Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates 鈥楳ystical Creation in Veda鈥� of the study on the concept of Mysticism in Jainism exploring key concepts such as Jaina metaphysics and Jain ethics. The present research is divided into six chapters, beginning with an introduction to mysticism, examining its characteristics from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Subsequent chapters delve into the mystical aspects of Brahmanic and Shramanic literature, analyzing texts from the Shvetambara and Digambara traditions to unearth traces of Jain mysticism.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3.1. Mystical Creation in Veda
Men of all ages have questioned that who has created the world? Why and how has it been created? This has been seen in contemplation by all mystics of every time. In unitive vision, the mystic reveals the fact of creation lost in the depth of eternal. So is the mystic in a unique position to explain 鈥榳hy and how鈥� of creation.
叠谤腻丑补尘补峁噄肠 tradition being theistic in nature believes that God or Brahman or Universal Consciousness have created this universe. The question to 鈥榳hy and how鈥� about creation have different answers by diverse Hindu beliefs. There is no definite theory of creation in Hinduism. We find various mythical stories about creation in the various religious texts of the hindus but for the most part, creation seems to be a mystery of God or Brahman and it is not clear 鈥榳hen and how鈥� it took place exactly.
According to Vedas, the creation is the divine art of the Lord/ God alone know how he workout this mysterious canvas. This art is beyond comprehension; it is only when fully manifested that we become conscious of it.
Vedas mention that the God has carved on the canvas of 辫谤补办峁泃颈, the primordial matter. Devoid of any name or form, devoid of all attributes, and yet having an eternal existence, with the potential material causality as it鈥檚 only characteristic.
The Veda has at several places given an indication of this creation. Very often, the Veda talks about a creation is of different type, creation is our Lord鈥檚 sacrifice, a great 驰补箩帽补 in which He is primarily involved. There are no limits of this 驰补箩帽补; it is spread far and wide and beyond dimensions. The whole process of creation and evolution of nature from a primeval state is expressed in mythological language in the 峁歡 Veda. In the Hiranyagarbha Hymn鈥搕he mighty creator is known as Hiranyagarbha, the source of golden light, the Lord of divine effulgence. It is he who created the universe.
As it is stated:
贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补岣� s脿mvart膩gre bh奴tasya 箩腻迟补岣� patireka 膩s墨t sa d膩dh膩ra 辫谤迟丑颈惫墨峁� dy膩mutem膩峁� kasmai 诲别惫腻测补 havi峁Ｄ� vidhema (1) ya atmad膩 balad膩 yasya 惫颈艣惫补 up膩sate pra艣i峁峁� yasya 诲别惫腻岣� yasya ch膩y膩m峁泃a峁� 尘峁泃测耻岣� kasmai鈥︹��. (2) ya岣� pr膩峁嘺to nimi峁゛to mahitvaika idr膩j膩 jagato babh奴va ya 墨艣e asya dvipada艣catu峁ada岣� kasmai鈥︹��. (3) yasyeme himavanto mahivt膩鈥�..
1. In the beginning, there existed a Lord of divine effulgence; he was the sole Lord of all created beings. He fixed and held up this earth and heaven.
2. Who by this is grandeur has become the sole reeler of all the moving world that breathes and slumbers.[1]
The 笔耻谤耻峁 厂奴办迟补[2] of 峁歡 Veda details this creation is the cosmic sacrifice of the supreme self. The Cosmic Man who has thousands of eyes, heads and feet, envelopes this whole universe. Whatever all this is, whatever has been in the past, and whatever is going to be future, all that is in fact the Cosmic Man itself. 鈥︹��.From that Cosmic Man, super luminescence is born and from super luminescence again the creative factor is born. Expanding all He exceeds the earth both forward and backward. Another hymn of 峁歡 Veda mentions as: In the earliest age of Nature鈥檚 creation, the manifested is born out of the non-manifested; after that the regions are born, and after them comes out the further evolved (or the upward) creation.
The Yajur Veda鈥檚 笔耻谤耻峁 厂奴办迟补 deals with the concept of creation as that is been explained in 峁歡 Veda. It mentions that this 驰补箩艌补 of cosmic creation is the supreme performance of the Cosmic 笔耻谤耻峁, who is known as 笔耻谤耻峁.[3] He is also 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈.[4] The following verses of Yajur Veda[5] elucidates 驰补箩艌补 as 鈥�Tasm膩dyajn蛡膩t sarvahuta峁沜a岣� 蝉腻尘腻苍颈 Tam yajn蛡a峁� bahi峁泂i prauk峁n 笔耻谤耻峁峁� 箩腻迟补尘补驳谤补迟腻丑.鈥�
From the cosmic sacrifice, in which everything has been offered as oblations, the 峁歡 Veda and 厂腻尘补苍蝉 are born. The cosmic Man, who is born earliest of all is placed on the cosmic sacrificial altar.
In Atharva hymn[6] the Devata is the creator Brahman, is termed as 鲍肠肠丑颈峁ａ弓补 (the Remnant). This Remnant Lord is described as the source and also the pralaya or the final deluge, of the entire creation. When at the deluge, everything disappears, the Creator Lord still remains, and from him, again and again, the new creations arise.[7] Another hymn of Veda goes as: 膧po vatsam janayantirgarmomagre samairayan Tasyota j膩vam膩nasyolba 膩siddhiranyavah. In the beginning, generating offspring, the waters brought an embroyo into being; and even as it sprang in life, it had a covering of gold. That God alone, and none else, shall we adore with devotion[8]. Moreover, the 鈥�Skambha 厂奴办迟补鈥�, of Atharva Veda devotes an entire extension hymn, to the cosmic creation, and the divine laws that sustain in it the marvellous way[9]. Thus, the Vedas reveal that this manifested creation is the unique art of the unmanifested Brahman. Therefore, the entire universe is regarded as the cosmic form of the Lord. This cosmic creation was thus conjoined with cosmic worship, and 鈥渂y this knowledge, men were raised to the highest sublime position of 峁涐梗颈蝉.鈥�[10] The Lord is a great weaver and He insenstanlty weaves with profoundest care and skill.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Ibid, Vol. 11, 10.90.1-14.
鈥�厂补丑补蝉谤补艣墨谤峁Ｄ乸耻谤耻峁岣� 蝉补丑补蝉谤腻办峁岣� sahasrap膩t sa 产丑奴尘颈峁� (1)鈥� 鈥�puru峁 eveda峁� 蝉补谤惫补峁� yadbh奴ta峁� yacca
产丑腻惫测补峁� ut膩m峁泃膩tvasye峁┠乶o yadsnnen膩tirohati鈥︹��.(2)鈥� "Tato vi峁a峁僾yakr膩mats膩艣nona艣ane abhi (3)"
[3]:
Yajur Veda, Mantra in Sanskrit, With English Translation and Transliteration, trans. Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Udaya Vir Viraj, Delhi, Vol.1-3, 2nd edition, 2011, 31.18
[4]:
Ibid, Vol.3, 31.19
[5]:
Ibid, Vol.3, 31.7,9
[6]:
Atharva Veda: Mantra in Sanskrit with English Translation and Transliteration, Translated by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Udaya Vir Viraj, DAV Publication Division, Delhi, 2012, Vol.1-5, 2nd edn., 11.7
[7]:
Ibid, Vol. 3, 11.7.1
[8]:
Ibid, Vol. 2, 4.2.8
[9]:
Ibid , Vol. 3, 10.7.1-44