What is this world? Where did it come from? What is to become of it? These are some of the critical questions that have haunted leaders of faith, philosophy and science for a long time. For any seeker of truth, finding conclusive answers to these questions is vitally important as otherwise it leaves him or her in a state of incompleteness and doubt. In the Rig Veda, one of the earliest of Hindu texts, the Rishi exclaims about the beginning of Universe: "There was neither non-existence nor existence then; there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?" (Excerpt from "Naasadiya Suktam"; translation from "The Rig Veda - An Anthology", Penguin Classics)
Before we look into the answers that Hindu saastra texts provide, let's first consider where Science today has taken us in its attempt to providing this answer. According to Cosmologists, this universe of ours, as we know today, is about 13.6 billion years old. It appears to be a flat (not curving), space-time fabric that is continuously expanding like the surface of a balloon getting inflated, making the clusters of galaxies fly away farther and farther from each other. The theory of 'Big Bang' postulates that the universe expanded almost instantaneously from a singularity, where there was no space-time. We also know that the visible matter of the universe forms only a fraction of the mass of the universe and the bulk of it is hidden in what is called as 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. There are two different futures that are predicted as likely scenarios of where the universe is heading to. One theory is that it will expand forever and that all visible matter will completely vanish at one point. The other is that the expansion will eventually slow down (it is accelerating as of now) and the attractive force of gravity will overcome the expansive force, bringing it back to the singularity that it came from. The equations of physics that work at cosmic level (General Theory of Relativity) do not hold good when applied to subatomic level which is better explained by Quantum physics and the structure of subatomic space that is known as 'The standard model'. In the subatomic space a pair of matter and anti-matter can be created from nothingness at random and annihilate each other when combined, leaving nothingness. The most basic of subatomic particle called quarks are created in pairs of opposite 'spin' and are linked to each other by an unexplained property called 'quantum entanglement'. There are four fundamental forces that are acting in the universe: the electro-magnetic force, the weak nuclear force (that causes radioactive decay) , the strong nuclear force(the force that keeps the nucleus of an atom together) and gravity. Science has so far theoretically managed to unify three of these forces other than gravity and is still looking for the holy grail that will establish the unification of all the four forces. The mathematical models being proposed are currently leading scientists to explore the possibility of this universe of ours being just one of many universes, called a multi-verse scenario. And, most recently, it was experimentally proven that a particle called' Higgs Boson' exists substantiating the theory that matter derives the property of mass from its interaction with what is called as "Higgs's field' which permeates the universe. As far as the questions of what is life, awareness and consciousness are concerned, Science is continuing to build the answer and information is not comprehensive yet. ( Phew..that is the briefest history of time in a single paragraph! If you want to find out more, please refer to books by Stephen Hawking , Brian Green et al.)
Now let's look at what the Hindu Darsanas say on this. Of all the Hindu Darsanas that have dealt with this question, the three that stand out are the Vedanta Darsana, Sankhya Darsana and Vaiseshika Darsana. While the Vaiseshika Darsana is establishes that all matter are essentially varying compositions of same underlying atoms and their properties, the Sankhya system goes a step farther enquiring into what the primal cause is. According to the Sankhya theory, there are only two kinds of entities in the universe, the subject who is the knower and the object which is the known. It postulates that the universe and everything in it have come from two principles, the Cognizance principle, Purusha and the Existence principle, Prakriti. The Purusha doesn't go through any transformation itself but acts as the catalyst triggering modifications in the Prakriti by its mere presence. The Prakriti has three force fields within it and these are the attractive force leading to stationary states (like that of a Blackhole) called Tamas, the expansive force leading to a dynamic state called Rajas (like that of Big Bang) and the Luminscence force leading to knowledge (like quantum entanglement) called as Satwa. When these three forces are in balance, there is no creation. The universe came to being when the forces became imbalanced. The Prakriti first evolved into a field of intelligence capable of cause & effect called Mahat, or the 'Great one' . In the Mahat arose the 'I' sense, Ahamkara resulting in ability to create differentiation. The Satwa force field interacting with Ahamkara creating sentient matter (Mind, Sense Organs and Organs of Action). The Tamas force field interacting with Ahamkara gave rise to five elementary components of physical existence (Space-time, Heat and the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter). Purusha who is only a witness in reality, identifies with the sentient components of Prakriti as individual soul and experiences pleasure and pain. Liberation for individual soul is when it is able to overcome this false identification.
