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Gita Sandesh

GITA SANDESH

American Gita Society
gitaprasad@aol.com

PAR BRAHM, AKSHAR BRAHM, MAYA, KSHAR PURUSH,
PRAKRITI, AND JEEV

Lord Krishn, in the Fifteenth Chapter of the
Bhagavad-Gita, said:

There are two Purushas (entities or aspects of divine
existence) in this world: The changeable Kshar Purush,
and the non-changeable Akshar Purush.  All created
beings are changeable or Kshar, and Akshar Brahm (or
Akshar Purush) does not change.  (15.16)

There is another Supreme Personality of Godhead (beyond
Kshar and Akshar) called Par-Brahm Paramaatmaa, who,
pervading the three Lok(s) as the Eternal Lord (or
Ishvar), sustains them. (15.17)

I am beyond both Kshar and Akshar; therefore, I am known
in this world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person (or
Aksharaateet, Para Brahma Paramaatmaa, Purushottama,
etc.)

We will attempt to explain three Purushas and their
various expansions based on Taartamya-vidyaa given by
Mahamati Prannath, a seventeenth century saint of
Gujarat, India:

1.  PAR BRAHM

Lord Krishn is Par Brahm Paramaatma, the Supreme Lord
(Gita 15.18) who has expanded Himself in two different
levels: Akshar and Kshar. His transcendental abode is
called Param Dhaam (PD) (Gita 15.06).  He is called
Sachchidaanand, because Sat (existence), Chitt
(consciousness), and Anand (bliss) are His three nature
or Svabhaav.

2.  AKSHAR BRAHM

Sat Svabhaav (nature) or Atma of Par Brahm Krishn is
called Brahm, Atma, Akshar Brahm, or Akshar Purush (Gita
10.20, 14.27).  Akshar Brahm also has three Svabhaavs:
Sat, Chitt, and Anand.

Sat Svabhaav is called Sat Svaroop or Parameshwar.
Anand Svabhaav of Brahm is called Keval Brahm.  Yog Maya
is the Shakti (power) of Keval Brahma and Sabal Brahm is
the Buddhi (intellect) of Keval Brahm.  An ansh of Sabal
Brahm is called Paraatma or Param Shiv that takes part
in creation.  Paraatma (intellect) and Chitt
(consciousness) combine to manifest Avyakt Brahm, the
mind of Brahm.

The abode of Brahm is called Akshar Dhaam. Sat, Chitt,
Anand, and Avyakt are called four Paads (roots, legs) of
Brahm.  Avyakt is also called Adi Prakriti, Avyakt
Brahm, and Sarva Kaaran Kaaranam, the cause of all
causes.

Four bodies (or levels of existence) of Avyakt Brahm
are:

1. Great causal body:  The Great causal body (or Mahaa
Kaaran Shareer) consists of:

(i)  Golok is a reflection of Nitya Golok of PD where
Raas lila goes on.

(ii)  Vaikunth is the lower portion of Golok.  It
consists of four islands: Sat lok, 	Vishnu lok, Svet
dveep, and Pushkar dveep.  All Avataars come from
Vaikunth.

(iii)  Mahaa maya devi, and Sumanglaa devi.

(iv)  Avaran (veiling, covering) and Vikshep
agitating, obstructing) powers.

(v)  Highly advanced souls such as Chaitanya, Kabir,
Narsingh Mehta, Sukadev, Sanakaadik,
Ballabhaachaarya, and even Lord Shiva and
Mahaa-vishnu (or Naaraayan) reside here.

2.  Causal body:  The causal body (Kaaran Shareer) is
the home of Seven Great Voids, seven  colors, seven
raags, echo of Anaahat sound, and five Devis of five
powers (Vaastavi, anirvachani, tuchchaa, siva-kalyaani,
and unmuni) that are reflection of Mahaa maya.  This is
the abode of endless pleasures.  One gets param nirvaan
(permanent liberation) here.

