Since last few centuries most of us have read and accepted the verdict given
by modern science - that we are the chance result of billions of years of
evolution from single-celled creatures, to sea-born creatures, to reptiles,
birds, mammals, to apes and finally to man. But the Vedas and Puranas have
different stories to tell about the Big Bang Theory.
The Vedas states that before the creation of the universe Lord Vishnu
was sleeping in the ocean of all causes. His bed is a giant serpent with
thousands of cobra like hoods. While Vishnu is asleep, a lotus sprouts of his
navel (A point to be noted that this navel is symbolised as the root of the creation).
Inside this lotus, Brahma resides. Brahma represents the universe which we all
live in, and it is this Brahma who creates life forms.
Vishnu is the personification of the eternal multiverse that exists
forever without any beginning or end, precisely it is eternal. Brahma is the
personification of our temporary physical universe that was created in the big
bang. Brahma is said to have been created from the navel (which is a single
point) of Vishnu, described as a lotus blooming out of the navel, much like the
big bang universe.
Now this universe represented by Brahma is not a permanent universe, it
is temporary, Brahma lives for 100 Brahma years, as stated in Vedas, and then
dies and then a new universe (Brahma) is born. So as per Vedas, our universe
lives for 100Brahama’s years. Talking of
time measurements - Brahma lives for hundred years say Vedas and we are in the
first day of the 51st year of the Brahma. (Here a point to be noted the 100
year that is mentioned here is not the year which has 365 or 366 days. The
twist will be gradually revealed after few stanza of the article.)
For now, Brahama represents our universe which has a birth and a death, a
big bang and a big cruch, from a navel singularity. Vishnu represents the
eternity that lies beyond our universe which has no birth or death and that
which is eternal. Many such universes like ours exist in Vishnu. Vedas claims
that thousands of Brahmas have passed away! In other words, this is not the
first time universe has been created.
In the Rig Veda (the first scripture, containing spiritual and
scientific knowledge) it is been said that the universe was created out of the
parts of the body of a single cosmic man Purusha when his body was sacrificed.
There the four classes (varnas) of Indian society come from his body: the
priest class (the Brahmin) from his mouth, the warrior class (the Kshatritya)
from his arms, the peasant class (the Vaishya) from his thighs, and the servant
class (the Shudra) from his legs.
In the Chandogya Upanishad it been stated that in the beginning was the
Brahman, and through the heaven, the earth, and the atmosphere and the three
seasons of summer, rains, and harvest he produced the entire universe.
Some scientists have suggested that, following the Big Bang theory, the
process of the expansion of the universe will eventually be reversed and at
some distant point in the future will start to contract, eventually imploding
into a `Big Crunch’. This could lead to another ‘Big Bang’, with a new universe
being formed. This somehow relates to the present Brahma years coming to an
end.
A universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 years (one day of Brahama - the
creator or the Kalpa) and is then destroyed by fire or water elements. At this
point, Brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. This process is
named as Pralaya (complete distraction of the universe with numerous extraordinary
effect of natural calamity), repeats for 100 Brahma years (One Brahma’s year is
equal to 311 Trillion, 40 Billion Human Years) that represents Brahma's
lifespan. Brahma is regarded as a manifestation of Brahman as the creator.
Nasadiya Sukta with translation
नासदासींनॊसदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजॊ नॊ व्यॊमापरॊ यत् ।
किमावरीव: कुहकस्यशर्मन्नभ: किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥१॥
Then even nothingness was not, nor existence,
There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.
What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping
Was there then the cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?
न मृत्युरासीदमृतं न तर्हि न रात्र्या।आन्ह।आसीत् प्रकॆत: ।
आनीदवातं स्वधया तदॆकं तस्माद्धान्यन्नपर: किंचनास ॥२॥
Then there was neither death nor immortality
nor was there then the torch of the night and the day.
The One breathed windlessly and self-sustaining.
There was that One then, and there was no other.
तम।आअसीत्तमसा गूह्ळमग्रॆ प्रकॆतं सलिलं सर्वमा।इदम् ।
तुच्छॆनाभ्वपिहितं यदासीत्तपसस्तन्महिना जायतैकम् ॥३॥
At first there was only darkness wrapped in darkness.
