Four-headed Brahma and his abode.

August 29, 2009 by C. S. Moorthy

In the Rig Veda, the Hymn 1.18 by Rishi Medhatitih gives an earliest indication that Mantra means Brahma. Thus, in 1.18.1, the Rishi appeals:
Somanam svaranam krnuhi brahmanaspate kakshivantam ya aushijah, which means, O Lord of the mantras, make me, who pours the Soma, come in the light, me who knows the mystery and who is born of lustre.

If we try to understand what a mantra is, we will have a good idea of who Brahmaji is. If we look in Engish dictionary we have a clear picture. The dictionary entry states that the Mantra is made up of two parts: Man=to think (also as in mana-mind) and Tra=tool. Hence Mantra would mean instrument of thought. There is another explanation: Tra means protection (The Dalai Lamas on Tantra-GH Mullin). Again, Tra comes from the root Trayoti which means liberation. Accordingly, Mantra would be an instrument that provides liberation of (or from) mind. Thus, the Mantra provides liberation from the tyranny of thought (mind). It is thus the instrument of Consciousness. It is interesting to note that both Ganapathi and Brahma share the same labels Brihaspathi and Brahmanaspathi. Thus, Ganapathi as we saw earlier is Consciousness and Brahma is the instrument of this Consciousness.

Mantra doctrine postulates that this tangible universe which we see around us is made up of only different kinds of vibration and energies working at different levels. The things which appear so solid and real are not what they seem. They are the result of interplay of different kinds of energies and consciousness. This appeared as a revolutionary doctrine in the beginning of twentieth century when matter was considered to be made up of material and indestructible atoms. But the progress of science, especially of physics and chemistry during the remaining part of twentieth century, has concurred with Mantra doctrine.

With the discoveries which have been made with regards to the nature of the atom our ideas about matter have changed completely so much so that we now regard the whole physical universe not as a mass of unyielding solid atoms but as an extraordinary play of different kinds of energies. What appears as a tangible universe to the senses has been found by the scientists to be mostly empty space. It has been estimated that if all the atoms in the body of a man (estimated at 10^140-that is 10 followed by 140 zeros!)were collected together and all the empty spaces in these atoms were eliminated, we shall get a mere speck, so small, that a magnifying glass would be needed to see it. And even this speck of matter may be composed merely of energy according to the famous formula of Einstein, E=mc^2. It is now an established fact that physical matter is practically nothing but a multifarious play of different kinds of energies at different levels. Modern science has further determined that there are only four sources of energy in this universe which are: Gravitational, Electro-magnetic, Strong Nuclear and Weak Nuclear Force. So these, in fact, are the building blocks of our tangible universe. In India, our ancient rishis were very fond of symbolism which helps man to assimilate a concept of science. It is thus that they attributed Brahma with four heads being the four forms of power, Vibration, Gravitation, Electro-magnetic and Nuclear (both strong & weak).

Our rishis went deeper into this question of the constitution of this universe
and discovered that the intangible elements of the universe like thoughts and emotions have also a material basis. The subtle matter through which they work is also merely a mass of vibrations and play of different kinds of energies. To them it became evident that all the manifested worlds are based on vibrations and various kinds of energies and that all these vibrations are connected with one another and can be traced from one stage of subtlety to another until they end in one primary, fundamental and all-embracing vibration from which all the constituent vibrations in the manifested universe emerge. This final abode is labeled Brahma Loka. The nearest modern science has been able to arrive at is the existence of sub-particles known as phonons, theoretically. Science says there is a particle associated with every wave, including a particle associated with the sound wave traveling through the metal. It is labeled phonon. A phonon is not an elementary particle. It is certainly not one of the particles that make up the metal, for it exists only by virtue of the collective motion of huge number of particles that do make up the metal. But a phonon is a particle just the same. It has mass, it has momentum, and it carries energy. It behaves precisely the way quantum physics says a particle should behave. We say that a phonon is an emergent particle.

