyaani aahuh devaa vaikaarikaa dasha | Ekaadasham manah cha atra devaa vaikaarikaah smrutaah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Taijasaani iti | Raajasaahamkaara kaaryaani indriyaani iti kechit
aahuh | Devaah - manassahitaani dashendriyaani, vaikaarikaah
saatvika ahamkaara kaaryaani iti apare | Sva paksham aaha - atra
devaa iti | Indriyaanaam deva shabda vaachyatvam tat adhishtaatru
devataa abhipraayena | Taijasa ahamkaarah tu vaikaarika taamasayoh
sva kaarya karane pravartakah, sattva tamasoh kevalam * rajah
pravartakam tatra iti vaayu ukteh | Ahamkaarasya indriyaani prati
nimittatvam eva, bhootaanaam eva upaadaanatvam * annamayam hi
somya manah aapomayah praanah tejomayee vaak * ityaadi shruteh iti
kechit aahuh, tat ayuktam | Ahamkaarasya eva upaadaanatve api
bhootaanaam aapyaayakatvena api tathaa nirdesha upapatteh | Ayam
atra indriyasya srushti kramah vaikaarika ahamkaaraat kramena
shabda tanmaatra aadi pancha sahaayaat kramena shrotraadi
jnyaanendriya panchakasya srushtih, tasmaat eva tat sahaayaat vaak
aadi karmendriya panchakasya srushtih, asahayaat tu tasmaat
manasah srushtih iti | From vaikaarika ahamkaara, which is saatvika ahamkaara, the indriyaas are created, assisted by taijasa, raajasa ahamkaara. But some people say that from raajasa ahamkaara itself, the indriyaas are created; Paraasharar says that this is not his view, and is not acceptable to him. The indriyaas are told as devaah. Bhagavaan is there with the indriyaas always, but they never know Him. Paraasharar’s paksha is that they are from saatvika ahamkaara. For every indriya, there is an adhishtaatru devataa, who is presiding over it, and controlling the functions; indriyaas are all achetanaas, and have an devataa. Raajasa ahamkaara, which is called taijasa here, only assists saatvika ahamkaara and taamasa ahamkaara in their respective creations. This is also told clearly in Vaayu Puraana also. It is discussed at [[109]] one place that manas is made of anna, which is pruthivi; this view is not correct.

The raajasa ahankaara only assists saatvika and taamasa ahankaaras is told in Vaayu purana. Another view is also discussed and refuted here: some say that ahankaara tattva is only nimitta kaarana (efficient cause) of indriyas and bhutas (elements) only are upaadaana kaarana (material cause). They quote the *Upanishat vakya – ‘anna mayam hi somya manah aapomayah *praanah tejomayee vaak’. But that is not correct. Because annamayam means here anna is apyaayaka to manas (that is food is appealing or causes happiness to mind). So ahankaara is only upaadaana kaarana and bhutas are only aapyaayakas. The order of creation of indriyas is like this: from vaikaarika ahankaara (or saatvika ahankaara) in order with the help of five tanmaatras starting with shabda tanmaatra, the five jnaanendriyas – shabda and others are created. From vaikaarika ahankaara itself with the help of five tanmaatras again vaak and other five karmendriyaas are created. Manas is created directly from vaikaarika ahankaara only (without the help of tanmaatras).

Saatvika ahamkaara is only the cause of all the eleven indriyaas. This is the siddhaanta told by Sri Engal Aalwaan.

