Bg 14.3
mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham
sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata
Bg 14.4
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
THE FOLLOWING TWO STANZAS EXPLAIN HOW THE UNIVERSE IS EVOLVED BY THE UNION BETWEEN SPIRIT AND MATTER --- Spirit enveloped in Matter is the pluralistic expression of Existence in the world. From the inert stone to the greatest Prophet-of-Wisdom, every existence is but the Spirit expressing through Matter-vestures. In an earlier chapter, we have already seen very clearly how the "Knower-of-the-Field" working in the "Field" and identifying himself with it, becomes the individualised "Ego," extremely sensitive to the sorrows and tragedies, joys, and successes of its environments.
THE LORD NOW PROCEEDS TO EXPLAIN, IN WHAT WAY THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD" AND THE "FIELD" TAKES PLACE, AND HOW THE UNION COMES TO BREED OUR ENDLESS SORROWS:
Translation
3. My womb is the great BRAHMAN (MULA PRAKRITI) ; in that I place the germ; from which, O Bharata, is the birth of all beings.
4. Whatever forms are produced, O Kaunteya, in all the wombs whatsoever, the great BRAHMA is their womb, and I the seed-giving Father.
Commentary
MY WOMB IS THE GREAT BRAHMAN (MULA PRAKRITI) --- Krishna, the Pure Consciousness, is trying to explain the "One-Womb" from which the entire Universe has arisen. On many occasions, in our discourses, we had stopped to explain how the One-Consciousness, identifying with various layers of Matter, manifests Itself as different entities, with different potentialities. A Prime Minister is also a voter --- just a single voter under the constitution of the country. But a Prime Minister's powers are a million times more than any average voter can ever hope to have. This omnipotency is gained by his OFFICE, because the voter in him has been successful in identifying himself with the "heart" of the majority of voters.
The Supreme, identifying Itself with the subtle Vasanas in an individual, becomes an individualised "Ego." If any one of us (as a single voter) can renounce his limited tendencies and identify himself with the total thought-life of the Universe (the total aspirations of the Janata), the Consciousness that identified Itself with 'total mind' (the individual who identifies himself with the majority of voters) becomes the Ishwara (Prime Minister).
In the stanza, in the language of Vedanta, it is said that the total-Vasanas of the world, meaning the "total-causal-body," is the "Womb," which gets impregnated by the Lord. When life functions as the "total-causal-body," it becomes dynamic and expresses itself as the "total-mind-intellect" (Hiranya-garbha).
It has already been explained that the Light of Consciousness conditioned by the mind and intellect-reflected in the mental pool of thought --- is the sense-of-ego, the individuality, manifest in each of us. The total potential factor, from which the world-of-matter emerges, is termed as Nature --- Prakriti. The Prakriti then is called the 'Great Cause,' because it embraces the entire Universe which is but its effect. Again, from Nature, the entire Universe has arisen and the Universe of names and forms is nourished and fattened by the very source which has given birth to it. Therefore, the total nature is termed here, as elsewhere in Vedanta, as the Great (Mahat)-Brahma, the total-mind-intellect-equipments.
IN THAT, I PLACE THE GERM --- This total potential Nature is the virgin "Womb," in which, when the shaft of Consciousness penetrates, the Light of Awareness that consequently plays in it, is Its act of impregnation.
Thus vitalised by Life, the inert Prakriti becomes dynamised, grows and manifests itself as the spectacular Universe. Hence it is said, "FROM WHICH IS THE BIRTH OF ALL BEINGS."
Every creative action owes its origin and progress to a tendency for it in the artist. When this tendency in him becomes vibrant with a part of the life in him, it becomes potential, struggles to express itself in terms of ideas and feelings, and later on gets expressed in the particular medium of art chosen by the artist. He may express it through colours, as in painting; through songs, as in music; through stones, as in sculpture; or through words, as in literature. But a dead artist can no more express anything --- even in terms of artistic ideas or thoughts. The total Universe of ideas and tendencies (Vasanas), when graced by Life, becomes vigorous and expresses as the Universe created.
The world of Vasanas, of ideas, of thoughts, and of actions, together constituting the total Nature, is ever controlled and directed by the gunas, and therefore, the three gunas are together called in Vedanta as Maya, the "cause of the Universe." Maya, expressed in the individual bosom, is called 'ignorance'(avidya). The 'ignorance'is, therefore, the microcosmic expression of Maya, and the total "ignorance," in its macrocosmic expression, is Maya. An individualised EGO is under the control of avidya, while Maya is under the control of Ishwara.