There is only one way of knowing, fully anything of a subtle nature. That is by transcending it in our Consciousness. It is because Consciousness is not limited by Space-Time constraint. For example, in order to know what Maya is we must transcend its illusion. Similarly, in order to know the nature of this fundamental vibration which includes all other vibrations that lies at the basis of the universe it is necessary to transcend the world created by it. This is possible only with the help of Consciousness and not by any amount of thinking, however profound it may be. It is only then that we can know the nature of this fundamental vibration which is called Nada and that aspect of Ultimate Reality which manifests Sabda-Brahman.

We have to bear one fact in mind. As in the modern science where there are two aspects namely, theoretical and applied sciences, so also in the ancient times there were two aspects, vedas and tantras. Tantras were dependent on vedas. Knowledge regarding mantras is a matter of prime consideration in tantra shastra. Sabda, or sound, which is of the Brahman, and as such the cause of Brahmanda (this universe), is the manifestation of Cit-shakti (consciousness) itself. The Visva-sara-Tantra says in chapter II that the Para-Brahman, as Sabda-Brahman, whose substance is all mantra, exists in the body of the jivatma (that is life form). It is either unlettered (dhvani) or lettered (varna). Dhvani which produces varna. It is the subtle aspect of the jiva’s vital shakti. Further, the Prapancha-sara tantra states, the brahmanda is pervaded by shakti (power), consisting of dhvani also called Nada, Prana, and the like. Moreover, the manifestation of the gross form (stula) of sabda is not possible unless sabda also exists in a subtle (suksma) form. Sabda is a guna(characteristic) of Akasa (vast empty space). However, Sabda is not produced by Akasa, but manifests in it. Sabda is itself the Brahman. As in the outer space, waves of sound are produced by movements of air, so in the space within the jiva’s (life forms) body waves of sound are produced according to the movements of the vital air (prana vayu) and the process of inhalation and exhalation. Sabda first appears in the Muladhara and it is this Shakti that gives life to jiva. The extremely subtle sound which first appears in the muladhara is called Para; less subtle when it has reached the heart, it is known as Pasyanti. When connected with buddhi ( thinking) it becomes grosser, and is called Madhyama. Lastly, in its fully gross form, it issues from the mouth as Vaikhari. It is interesting to note that in the first two stages of para and pasyanti the association is with Consciousness and then Sabda move into the custody of space-time constrained buddhi and emerge as speech in vaikhari rupa.

We shall now consider the dynamical theory of Sakti as Stress. The primordial “Sound” or Stress is the primordial functioning of the Brahma Sakti. What is Stress? Let us suppose that two things A and B are attracting each other. The name of the total mutual action is “Stress” of which the respective actions of A and B are the elements or components. Thus there may be Stress for three or four things and so on. Ultimately we reach Universal Stress which is an infinite system of correlated forces. A particular thing may be defined as a partial experience of this infinite system. The infinite system is, however, never really finitized by these partial experiences. Many parts do not make up the whole. When the stress between one such partial and another partial touches the normal Consciousness, in either or both partial components, we may have, within certain limits, sensation of sound in either or both partial components. The Stress is Sabda and the sound is Dhvani. It is stress or Sabda which constitutes a thing.

The Lokas represent states or levels of Consciousness. Objectively considered, matter (thing) becomes more and more dense as one descends from the highest to the lowest Loka and thence to Talas; and as the veil of matter gets more or less dense, so the state of Consciousness. The first five Lokas above, from and including earth are those of the five forms of sensible matter, the sixth is that of thought/mind, and the seventh is the causal state of both thought/mind and matter, aham (the ego). Bhuh the Earth and the nether states are gross body, The Lokas from Bhuvah to Tapah are the subtle body, and Satya Loka is the causal body of the great Purusha. From thought (limited by space-time complex) point of view, each loka is far away from one another so much so that we cannot hope to reach even the nearest loka in one life time with our modest space vehicles. The lokas are bound by distance and time. Consciousness has no such space-time limitation. For Consciousness, the far is also near and it has no yesterday or tomorrow. It is always in the present. Also, it is thought/mind that diverts you from Consciousness with lure of choice! In ordinary Bhuh experience, the object or “This” (Idam) is wholly outside and independent of, the Self, the two being mutually exclusive of one another. We may remain at this stage which is that of objective science or go within and to the Root of all experience. If the Root is within us, then introspection (Atma-Vichara) can alone discover it. How? That which carries upward (Bhuh Loka to Satya Loka) or inwards is the will-to-know of a nature ever more and more purifying itself and thus gaining strength by its approach to the Almighty Savita of all. But the object persists in experience until the attainment of the perfect Consciousness (Brahma-Swarupa if inward journey or Brahma-Loka if it is outward journey),

