In the previous episode, we had witnessed the commencement of the first “Amsa”, wherein Sage Maithreya is asking few important questions to his Guru, Sahe Paraashara. We’ve started to witness the first question and for the benefit of readers, let us recollect the sloka that we’ve started with. Sage Maithreya asks thus:
“Yan mayancha jagat brahman yanmayam yatah chaitath charaacharam!
Leena maaseeth tathaa yathra layameshyati yatracha!!”
Here, Sage Maithreya is asking a few questions about “Srishti” and “Samhaara”. The first line of the sloka is about the “Srishti” part and the second is about the “Samhaara”. We’ve witnessed in yesterday’s episode how Sage Maithreya frames two important questions when it comes to the “Srishti” part. He had asked Sage Paraashara as to what was the fundamental aspect upon which the entire world was created. We had witnessed that for any new discovery, creation or research, some sort of fundamental aspect is required, upon which some new things can be built. Similarly, Sage Maithreya asks that fundamental aspect over which Bhagawan Vishnu created the world.
In the next section thus, Sage Maithreya now asks how such creations would come to an end. Any creation in this world is subject to destruction, and we keep seeing this in everyday life as well. Right from animals to plants to human beings to non-living things, whatever gets created today would be subject to destruction at some point in time. Similarly for Bhagawan’s creation of the world too, there should be some sort of an end. This, Sage Maithreya refers to as “Layam”. Before that too, Sage Maithreya asks “Leena maaseeth tathaa yathra”. Here he asks as to where do all creations go, if they’re subjected to destruction of any sorts. For instance, if I put the mud pot on the ground accidentally, what happens? The mud pot would break into pieces, isn’t it? After that, the mud pot cannot be used anymore, however, the mud remains. Similarly, we have a diamond ornament and what would happen if we accidentally drop it into a burning fire? The diamond would be reduced to ashes, isn’t it? What happens here? The diamond, which is originally an allotrope of carbon, has assumed a different form of carbon here, in the form of ash. However, that ash cannot be reused as diamond anymore. But, the material still exists. Similarly, as our birth time comes to an end, we’ve to die. Our physical body gets destroyed and burnt. However, our Atman gets transferred from this physical body to another, isn’t it? This is what we refer to as “Layam”.
Thus, the question here is, what would happen to the material after it gets destroyed? In this context here, Sage Maithreya asks about the entire world – What would happen to the world as a whole, after it is subjected to destruction (Samhaara). For a moment, if we outwardly look at all such questions, it would seem to be very easy or silly to ask. But there are loads of deeper meanings to all these questions. For instance, there was a great scholar by the name “Vishnu-Chittha”. In his “Vyaakyaana” for the Shri Vishnu Puraana text, he clearly explains the meaning of this sloka. So now, according to Vishnu-Chittha, what is Sage Maithreya asking here? He’s asking, what is the “Source” and what is the “end-product”. For instance, a mud pot has a source and end product, isn’t it? The source is mud, and the end-product is the pot. For diamond, the source is carbon and the end-product is a precious ornament. Similarly, for the world, what is the source and what is the end-product? From whom is this world getting created, and how does this end-product get shaped up and subjected to destruction? If this end-product gets destroyed, does it go back to its source at the end of its lifetime?
So, these are the important questions that Sage Maithreya asks Sage Paraashara. For today, let us understand these questions clearly and let us wait till the next episode to witness the answers for these questions from Sage Paraashara. An absorbing episode awaits us next! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 