Pilligrini 1 Theo P. Pilligrini B. S. Naschak, Instructor Humanities 201 August 3, 1998 TEST #4 Word Count: 1061.

1) Discuss the creation-dissolution myths of India and what their time span tells us about their culture. The Creation-Dissolution Myth in Sanskrit Literature. The process of creation and dissolution is described mythologically in many places throughout the literature that exists in the Sanskrit language. In two, the ^r$ bh@gavata puran@ and the ^r$ ^iva mah@puran@, of the18 mah@puran@ s the following description of these myths was obtained. It should be noted that the linear-time order of emanation was used to describe most of the creation myth sequence. After this, the time cakra is described in its entirety to illustrate the time keeping system. The ^r$ s#rya siddh@nta , a Sanskrit work on sun-centered astronomy, and the manu samhit@ were also consulted. In the ^r$ bh@gavata puran@ there is a description of the creation beginning with mah@vi&%us manifestation. It is described as follows. The para>brahman , the cause of all causes, lies down in the causal ocean as mah@vi&%u as k@ra%odaka^@y$ vi&%u. Then, innumerable universes pour out from each of the pores of this k@ra%odaka^@y$ vi& %u as he lies in the causal ocean. In each of these universes garbhodaka^@y$ vi&%u manifests lying on the lap of anant@^e&a with mah@m@ya standing before him. Thereupon the n@r@ya%a brahm@ becomes manifested as sitting on a lotus flower that is connected by an infinitely long white stalk to the navel of garbhodaka^@y$ vi&%u . The manifested k&irodaka^@y$ vi&%u is the param@tma within every single individual living entity. The n@r@ya%a brahm@ then creates indra, the praj@pati*, the 8 vasus, the 11 rudras, diti and aditi, the 12 @dityas, and the manes. The manes become the forefathers of the human races and the praj@pati* engage in creating the rest of the living creatures. The dissolution occurs in a somewhat reverse order and it is personally effected by ^ri rudra , his innumerable manifestations, and their corresponding ^aktis. This hierarchy of beings is headed by the trimurt$ called vi&%u-brahm@-^iva. That is the preserver, the creator, and the destroyer respectively. The vi&%u and the ^iva manifestations are the one parame^vara when performing his function of preserver and of destroyer respectively. The brahm@-being is a perishable j$va, an individual living entity. All being above him are eternal. All beings below him are temporary, perishable individual beings. According to the 8th chapter of the v@yav$yasa>hit@ of the ^r$ ^iva mah@puran@ one exhalation of parame^vara of unmanifested origin is referred to as one period of creation; and one inhalation is a period of dissolution. During one period of creation, a k@l@ntara, 540 000 s@k&@t^iva are

Pilligrini 2 manifested. During one manifestation of s@k&@t^iva 540 000 sad@^iva are manifested. During one manifestation of sad@^iva 540 000 ^iva are manifested. During one manifestation of ^iva 540 000 rudra are manifested. During one rudra 540 000 vi&%u are manifested. During one manifestation of vi&%u 540 brahm@ are born. A brahm@ year lasts 1000 kalpa. One kalpa lasts 1000 caturyuga . One caturyuga is made out of four yuga. These four yugas are in sequence. Each yuga has a beginning inte-junction period, the period itself, and an end inter-junction period. Thus the first yuga, called k=tayuga , is made out of 400+4000+400 = 4800 dev@ years. The second yuga, called tret@yuga , lasts 300+3000+300 = 3600 dev@ years. The third yuga, called dv@para yuga, lasts 200+2000+200 = 2400 dev@ years. And the last yuga, called kaliyuga, lasts 100+1000+100 = 1200 dev@ years. The total length of a caturyuga is 12 000 dev@ years. And since one dev@ year equals 360 human years, then the yugas length is as follows. There are 1 728 000 human years in k=tayuga; 1 296 000 human years in tret@yuga ; 864 000 human years in dv@para yuga; and 432 000 human years in kaliyuga. Also, the spring equinox in the year 1998 corresponds with the beginning of the year 5090 kaliyuga according to the ^r$ s#rya siddh@nta. It is also mentioned that 71 caturyuga s constitute a manvantara. Also, 14 manvantara are created during one kalpa. In that order many such kalpas have passed by this time. They are innumerable and it is hard to known them precisely. It is said that it is impossible to mention them in detail or in their precise order. In other words, it appears that the authors or compilers were keenly aware of the relative dimensions of the time lapses considered in this precise time keeping system. Also, a day-night cycle for is made up of 30 muh#rta s. A muh#rta is 30 kal@s long. One kal@ is 30 k@&{h@s long. One k@&{h@ is 15 nime&as long. A nime&a is the time length of a winking of an eye. A day of the manes is of the length of one lunation, which is called a mas@. The night of the manes or heavenly ancestors is the one night of the new moon, and the rest, when the moon is visible however partially, is the day of the manes. This matter is according to the explanation found in the manu samhit@. The creation and dissolution myths together with the description of the basic structure of the cosmic clock, the k@l@ntara, were described above. Among the many things that could be inferred when studying some of the materials that exist in the Sanskrit language on this subject there is the idea that this belongs to a highly developed and sophisticated culture. From the point of view of those people within this culture, or those people having this world view, every word in these writings is an indisputable fact. This having been perceived, as revelation, by a seer. Thus, its infallibility. That is the reason that the main body of the material written in classical Sanskrit is considered by this culture as being an actual revelation without any human authorship whatsoever. This knowledge, it is claimed, has been passed orally since the beginning of time and from the higher levels in the hierarchy of beings down until reaching humanity. The claim exists that this matters have been committed to writing only as of late, and this only because of the diminished memory capacity of the human beings that exist in the present age which is called kaliyuga. Above all, there is the underlying assertion that, ultimately, humanity and time, as viewed from this point of view, is of little significance in the scheme of all and everything. That this whole creation is one of many, many other creations. That there is no beginning nor there is an end. That it has always been and it will always be.