Early Vedic Cosmological Narratives: The Seeds of Vedanta

Early Vedic Cosmological Narratives: The Seeds of Vedanta Juan Valdez* Peter J Worth Jr 389 East 89th St - Apt 29G New York, NY 10128 * Corresponding author (Email: juanvaldez1971@gmail.com) Abstract - At some level a religious tradition can be thought of as distinguished by, or even defined by, its creation story – i.e. its cosmological narrative - and the Hindu/Vedic tradition is no different in this regard although it has many nuances and variances that distinguish it from Western theological traditions. If we approach the mythology as codified in the Hindu literature with an open mind – and myth in the Hindu tradition runs very deep - we can see strong undercurrents of Vedic philosophy from within the creation narratives themselves, speaking to the importance of philosophy from the very earliest texts we have from the tradition. The deep philosophical history of the Indo-Aryans, what we today call Vedanta (which Yoga is very closely related to and from which Buddhism emerged), ultimately sprung forth from these ancient creation stories, the mythological tradition as it were, which in turn yielded over time an in depth, scientific and analytical approach to the nature of mind and its relationship to liberation and experience of the divine which forms the basis of Yoga in all its forms. Keywords – Indo-Aryan philosophy, Indo-Aryan cosmology, Vedic creation, Vedic cosmology, Indian philosophy, Indian mythology, Rig-Vedic hymns, Samkhya philosophy import of the texts and how they impacted and were part of the 1. Context of Vedic Cosmological development of this rich philosophical tradition. Narratives This ancient Indus Valley civilization spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from c. When one looks at the early creation myths of the 3300 to 1300 BCE, roughly aligning with the peak of ancient Indo-Aryans, the first Hindus, one is confronted with the fact Egyptian civilization. The Rig Veda in turn, as one of the that their early mythology was not so clearly codified or primary source texts of the creation mythology of the Indus synthesized as its sister cultures in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Valley peoples, is one of the oldest extant texts in the and certainly not as well codified and standardized as the Indo-European language family and is thought to have been mythology and cosmology of the Greeks and Romans. This composed somewhere in the middle of the second millennium was somewhat odd, especially given that the extant Sanskrit BCE, give or take a few centuries. [The Indo-European literature from antiquity was fairly extensive, but it’s language family also contains Greek and Latin, although these important to keep in mind that the creation mythology of the languages are not directly related to the Sanskrit. The Hindus was spread throughout a few different texts and languages do share many of the same roots for words though, traditions, as found in the Rig Veda, The Laws of Manu and and the structure of the languages is similar hence the the Puranas for example. This approach, if it can be called classification of the languages in the same family. It’s not that, is distinctive to Vedic and Hindu literature and is clear whether or not they derived from the same root juxtaposed with what we find in the Judeo-Christian (and however]. Islamic) tradition in the West where we see the myth and The civilization from which Hinduism emerged is theological historical narrative encapsulated into a single traditionally associated with the Indus valley region, a river book and single version (the Old Testament, Qur’an, etc.), system from which an ancient culture could grow crops and and even in the Greco-Roman mythological traditions where thrive, a similar relationship to the Sumerians and their we find mythological lore encapsulated in single textual Tigris/Euphrates and the Egyptians and their Nile. This traditions attributed to single authors such as Hesiod’s relationship with water and its fundamental existence and Theogony and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. prerequisite feature for the source of life, is reflected When trying to understand the meaning and later throughout the Vedas and in the Rig Veda in particular, and interpretations of some of these ancient Vedic texts however, clearly marked the cosmology and creation mythology of all texts which included not just philosophical material but of these ancient cultures. [See Valdez, J. (2014) pgs. 58-69 mythological material and details on ritual and sacrifice as for more on the creation mythology of the Egyptians and well, it is critical to have some sense of context – culturally Sumer-Babylonians] and socio-politically – to try and get to the true meaning and  Journal name （201X）x-x 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 2. Judeo-Christian Cosmology: The 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to Book of Genesis give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it Lets start with a quick review of the creation story with which was good. we are most familiar with in the West, our friend from 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth Genesis. Everything we look at or analyze must stands in day. contrast to, or shares similarities with, something and the Judeo-Christian creation story is perhaps the most widely In this creation narrative, one that no doubt has shaped the known and widely read passage of text and literature of all theological beliefs of Western society for some 1500 years at time, most certainly in the Western world (King James least, we have the formulation of structure and time as Version, Genesis 1-19). underpinnings for the story itself – God creates the world in seven days – but we also see the emanation of various basic 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the universal elements, and then the heaven and earth itself, that emerge from the “primordial waters”, a very old cosmological earth. 