48

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 48: Tvak chakshur naasikaa jihvaa shrotram atra cha panchamam | Shabdaadeenaam avaaptyartham buddhiyuktaani vai dvija || The five indriyaas are told - tvak is sense of touch, *chakshuh *- sight, *naasikaa *- sense of smell, *jihvaa *- sense of taste, *shrotram *- sense of hearing. These are the five jnyaanendriyaas.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[110]] Tvak iti | Avaaptyartham - pumso vishaya jnyaanartham | Buddhi
yuktaani tvak aadeeni vishaya jnyaana artham bhavanti iti sheshah |
Atra buddhi shabdena antahkaranasya grahanam | Atra shloke kramo
na vivakshitah | Avaaptyartham means for the person to get the knowledge of the sense objects like shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa, gandha. These sense organs generate the knowledge; when we hear a sound, the organ of hearing generates a knowledge about what is heard; for sensing the objects of the sense organs. How the organs help the chetana or person to get the knowledge, is through the mind, antahkarana. Mind is the channel for all these. Everything is coming through the mind. Aatman connects to the mind; mind connects to the external sense organ, and that connects to the object; this is how it is perceived; and through the mind, it gets conveyed back to the aatman. Mind is the channel in between the sense organ and the aatman. In this shloka, the order is not as told.

49

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 49: Paayu upasthou karou paadou vaak cha maitreya panchamee | Visarga shilpa gati ukti karma teshaam cha kathyate || This is about the five karmendriyaas.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Paayu iti | Paayoh vidvisargah, upasthasya mootra retoh visargah |
Visarga shilpa gati ukti iti dvandvaikavat bhaavaat napumsakatvam | Paayu is the organ of excretion, upastha is for urination and procreation. Hands, legs and speech. Visarga is for throwing out, shilpa is for procreation. Gati is for movement, and ukti is for speech. These are the actions performed by the organs of action.

50

[[111]] Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 50: Aakaasha vaayu tejaamsi salilam pruthivi tathaa | Shabda aadibhih gunaih brahman samyuktaani uttarottarih || *Aakaasha, vaayu, tejas *(fire), water, earth - they have got *shabda, sparsha, *roopa, rasa, gandha, in the order of increasing qualities.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha anda srushtyartham bhootaanaam pancheekaranam aaha
aakaasha iti | Atra aakaashaadayah shabdaah bhoota vishesha paraah
| Uttarottaraih - uttarottara atra uttaraih adhikaih ityarthah | Etat
uktam bhavati - aakaashaadeeni mahaa bhootaani uttaratrottaratra
vaayu aadou adhikaih shabdaadibhih gunaih vishishtaani parasparam
yuktaani militaani; tena aakaasha vaayuh dvigunah tejah trigunam
aapah chaturgunaah pruthivi pancha guna iti | Aakaasha has got one quality - shabda. Vaayu has got two qualities -shabda and sparsha. Tejas has got shabda, sparsha, roopa.

From this shloka onwards, in order to tell how the anda, the Cosmic Egg is created, this is going to be told. Pancheekarana, the mixing of the five elements in a particular way, is going to be told. Aakaasha has got only one guna, shabda. Vaayu has got two gunaas - shabda and sparsha. Tejas has got three gunaas - shabda, sparsha, roopa. Water has got four *gunaas - *shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa; ap shabda is always in *bahu *vachana. Pruthivi has got five qualities - *shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa, *gandha.

51

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 51: Shaantaah ghoraah cha moodhaah cha visheshaah tena te smrutaah || [[112]]