All this was only unillumined water.
That One which came to be, enclosed in nothing,
arose at last, born of the power of heat.
कामस्तदग्रॆ समवर्तताधि मनसॊ रॆत: प्रथमं यदासीत् ।
सतॊबन्धुमसति निरविन्दन्हृदि प्रतीष्या कवयॊ मनीषा ॥४॥
In the beginning desire descended on it -
that was the primal seed, born of the mind.
The sages who have searched their hearts with wisdom
know that which is kin to that which is not.
तिरश्चीनॊ विततॊ रश्मीरॆषामध: स्विदासी ३ दुपरिस्विदासीत् ।
रॆतॊधा।आसन्महिमान् ।आसन्त्स्वधा ।आवस्तात् प्रयति: परस्तात् ॥५॥
And they have stretched their cord across the void,
and know what was above, and what below.
Seminal powers made fertile mighty forces.
Below was strength, and over it was impulse.
कॊ ।आद्धा वॆद क।इह प्रवॊचत् कुत ।आअजाता कुत ।इयं विसृष्टि: ।
अर्वाग्दॆवा ।आस्य विसर्जनॆनाथाकॊ वॆद यत ।आबभूव ॥६॥
But, after all, who knows, and who can say
When it all came, and how creation happened?
The gods and the seekers are later than creation,
So who knows truly whence it has arisen?
इयं विसृष्टिर्यत ।आबभूव यदि वा दधॆ यदि वा न ।
यॊ ।आस्याध्यक्ष: परमॆ व्यॊमन्त्सॊ आंग वॆद यदि वा न वॆद ॥७॥
When all creation
had its origin,
Maybe he holds the reins, or maybe he doesn't,
He, who surveys it all from highest heaven,
Maybe he knows it all, or maybe even he doesn't.
According to the Vedic Version, countless universes, as numerous as
mustard seeds in a sack, are generated from the breathing of Maha-Vishnu. It is
said that the universes emanate from Maha-Vishnu’s skin pores in seed form as
He exhales, then expand and contract again as they are sucked back into God
when He inhales. Thus universes are created and and destroyed within one breath
of God. The life-time of the universe, which is one breath of God, has been
calculated to last 311 Trillion, 40 Billion Human Years.
So probably this is the concept from where the Big Bang theory comes
from. The singularity, the point from which our universe, according to the Big
Bang theory, was generated, is actually one of the skin pores of God.
Different religious faith explains and describes that “God is great”.
Where as in the Vedic version it is described “How God is great”.
That's the first thing to learn about God - how great He is. However that's
only a preliminary understanding of God. Higher than worshiping God in awe and
reverence as the great one, is to relate to Him as a friend or a child or even
one’s lover. This becomes possible when, by the mercy of the spiritual master,
one is allowed entrance into Krishna's personal life in Vrindavan.
The soul can have five basic relationships with Sri Krishna -
1. Shanta rasa is a neutral relationship with God. God is regarded as
the original creator and cause of all causes, and the maintainer of each and everything.
2. Dasya rasa means that you see God as your Lord and your master. You
are willing to serve Him with your life and soul. Krishna is the most perfect
and munificent Lord one can have.
3. Sakhya rasa is the stage, where you see Krishna as your best and most
intimate friend. Here the soul forgets that Krishna is God. He only regards
Krishna as his best and most beloved friend.
4. Vatsalya rasa is the parental relationship. Here the soul is
Krishna's father or mother. You are God's parent. Krishna is your little kid.
5. In Madhurya rasa the soul only sees Krishna as her most intimate
lover. You are God's wife or girlfriend.
In fact, all the relationships we enjoy in the material world to
partner, children, family, friends, and society are nothing but distorted
imitations of the soul's original relationship to God.
