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Prashn Upanishad

Secret of Creation-Through Pippalaad's Eyes

What you think exists, is not real. What you think does not exist, is the Reality. There is nothing in the world which is not pervaded by God.

Once upon in an ancient time, six young disciples, who were keen to learn about the mystery of existence and the true purpose of human birth and wished to investigate the goals of life, came to the sage Pippalaad. The sage at first explained them that for undertaking any task, one has to have the minimum competence. Without that competence, even the answers will be beyond one's comprehension. Even for doing the smallest task, one has to acquire the requisite fitness. As if one wants to build a bridge, he must be a qualified engineer, in the same way this applies equally to every undertaking in the world. So they underwent through the observance of Brahmcharya and then they again gathered to seek their answers.

All the conceivable doubts that could arise in any person were placed before sage Pippalaad by the six young disciples and they got from him the right answers. Pippalaad asked the disciples to control their thoughts as their thoughts only. The sage taught that this awareness should be the primary objective. In that awareness, the identification with the body consciousness goes and the oneness with the Aatmaa in all is realized. This is the message of the Prashnopanishad what is actual today and after many thousand years.

The universe is not different from God. The Prashnopanishad expatiates on this cosmic unity. In every Padaarth (material) there is a Paraarth (Divine element). Without this Divine basis, no object can be cognizable. A being without life is as good as non-existent. The Divine element is the basis of the physical substance. Viewed from the physical point of view, these two appear to be contradictory. But viewed from the spiritual point of view, it is apparent that there is no material object without a Divine basis, no living being without the vital force and no inert substance without the consciousness. In the universe, both matter and Chaitanya (consciousness) are self-existing. The cosmos is the synthesis in consciousness of these two - spirit and matter.

Pippalaad explained that by the Divine will of Prajapati (the cosmic progenitor), two pairs were created; the subtle and the gross, the inert and consciousness. By the union of the two, the entire cosmos, consisting of animate and inanimate objects, was created. This creation is without a beginning or an end. The entire cosmos consisting of moving and unmoving objects is Mithyaa (illusory). Although there is the Real in the illusory Universe, all that is perceived in the phenomenal world is liable to pass away.

Creation has no predetermined limits. It is an eternal process whose beginning or end cannot be known. In the process of birth, growth and dissolution, besides the will of the Lord, the role of human effort can also be recognized to a certain extent. Death exists as well as birth. Human's destiny is determined by the nature of his actions, thoughts and desires. No one can tell how human came into existence and the circumstances of ones origin. But human has the capacity to free himself from rebirth. When the desires are replaced by the Brahmik (Aatmik) consciousness and the mind is emptied of all other thoughts, there will be no rebirth. As long as one's life is immersed in delusion, as long as delusion remains, the Absolute cannot be realized.

The Absolute is realized by absorption in the Brahm and then there is no rebirth. All phenomena relating to Time are associated with Prajaapati. Time is a manifestation of Prajaapat. Time moves in two directions Uttaraayan and Dakshinaayan. ('Ayana’ means journeying). When the apparent movement of the Sun is northwards, the period is termed Uttaraayan. When the apparent movement of the Sun is southward, it is called Dakshinaayan. The period of Uttaraayan is marked by brightness, peace, rejoicing, fearlessness, and purity. Dakshinaayan is characterized by darkness, peacelessness, fear and disasters.

By Pippalaad life redeems itself only when it merges in Praan. The Praan (Life-Force) is the most important factor. You have to merge yourselves in the mind. Merge the mind in the Aatmaa. Whatever you do, do it in a spirit of dedication to the Aatmaa (the Divine, God). When you practice it in a spirit of dedication, work will be transformed into worship. When life is led in such manner, there is no rebirth. Thoughts are in tune with desires. According to the thoughts, the results follow.

A living creature proclaims its existence by the Life Force in it. This truth has been recognized by the Vaidik sages and modem scientists in the concept of the convertibility of matter and energy. There is no basic difference between the revelation of the scriptures and the discoveries of science. However, many consider that spirituality has no concern with mundane affairs and there is no connection between the physical world and the realm of the Spirit. This is a grievous mistake. One is the base and the other is sustained by it. One is Praan (Life Force) and the other is the Praanee (living being). Likewise, life and the living being exist naturally.

Below is more proper Vaidik explanation to this phenomenon.

By Pippalaad five basic elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) are like five feet for the Sun. The twelve months correspond to twelve seasons for the Sun. The passage through the twelve "houses" endows the Sun with seven colors. Every month has two halves - the Shukla Paksh (bright fortnight) and the Krishn Paksh (dark fortnight). On Full-moon night, it shines with all its sixteen Kalaa (aspects). On Amaavasyaa (New Moon) night, the Moon receives no light from the Sun and hence it is totally dark. The fortnight after the Full Moon, when the moon starts waning, is called Krishn Paksh, the dark fortnight. The fortnight after Amaavasyaa (New Moon) when the Moon goes on waxing is called Shukla Paksh, the bright fortnight. Shukla Paksh is Praan (Life Force) and Krishn Paksh is Praanee (the living being). The entire cosmos is made up of the combination of Praan (the Life-breath) and Praanee (the container of the Life-breath). All these are manifestations of the creative power of Prajaapat.

From Aakaash (ether), Vaayu (Air), Tejas (effulgence or Fire), water and earth emerged in succession. The faculties corresponding to these elements are speech, sight, hearing and thought (or mind). Controlling all of them is Praan (the Life-Force). The abode of this Life-Force is the body. The Life-Force operates using the body as its sanctum. Praan is timeless in its origin, but seeks an abode in a new body. In this body, the Sahastraar Naadee (nerves) enter all subsidiary organs and function throughout the body. There are 72 crores (720 millions) of nerves in this body.

Hence, one's status or condition in life is based upon one's actions. The scriptures teach us not to succumb to difficulties or gloat over success but maintain equanimity in all situations. Each one is responsible for own joy and sorrow. One's own thoughts and actions are responsible for one's successes or failures, honor or ignominy, pleasure or pain. Whether one goes to heaven or hell or any other place, it is his own actions that are responsible for it.

No one can fully explain the secret of creation. There is a shadow which closely follows every object. When the Praan leaves one body and enters another, the results of one's actions follow the Praan to the other body. The Praan enters another appropriate body in accordance with the results of the actions in the previous body. You alone are responsible for your joys and sorrows. God is in no way responsible for it. He is only a witness. But if you pray to Him with all your heart and soul, the effects of all Karm will disappear like mist. Devotion, Saadhanaa performed with deep faith will free human from the consequences of his deeds. Real Saadhanaa has the power of transforming bad into good, converting sorrow into joy. This calls for the right use of the mind. However, there can be no happiness without sorrow, no good without the bad.

In creation there are many things which are naturally bad by human's understanding. Out of these bad things, good emerges. The mind is the cause of all our sorrows and joys. The powers of the mind are indescribable. In one moment it can encompass the universe. It is not possible for anyone to know in what form, in what situation, at what time and in what circumstances the Lord appears to teach human how to get rid of bad thoughts, bad qualities and bad actions.

Hence, do not blame God for anything. For all your difficulties and joys, your actions alone you are responsible. Keeping this truth in mind, you have to follow the path of righteousness.

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