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Shaantaa iti | Tena parasparam melanena, pratyekam visheshaah
shaantaah ghoraah moodhaah | Svatah shaante bhoomi jale, ghorou
tejo anilou, moodhah aakaashah, melanaat sarve shaanta ghora
moodhaah | Ayam atra pancheekarana prakaarah - aakaashasya ekam
ardham aakaashatvena sthitam | Anyasmin ardhe chaturdhaa krute
vaayu aadi chaturbheda bhoota praveshah, evam bhootaantaro api |
Uktam hi * evam jaateshu bhootaani pratyekam syuh dvidhaa tatah |
Chaturdhaa bhinnam ekaikam ardham ardham tathaa sthitam | Vyomni
ardha bhaagah chatvaaro vaayu tejah payo bhuvaam | Ardhaani yaani
vaayostu vyoma tejah payo bhuvaam | Ityaadi | By mixing, each one has got these three qualities - quiet and peaceful ( shaanta), frightful or fearful ( ghora), and causing delusion ( moodha). Pruthivi and *ap *- are said to be shaanta. Tejas and vaayu are said to be ghora. Aakaasha is said to be moodha. When they are all mixed up, all of them have got all the three qualities. For example, if the aakaasha element is taken, and made into two parts - one half of it is remaining as aakaasha; if the second half of aakaasha is made into four parts, those four parts are filled with one part of vaayu, one part of tejas, one part of ap, one part of pruthivi. So, aakaasha is 50 percent aakaasha, and 12.5 percent each of vaayu, tejas, ap, pruthivi. Similarly with *vaayu, *tejas, ap, pruthivi. This is called pancheekarana prakriyaa. The *Brahma *Sutraas say that this is done directly by *Paramaatman *- it is told as trivrutkarana, which is same as pancheekarana. Paramaatman only does this, as Chaturmukha Brahma is not yet created. This is directly done by Paramaatman, during srushti, after praakruta pralaya. After pancheekarana, if we see the aakaasha, it has got 50 percent of aakaasha, and 12.5 percent of the remaining four. It is still called aakaasha, as it has abundance of aakaasha. All the elements have got all the other elements also, in part.

52

***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 52: *** [[113]] Naanaa veeryaah pruthak bhootaah tatah te samhatim vinaa | Naashaknuvan prajaah srashtum asamaagamya krutsnashah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Atha anda utpatti artham mahat aadeenaam paraspara aatmakatvam
iti aaha naanaa veeryaa iti | Naanaa veeryatvam ati drava ati
kathinatva aadikam | Samhatim vinaa melanam vinaa, ata eva
asamaagamya samityekeebhaave ekatvam apraapya | Prajaa grahana
mandasya api upalakshanaartham | Naanaa veeryatva is is being too much of liquid, or being too hard. Sammatim vinaa means without getting mixed up in this proportion told. Without getting mixed up in this proportion, it was not possible to do any creation. When they are separate, they have different qualities. When they are mixed in this proportion, they have the proper qualities.

53

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 53: Sameti anyonya samyogam paraspara samaashrayaah | Eka sanghaata lakshyaah cha sampraapya aikyam asheshatah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Sametyeti | Sametya paraspara samaashrayaat anyonya samyogam
samslesham sametya, anantaram asheshata aikyam praapya, eka
sanghaata lakshyaah eka sanghaata veekshakaah, chaturvidha ananta
prajaa nirantara andotpaadana tatparaah | Paathaantare ekah
sanghaatah andam lakshya saadhyam yeshaam te eka sanghaata
lakshyaah | Yat vaa eka sanghaata lakshyaah eka sanghaata iti
drushyaah | [[114]] Getting mixed up like this, after that, becoming one as though there is no difference, the purpose of all this is to create the Cosmic Egg. All these were used to create, continuously without break, the four types of beings ( deva, manushya, tiryak, sthaavara). From pradhaana or moola prakruti, it becomes mahat, ahamkaara, tanmaatraas, pancha bhootaas, indriyaas, and then *pancheekarana *- all these are done to create the Cosmic Egg, and then the beings. Afterwards, they will be seen like one unit, which is *anda, *Brahmaanda, Cosmic Egg.

54

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 54: Purusha adhisthitatvaat cha avyakta anugrahena cha | Mahat aadyaa visheshaantaa hi anda utpaadayanti te ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Purusha adhisthitatvaat iti | Purusha adhisthitatvaat punya paapa
parishvakta jeeva anupravishtatvaat | Avyakta anugrahena anugraho
anupraveshah, beejasya tvak anugrahena ankuraarambhavat,
aapyaayakatvam vaa | Purusha adhisthitatvaat means being presided over by the chetana, one who has the punya, paapa and these karmaas. Depending on the punya and p aapa, the jeeva does *anupravesha. *Paramaatman makes jeeva enter into a body, and He also enters as antaryaami. Just as the seed has got the outer skin, and from there, the sprout comes up, the avyakta is also similarly combined with the jeevaatman; or it is for making the jeeva experience the pleasures and pains.

