Bhagavad Gita

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8: Akṣhar Brahma Yogam Verse 18

Bhagavad Gita - krishna

(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Universe Operates According To A Set Of Well-Defined Laws And Every Action We Take Produces A Result Sooner Or Later

अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तय: सर्वा: प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसञ्ज्ञके || 8.18||

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgame
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-sanjñake|| 8.18||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 8- Ver. 18:

All living beings originate from the unmanifest source at the dawn of Brahma’s day. And as his night draws to a close, all embodied beings return to their unmanifest source.

Explanation

The fourteen worlds and their planetary systems go through sihi, sthiti, and pralaya cycles on a regular basis (creation, preservation, and dissolution). At the end of a kalp, which is Brahma’s day of 4.32 billion years, all planetary systems up to the Mahar Lok are destroyed. Naimittika pralaya is the name for this partial dissolution.
At the end of Brahma’s 100-year existence, the entire cosmos disintegrates (311.04 trillion earth years). The material creation as a whole comes to an end. The pañcha-mahābhūtas merge into the pancha-tanmatras, who then merge into ahankara, who then merges into mahan, who then merges into prakiti. Maya, God’s material energy, has a subtle form called Prakiti. Maya now assumes her primal state. She enters the body of Maha Vishnu, the Supreme Lord. Prakrit pralaya, or mahapralaya, is the name given to this massive breakdown.

When it is time for the next cycle of creation, Maha Vishnu looks at prakiti, and prakiti begins to unfurl herself again just by looking at Him.From prakṛiti, mahān is created, from mahān, ahankāra; then from ahankāra, pañcha-tanmātrās are created; from pañcha-tanmātrās, pañcha-mahābhūta get created. And by this process, unlimited universes are created again.

There are infinite universes of diverse sizes and characteristics, identical to our own. These universes emerge from Maha Vishnu’s body. Infinite universes are formed from the pores of His heavenly flesh every time He breathes in. When He exhales, they disintegrate again. As a result, one Maha Vishnu breath is equivalent to 100 years of Brahma’s existence. In addition, each universe has its own Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankar. There are numerous Brahmas, Vishnus, and Shankars in the infinite universes. Maha Vishnu is the source of all creation, and when everything dissolves, it returns to Him.

Verse & what we can learn

In this shloka, Shri Krishna discusses the process of cosmic creation. When Lord Brahma’s day arrives, the entire cosmos, including all living and non-living things, awakens and begins to act. This process will last until the end of his working day. The cosmos then returns to the identical unmanifest state from whence it arose. Alternatively, Lord Brahma (the unmanifest) creates the entire cosmos, which then returns to him.

There is no such thing as a truly destroyed cosmos. It enters a condition of suspended animation, only to “un-freeze” when Lord Brahma’s following day begins. This is in accordance with the laws of energy and matter conservation. There is no creation or destruction of energy or matter. They simply shift from one state to the next.

If we understand this, and we also understand that every action we take produces a result sooner or later, we can see that the universe operates according to a set of well-defined laws. Nothing happens by chance; everything is the result of an earlier cause. As a result, we can begin to form the proper set of expectations for the world. Then, while performing deeds in the spirit of karma yoga, we will realise that the only thing we have control over is our actions. The remainder will be taken care of by the universe’s built-in laws. There is no need to be concerned.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verse, Shri Krishna explains Arjuna do the living and non-living being have a choice in this process of creation and dissolution?

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…

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