The Advaita school of Vedanta Darsana goes one step further to propose that there is only one single entity, called Brahman, that is real and which is the cause for the universe . Prakriti is not a separate principle but and arises in Brahman by virtue of Brahman's ability to create an illusion, called as Maya, which has the three forces of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. Just as the universe is brought forth by the force of Maya, it is also withdrawn into Purusha at end of a cycle of creation and this cycle repeats. Vedanta doesn't deny the reality of the universe that is available for sensual perception but identifies it as the vyaavaharika satya or transactional reality. This transactional reality is not relevant when the soul is able to rise above its identification within it and attain the ultimate reality, atyantika satya or paramaartha. The closest analogy used to explain this is that of a person waking up from a dream, with no residual memories of the dream. According to advaita philosophy, everything in the universe, the knower and the known, are nothing but Brahman. Same time, due to the limitations of the transactional reality, any attempt to portray the Brahman in terms or means available in transactional reality fails and Brahman remains beyond comprehension. This is most beautifully expressed in the following mystical Upanishad excerpts:
"thadejati thannejati thaddoore thadanthike, thadantharasya sarvasysa, tadu sarvsyaasya bhahyatah" (Isavasya upanishad) "It moves and it doesn't move; It is far and it is near; it is inside of everything and it is outside of everything"
"yadi manyase suvedeti bhaharamevabhi noonam" "yo nasthad veda no na vedeti vedacha" (Kenopanishad) "He who thinks that he has comprehended Brahman clearly has indeed known very little"; "he who says he has known Brahman, doesn't know for certain; he who says he doesn't know, perhaps has come to know it"
"Yatho vacho nivarthanthe apraapya manasaa saha" (Taitiriyopanishad) "Whence the words return, being unapproachable for the mind"
"Yan Manasa na manuthe, yena mano manutham" (Kenopanishad)"Brahman is that which is not conceived by the mind but by which the mind has come to have the ability to conceive ideas"
Just as the Brahman identifying with ahamkara, mind, sense organs and gross body at an individual level manifests as the soul (jivatma), Brahman also identifies with the 'I' Sense (Ahamkara), Mind (Manas) and the Universe at a cosmic level(Viraat) and manifests as Saguna Ishwara or The Lord who is sentient. Through this Lord, there is an imposed order in the universe called as ritham, there is sustenance of Dharma and there is perpetuation of knowledge of Brahman within the transactional reality. This universe being His body, The Lord has omniscience and omnipotence within the transactional reality. And, through Prakriti, He experiences the world.
Here are few excerpts from Krishna's words in Bhagawad Gita that dwells on this subject:
"purusha prakritistohi bhunkte prakritijan gunan"
"upadhrashtanumanthacha bhartha bhokta maheswarah
paramamtmetichaapyukto dehesmin purusha parah"
(B.G Chapter 13, Sloka 22 and 23)
"The purusha in association with prakriti enjoys the qualities that are born of prakriti. The Pramaatma who is a witness and same time the will propelling the universe, is The Lord, the presider as well as enjoyer of the universe; and in every individual living being, he is the soul"
"aham sarvasya prabhavah mattha eva sarvam pravartyati" (B.G Ch. 10 Sloka 8)
"I am the origin of everything and in me they exist"
"vishtabhyahamidamkrisnam ekaamsena sthitho jagat" (B.G Ch. 10 Sloka 42)
"I have brought forth everything that is here and the entire universe stands in but one small portion of me"
"sarva bhutaani kaunteya prakritim yaanthi maamikaam
kalpakshaye punasthaani kalpadau visrijaamyaham" (B.G Chapter 9, Sloka 7)
"All beings and things return into the prakriti in me at the end of a creation cycle and are restored at the beginning of the next creation cycle"
"mattha parataram naanyath kinchidasthi dhananjaya
mayi sarvamitham protham sutre maniganaa iva" (B.G Ch 7 Sloka 7)
"There is nothing that exists beyond me. All these are stringed together in me like pearls on a necklace"
"sarvata paani paadam thad sarvatokshi siromukham
sarvata sruthimanloke sarvamavrittha thishtathi"
(B.G Chapter 13, Sloka 14)
"His hands, legs, face and head are spread everywhere and he listens to everything. In this way, He envelops everything in this universe"
'urdha mulamadha saakham aswatham prahuravyayam
chandaamsi yasya parnani yastam veda sa veda vid"
(B.G Chapter 15, Sloka 1)
"This universe is like an upside-down pepal tree with its single root above and many branches spreading downward. The verses of Veda (that has the knowledge of truth) are its leaves. He who gets the knowledge from them attains real knowledge"
About the nature of Ishwara, Sage Patanjali says in Yoga Sutra:
"klesa karmavipaaka aasaya aparaamrishtaa purusha visesha Iswarah:"
(Y.S Chapter 1, verse 13)
"God is that special indwelling soul who is unaffected by any torments of this world, beyond limitations of cause and effect (actions and results) and devoid of any motives"
An attitude of surrender to this Lord is essential for every spiritual seeker while he or she seeks to achieve the absolute Nirguna state. This attitude, called as 'iswarapranidana', is foundational to spiritual practice. Hence we find philosophers like Adi Sankara who have extensively elaborated on the formless, absolute Brahman also write beautiful hymns in praise of the Saguna Ishwara. Again in Krishna's words, this God to the seeker is: "Gatir bharta prabhu saakshi nivassa saranam suhruth" (B.G Chapter 9, Sloka 18) "the path, goal, upholder of order, the Lord, witness of actions and thoughts, the provider of refuge and a well-wishing friend".