Vishesha is the pancha bhootaas with the qualities manifested after pancheekarana. Beginning from mahat, up to the indriyaas and *pancha *bhootaas, they ultimately result in creation of the Cosmic Egg. [[115]]

55

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 55: Tat kramena vivruddham sat jala budbudhavat samam | Bhootebho andam mahaa buddhe bruhat tat udakeshayam | Praakrutam brahma roopasya vishnoh sthaanam anuttamam ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tat iti | Samam samatvam, andasya andasya hi bhityaadi
avayavaanaam sama kaalatvam jala budbudavat | Anena asthairyam
cha soochitam | Bhootaanaam eva praadhaanyam iti aaha bhootebhya
iti | Brahma roopasya praakrutam iti visheshanaabhyaam sva
asaadhaaranam divya roopam apraakrutam sthaanam cha asti iti
soochitam | This Cosmic Egg keeps growing gradually, similar to how the bubbles and foam are formed in the water. From the pancha bhootaas, the anda keeps growing, and it is residing in water. This is supposed to be *praakruta *sthaana, in the form of Brahma; this means that there is an *apraakruta *sthaana also.

56

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 56: Tatra avyakta svaroopa asou vyakta roopo jagat patih | Vishnuh brahma svaroopena svayam eva vyavasthitah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Anda bhoktaa chaturmukha eva katham vishnoh sthaanam iti uchyate |
Iti atra aaha - tatra iti | Avyaktam pradhaanam, vuaktam mahat aadi,
asou svayam eva pradhaana aadi purusha apadeshena sthitah, * etou [[116]] dvou vibudha sreshthou prasaada krodhajou smrutou | Tadaa darshita
panthaanou srushti samhaara kaarakou | Nimitta maatram taavatra *
iti bhaarata vachanaat | How Chaturmukha Brahma is told to be Vishnu’s sthaanam, the *praakruta *sthaana of Vishnu, is told here. He is only present as avyakta, He is only present as mahat. Mahat shareeraka Vishnu becomes *ahamkaara shareeraka *Vishnu; ahamkaara shareeraka Vishnu becomes *tanmaatra shareeraka *Vishnu; Paramaatman is always there as inner self, otherwise, they cannot change by themselves, as they are all inert matter, prakruti. He is only said to be pradhaana, purusha. Two knowledgeable persons, were born of prasaada and krodha, the grace Bhagavaan, and out of His anger; Chaturmukha Brahma is born out of His grace, and out of His anger, Rudra is born; they act only guided by Paramaatman; being guided by Paramaatman only, they get to be the creators and destroyers; they are only the nimitta in this. If Paramaatman is not antaryaami, they cannot even act. That is why it is told that Paramaatman is Himself standing as pradhaana, purusha.

57

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 57: Meruh ulbam abhoot tasya jaraayuh cha maheedharaah | Garbhodakam samudraah cha tasya aasan sumahaatmanah ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Meruh ityaadi | Tasya brahmanah ulbam garbha veshtana maamsam,
tat veshtanam jaraayuh, garbhaashayah, uttaram vaa * ulbaanjaraayuh
* iti shruteh | Sva deha bhoota brahmaanda avayava bhootah meru
aadibhih sahito hiranya garbhah samavartatagre ityarthah | * Hiranya
garbhah samavartataagre * iti shruteh | Meru parvata became the muscles and flesh that are surrounding the womb of Chaturmukha Brahma, the sac covering it, is said to be all the mountains. Oceans became the liquid in the womb. Meru and other parvataas are parts [[117]] of the Cosmic Egg, which is the body of Paramaatman. With all these things, Hiranyagarbha was existing at the time of creation. The quote is from Hiranyagarbha Sookta, which says that Hiranyagarbha was there in the beginning, which is Paramaatman only.