Sri Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita:
Bhagavat Gita Chapter 8, Verse 17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदु: |
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जना: || 17||
sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad
brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
sahasra—one thousand; yuga—age; paryantam—until; ahaḥ—one day; yat—which; brahmaṇaḥ—of Brahma; viduḥ—know; rātrim—night; yuga-sahasra-antām—lasts
one thousand yugas; te—they; ahaḥ-rātra-vidaḥ—those
who know his day and night; janāḥ—people
In short : By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the
duration of Brahma's one day (4,32 billion years). And such also is the
duration of his night. (Refer Bhagavat Gita 8.17)
To elaborate it more: The
measurements of the time in the Vedic cosmological system are also very vast
and staggering. For example, there are insects that are born in the
night; they grow up, procreate, lay eggs, and grow old, and too all in one
night. In the morning, you see them all dead under the street
lights. If these insects were told that their entire lifespan was only
one night of human beings, they would find it incredulous.
Similarly, the Vedas state that one
day and night of the celestial gods, such as Indra and Varun, corresponds to
one year on the earth plane. One year of the celestial gods, consisting
of 30 × 12 days is equal to 360 years on the earth plane. 12,000 years of
the celestial gods correspond to one mahā yug (cycle of
four yugas) on the earth plane, i.e. 4 million and 320 thousand years. 1,000
of such mahā yugas comprise one day of Brahma. This is
called kalp and is the largest unit of time in the world. Equal
to that is Brahma’s night. By these calculations, Brahma lives for 100
years. By earth calculations, it is 311 trillion 40 billion years.
The Vedic calculations of time are as follows:
Kali Yug: 432,000 years.
Dwāpar Yug: 864,000 years.
Tretā Yug: 1,296,000 years.
Satya Yug: 1,728,000 years.
Together, they comprise of a Mahā
Yug: 4,320,000 years.
One thousand Mahā
Yugas comprise one day of Brahma, which is a kalp: 4,320,000,000
years. Of equal duration is Brahma’s night. Shree Krishna says that
those who understand this are the true knowers of day and night.
The entire duration of the universe is equal to Brahma’s lifespan of 100
years: 311 trillion 40 billion years. Brahma is also a soul, who has
attained that position and is discharging his duties for God. Hence,
Brahma is also within the cycle of life and death. However, being of
extremely elevated consciousness, he is assured that at the end of his life, he
will be released from the cycle of life and death and go to the Abode of
God. Occasionally, when no soul is eligible to perform the duties of
Brahma at the time of the creation of the world, God Himself becomes Brahma.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 18
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तय: सर्वा: प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसञ्ज्ञके || 18||
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgame
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake
avyaktāt—from the
unmanifested; vyaktayaḥ—the
manifested; sarvāḥ—all; prabhavanti—emanate; ahaḥ-āgame—at the advent
of Brahma’s day; rātri-āgame—at
the fall of Brahma’s night; pralīyante—they dissolve; tatra—into that; eva—certainly; avyakta-sanjñake—in
that which is called the unmanifest
In short : At the beginning of Brahma's day, all living entities become
manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they
are merged into the unmanifest again.
To elaborate it more : In the amazing cosmic play of the universe, the various worlds (planes of existence) and their planetary systems undergo
repeated cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution (sṛiṣhṭi, sthiti, and pralaya).
At the end of Brahma’s day, corresponding to one kalp of
4,320,000,000 years, all the planetary systems up to Mahar Lok are
destroyed. This is called naimittik pralaya (partial
dissolution). In the Shreemad Bhagavatam, Shukadev tells Parikshit that
just as a child makes structures with toys during the day and dismantles them
before sleeping, similarly, Brahma creates the planetary systems and their life
forms when he wakes up and dismantles them before sleeping.
At the end of Brahma’s life of 100 years, the entire universe is
dissolved. At this time, the entire material creation winds up.
The pañch-mahābhūta merge into the pañch-tanmātrās, the pañch-tanmātrās merge
into ahankār, ahankār merges into mahān, and mahān merges
into prakṛiti. Prakṛiti is the subtle form of the material
energy, Maya. Maya, in its primordial state, then goes and sits in the
body of the Supreme Lord, Maha Vishnu. This is called prākṛit
pralaya, or mahāpralaya (great dissolution). Again, when Maha
Vishnu wishes to create, He glances at the material energy in the form of prakṛiti,
and by His mere glance, it begins unfolding.
