The Bhagavad Gita – Creation & Dissolution of Universe

The Bhagavad Gita – Creation & Dissolution of Universe
॥ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ॥ ॥ ॐ श्री परमात्मने नमः ॥ ॥ अथ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ॥
 
Shree Krishna has explained about the creation and dissolution of universe, birth, death, re-birth and salvation in chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 15 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. Shree Krishna informs Arjuna as under:

Creation and Dissolution of Universe:

1. The universe is created like a mighty peepal tree, rooted above in the unseen, with branches spreading everywhere in the world of the seen. The Supreme Being (also called Brahman, almighty, Shree Krishna), indestructible, permanent and eternal is root; main trunk is Brahma and universe is its branches (in the shape of the different orders of creation i.e. Devas, human beings, animals etc.) extend both downwards and upwards.
2. Entire universe is pervaded by the Supreme Being.
3. The twofold Prakriti viz. Para Prakriti (also called soul, higher Prakriti, Kutastha-Aksara) and Apara prakriti (also called lower Prakriti, Ksara, material power) originate from and dissolve in the Supreme Being. All beings are evolved from this twofold Prakriti.
4. The creative period of the universe is the Kalpa and dissolution of the universe is called Parlaya. Kalpa and parlaya are of equal duration.
5. According to Vishnu Puran, 15 twinkle of eyes equal to 1 Kastha; 30 Kasthas equal to 1 kala, 30 kalas equal to 1 muhurta, 30 muhuratas equal to one day & one night, 30 days & 30 nights equal to 1 month, 6 months equal to 1 ayana, 2 ayanas (Uttrayana & Dakshiayana) equal to 1 year, One year (360 days) is equal to one day and one night of celestials i.e. a full celestial day. 12000 such celestial years (satyayug-4800, Tretayug-3600, Dwaperyug-2400 & Kalyug-1200) make one chatur-yuga (360*12,000=43,20,000 years or one cycle of four yugas). 1000 chatur-yugas (4.32 billion years) makes one day-night of Brahma (kalpa). Equally long period is parlaya. 360 days of Brahma make one year of Brahma. 100 years of Brahma constitute his life span. The end of his life is marked by a major parlaya (Maha-Parlaya) of duration equal to his life time. After that the creative cycle (maha-kalpa) starts again with a new Brahma.  

Birth and Death:

1. Apara prakriti evolves 5 subtle elements (tanmantras), 5 organs of perceptions, 5 organs of action, 5 gross elements (physical body), ego, mind and Buddhi. It also evolves desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, consciousness, firmness etc. Apara prakriti has three gunas (attributes - sattva, rajas & tamas).
2. Para Prakriti (individual soul) experiences pleasure-pain etc. in association with apara prakriti. Attachment with the gunas is responsible for the birth of the soul in different embodiment.
3. The soul proceeds after death on the path of light (devayana or archradi-marga) or on the non-luminous path (pitryana or dhumadi marga). There are four categories:
4. Those who attain liberation and does not come back, goes on path of light.
5. Those who enjoy fruits of ritualistic and philanthropic actions of meritorious nature, done with eye on fruits, they take re-birth when merits are exhausted, goes on the non-luminous path. They attain lunar sphere.
6. Notorious sinners go to Naraka where they suffer for their sinful acts, after which they are born in animal bodies or humans under very miserable conditions.
7. Those persons who have neither great merits nor great sins to their credit. They live self-centred nature without being virtuous or vicious. They die and take re-birth without going to any sphere.

Re-birth and Salvation:

1. The psycho-physical organism of the soul consists of subtle and gross bodies. The subtle body persists through all embodiments, until the soul gains liberation. Soul finds embodiment according to the karmas.
2. The grace of the Supreme Being comes on those who surrender themselves whole-heartedly to him, and that grace accomplishes what one cannot do by one’s own effort.
3. Persons who remember the Brahman (almighty) at the time of death attains him. 

The process of creation and dissolution of the universe is discussed by Shree Krishna as under (in bracket, chapter. verse) (the relevant Sanskrit verses of Bhagavad Gita are mentioned at the bottom):

Creation and Dissolution of Universe: 

1. The indestructible peepal tree, having its root above and branches below, whose leaves are the hymns of Vedas. The Supreme Being, indestructible, permanent and eternal is root; main trunk is Brahma and universe is its branches. (15.1).
2. 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 biengs, animals etc.) extend both downwards and upwards. 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) (15.2).
3. Entire universe is pervaded by Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist in Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), but I do not dwell in them (9.4).
4. Under My aegis, Nature brings forth the whole creation, consisting of both sentient and insentient beings; it is due to this cause that the wheel of Samsara is going round (9.10).
5. The seven great seers, their four elders (Sanaka and others), and the fourteen Manus or progenitors of mankind (such as Svayambhuva and his successors), who were all devoted to Me, were born of My will; from them all these creatures in the world have descended (10.6).
6. During the Final Dissolution all beings enter My Prakriti (the prime cause), and at the beginning of creation, I send them forth again (9.7).

