व्यक्त - अव्यक्त

Question प्रश्न  52

Manifest and the Unmanifest.

व्यक्त क्या है और अव्यक्त क्या है? 

What is the Manifest and,

What is the Unmanifest?

--

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि

येन सर्वमिदं इदं ततम्।।

विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य

न कश्चित् कर्तुमर्हति।।

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि

व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत।।

अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव

तत्र का परिदेवना।। 

--

Know that the Existence is that, what is permeated with,  pervading all that whatever is the manifest and whatever is  the unmanifest as well, and is indestructible, imperishable that can be neither destroyed through and by an action nor by any means.

Thus is pointed out in the Gita.

This implies there is neither Creation nor Destruction, but there is only the Manifestation and the Dissolution of That, that in the Gita is referred to as in the above verse. 

Mundakopanishad / मुण्डकोपनिषद् 

Begins with : 

ॐ ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः सम्बभूव

विश्वस्य कर्ता भुवनस्य गोप्ता।। 

As is described in the Gita, this tells us how brahmA /  ब्रह्मा  was the manifest First amongst the devatA /  देवता .

The verb-root of देवता is दिव् > दीव्यते इति देवता, Whatever manifests is devatA / Divine.

Brahma /  ब्रह्मा is the First amongst the devatA. The Principle Imperishable and the Indestructible is indeed the :

ॐ / AUM. 

This manifest / unmanifest principle itself is the origin, essence and also the substance that is this whole existence.

From this very principle emerges out the BrahmA principle उपाधि / adjunct, and Brahma is therefore the First / प्र-स्थ.

There are again Purusha and Prakriti, the manifestations of the same core Principle  ॐ / AUM .

Manifestation take place in and as the  नाम-रूप  -- The Manifestation takes place in and as the name and the form - नाम-रूप, the लिङ्ग / symbolic / लक्षण .

This manifestation has therefore two prominent forms and names - The male and the female, The Purusha and the Prakriti - the Father Principle and the Mother Principle respectively. This is not the same as that is the cause of the generation of plant and animal forms and species. Animals and plants are the Outer / External manifestations, बाह्य प्रकृति,  while devatA is the अन्तःप्रकृति  / inner or / the internal Prakriti.

From Brahma emerged out पञ्च महाभूत / 5 cardinal names and forms that are :

आकाश, अग्नि, आपः, वायु, पृथिवी.

These are Sanskrit words respectively for these five  elements :

Ether / Sky, Fire, Water, Air and Earth.

अन्तरिक्ष is a word for "Space", which is used to denote :

"What is seen within and without also."

These 5 elements themselves are also kind of devata / Divine.

However, the three devatA who play the major role in the manifestation and the dissolution are said to be the following :

Brahma is the primal cause of existence / world, ViShNu is, who preserves and protects the existence / world and the Rudra dissolves this existence / world. The three keep playing their Role, but ViShNu yet in another way protects it. ViShNu reincarnates as an avatar to save the existence. Therefore all these three together are known as the Trinity of the higher devatA.

These are basically 33 in Number and the same when propitiated through the yajna or other rituals fulfil our desires. There are elaborate ways but for those who don't know the secrets of Vedika knowledge too can connect and contact them by means of Idols. Patanjala Yoga  helps us understanding how this takes place through dhAraNa, dhyAna and  samAdhi. But to connect to the Supreme devatA, this is the only way available to normal persons.

Thus is the significance and importance of the idol-worship. Therefore there are as many ways of worshipping and the detailed rituals too. 

The one who doubts this can not see the point. As pointed out in the Gita :

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति।। 

नाऽयं लोको न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः।।

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