2 motif that is virtually ubiquitous in ancient civilization of the And the earth was without form, and void; and Middle, Near and Far East. darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit But core to this narrative in fact, and underlining the of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 Judeo-Christian world-view (which in turn is shared by the And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 Muslim tradition despite its basic disagreement with its And God saw the light, that it was good: and God Judeo-Christian brethren on the relative importance of various divided the light from the darkness. 5 prophets and basic theological stances such as the Holy And God called the light Day, and the darkness he Trinity and its implications on the underlying unity of called Night. And the evening and the morning were God/Allah) is the role of God, the grand creator, preserver the first day. 6 (and ultimate destroyer) of not just humanity but the universe And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst itself. In this tradition we do not have any thread of of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the philosophical questions with respect to the unity of existence, waters. 7 duality from unity or even any epistemological questions as to And God made the firmament, and divided the what could be known or who it could be known by (the waters which were under the firmament from the chicken and the egg question so to speak), we simply have a waters which were above the firmament: and it was creation story in succinct form which lays out what was so. 8 created, when, by whom in quite literal fashion – laying the And God called the firmament Heaven. And the groundwork for a moral and ethical framework which is just evening and the morning were the second day. 9 as unforgiving as it were, given its lack of philosophical And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be foundations, despite the longstanding work done by the gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land Greco-Roman philosophical tradition to facilitate these appear: and it was so. 10 philosophical lines of questions. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering When looking at the Indo-Aryan tradition, given its age and together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw maturity and its fundamental belief and faith in the unity of that it was good. 11 man and the universe from which he emerged (unique to the And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the Eastern religious traditions in general), a line can be drawn herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after between creation mythology, aka cosmology [cosmology in his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it this context to be the study of the origins of the universe from was so. 12 an ancient mythological or philosophical perspective as And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding distinguished between today’s, perhaps more widely known seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose definition of cosmology which denotes the study of universal seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it origins from a theoretical physics or astronomical was good. 13 perspective], and the philosophical underpinnings of the And the evening and the morning were the third school of thought, or metaphysics as it were. day. 14 The connection between cosmology/creation mythology And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of and philosophy is quite direct in the Vedic/Indo-Aryan the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let philosophical tradition and in some sense this distinguishes them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and this tradition from most other theological and philosophical years: 15 traditions from antiquity and most certainly distinguishes it And let them be for lights in the firmament of the from Western theological traditions (Christianity, Judaism, heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Islam) where philosophy and theology are very much subsumed and overwhelmed by scriptural dogma and law.  Journal name （201X）x-x This delineation between philosophy and theology, itself. In both Taoism and Hinduism, and of course with philosophy and religion really, is not nearly as hard cut in the Buddhism, we see a much more philosophic flavor than the Eastern philosophical tradition as it is in the West, or at the grand dictums of the Judeo-Christian traditions that cast such very least it can be said that the connections between the two a long shadow, and eventually subsumed, the philosophic seemingly distinct areas of study and concepts are more traditions of the Greco-Romans that had shaped the evident because they are not clouded within a tradition that is development of civilization for some one thousand years or more focused on literal interpretation and the “word” rather so. than underlying “meaning”. We can see this distinct