CHAPTER XLVII. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLDS AND THEIR DEMIURGI.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
40. Sometimes the great Being causes a lotus to grow out of his navel; in which is born the great Brahmá known as the lotus-born.
41. All these theories of creation (in the different sástras) are idle dreams, and as false as the dreams in our sleeping state; they are the reveries of fancy like the eddies of water.
42. Tell me what do you think of these theories in your own judgment; do they not appear as the tales told to boys?
43. Sometimes they imagine a being produced in the pure vacuity of the Divine mind, this they call the golden and mundane egg, which gave birth to the egg-born Brahmá.
44. It is said also that the first and divine Male, casts his seed in the waters, which grows up to a lotus-flower which they call the great world.
45. This lotus is the great womb of the birth of Brahmá, and at another time of the sun also; sometimes the gods Varuna and Vayu also are born of it, and are thence called oviparous.
46. Thus Ráma, are the different accounts of the production of Brahmá—the creator, so various also is the description of this unsolid and unsubstantial creation.
47. I have related to you already about the creation of one of these Brahmás, and mentioned about the production of others without specifying their several works.
48. It is agreed by all, that the creation is but the development of divine mind; although I have related for your acquaintance, the various processes of its production.
49. The sátwika and other productions, of which I told you before, have all come to existence, in the manner I have narrated to you.
50. Now know the endless succession of all things in the world; creation is followed by destruction as pleasure by pain; and as ignorance is followed by knowledge, and bondage by liberation.
51. Past creations and objects of affection being gone, others come to rise in future, as the lamps are lighted and extinguished by turns at home.
52. The production and destruction of all bodies, are as those of Brahmá and the lamps, they assume their forms in their time, but become an undistinguishable mass after death.
53. The four ages of the world, namely, the Satya, Tretá, Dwápara and Kali Yugas, revolve in endless rotation, like the wheel of the potter or of any other engine.
54. The Manvantaras and Kalpa cycles succeed one another, as the day and night, the morning and evening, and the times of work follow those of rest by turns.
55. All worlds and things are under the subjection of time. They are subject to repeated successions, and there is nothing without its rotation.
56. They all proceed of their nature from the vacuum of Divine Intellect, as the sparks of fire scintillate from the red-hot iron.
57. All things once manifest, are next concealed in the divine mind; just as the season fruits and flowers, disappear after their appearance in season.
58. All productions are but fluctuations of the mind of the Supreme spirit; their appearances to our view, are as the sight of two moons to infirm eyes.
59. It is the intellect alone, which exhibits these appearances to our view; they are always situated in the intellect, though they appear without it like the beams in the inner disk.
60. Know Ráma, the world to be never in existence; it is a motionless show of that power, which resides only in the Supreme spirit.
61. It is never as it appears to you, but quite a different thing from what it seems to be; it is a show depending on the power of the Omnipotent.
62. What the world exists since the mahá kalpa or great will of God, and there is no more any other world to come into existence in future, is the conclusion of the learned holds good to the present time. (This belief is based on the holy text, “so aikshata—God willed—‘Let there be’, and there was all”).
63. All this is Brahma to the intelligent, and there is no such thing as the world, which is a mere theory (upapádya) of the unintelligent.
64. The insapient consider the world as eternal, from the continued uniformity of its course; but it is the effect of the everlasting error, which raises the false supposition of the world.
65. It is their theory of repeated transmigrations, that they cannot say anything otherwise; but must conclude the world as such, in order to keep pace with their doctrine. (The doctrine of perpetual metempsychosis of the Mímámsaka materialists, naturally makes them suppose the eternity of the world).
66. But it is to be wondered why they do not consider the world to be destructible, seeing the incessant perishableness of all things all around. (They flash as momentary lightenings in their appearance, to be extinguished into nothingness soon after).
67. So others (the Sánkhyas) seeing the continuous course of the sun and moon, and the stability of mountains and seas all about, come to the conclusion of the indestructibility of the world from these false analogies.
68. There can be nothing whatever, which does not reside in the wide expanse of the Divine mind; but as these are but the conceptions of the mind, they can never have any visible or separate form or existence.
69. All these appear in repetition, and so repeated is the course of our births and deaths; as those of pain and pleasure succeeding one another, and our rest and actions, following each other for evermore.
70. This same vacuum and these quarters of the sky, with all these seas and mountains, appear in the recurrent course of creation with their various hues, like those of the solar rays seen through the chink of a wall.
71. The gods and demigods appear again and again, and all people come and depart by turns, bondage and liberation are ever recurrent, and Indras and Somas ever reappear to view.
72. The god Náráyana and the demigods appear by turns, and the sky is always revolving with the regents of all its sides, the sun and moon, clouds and winds.
73. The heaven and earth appear again like the lotus-flower full open to view, and having the mount Meru for its pericarp, and the Sahya peak for its filament.
74. The sun resumes his course in the maze of the sky like a lion, and destroys the thick darkness with his rays, as the lion kills the huge elephant with his beaming nails.
75. See again the moving moon shining with her bright beams, resembling the white filaments of flowers; and anointing the countenances of the etherial goddesses, with sweet ambrosial light, and borne by the air and breezes of heaven.
76. Again the holy arbour of heaven sheds its heap of flowers, on the deserts of meritorious men, as rewards of their virtuous acts.
77. Behold again the flight of time, riding as the eagle on its two wings of acts and actions, and passing with the noise of pat-pat over the vast maze of creation.
78. See another Indra appearing, after the by-gone lords of gods have passed away; and taking his seat on the lotus-like throne of heaven like a contemptible bee. (The passing lords of gods and men are as fleeting flies on flowers).
79. Again the wicked age of Kali appears to soil the holy satya yuga, as the black body of Náráyana fills the clear waters of the deep, or as a blast of wind sweeps the dust of the earth on its pellucid surface.