3.  Subtle body: The subtle body is also called Kaal
Niranjan Purush (KNP) (or Akaal Purush, Kaal Purush,
Mahaa kaal, Sadaa-shiv Adhiyajn, Sadaa-shiv). He has
three svabhaavs: 1. Adhyaatm, 2. Adhidaiv, and 3.
Adhibhoot.  Each of the three svabhaavs has 24,000
shaktis. (See also Gita 8.01-04). Kaal Maya, Durgaa,
Kaali, and Ambaa are His expansions.  Kaal Niranjan
gives Praan to and takes out Praan from Jeev.  He
transmits consciousness to all universes. He expands
himself as pranav-brahm or Brahm-shiv for the purpose of
creation.  He also takes everything inside himself
during maha-pralaya, the great dissolution.

4.  Physical body:  Physical body includes Par Pranav
and Apar Pranav.  Par Pranav consists of Gaayatri Devi
who is in-charge of Jnaan and Vijnaan such as the Vedas
and Smritis.  Apar Pranav consists of Samashti Jyoti
Svaroop (SJS), and Rodhini Shakti.  Omkaar Purush (or
Naad Shiv) is the expansion of SJS to transmit Chetanaa
in the cosmos.  The sound of Om is the vibrational sound
energy of Omkaar Purussh.  Apar Pranav has the seed of
Maya that creates the Kshar Purush.  Maya is the energy
of KNP.

MAYA

Before creation there was Akshar Brahm and His power,
Maya, only.  He wished to be many from one.  From His
mind, the Avyakt paad,  He created or expanded Himself
into the entire creation.

A small fraction (or residue) of the vast illusory
energy of Maya, for the purpose of creation, became the
vast ocean of residual energy called "Moh-jal.", the
ocean of light energy or Hiranya Garbh (HG). Innumerable
Brahmaandas were created from Moh-jal. Prakriti is an
expansion or Ansh of Maya (Moh-jal) that does the work
of creation in each And. Moh-jal remained inactive for
one Kalp or 4.32 billion human years. Paraatma or Param
Shiv Ansh of AB entered Moh-jal and activated it.  After
activation, countless Brahmaand or golden eggs were
formed in the Brahmaandaakaash.

A supreme personality came out of the golden egg.  He is
called Adi Naaraayan, or Naaraayan because he remained
in the ocean of light energy.  He is also called
Hiranya-Garbh Purush (or Shambhu), because He entered
HG.  The wakeful state of Naaraayan is called
Mahaa-vishnu.  It should be noted that there is
absolutely no difference between Shambhu, Hiranya Garbh
Purush, Naaraayan, and Mahaa Vishnu.  These are four
different states of consciousness in Kshar lok.  Kshar
Purush is called by various other names such as:
Brahmaand, Viraat, Srishti, Jagat, Vishva, Sansaar,
And, Adi Purush, Naaraayan, etc.  The creation coming
out of Adi Purush is also called Brahmaand.

3.  KSHAR PURUSH

A description of four bodies (or levels of existence) of
Mahaa-Vishnu (MV) or Kshar Purush is given below:

1.  Great causal body:  Mahaa Vishnu expanded Himself
into the following four Svaroops (or forms) to perform
different functions of creation, maintenance, support,
and destruction:

(i)  Vaasudev Does the work of creation and maintenance
by becoming Vishnu and Brahmaa.

(ii)  Sankarshan or Garbhodak Shaayee Vishnu controls
the lower planetary system or the seven Paataal Lok(s).

(iii)  Aniruddh or Ishvar-shakti supports the creation
by entering into it.  He is the witness, the guide, the
supporter, and the enjoyer (Gita 13.22).

(iv)  Pradyuman Does the work of dissolution.

2.  Causal body:  This causal body is the home of Seven
Voids, seven colors, seven raags, and five Devis of five
powers (Vaastavi, anirvachani, tuchchaa, shiva-kalyaani,
and unmuni).  This is the abode of pleasures.  Those who
believe in formless Brahm, get temporary Mukti or
Nirvaan here.