From prakṛiti, mahān is created:
from mahān, ahankār is created;
from ahankār, pañch-tanmātrās are created;
from pañch-tanmātrās, pañch-mahābhūta are created. In this
way, unlimited universes are created.
Modern day scientists estimate that there are 100 billion stars
in the Milky Way. Like the Milky Way, there are 1 billion galaxies in the
universe. Thus, by estimation of scientists, there are 10^20 stars in our
universe. According to the Vedas, like our universe, there are
innumerable universes, of differing sizes and features. Every time, Maha
Vishnu breathes in, unlimited universes manifest from the pores of His body,
and when He breathes out, all the universes dissolve back. Thus the 100
years of Brahma’s life are equal to one breath of Maha Vishnu. Each
universe has one Brahma, one Vishnu, and one Shankar. So there are
innumerable Brahmas, Vishnus, and Shankars in innumerable universes. All
the Vishnus in all the universes are expansions of Maha Vishnu.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 19
भूतग्राम: स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते |
रात्र्यागमेऽवश: पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे || 19||
bhūta-grāmaḥ
sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātryāgame ’vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavatyahar-āgame
bhūta-grāmaḥ—the multitude of beings; saḥ—these; eva—certainly; ayam—this; bhūtvā bhūtvā—repeatedly taking birth; pralīyate—dissolves; rātri-āgame—with the advent of night; avaśhaḥ—helpless; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; prabhavati—become manifest; ahaḥ-āgame—with the advent of day
In Short : Again and again, when Brahma's day arrives, all living
entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahma's night they are
helplessly annihilated.
To elaborate it more :
The Vedas talks about four types of pralayas (dissolutions):
Nitya Pralaya: This is the daily dissolution of our consciousness
that takes place when we fall into deep sleep.
Naimittik Pralaya: This is the dissolution of all the
abodes up to Mahar Lok at the end of Brahma’s day. At that
time, the souls residing in these abodes become unmanifest. They reside
in a state of suspended animation in the body of Vishnu. Again when the
Brahma creates these lokas, they are given birth according to their past
karmas.
Mahā Pralaya: This is the dissolution of the entire
universe at the end of Brahma’s life. At this time, all the souls in the
universe go into a state of suspended animation in the body of Maha
Vishnu. Their gross (sthūl śharīr) and subtle (sūkṣhma śharīr) bodies
dissolve, but the causal body (kāraṇ sharīr) remains. When the next cycle
of creation takes place, they are again given birth, according to their sanskārs and
karmas stored in their causal body.
Ātyantik Pralaya: When the soul finally attains God, it
gets released from the cycle of birth and death forever. Ātyantik
Pralaya is the dissolution of the bonds of Maya, which were tying the soul
since eternity.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: |
य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति || 20||
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati
paraḥ—transcendental; tasmāt—than that; tu—but; bhāvaḥ—creation; anyaḥ—another; avyaktaḥ—unmanifest; avyaktāt—to the unmanifest; sanātanaḥ—eternal; yaḥ—who; saḥ—that; sarveṣhu—all; bhūteṣhu—in beings; naśhyatsu—cease to exist; na—never; vinaśhyati—is annihilated
In Short : Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is
eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is
supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that
part remains as it is.
To elaborate it more : After completing His exposé on the
material worlds and their impermanence, Shree Krishna next goes on to talk
about the spiritual dimension. It is beyond the scope of the material energy,
and is created by the spiritual Yogmaya energy of God.
It is not destroyed when all the material worlds are destroyed. Sri Krishna mentions in verse 10.42 that the spiritual dimension is three-fourth of
God’s entire creation, while the material dimension is one-fourth
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8, Verse 21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहु: परमां गतिम् |
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || 21||
avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
In Short: That which the Vedantists describe as unmanifest and
infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from
which, having attained it, one never returns—that is My supreme abode.