We are only to remember that we have been told already in the previous chapter, viz., that the "Field" and the "Knower-of-the-Field" are the two aspects of Nature (Prakriti), and both of them function on the same Substratum, the Absolute Eternal Truth, the Lord Krishna Himself. The Supreme, functioning in the "Field," becomes the Enjoyer-
of-the-Field, and therefore, the "Knower-of-the-Field," detaching from the "Field," rediscovers himself to be the Pure Absolute Consciousness.
CONTINUING TO ELABORATE THIS SUBTLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT, AND EXPLAINING HOW THE ABSOLUTE IS THE UNCONTAMINATED AND EVER-VITALISING PRINCPLE IN BOTH THE "FIELD" AND IN THE "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD":
IN ALL WOMBS --- In the living world, infinite varieties of beings are born and continue to live, and they are replaced at every moment by millions of new births. If the whole Universe is looked at in one gaze, we find therein, seething activities of new births. Everywhere, the birth of an organism is nothing but an expression of Spirit through a given matter-envelopment. Thus viewed, every Matter particle is the "womb," which, when dynamised by the "Light of Consciousness," becomes a potential living being. Every expression of life is Matter containing within its bosom a tiny spark of the Spirit.
Lord Krishna, as the Supreme Consciousness, Absolute and Infinite, declares here figuratively: "I AM THE FATHER OF THE UNIVERSE," who places the sperm-of-life in the womb-of-Nature (Prakriti). A "Field," in itself, has no existence without the "Knower-of-the-Field" vitalising it. A steam engine, minus steam, is only so much iron in that particular shape! But when steam passes through it, the engine expresses its motive force and strength, and its particular ability, locomotion. Similarly, the body-mind-intellect are only so much minerals unless Consciousness expresses Itself, through it. No doubt, a bachelor, in himself, can have no child to claim as his own, however potent he may be. He has to get married and his seed is to be placed in the womb. The Spirit cannot express Itself without the Matter. These ideas are summarised in this stanza when Lord Krishna says that He is the Eternal Father, who impregnates the entire world-of-Matter and arranges the play of life on the stage of the world.
The Geeta happened to be declared and written long before Christ, and therefore, the Bible cannot claim, as some of us have been coaxed to believe, that the great Fatherhood of God is a fact recognised ONLY by the Christian faith. At best, we can say that it is an idea borrowed from earlier religions. The Hindus did not over-emphasise this Father-hood of God, because, even though the idea is quite poetic, philosophically, if cannot hold much water. But as later religions found such ideas more easily digestible for the not-so-intelligent masses, they seem to have borrowed them liberally.
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham
sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata
Bg 14.4
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
THE FOLLOWING TWO STANZAS EXPLAIN HOW THE UNIVERSE IS EVOLVED BY THE UNION BETWEEN SPIRIT AND MATTER --- Spirit enveloped in Matter is the pluralistic expression of Existence in the world. From the inert stone to the greatest Prophet-of-Wisdom, every existence is but the Spirit expressing through Matter-vestures. In an earlier chapter, we have already seen very clearly how the "Knower-of-the-Field" working in the "Field" and identifying himself with it, becomes the individualised "Ego," extremely sensitive to the sorrows and tragedies, joys, and successes of its environments.
THE LORD NOW PROCEEDS TO EXPLAIN, IN WHAT WAY THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD" AND THE "FIELD" TAKES PLACE, AND HOW THE UNION COMES TO BREED OUR ENDLESS SORROWS:
Translation
3. My womb is the great BRAHMAN (MULA PRAKRITI) ; in that I place the germ; from which, O Bharata, is the birth of all beings.
4. Whatever forms are produced, O Kaunteya, in all the wombs whatsoever, the great BRAHMA is their womb, and I the seed-giving Father.
Commentary
MY WOMB IS THE GREAT BRAHMAN (MULA PRAKRITI) --- Krishna, the Pure Consciousness, is trying to explain the "One-Womb" from which the entire Universe has arisen. On many occasions, in our discourses, we had stopped to explain how the One-Consciousness, identifying with various layers of Matter, manifests Itself as different entities, with different potentialities. A Prime Minister is also a voter --- just a single voter under the constitution of the country. But a Prime Minister's powers are a million times more than any average voter can ever hope to have. This omnipotency is gained by his OFFICE, because the voter in him has been successful in identifying himself with the "heart" of the majority of voters.
The Supreme, identifying Itself with the subtle Vasanas in an individual, becomes an individualised "Ego." If any one of us (as a single voter) can renounce his limited tendencies and identify himself with the total thought-life of the Universe (the total aspirations of the Janata), the Consciousness that identified Itself with 'total mind' (the individual who identifies himself with the majority of voters) becomes the Ishwara (Prime Minister).
In the stanza, in the language of Vedanta, it is said that the total-Vasanas of the world, meaning the "total-causal-body," is the "Womb," which gets impregnated by the Lord. When life functions as the "total-causal-body," it becomes dynamic and expresses itself as the "total-mind-intellect" (Hiranya-garbha).
