Sunday, February 13, 2011

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

Thoughts on Creation from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad..................

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad contains several ideas of creation of the universe and living beings. Here is one such idea found in it.

He, verily, had no delight. Therefore he who is alone has no delight. He desired a second. He became as large as a woman and a man in close embrace. He caused that self to fall into two parts. From that arose husband and wife. Therefore, as Yajnavalkaya used to say, this body is one half of oneself, like one of the two halves of a split pea. Therefore this space is filled by a wife. He became united with her. From that human beings were produced. (Chapter 1, 4, 4).

Dr S Radha Krishna explains this idea as –

Both are his elements. The two are not separate and the theory is not one of final dualism.

The original being, atman or self, looks around and sees nothing else but himself. When he realizes his loneliness, he has two feelings one of fear and the other of desire for companionship. His fear is dispelled when he realizes that there is nothing else of which he has to be afraid. His desire for companionship is satisfied by his dividing himself into two parts which are then called husband and wife.

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