58

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 58: Saadri dveepa samudraah cha sajyotih loka sangrahah | Tasmin ande abhavat vipra sa deva asura maanushah || The mountains, islands, oceans, planetary orbits, collection of all the worlds, everything was existing in this Cosmic Egg, along with all the devaas, asuraas, manushyaas, O Maitreya.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Yat brahmanaa saha srushtam yat cha brahmanaa srushtam tat sarvam
tasmin anda eva iti aaha - saadree iti | Sa jyotih - jyotih chakrasahitah
| Loka sangrahah - loka samoohah |

59

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 59: Vaari vanhi anila aakaashaih tato bhootaadinaa bahih | Vrutam dasha gunaih andam bhootaadih mahataa tathaa || Outside of this Cosmic Egg, what was there is told. Bhootaadi is *taamasa *ahamkaara. Water, fire, vaayu, aakaasha, and taamasa ahamkaara, all these were existing, each ten times. The Cosmic Egg was covered by all these, each ten times. And the taamasa ahamkaara was covered by *mahat *tattva.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: [[118]] Vaari ityaadi | Dasha gunaih - dasha gunottaraih | Each one is ten times the previous one. There were multiple layers, each ten times more than the inner layer, surrounding the Cosmic Egg.

60

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 60: Avyaktena aavruto brahman taih sarvaih sahito mahaan | Ebhih aavaranaih andam saptabhih praakrutaih vrutam | Naarikela phalasya antar beejam baahya dalaih iva || Like this, seven praakruta vastus, five bhootaas, ahamkaara, mahat, surrounding the anda, were present. It was covered by seven layers. All these were covered by avyakta, the pradhaana. Just like the coconut which has got multiple layers of covering, and inside is the essence. In the same way, this anda was covered by the seven tattvaas.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Avyaktena iti | Praakrutaih iti anena prakruteh api lakshanayaa
grahanam, chatreeti nyaayaat |

61

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 61: Jushan rajo gunam tatra svayam vishveshvaro harih | Brahmaa bhootvaa asya jagato visrushtou sampravartate || The quality of rajas being high at the time of creation, Paramaatman who is antaryaami of Chaturmukha Brahma, Chaturmukha Brahma’s rajas gets increased, and he starts to act and start creation. Effects of *guna *vashyatva are for Chaturmukha Brahma and not for Paramaatman.

[[119]] Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Kshetrajnya buddhi poorvaka sargaadou kshetrajnya amshasya eva
guna vashyatvam na tu vishnoh iti aaha jushan iti | Brahmaa bhootvaa
rajo gunam jushan tatra api svayam vishveshvarah sarveshvaro na guna
vashyah, api tu sva sankalpena kshetrajnyaan eva guna vashyaan karoti
| Creation was done according to the karmaas of the kshetrajnyaas. According to their karmaas, they are associated with *prakruti; gunaas sattva, rajas, *tamas have an effect on them. In this, the guna vashyatva is under the sway of gunaas of prakruti, is only for the *kshetrajnya amsha. Amsha amshi *bhaava was told. Kshetrajnya is *visheshana amsha, *Paramaatman is visheshya amsha. Guna vashyatva to the gunaas is only for the kshetrajnya amsha, which is shareera of Paramaatman. Paramaatman is not affected by this, and He has no role in this.

62

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 62: Srushtam hi paati anuyugam yaavat kalpa vikalpanaa | Sattvabhrut bhagavaan vishnuh aprameya paraakramah || Kalpa vikalpanaa are the Brahma ahah vyavahaarah, the days and nights of Brahma. Anda is created, and Chaturmukha Brahma is created; he starts to act further, Paramaatman is always his antaryaami. All the things created are protected and nurtured in every yuga, as long as the days and nights of Brahma are going on. One who is supporting everything, *Bhagavaan *Vishnu, unparalleled valour.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Srushtam iti | Kalpa vikalpanaa brahma ahar vyavahaarah |
Sattvabhrut - sattvam apraakrutam shuddha sattva gunam bibharti iti
sattvabhrut, * gunaaadi doshaam cha mune vyateetah, * iti ukteh | Kim
cha * sattvaadayo na santeeshe yatra cha praakrutaa gunaah | Na hi [[120]] tasya gunaah sarve sarvaih muni ganaih api | Vaktum shakyaa
viyuktasya sattva aadyaih akhilaih gunaih | Ityaadibhyah | Sattvabhrut means that He also supports the *apraakruta shuddha *sattva also, which is Parama Pada. He is beyond the defects of guna and others. Praakruta sattva, rajas, tamas gunaas are not there in Paramaatman. These qualities, the entire host of sages cannot praise or sing or understand, because they are all far away from sattva, rajas, tamas.

