BRAHMA THE ORIGIN OF ALL.
Argument. Description of the twelve species of Human beings and the
ways of their liberation.
Vasishtha said:—Hear me now relate to you, Ráma! the several classes of
higher, lower and middling species of beings, and the various grades of
their existence here and elsewhere in the scale of creation. (_i.e._ The
spontaneous production of beings _suo motu_, when they were not bound
by _karma-vipáka_ or acts of a prior life, to be born in any particular
form or state on earth).
2. They were the first in their production, and are known as the
_idam-prathama_—or the first class in their birth, whose long practice
in a course of virtuous actions in prior states, has secured to them the
property of goodness—_satva-guna_ only. (These are the holy saints and
sages, who are entitled to their liberation in life time, and upon
separation from their bodies).
3. The second grade is called the _guna pívari_ or state of sound
qualities, which is attained by the prosperous, and leads them to
meritorious deeds, to the acquisition of their desired objects, and
their right dealing in the affairs of the world.
(This meritorious state becomes entitled to liberation after some births
in this earth).
4. The third grade is termed the _sasatwá_, or the state of
substantiality of men of substance. It is attended with like results,
proportioned to the righteous and unrighteous acts of men, who may
obtain their liberation after a hundred transmigrations of their souls
on earth.
5 & 6. The fourth grade comprises infatuated people called _atyanta
támasi_, who are addicted to their varying desires in this changeful
world, and come to the knowledge of truth, after passing a thousand
lives in ignorance and sin, and suffering the effects proportionate to
their good or evil deeds.
7. The fifth grade is composed of men of a baser nature, called
_adhama-satwá_ by the wise, and who may possibly have their liberation,
after a course of numberless births in different shapes and forms.
8. The sixth grade is composed of those extremely benighted men (atyanta
támasi), who are doubtful of their liberation (_Sandigdha-moksha_), and
continue in the vicious course of their past lives.
9. Those who after passing two or three previous births in other states,
are born afterwards with the quality of gentleness, these are reckoned
as the seventh grade, and are denominated the Rájashi—gentry or
gentility.
10. Those who remain mindful of their duties, and are employed in
discharge of them in this state of life; are said by the wise to be
entitled to their liberation, soon after their demise.
11. Those among the Rájashi—gentility, whose acts are commensurate with
those of gentlemen and the nobility, are included in the eighth class,
and are called _Rája Sátwiki_—or noble gentlemen; and are entitled to
their liberation after a few births on earth.
12. The ninth class comprises the _rája-rájashi_ or right gentlemen,
whose actions conform with their title, and who obtain their long
longed-for liberation, after a course of hundred births in the same
state.
13. The next or tenth class is composed of the _rájatámasí_ or blinded
gentry, who act foolishly under their infatuation; and who are uncertain
of their liberation, even after a thousand births.
14. The most giddy of this class is called _atyanta-rája-tamashi_, or
the excessively infatuated gentry, whose conduct in life correspond with
their name, and whose transmigration does not cease at any time.
15. Then the lower classes comprise the children of darkness or
ignorance—_tamas_; of whom the _támasas_ form the eleventh grade, and
are said to be deprived of their liberation forever more. (These are the
Rákshasas and demons of various orders).
16. There have been a few however among them, who have obtained their
salvation by means of their divine knowledge, and their good acts during
their life time (such as Prahláda, the son of a demon, and Karkotaka—the
son of a Nága).
17. Next follows the twelfth order of _támasa-rájasa_, who combine in
them the qualities of darkness and enlightenment, and who are liberated
after a thousand births in their former demoniac state, and one hundred
births in their progressive improvements.
18. Then comes the thirteenth order of _támas-támasi_ or those in
darkest darkness, who have to transmigrate for millions of years both in
their prior and later births, before they can have their liberation from
the bondage of body.
19. Last comes the fourteenth order of beings, who continue in their
state of gross ignorance (_atyanta—támasí_) forever, and it is doubted
whether they can have their liberation at all.
(All these classes of human beings have proceeded from Brahmá, whose
life and spirit circulate in all of them; else they could neither live
nor breathe).
20. All other masses of living beings also, have proceeded from the body
of the great Brahmá, as the moving waves rise from the great body of
waters.
21. And as the lamp flickering by its own heat, scatters its light on
all sides; so does Brahmá glowing in himself, irradiate his beams in the
shape of scintilla, to spread all over the universe: (which is the
vacuity of Brahmá’s mind, and comprises the cosmos within it).
22. And as the sparks of fire are flung about by force of the burning
flame; so do these multitudes of produced beings rise from the substance
of Brahmá himself.
23. As the dust and filaments of mandara flowers, fly to and fill the
air on all sides; and as the beams of the moon shoot out of its orb, to
fill the four quarters of heaven and earth; so the minutiæ of Divine
essence emanate from the Deity, and spread throughout the universe.
24. As the variegated arbor, produces its leaves and flowers of various
hues from itself; so the varieties of created beings, spring from one
Brahmá—the source of all.
25. As the gold ornaments are in relation to the metal gold of which
they are made, and wherein they subsist, so Ráma! are all things and
persons in relation to Brahmá, out of whom they have sprung and in whom
they abide.
26. As the drops of water, are related to the pure water of the cascade,
so Ráma, are all things related to the increate Brahmá, whence they
issue as drizzling drops.
27. As the air in a pot and about a basin, is the same with the
surrounding air of heaven; so are all individual objects the same, with
the undivided spirit of the all-pervading Brahmá.
28. As the drops of rain-water, and those of water spouts, whirlpools
and waves, are identic with their parent waters; so are all these
phenomenal sights, the same with the great Brahmá, whence they spring,
and wherein they exist and subside.
29. As the mirage presents the appearance of a billowy sea, by the
fluctuation of sunbeams on sand; so do all visible objects show
themselves to the sight of the spectator, beside which they have no
figure or form of themselves.
30. Like the cooling beams of the moon, and the burning light of the
sun, do all things shine with their different lustres derived from
Brahmá.
31. It is He, from whom all things have risen, unto him they return in
their time; some after their transmigrations in a thousand births, and
others after longer periods of their revolutions in various bodies.
32. All these various forms of beings in the multiform world are moving
in their respective spheres by the will of the Lord. They come and go,
rise and fall, and shine in their transitory forms, like the sparks of
fire, fluttering and sparkling for a moment, and then falling and
becoming extinct for ever.