What is the world?

World has been big riddle for both, western scientists as well as ancient Hindu rishis. However, for the living beings, world is the objects perceived through the five sense organs viz. eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin. Whatever one sees, hears, smells, tastes and touches; he experiences in the mind. These accumulated experiences, past & present, form the world for him. Therefore, the worlds of two persons are never same.

Western and Indian philosophers analyzed the mind. For the western philosophers, mind is subject and rests are objects. Indian philosophers probed it further through recording experiences that mind is also an object. It is consciousness or jivatma which activates mind to work. Actually, jivatma is the subject in Indian philosophy and rest is object.

Constitution of the World:
As per western scientists, during the Big Bang, all of the space, time, matter, and energy in the Universe were created. This giant explosion hurled matter in all directions and caused space itself to expand. As the Universe cooled, the material in it combined to form galaxies, stars, and planets.

As per Hindu Philosophy, Vaisheshika Darshan, founded by Kaṇada Kashyapa around the 2nd century BC, explains about the universe, living beings, soul and moksha. The darshan has explained that the world is constituted by nine items which contains five physical matters – solid, liquid, gas, space and energy (Panchbhoot – Prithvi, jal, vayu, akash and agni) and four non-physical matters -  time, direction, soul and manas (kaal, atma, disha, manas-मन).
(An article on Vasishesika Darshan is published on this website on 13.08.2018 under the category of philosophy)

Real cause of World:
In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (chapter 2, Brahmana 2), there is a detailed conversation between Ajatashatru and Balaki Gargya wherein Brahman, the ultimate reality is profoundly explained. Sri Shankaracharya propounded Advait philosophy wherein he went a step further and explained that it is Brahman where the objects appear. The objects have no independent existence and therefore relatively unreal. Hence, Brahman is absolutely real.
(An article on Vedanta Darshan or Brahma Sutra – key of Upanishads – is published on this website on 24.8.2018 under the category of philosophy)    
 
Form of World:
Shri Krishna in Shrimad Bhagwat Gita has beautifully explained about the form of the world in fifteenth chapter of Purushottam Yoga.
“ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १५-१॥ अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ १५-२॥“

1. The indestructible peepal tree (Ficus religiosa), having its root above and branches below, whose leaves are the hymns of Vedas.
2. The Supreme Being, indestructible, permanent and eternal is root; main trunk is Brahman and universe is its branches. One who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.
3. Fed by the three Gunas and having sense-objects for their tender leaves, the branches of the aforesaid tree (in the shape of the different orders of creation i.e. Devas, human beings, animals etc.) extend both downwards and upwards.
4. Its roots bind the soul according to its actions in the human body (as the right of new actions are possible by human beings only).

World of human body has been further explained very well in ten points:

1. This is one eternal tree.
2. This tree has two fruits and two birds – two fruits are pleasure and pain; two birds are Jivatma and Parmatama.
3. Pain has roots in three gunas (attributes) – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
4. It has four pleasures – Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha.
5. Knowledge about it is gained by five means – sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste.
6. It has six natural phenomenon – birth, death or decay, maintenance, growth, degradation, modification.
7. It has seven components – blood, flesh, juice, fat, bones, Sperms.
8. It has eight branches – five Mahabhoots (पृथ्वी-Earth, जल-Water, अग्नि-Fire, वायु-Air, आकाश-ether), मन-Manas, बुद्धि-Intellect, अहंकार-ego.
9. It has nine gates viz. two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, the genitals and the anus.
10.  It has ten leaves – five main Prana & five sub-prana

 
Five main Prana

1. Prana - found in Head & Chest and it governs upper part of body and helps in breathing, hearing, seeing, etc.,
2. Apana - found in pelvic area and it governs areas of lower part of body and helps in excretion, semen discharge etc.,
3. Samana - found between naval & heart and helps in digestion & formation of blood etc.,
4. Vyana - found in whole body and veins and governs blood circulation,
5. Udana - found in head, throat and governs speech and carries subtle body after death.

Five sub Prana –

1. Nag - found between mouth & throat and helps in belching, hiccup etc.,
2. Kurm - found in eyeballs and helps in movement of eyes, eyelids, tears etc.,
3. Krkal - found between mouth & heart and helps in yawning, hunger, thrist etc.,
4. Devdutt - found between nose & throat and helps in laziness, sleep, sneeze, etc.,
5. Dhananjaya - found in entire body and helps muscles, to blows the body after death etc.

Permanent liberation from world of human body:
Shri Krishna in Shrimad Bhagwat Gita has further explained about permanent liberation from world of human body in fifteenth chapter.
“न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ १५-३॥ ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं         यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये । यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ १५-४॥ निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्-गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ १५-५॥“

1. Cutting down this Peepal tree is possible by the formidable axe of dispassion (3).
2. One should diligently seek for that supreme state, viz., Supreme Being, having attained which they return no more to this world; and having fully resolved that he stands dedicated to that Primeval Being (God Narayana) Himself, from whom the flow of this beginning less creation has progressed, he should dwell and meditate on Him (4).
3. They who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evil of attachment, and are constantly abiding in God, whose cravings have altogether ceased and who are completely immune to all pairs of opposites going by the names of pleasure and pain, and are undeluded, attain that supreme immortal state (5).