We will take up the further shlokaas in the next session. We saw how the indriyaas are created, and pancheekarana is done, mixing up of the pancha bhootaas in the right proportion, and how creation cannot continue without this, then the creation of the anda, Cosmic Egg, then Chaturmukha Brahma, and further creation by Chaturmukha Brahma, with Paramaatman as antaryaami. This was told as ’ Jagat cha sah’. Everything is shareera of Paramaatman, and changes that are happening are in His shareera. Paramaatman remains unaffected, and immutable.

We have so far studied the second half of the second chapter of *Sri Vishnu *Puraanam, where the creation of the tattvaas, the elements, and their mixing up called pancheekarana kriyaa, and then creation of the brahmaanda, Cosmic Egg, and Chaturmukha Brahma, were explained. How it is surrounded by seven aavaranaas was told. Paramaatman, being the antaryaami, creates according to the karmaas of the *chetanaas *- he gives them the respective deha, indriyaas, etc. He Himself remains untouched by all these. As long as the days and nights of *Chaturmukha *Brahma are there, Bhagavaan protects all that is created. He also supports the Nitya Vibhooti - shloka 62 of Amsha 1, Chapter 2.

63

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 63: Tamodreki cha kalpaante rudra roopi janaardanah | Maitreya akhila bhootaani bhakshayati ati bheeshanah || [[121]] O Maitreya, at the end of the kalpa, Bhagavaan Janaardana, having increased tamas, taking the form of Rudra, being most ferocious, He eats up all the beings.

64

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 64: Bhakshayitvaa cha bhootaani jagati eka arnaveekrute | Naaga paryanka shayane sheyate asou parameshvarah || After eating up everything and withdrawing unto Himself, the whole world becomes one huge ocean, Parameshvara who is the Supreme Lord, He sleeps on the bed of Aadishesha; He does yoga nidraa.

We say ’ *Bhagavan pundareekaaksha shriyaa bhoomyaa cha neelayaa | Jagat *rakshana jaagaryaam yoga nidraam upaakuru || ‘. In order to be conscious of protecting the world, do yoga nidraa.

65

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 65: Prabuddhascha punah srushtim karoti brahma roopadhruk || Sleeping on the bed of Aadishesha, again, when He wakes up, He again does creation, taking on the form of Chaturmukha Brahma.

Chaturmukha Brahma does the creation, but Bhagavaan being the antaryaami directs Him to do all that.

66

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 66: Srushti sthiti antakaraneem brahma vishnu shivaatmikaam | Sa sanjyaam yaati bhagavaan eka eva janaardanah || [[122]] Bhagavaan Janaardana Himself is called by the names *Brahma, *Vishnu and Shiva, performing the acts of creation, sustenance and withdrawal.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Brahmaadeen apadishya teshu sthitvaa svayam eva srushtyaadikam
karoti iti aaha srushteti | Srushti sthiti anta nimittaam brahma vishnu
shivaatmikaam brahmaa vishnuh shiva iti evam roopaam samjnyaam tat
roopo bhagavaan eva yaati iti arthah | Sarga sthiti antakaranaam iti
vaktavye deepo prayogah aarshatvaat saadhuh | Yat vaa karmani
vyutpattayaa samjnyaayamaanaa samjnyaatva avasthaa uchyate |
Tathaa cha sargaadi kriyaa saadhana bhootaam brahma aadi
aatmikaam avasthaam yaati iti arthah | Karaneem iti karoteh karane
lyut pratyayah | Being the antaryaami of Brahma, He does creation. Being the antaryaami of Shiva, He does samhaara, withdrawal. Taking on the avataara of Vishnu, He does sustenance. The forms responsible for creation, sustenance and end of the world, Bhagavaan having them as His shareera, controlling them and making them do all the acts, He only does everything, and everything culminates in Him ultimately. Here is a grammatical item mentioned, this is told by a rishi, so we have to accept it. Or, the means to the acts of creation, sustenance, etc. - those states of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - Bhagavaan only takes them. Cause and effect - effect is avasthaantaraapatti of kaarana; another state of the cause. Bhagavaan only is the cause and the effect. The modifications and changes are in His body, and in His nature, there is no change. There are changes in His shareera.