and enduring philosophical bent of To be fair the delegation of philosophy as a discipline and the Indo-Aryan people from some of the earliest passages we practice, or way of life, to religion, theology and faith in the find about universal creation, cosmology, from the Rig Veda “Word” is a somewhat later development in the West, aligned in particular, which codifies stories, remnants and artifacts of with the preeminence of the Roman Empire and the spread of the ritualistic, mythological and philosophical belief systems Christianity as a systematic faith with approved scripture of the Indo-Aryan peoples from the second millennium BCE along with their associated approved interpretations of (1900-1200 BCE) from which the Hindu religion eventually fundamental theological narratives (the Holy Trinity for emerges - as well as Buddhism as its offshoot. And in these example). This theological development not only very early creation narratives, we find philosophical questions marginalizes the Jewish faith and theological tradition, but and openings that were preserved by the theological tradition also gives rise to Islam which arose in no small measure as a of the East over millennia which provided scriptural support reaction and counterbalance to Christian interpretation of for philosophy itself, something again that is lacking in the Biblical scripture and narrative, and in particular Western theological tradition. interpretation of the life and message of the prophet Jesus – The Rig Veda is transcribed in Sanskrit verse, so there is a and of course to fill a socio-political vacuum which is so often meter and a poetry to it that can only truly be appreciated the case. With this rise in Christianity’s influence and when it is heard, typically when it is chanted as it is still done predominance we see the waning of the Greco-Roman today. These verses, the text, is believed to be divinely philosophical schools - Neo-Platonism, Stoicism and inspired and to have co-existed with creation itself, and Epicureanism being the most far reaching and influential – thereby lies at the heart of not just Vedanta but Hinduism after which we see a sharp decline in epistemological and proper as well. This belief in the co-existence of scripture social/ethical philosophy and a steep inclination toward with universal creation, or at least divine inspiration, is scriptural dogma and moral and ethical platitudes and “law” something that the Hindus share with their Judeo-Christian as it were. Enter the Dark Ages. (and Islamic) brethren to the West. From one of the earliest and most famous verses of the Rig Veda, one of the oldest Hindu/Vedic scriptural texts and perhaps some of the oldest extant theological literature that is presently known to man, we find the following very famous 3. Indo-Aryan Cosmology: The Hymn hymn sometimes called the Nasadiya Sukta (after the phrase of Creation ná ásat “not the non-existent”) from the 129th hymn of the 10th Mandala of the Rig-Veda. (Griffith 1896: Hymn CXXIX. Creation): One of the unique contributions of the Indo-Aryans is the conservation and preservation of the specificities of a great deal of their ancient sacrificial rites, hymns and mythology in THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no textual form, i.e. the Vedas. The only corresponding set of realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, and texts and scripture that rivals it in terms of age is the Avesta of where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, the Indo-Iranians (Persians) to the West, which although unfathomed depth of water? shares many similar linguistic and cultural themes that are found in the Vedic Sanskrit lore, does not have the same Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no unbroken and longstanding continuing tradition of sign was there, the day's and night's divider. That One preservation and interpretation into the modern era as do the Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart Vedas. So with the Vedas then we have a direct window into from it was nothing whatsoever. the world of the Asian & European pre-history like no other literary tradition in fact. Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this The Eastern philosophical tradition however remains All was indiscriminated chaos. All that existed then unbroken with respect to its emphasis on basic, classical was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth philosophical questions in tandem to its emphasis on faith and was born that Unit. theology. No doubt the Eastern tradition in antiquity had its pantheon of Gods and Goddesses which were formed out of Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the the primordial chaos from which the universe emanates, just primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched as the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions espoused with their heart's thought discovered the existent's in fact, but the philosophical strain as it were was embedded kinship in the non-existent. deep in the Eastern traditions and was not subsumed by its anthropomorphic aspects and its scriptural tradition in and of  Journal name （201X）x-x Transversely was their severing line extended: what process, the process of defining the unknowable by what it is was above it then, and what below it? There were not (versus what it is) which is a somewhat unique begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here characteristic of the Eastern philosophical traditions