3.  Subtle body:  This is the mind of Naaraayan.  This
is also called Mahat-ttva, Mahat Brahm, or cosmic mind,
that is a part of Prakriti.  A reflection of Niranjan
dev, and Niraakaar dev is also here.  It is the abode
of powers (such as Jnaan shakti, vidyaa shakti, sumanaa
shakti, Adhibhoot, Adhidaiv, and Adhyaatm).  The
physical world is created from this subtle body.

4.  Physical body:  It consists of the following:

(i)  The Upper Planetary System: It includes seven
lok(s), including Sat Lok, the residence of Brahmaa,
Vishnu, and Shiv.  One of the lok(s), called Bhu lok or
Mrityu lok, has seven islands, seven oceans, and seven
heavens. Our earth is a part of one of the islands
called Jamboo island in Mrityu-Lok.

(ii)  The Lower Planetary System:  The lower planetary
system is also called seven Paataal Lok(s).  There are
many hells here also.  Garbhodak Vishnu controls the
lower planetary system.

(iii)  Twenty-four Transformations of Prakriti

PRAKRITI

Prakriti means a special (pra) creation (kriti) of Maya
devi for the sole purpose of material creation. Prakriti
also means that which creates.  It has three Gunas, and
Jnaan (Knowledge) Shakti, Kriyaa (action) Shakti and
Tattv Shakti or material energy. The combination of
three Gunas of Prakriti is called Mahat Tattv, Mahat
Brahm, or Cosmic mind.  Mahat Tattv is called cosmic
mind, because it creates. The Cosmic mind when acted
upon by Niraakaar dev produces Ahamkaar tattv.  If
Prakriti is the milk, Niraakaar is the process that
produces Ghee of Ahamkaar from the cream of Mahat.

Ahamkaar is of three types as follows:

1.  Taamasik Ahamkaar produces five elements and
corresponding five senses (or Tanmaatraas) (earth-smell,
water-taste, fire-sight, air-touch, and ether-hearing).

2.  Raajasik Ahamkaar produces five Jnaanendriya,
sensors or sense organs (nose, tongue, eye, skin, and
ear) that correspond to five senses and five elements in
(1).  It also produces five Karmendriya or organs of
action (mouth, hand, leg, anus, and urethra) and ten
controlling Devas for the ten (nose, tongue, eye, skin,
ear, mouth, hand, leg, anus, and urethra) organs.  These
are the twenty-four transformations of Prakriti, and the
Purush or the Chetanaa shakti is the twenty-fifth one.
Human body is formed when twenty-four elements of
Prakriti in the form of egg of mother nature (woman) is
activated by the Paraa shakti of Ishvar in the form of
sperm of man.

3.  Saatvik Ahamkaar produces Antah karan or the four
inner senses (man, buddhi, chitt, and ego (abhimaan) or
the feeling of ownership and doership).  (See also Gita
7.04, 13.05)

JEEV

Atma becomes individual soul (Jeev or Jeevaatma) in the
body of living beings by becoming associated with (or
attached to) the six sensory faculties -- including the
mind -- of perception (or Prakriti).  (Gita 15.07)

Jeevaatma or Jeev is also defined as Atma accompanied by
the subtle (or astral) body.  Jeevaatma is also called
the living entity or the individual soul enshrined in
the physical body.  Subtle body is made up of five
sensory faculties or senses (smell, taste, sight, touch,
and hearing), mind, intellect, ego, and five vital
forces called Praanas.  The difference between Atma and
Jeevaatma (or Jeev) is due to the limiting adjuncts --
the body and mind; similar to the illusion that the
enclosed pot space is different from the unlimited
space.

Note: If you have any question, confusion, or doubts on
the subject matter discussed here, please e-mail the
AMERICAN GITA SOCIETY at: gitaprasad@aol.com

Copyright 1996 by American Gita Society - All Rights
Reserved.  Please obtain authorization prior to
reproducing any portion in any medium.

Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com>    *-=Om Shanti =-*
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