67

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 67: Srashtaa srujati cha aatmaanam vishnuh paalyam cha paati cha | Upasamhriyate cha ante samhartaa cha svayam prabhuh || [[123]] He creates Himself. He only protects Himself. And He withdraws unto Himself at the end.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tadvat srujya paalya samhaarya ananta vastu antareshu samjyaantara
abhidheyatayaa vartate iti aaha - srashteti | Srashtaaram brahmaanam
srujyam cha daksha aadi ganam, samhartaaram rudram, samhaaryam
cha trailokyam, yugapat nirdishya tat roopatva vidhaanaat srujya
samhaarya bhootaat vastunah srashtru samhartoh na vishesha iti
pradarshanam asmin shloke abhipretam | Tasya kshetrajnya karma
anugunam guna niyantrutvam eva na bhoktrutvam iti aaha - svayam
prabhuh iti | In the same way, the created, protected, that which is destroyed, unlimited beings, objects, being inside all of them, He Himself is present taking on different names. What is told in this shloka is that - Brahma the creator, Daksha and others who are created, Rudra who is the destroyer, the three worlds which are destroyed, addressing them at the same time; there is no difference between the creator and created, the destroyer and the destroyed, because such form is being told. He creates *Chaturmukha *Brahma, and being his antaryaami, creates everything. He protects being Vishnu, and destroys being Rudra. But, He is not attached to any of these. All the creations happen according to the karmaas of kshetrajnyaas. He controls the guna niyantrutva; the sattva, rajas, tamas becoming more or less. When sattva is more, jnyaana pravrutti happens; when rajas is more, there is a lot of action, desire; when tamas is more, there is ignorance, sleep. All this happens in the kshetrajnya according to his karma. The qualities keep varying, being associated with prakruti. The kshetrajnya experiences various things because of this. Everything happens according to karma of kshetrajnya, and Bhagavaan does not have any enjoyership, bhoktrutva. This is explained by the word svayam prabhuh; He remains the Lord. Everything is happening in His shareera and not in Himself. There is no change in His nature, though He remains antaryaami and controls and supports everything. [[124]]

68

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 68: Pruthivi aapah tathaa tejo vaayuh aakaasha eva cha | Sarvendriya antahkaranam purushaakhyam hi yat jagat ||

69

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 69: Sa eva sarva bhootaatatmaa vishva roopa yato avyayah | Sarga aadikam tu tasya eva bhootastham upakaarakam ||

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Uktasya sarvataadaamyasya hetum adhyaayaadou uktam punarapi
darshayati - pruthivyaapa iti | Evam bhootam yat jagat tat sa eva iti
uttaratra anvayah | What is told here is whatever was told at the beginning of this chapter, that is identity with everything. It was told jagat cha sah, He was identified with everything. This world, consisting of pruthivi, ap, tejas, vaayu, aakaasha, all the indriyaas, antahkarana, and then the chetanaas, sentients - is He only.

