12.1 In the Samvat year 1876, on Mãgshar sud Punam [1st December, 1819], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of sãdhus, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
12.2 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “When a person understands the nature of the causes of the entire creation, specifically Purush, Prakruti, Kãl, and the twenty-four tattvas, including maha-tattva, then he is released from the bondage of his avidyã, and the twenty-four tattvas that evolve from avidyã.”
12.3 Then, Muktãnand Swãmi asked, “Mahãrãj, how can their nature be known?”
12.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “Their nature can be realised by knowing their characteristics. I shall now describe those characteristics.
12.5 “Purush is the controller of Prakruti, and is also distinct from her. He is indivisible, without a beginning, and without an end. He is self-luminous, omniscient, imperishable, satya, kshetragna, and the cause of all the activities that possess a form. Also, he has a divya body.
12.6 “Prakruti is composed of the three gun. She is both jad and chaitanya, eternal, nirvishesh, the kshetra of all the jeevs and all the elements, including maha-tattva. She is also the divine power of Bhagvãn.
12.7 “Mãyã is nirvishesh, and the three gun of Mãyã are normally in the state of equilibrium. That which disturbs Mãyã, is called Kãl.
12.8 “Now I shall describe the characteristics of maha-tattva and the other elements, so please listen.
12.9 “Chitt and maha-tattva should not be regarded as being different. The entire world resides in a small form within maha-tattva, which itself is unchanging, luminous, pure, peaceful, and full of pure sattva-gun.
12.10 “Ahankãr is composed of the three gun, and is the cause of the evolution of all bhuts, indriyas, antah-karans, their presiding devs, and the prãns. It is peaceful, dense, and totally ignorant.
12.11 “The man is the place where all the desires for women and other objects are generated. It is subject to random thoughts, and is the controller of all the indriyas.
12.12 “Buddhi possesses the knowledge of all the objects. The specific knowledge which all the indriyas possess, is due to the buddhi. Its natural features are sanshay, nishchay, nindrã, and smruti.
12.13 “The characteristics of the ten indriyas – the ears (shrotra), the skin (tvak), the eyes (chakshu), the tongue (rasnã), the nose (ghran), the voice (vãk), the hands (pãni), the feet (pãd), the anus (pãyu), and the genitals (upastha) – is to connect themselves in their respective vishays.
12.14 “Shabda is the indicator of all objects. Shabda is the cause of all social interactions, and reveals the nature and class of the speaker. It dwells within ãkãsh, and is also the physical element of ãkãsh, and is perceived by the ears.
12.15 “Sparsh is the physical element of vãyu. Softness, hardness, cold, heat, and perception by the skin, are the characteristics of sparsh.
12.16 “Rup reveals the appearance of all objects. It resides in all objects in a small form, and changes as objects change. It is the physical element of tej, and is perceived by the eyes.
12.17 “The characteristics of ras are sweetness, spiciness, distastefulness, bitterness, sourness, and saltiness. It is the physical element of jal, and is perceived by the tongue.
12.18 “The characteristics of gandh are fragrance and stench. It is the physical element of pruthvi, and is perceived by the nose.
12.19 “Pruthvi supports all jeevs, and in the form of a physical body, the pruthvi is their home. It separates the other four bhuts, and gives a physical form to all life-forms.
12.20 “Jal binds pruthvi and other substances, and it also softens and moistens all objects. It satisfies and sustains all life-forms, it quenches thirst, and suppresses heat.
12.21 “Tej is luminosity, the cause of the digestion of food and absorbs liquids. It eliminates cold, is the cause of drying, creates hunger and thirst, and is the cause of burning wood and ghee.
12.22 “Vãyu causes trees to shake, and it gathers leaves and other small objects. It also carries the five vishays – shabda, sparsh, rup, ras, and gandh – to their indriyas. It is the vital force of all the indriyas.
12.23 “Ãkãsh provides space for all jeevs, and is the cause of the internal and external activities of the bodies. It is also where the prãns, indriyas, and antah-karans reside.
12.24 “In this way, by knowing the characteristics of the twenty-four tattvas, Prakruti, Purush, and Kãl, a person is freed from ignorance. In addition to knowing the characteristics, a person should also know the process of their creation.
12.25 “While residing in His dhãm, Shree Krishna Bhagvãn impregnates the womb of Mãyã through Akshar-Purush, through whom countless millions of Pradhãn and Purush are produced. What are those Pradhãn-Purush pairs like? Well, they are the cause of the creation of countless millions of brahmãnds. Of these, I shall now tell you about one Pradhãn-Purush pair – the cause of the creation of one brahmãnd.
12.26 “Firstly, Purushottam Shree Krishna Bhagvãn, in the form of Purush, impregnated the womb of Pradhãn. From the Pradhãn, maha-tattva evolved. From maha-tattva, the three types of ahankãr evolved. Of these, from sãttvik-ahankãr, the man and the presiding devs of the indriyas evolved; from rãjas-ahankãr, the ten indriyas, the buddhi, and the prãns evolved; and from tãmas-ahankãr, the five bhuts and the five tanmãtras evolved. These tattvas were created in this way.
12.27 “Then, inspired by the will of Bhagvãn, each tattva with its own components, helped create the bodies of the ishvars and the jeevs. A particular ishvar’s bodies are known as virãt, sutrãtmã, and avyãkrut. A particular jeev’s bodies are known as sthul, sukshma, and kãran.
12.28 “The body of ishvar, called virãt, has a lifespan of two parãrdhs. Fourteen manvantars pass, during one of Virãt-Purush’s days, and his night is the same duration as the day. During his day, the lower ten loks of the brahmãnd remain in existence; and after his night falls, they are destroyed. This is called nimit-pralay.
12.29 “When the two parãrdhs of Virãt-Purush have passed, the body of Virãt is destroyed, along with Satya-Lok and the other loks. At that time, Pradhãn-Prakruti, Purush, and the twenty-four tattvas, including maha-tattva, are absorbed back onto Mahã-Mãyã. This is called prãkrut-pralay.
12.30 “When that Mahã-Mãyã is absorbed by the divine light of Akshar-Brahm – like the night merges into the day – it is called ãtyantik-pralay. Also, the day-to-day death of the bodies of individual devs, demons, and humans, is called nitya-pralay.
12.31 “In this way, by knowing the process of the creation, sustenance, and destruction, a person develops vairãgya towards the world, and bhakti towards Bhagvãn. Also, when all of those brahmãnds are destroyed, all other jeevs lie dormant within Mãyã, whereas the bhaktas of Bhagvãn attain the dhãm of Bhagvãn.”
12.32 Again Muktãnand Swãmi enquired, “What is the dhãm of Bhagvãn like?”
12.33 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “The dhãm of Bhagvãn is without a beginning and without an end. It is infinite, indivisible, divya and sachidãnand. I shall describe it using an analogy.
12.34 “Imagine that this whole world, with all the mountains, trees, humans, animals, and all other life-forms, is made of glass. Also, imagine that all the stars in the sky are as bright as the sun. Then, just as the glass world would glow with extreme beauty amidst this radiance, the dhãm of Bhagvãn is similarly beautiful. Bhaktas of Bhagvãn see this in samãdhi and attain that luminous dhãm after death.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 12 || 12 ||