Birth and Death:

1. All embodied beings emanate from the Unmanifest (i.e., Brahma’s subtle body) at the coming of the cosmic day; at the cosmic nightfall they merge into the same subtle body of Brahma, known as the Unmanifest (8.18).
2. All beings have evolved from the twofold Prakriti, and that I (Brahman/Shree Krishna) am the source of the entire creation, and into Me again it dissolves (7.6).
3. The field (Prakriti) and its evolutes are five subtle elements, the ego, the intellect, the Unmanifest (Primordial Matter), the ten organs of perception and action, the mind, and the five objects of sense (sound, touch, colour, taste and smell); also desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the physical body, consciousness, firmness (13.5, 13.6).
4. Individual soul is declared to be responsible for the experience of joys and sorrows (13.20). Only the Purusha (Brahman) in association with Prakriti experiences objects of the nature of the three Gunas evolved from Prakriti and it is attachment with these Gunas that is responsible for the birth of this soul in good and evil wombs (13.21).
5. Multitude of beings are born again and again and dissolved under compulsion of its nature at the coming of the cosmic night, and rises again at the commencement of the cosmic day (8.19).
6. The material (lower, apara) nature constitute earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and also ego and the spiritual nature is Jiva (Atman, life force or soul, higher) (7.4, 7.5).
7. The whole of this creation is deluded by these objects evolved from the three modes of Prakriti-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas; that is why the world fails to recognize Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), standing apart from these, the Imperishable (7.13).
8. There are two paths on which departing soul goes. After death, Yogi, who have known Brahman, being successively led by the gods (fire god, deities of day light, bright fort-night & six months of northward course of sun – अग्नि, दिन, शुक्ल पक्ष और उत्तरायण) finally reach Brahman and takes no re-birth. Other path - After death, Yogi (devoted to action with interested motives), being led by the gods (lunar light by smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight or the six months of the southern path of the sun – धूम, रात्रि, कृष्ण पक्ष और दक्षिणायण) attaining the lustre of moon and enjoying the meritorious deeds in heaven, takes re-birth (8.25, 8.26). 

Re-birth and Salvation:

1. Employing My Nature I procreate again and again, according to their respective Karmas, all this multitude of beings subject to the sway of their own nature (9.8).
2. Those who are devoted to the rituals with interested motive, as recommended by the three Vedas as the means of attaining heavenly bliss, and seeking worldly enjoyments, they repeatedly come and go (i.e., ascend to heaven by virtue of their merits and return to earth when their fruit has been enjoyed) (9.21).
3. He who departs from the body, thinking of Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) alone even at the time of death, attains My state; there is no doubt about it (8.5). Thinking of whatever entity one leaves the body at the time of death, that and that alone one attains, being ever absorbed in its thought (8.6). Therefore, think of Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) at all times and fight with mind and reason thus set on Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), you will doubtless come to Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) (8.7).
4. Souls who have adopted the divine nature, knowing Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) as the prime source of all beings and the imperishable eternal, worship Me constantly with one pointedness of mind (9.13). Constantly chanting My names and glories and striving for My realization, and bowing again and again to Me, those devotees of firm resolve, ever united with me through meditation, worship Me with single-minded devotion (9.14). Others, who follow the path of Knowledge, worship Me in My absolute, formless aspect as one with themselves; while still others worship Me in My Universal Form in many ways, taking Me to be diverse in manifold celestial forms (9.15).
5. The devotees, who loving no one else constantly think of Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), and worship Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) in a disinterested spirit, to those ever united in thought with Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), I bring full security and personally attend to their needs (9.22).
6. Far beyond even this unmanifest (primordial/elemental nature, Brahma), there is yet another unmanifest Existence (Para Brahman), that Supreme Being, who does not perish even though all beings perish. This is the supreme abode. The person who attains it, he does not take re-birth (8.20, 8.21).
7. Moksha (Cutting down the Peepal tree) is possible by the formidable axe of dispassion (15.3). Therefore, 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 beginningless creation has progressed, he should dwell and meditate on Him (15.4).
8. 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 (15.5).
9. All the worlds from Brahmaloka (the heavenly realm of the Creator, Brahma) downwards are liable to birth and rebirth. On attaining Me there is no rebirth (For, while I am beyond Time, regions like Brahmaloka, being conditioned by time, are transitory) (8.16).

Hence, the entire universe is created by Brahman through Para & Apara Prakriti and subsequently dissolves in it. The process goes on alternatively. The re-birth and moksha is based on selfless karma and devotion. Virtuous and vicious karmas take the subtle body to various realms of the universe, ultimately taking re-birth. But those who go to Supreme Being are not born again.
  
Reference:

1. The Bhagavad Gita, Gita press, Gorakhpur
2. Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Sivananda, a divine life society publication
3. Srimad-Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna math, Mylapore, Madras – 600004.   
4. https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_giitaa/bhagvadnew.html?lang=sa

 
Chapter: 7
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च । अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥ ७-४॥ अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् । जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ ७-५॥ एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय । अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥ ७-६॥ त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् । मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥ ७-१३॥
Chapter: 8
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् । यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ ८-५॥ यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् । तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥ ८-६॥ तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः ॥ ८-७॥ आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन । मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ ८-१६॥ अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे । रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥ ८-१८॥ भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते । रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ ८-१९॥ परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः । यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥ ८-२०॥ अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् । यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ८-२१॥ धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् । तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥ ८-२५॥ शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते । एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ ८-२६॥
Chapter: 9
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना । मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः ॥ ९-४॥ सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् । कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ॥ ९-७॥ प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः । भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ॥ ९-८॥ मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् । हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥ ९-१०॥ महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः । भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम् ॥ ९-१३॥ सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः । नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ॥ ९-१४॥ ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते । एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम् ॥ ९-१५॥ ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति । एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥ ९-२१॥ अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ ९-२२॥
Chapter: 10
महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा ।मद्भावा मानसा जाता येषां लोक इमाः प्रजाः ॥ १०-६॥
Chapter: 13
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च । इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ॥ १३-५॥ इच्छा द्वेषः सुखं दुःखं सङ्घातश्चेतना धृतिः । एतत्क्षेत्रं समासेन सविकारमुदाहृतम् ॥ १३-६॥ कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते । पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥ १३-२०॥ पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ १३-२१॥
Chapter: 15
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १५-१॥ अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ १५-२॥ 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॥
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