He is sarva bhoota aatma, inner controller of all beings.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Tatra hetuh sa eva iti | Sarva bhoota aatmaa vishva roopo yata iti -
sarva bhootaanaam ayam aatmaa vishvam cha asya shareeram iti
yatah, atah sarvam sa eva iti | Tato brahma aadi bhootastham sarga
aadikam leelaa avataara roopinah asya eva upakaarakam | Yathaa
shareera vyaapaaraah shareerino jeevasya iva | [[125]] He is present as the entire world. Roopa is shareera. Entire world is His shareera, controlled by Him, subservient to Him, being supported by Him. He is vishva roopa. He is immutable, unchanging. He is the self of all the beings, the entire world is His shareera. Because of this, He is only everything. Creation, sustenance, destruction are all His acts only. Leela is all His mere sport; when He is doing creation, sustenance, etc., He is engaged in sport; it is all useful for Bhagavaan only, who has taken *leelaa *avataara. Just as all activities and functions of our body are useful to the aatman inside. Just like this, creation, sustenance, destruction are all useful to the Paramaatman only. It is upakaaraka to Him, who is shareeri, and it is all mere sport.

70

Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 1, Chapter 2, Shloka 70: Sa eva srujyah sa cha sarga kartaa sa eva paatyatti cha paalyate cha | Brahma aadi avasthaabhih ashesha moortih vishnuh varishtho varado
varenyah || He is the created, and He is only the creator, He only protects, He eats up also, He also the protected one. He takes all forms such as Brahma and others, He is the Supreme, He is the one who grants all boons, He is the one to be chosen.

*Atti cha adyate cha *- He only eats, and He is being eaten.

Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: Uktam artham nigamayati - sa eva iti | Ashesha moortih - srushti aadi
kartuh svasya eva srujyatvaadi upasaadhanam ashesha moortih iti |
Brahmaadeenaam kutah srushtrutvaadikam tatra aaha - varada iti |
Ayam aashritebhyo brahma aadibhyah srushtrutvaadi vara pradah, *
tad aadarshitapanthaanou srushti samhaara kaarakou, * mayaa eva ete [[126]] nihataah, * ityaadeh | Atra aadyate chetadhyaahaaryam | Varenyah -
varaneeyah | Whatever was told is concluded here. The one who does the acts of creation and others, He is only being created. He only is present in all forms. How can creation and others be attributed to Brahma and others - this is possible because He grants all boons. He gives them the power to do creation, but He being antaryaami. Brahma and others who have taken refuge in Him, He gives the boons. The way of creation is being taught to Brahma and others, by Paramaatman only. Because of being shown how to do it, they become the creators or destroyers. Krishna says to Arjuna that ‘I have already killed everyone, you are only an instrument’. *Atti - adyate cha | Paati - paalyate **cha | Srujya - sarga kartaa cha | *

What was started as jagat cha sah, in this process, the entire creation was told, pancheekarana, samashti srushti, vyashti srushti, creation of Brahma and others, and through them doing everything, that it is all His different forms only, was told. Because He does anupravesha only, any vastu gets vastutva; otherwise it cannot even exist. He supports everything. He controls everything, and everything is meant for His purpose. He does creation according to the karmaas of the kshetrajnyaas. Creation is mere sport for Him. He only creates Himself and protects Himself. He withdraws unto Himself. Entire world is Him only. All these are real entities only. Because He is existing as antaryaami, all the words in the ultimate sense connote Paramaatman only.

This concludes the Second Chapter.

|| Iti shri Vishnu Puraane prathame amshe sviteeyo adhyaayah ||

[[127]] || Iti shri Bhagavat bhaashyakaara charana nalinaantaranga shri
vishnu chitta virachite shri vishnu puraana vyaakhyaane prathama
amshe dviteeyo adhyaayhah || This concludes the second chapter of First Amsha of *Sri Vishnu Puraana *Vyaakhyaana, written by Sri Vishnu Chitta, who is dancing in the holy feet of Sri Bhaashyakaarar. He is inside the Lotus Feet of Sri Bhaashyakaarar.

|| Atha Triteeyo Adhyaayah ||