To elaborate it more: The divine sky of the spiritual realm is
called Paravyom. It contains the eternal Abodes of the different forms
of God, such as Golok (the Abode of Shree Krishna), Saket Lok (the Abode of
Shree Ram), Vaikunth Lok (the Abode of Narayan), Shiv Lok (the Abode of
Sadashiv), Devi Lok (the Abode of Mother Durga), etc. In
these Lokas, the Supreme Lord resides eternally in His divine forms along
with His eternal Associates. All these forms of God are non-different
from each other; they are various forms of the same one God. Whichever
form of God one worships, upon God-realization, one goes to the Abode of that
form of God. Receiving a divine body, the soul then participates in the
divine Activities and Pastimes of the Lord for the rest of eternity.
The Upanishads are the commentaries on the Vedas. Following is the peace
invocation from Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. The translation follows.
Om ! Purnamadah purnamidam purnatpurnamudachyate !
Purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate !!
Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti: !
Om. That (Brahman, the all pervasive, infinite, indivisible, formless,
motionless blissful existence.) is infinite, this (universe) is also infinite.
The infinite (universe) emanates from the infinite (Brahman). Assimilating the
infinitude of the infinite (universe), the infinite (Brahman) alone is left.
Om. Peace ! Peace ! Peace !
The details of creation are not found in Vedas but was found in the Puranas
and the Manu Smriti.
In Srimad Bhagavata, Sri Krishna states, “The cause of all this delusive
experience of divisiveness is Ahamkara (ego or sense of “I”.) which has evolved
from Mahattattva by the action of time, which is the principle factor
responsible for the agitation of Gunas and the evolution of the 24 categories.”
This can be interpreted as creation of waves in the Mahattattva which
results into motion. The waves are associated with wavelengths (space) and
period (time). This is how space-time is created within Mahattattva which is
very subtle, motionless and cannot be detected by human senses.
Following theory is the improved version of the big bang theory which incorporates above ideas. As per the scriptures in the beginning there was unified field of
consciousness (Spirit), which is the fundamental substance of the universe from
which the entire universe was created. This fundamental substance is also called the unmanifest which was perfectly
motionless. Unmanifest was all pervasive, infinite, indivisible, formless,
motionless blissful existence. The unmanifest was not caused by anything else.
It was there through eternity and will remain through eternity to come. However
the unmanifest itself is The Great Cause of the universe. When a very
small fraction of the unmanifest began to move (the big bang), it was
apparently divided into quanta of spirit, which the physicists and scientist call as energy. Each quanta associated with a wavelength
and period of its associated deBroglie wave. This is how length (space) and
period (time) came into the existence. Human senses and the scientific
instruments cannot detect what is perfectly motionless. However they can detect
energy which is always associated with motion. Both Spirit and energy are
indestructible. So the energies of the universe expand within the Infinite
Motionless Spirit.
As the Big Bang Theory explains about how the universe started. The
universe began as very hot, small, and dense, with no stars, atoms, form, or
structure (called as a "singularity"). Then about 13.77 billion years
ago, space expanded very quickly (thus it was named as "Big Bang"). The universe
expanded, temperatures cooled and protons and neutrons collided to make
deuterium, which is an isotope of hydrogen. Much of this deuterium combined to
make helium. Slowly resulting in the formation of atoms, which eventually led
to the creation of stars and galaxies. The universe is still expanding today,
but getting colder as well.
Now let’s take a look at the story of Lingodbhava. According to the
story of Lingodbhava, there appeared a fiery Shivalinga in the Universe.
Eventually there appeared Vishnu and Bramha. Both Bramha and Vishnu decided to
find the way where did the Shivalinga had emerged from. So Bramaha went to the
top in the form of a bird and Vishnu in the form of a boar.
Both returned, but neither truely found the end of the Shivalinga. Fiery
Shivalinga - the Universe was hot and was cooling over a period of time. The
Unending Shivalinga - the ever expansive Shivalinga.
Brahama and Vishnu are protons and neutrons respectively. Interestingly
compare the shape of the Shivalinga and model of the expanding Universe, it
will explain a lot.
The Rishis or the sages were ancient scientists and philosophers who
were very intelligent people, who were studying the mysteries of the Universe,
probably to explain the Big Bang Theory they made such beautiful stories with
hidden meanings.
So it believed that there are many stories that supports the Big Bang
theory and Lingodbhava is one of the many stories supporting it.
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