Essay name: The concept of Creation in the Major Upanisads
Author:
C. Poulose
Affiliation: Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit / Department of Sanskrit Vedanta
This study deals with the Concept of Creation according to the Major Upanishads—ancient Indian scriptures that form a crucial part of Vedic literature and Indian philosophy. The present research investigates the Upanisadic philosophy in general as well as the school of Advaita Vedanta and other Indian philosophical traditions that incorporate Upanishadic teachings.
Chapter 3 - Concept of Creation
16 (of 32)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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There are eight primordial guardians of the world brought forth from the cosmic puruṣa grown from the waters. The Āraṇyaka further says that the supreme self (Ātman) produced a man (puruṣa) as an abode for these world guardians. These deities entered in to the man in the reverse order. 38 According to this Āraṇyaka agni becoming vac (speech)
entered in to the mouth, vāyu becoming prāṇṇa (breath) entered in to
the two nostrils, āditya (the sun) becoming the sight entered in to
the two eyes, diśa (directions) becoming hearing entered in to the
two ears, osadhis and vanaspatis (plants and trees) becoming hair
entered in to the skin, candramā becoming manas (mind) entered in
to the heart, mṛtyu becoming apāna entered in to the navel, and the
waters becoming retas (semen) entered in to the generative organ.
Creation in Sankhya System
39 According to Sankhya system the creation begins from the
five elements. They advocate the doctrine of satkārya i.e. creation
does not mean to create or make something new or original __
Creation here means manifestation or appearance of a gross thing
from its subtle material cause. In other words effect is but the cause
transformed or modified. It means that an effect is defined as
assuming a gross form by a subtle entity.
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