According to Tantra Shastra, Gayatri Mantra is the most important one.As we mentioned earlier, there is Earth and six Lokas or levels of Consciousness above, the Gayatri Mantra mentions only Bhuh, Bhuvar and Suvar. This is explained in Tantra Shastra. Bhuh is the place Earth we jivas (life forms) live in. Bhuvar Loka stands for five other Lokas, Bhuvar, Suvar, Mahar, Janaha, Tapaha. The sixth Loka is where Sabda, as Vibration, and Energies predominates. Satya Loka, as the name itself signifies is the world of Truth. Let us turn to modern science for some knowledge regarding this Satya Loka. Science says, at the far boundaries of this universe there is what is known as dark matter and black holes. Nothing is known as to the contents of these dark areas. It is 90% of this universe! Only one thing can be said about them, they have in their entrance as it were, what is known as “Event Horizon”. If any star, galaxy or for that matter a stray astronaut approaches it, he is drawn in and all his energies are sucked leaving only a mass to make the onward journey into the dark matter or black hole. This “Event Horizon” appears to be Brahma Loka as per Shastra. According to Shastra, the ego in some form subsists until one is able to reach Tapaha Loka. In mythology the enactment of Daksha yajna is symbolic of distruction of this ego. After Tapaha Loka, the ego is dissolved into the universal “I”. Then one comes face to face with the Great Void, Nothingness, Shivam!

The inward journey we mentioned earlier commences from Gandha or Bhuh experience. This state is also known as Parthiva Consciousness. From that state, through enquiry we reach what is Rasa or Apa experience. From there we reach Rupa or subjective root of Agni. Our inward journey continues and we attain to Sparsa or Vayu stana. This is not the touch produced by specialized form, for this is a sensation had after the production of Agni. The experience may be compared to the perception in ordinary life of the thermal quality of objects. Sabda experience, the subjective root of Akasa, is the seed of all externalized or externally located world phenomena.
The root of externality-consciousness refers back to its origin the inner mind, the root from which the notion of externality arises as the tree form the seed. This internal root which grows into Akasa is the Brahma Consciousness as the internal root will, which lies at the root of all manifestation.

When we do Shodasasa Upachara Puja the sixteenth act is called Naivedya or what is known as Bhog in north India. All the bhog items are on open display in front of the idol or picture being worshipped. Then a sloka is
recited which implies: Brahma is the oblation; Brahma is the clarified butter, etc., constituting the offerings being made; by Brahma is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahma; Brahma verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahma in all actions. This sloka occurs in Chapter 4 of Bhagwat Geeta at stanza 24. It is an allegorical statement Lord Krishna uses to advise Arjuna in the battle field. This chapter is appropriately called “Brahma Vidya.” Military Forces (Stress) are arrayed on both sides. Various Powerful armaments are on display. The conch shell heralding war is about to be blown (Sound). The presence of Brahma is quite evident! Lord Krishna says everything is Brahma. To tell this message he resorts to the allegory of Yajna of Yajurveda. In an Yajna there is the holy fire; there is an oblation; the clarified butter and other ingredients are poured into the holy fire along with the oblation and it is the Brahma in the form Mantra who is performing the act and it is also Brahma in the form of Mantra who is receiving the offerings.

-----------------

Permalink