It has already been explained that the Light of Consciousness conditioned by the mind and intellect-reflected in the mental pool of thought --- is the sense-of-ego, the individuality, manifest in each of us. The total potential factor, from which the world-of-matter emerges, is termed as Nature --- Prakriti. The Prakriti then is called the 'Great Cause,' because it embraces the entire Universe which is but its effect. Again, from Nature, the entire Universe has arisen and the Universe of names and forms is nourished and fattened by the very source which has given birth to it. Therefore, the total nature is termed here, as elsewhere in Vedanta, as the Great (Mahat)-Brahma, the total-mind-intellect-equipments.
IN THAT, I PLACE THE GERM --- This total potential Nature is the virgin "Womb," in which, when the shaft of Consciousness penetrates, the Light of Awareness that consequently plays in it, is Its act of impregnation.
Thus vitalised by Life, the inert Prakriti becomes dynamised, grows and manifests itself as the spectacular Universe. Hence it is said, "FROM WHICH IS THE BIRTH OF ALL BEINGS."
Every creative action owes its origin and progress to a tendency for it in the artist. When this tendency in him becomes vibrant with a part of the life in him, it becomes potential, struggles to express itself in terms of ideas and feelings, and later on gets expressed in the particular medium of art chosen by the artist. He may express it through colours, as in painting; through songs, as in music; through stones, as in sculpture; or through words, as in literature. But a dead artist can no more express anything --- even in terms of artistic ideas or thoughts. The total Universe of ideas and tendencies (Vasanas), when graced by Life, becomes vigorous and expresses as the Universe created.
The world of Vasanas, of ideas, of thoughts, and of actions, together constituting the total Nature, is ever controlled and directed by the gunas, and therefore, the three gunas are together called in Vedanta as Maya, the "cause of the Universe." Maya, expressed in the individual bosom, is called 'ignorance'(avidya). The 'ignorance'is, therefore, the microcosmic expression of Maya, and the total "ignorance," in its macrocosmic expression, is Maya. An individualised EGO is under the control of avidya, while Maya is under the control of Ishwara.
We are only to remember that we have been told already in the previous chapter, viz., that the "Field" and the "Knower-of-the-Field" are the two aspects of Nature (Prakriti), and both of them function on the same Substratum, the Absolute Eternal Truth, the Lord Krishna Himself. The Supreme, functioning in the "Field," becomes the Enjoyer-
of-the-Field, and therefore, the "Knower-of-the-Field," detaching from the "Field," rediscovers himself to be the Pure Absolute Consciousness.
CONTINUING TO ELABORATE THIS SUBTLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATTER AND SPIRIT, AND EXPLAINING HOW THE ABSOLUTE IS THE UNCONTAMINATED AND EVER-VITALISING PRINCPLE IN BOTH THE "FIELD" AND IN THE "KNOWER-OF-THE-FIELD":
IN ALL WOMBS --- In the living world, infinite varieties of beings are born and continue to live, and they are replaced at every moment by millions of new births. If the whole Universe is looked at in one gaze, we find therein, seething activities of new births. Everywhere, the birth of an organism is nothing but an expression of Spirit through a given matter-envelopment. Thus viewed, every Matter particle is the "womb," which, when dynamised by the "Light of Consciousness," becomes a potential living being. Every expression of life is Matter containing within its bosom a tiny spark of the Spirit.
Lord Krishna, as the Supreme Consciousness, Absolute and Infinite, declares here figuratively: "I AM THE FATHER OF THE UNIVERSE," who places the sperm-of-life in the womb-of-Nature (Prakriti). A "Field," in itself, has no existence without the "Knower-of-the-Field" vitalising it. A steam engine, minus steam, is only so much iron in that particular shape! But when steam passes through it, the engine expresses its motive force and strength, and its particular ability, locomotion. Similarly, the body-mind-intellect are only so much minerals unless Consciousness expresses Itself, through it. No doubt, a bachelor, in himself, can have no child to claim as his own, however potent he may be. He has to get married and his seed is to be placed in the womb. The Spirit cannot express Itself without the Matter. These ideas are summarised in this stanza when Lord Krishna says that He is the Eternal Father, who impregnates the entire world-of-Matter and arranges the play of life on the stage of the world.
The Geeta happened to be declared and written long before Christ, and therefore, the Bible cannot claim, as some of us have been coaxed to believe, that the great Fatherhood of God is a fact recognised ONLY by the Christian faith. At best, we can say that it is an idea borrowed from earlier religions. The Hindus did not over-emphasise this Father-hood of God, because, even though the idea is quite poetic, philosophically, if cannot hold much water. But as later religions found such ideas more easily digestible for the not-so-intelligent masses, they seem to have borrowed them liberally.
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
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