and still and energy up yonder can be found in some of the Buddhist and Vedic philosophical schools (Yoga for example with prana) even today. Many of Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence these seeds are sown here, in this passage of the Rig Veda and it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods it is for this reason that this text is still so widely revered even are later than this world's production. Who knows then today by Vedic sages and scholars alike. whence it first came into being? He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he 4. Vedic Cosmology II: Purusha Sukta knows not. Here we have, in the English translation/transliteration of While the passage above from the Rig Veda contains some of course, one of the earliest perspectives on universal creation the root kernel philosophical elements of Vedic philosophy, that has ever been written. While Old Testament Genesis there is another passage from the same collection of hymns creation mythology, which bears many similarities to dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE that speaks to the more Sumer-Babylonian mythos as has been well documented, is a what we might call, classically ancient mythological, bent of first millennium BCE creation more or less, the Rig Veda the Indo-Aryans. This is a verse (quoted below) which verses and text have been dated to a period of time in ancient describes a variation on the creation story/narrative which history some millennium or so earlier, to mid or late second comes much closer to what we would call “myth”, and has a millennium BCE and quite clearly stems from an oral much more anthropomorphic bent than the esoteric passage tradition that is even much earlier than this (as is the case with quoted above (Griffith 1896: Hymn XC. Purusa): much of the mythological texts that we find in antiquity, the Vedic literature being no exception). And yet, despite its relative age, in many respects it bears philosophical marks 1. A THOUSAND heads hath Puruṣa, a thousand eyes, a that we do not see in the West until the Greek philosophers thousand feet. centuries, millennium really, later. On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten What we see in this verse of the Rig-Veda from purely fingers wide. mythical perspective is very similar in some respects to what 2 This Puruṣa is all that yet hath been and all that is to we see in ancient Egyptian and Sumer-Babylonian cultures, be; the origin of the universe stemming from a fundamental, The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by non-differentiated and chaotic cosmic principle – in this case food. somewhat questioningly identified with water or apas [Ap (áp-) is the Vedic Sanskrit term for “water”, in classical 3 So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Sanskrit occurring only in the plural, apas]. We also see clear Puruṣa. anthropomorphic elements as well, establishing the basis for All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths Hindu mythology and sacrificial rights that were an integral eternal life in heaven. part of these ancient hunter-gatherers which we like to call the Indo-Aryans. But what we also see here, in one of the most 4 With three-fourths Puruṣa went up: one-fourth of famous and oft-quoted verses of the Rig-Veda, is the hint of him again was here. the unknowable nature of the universe, laying the Thence he strode out to every side over what eats not epistemological and philosophical groundwork to the long and what eats. standing and rich philosophical tradition of the Indo-Aryan peoples from which Buddhism and Vedanta eventually 5 From him Virāj was born; again Puruṣa from Virāj emerge. This passage clearly indicates that this philosophical was born. tradition in the East reaches deep into antiquity and parallels As soon as he was born he spread eastward and in many respects the philosophical developments that take westward o’er the earth. place to the West, namely in classical Greece and Rome, but yet has roots that are at least one thousand years or so earlier 6 When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Puruṣa as in history. their offering, What’s also interesting about this verse in the Rig Veda, is Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer that despite sharing many common cosmological motifs – was the wood. order from chaos, primordial waters, desire (Eros) sowing the seed of creation – it also contains many of the core, 7 They balmed as victim on the grass Puruṣa born in underpinning philosophical elements that distinguish Vedanta earliest time. from other theological traditions, not just in antiquity but into With him the Deities and all Sādhyas and Ṛṣis modern times as well. The unknowable nature of creation and sacrificed. the Creator, the role of breath or life force in the creative  Journal name （201X）x-x 8 From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was time to become an integral part of two of the main Vedic gathered up. philosophical systems, namely Samkhya and Yoga, each of He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both which held universal creation to be a balance between two wild and tame. primordial forces – Purusha and Prakriti - male and female, inactive and active respectively, sharing many basic elements 9 From that great general sacrifice Ṛcas and with Taoism (Yin/Yang) which emerged independently Sāma-hymns were born: (presumably) in the Far East. Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus So again we see the roots of the core Vedic and Hindu had its birth from it. philosophical elements in the very earliest cosmological narrative, speaking to the duration and strength of the lineage 10 From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two itself and the strong connection between the cosmological rows of teeth: narrative and the philosophy – brothers in arms as it were. From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born. 11 When they divided Puruṣa how many portions did 5. Vedic Cosmology III: Manu, The they make? Cosmic Egg and Dharma What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet? We also find a very detailed account of creation in a very 12 The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was influential socio-political work from India called The Laws of the Rājanya made. Manu - aka Manusmriti - a work reflecting the latter part of His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra the 2nd millennium BCE to the middle of the first millennium was produced. BCE (roughly running parallel with the transcription of the early Upanishads) dealing with social and cultural issues – 13 The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from laws, practices, customs, etc. - rather than ritual or mythical his eye the Sun had birth; traditions as were codified in the Vedas and Upanishads. In it Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vāyu Manu, the mythical Adam of the Indo-Aryans, lays out the from his breath. social philosophical principals and practices to a group of great sages (rishis), providing the guiding principals that were 14 Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was to underpin the governing of Indo-Aryan society for fashioned from his head millennia. Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus Although not considered part of the orthodox Vedic they formed the worlds. scriptural tradition per se, the text is nonetheless extremely influential in the development of Indo-Aryan civilization, and 15 Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared, Indian history in particular, as it lays the groundwork for the When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their operation and management of a healthy society. The work victim, Puruṣa. may be looked at in contrast, or similar to Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Politics although it contains a much more 16 Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were practical, or perhaps more aptly put Judaic-Christian (and the earliest holy ordinances. Islamic) bent, as it deals with laws and the proper functioning The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there of society in a very concrete way whereas the Greek where the Sādhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling. philosophers dealt much more in the abstract. The text deals primarily with what is referred to in the Indian philosophical tradition as dharma, a fairly deep and Here we see many of the basic, core elements of ancient profound term which can be loosely translated as creation mythology that we are familiar with in the West – the righteousness, path, or way but is a sophisticated and creation of the seasons, animals, anthropomorphism, etc. We profound term that implies righteous and aligned living and is also see a connection drawn from the creation cosmology to tightly interwoven into social considerations, i.e. one’s station societal and theological structure, i.e. the caste system which in life. It is a concept which is found in the Bhagavad Gita as was such a key component of the Indo-Aryan peoples for well and spans not just the Indian philosophical tradition but much of their history, and the connection between hymn and Buddhism too, speaking to its age, as well as its importance in scripture and the godhead himself. We also see the creation of the Eastern philosophical milieu in general. the astral and celestial elements such as the Earth, Sun and But despite being a guidebook to good living and proper Moon and Sky, as well as the emergence of the first pantheon management of civilization as it were, the Laws of Manu of Gods such as Indra, Vayu and Agni, both elements that are contains a very well constructed and detailed creation story found in creation mythology throughout antiquity (the (two variants actually) at its very beginning as well, its author Greeks, the Romans, etc.). feeling compelled no doubt to establish the basic Furthermore, this ancient primordial underpinnings of not just the Indo-Aryan society, but of the pseudo-anthropological principal – Purusha - evolved over universe at large, helping the great seers of old to who he was  Journal name （201X）x-x speaking connect the dots through creation itself to the each succeeding element acquires the quality specific emergence of advanced society. to each preceding. Thus, each element, tradition tells Although a fairly lengthy passage, it is worth quoting us, possesses the same number of qualities as the (mostly) in full so the reader can gain a full appreciation of the number of its position in the series. In the beginning depth of the story and its striking parallels with other ancient through the words of the Veda alone, he fashioned for creation cosmological narratives (Olivelle, 2005: pgs. 87-88): all of them specific names and activities, as also specific stations. There was this world – pitch dark, indiscernible, The Lord brought forth the group of gods who are without distinguishing marks, unthinkable, endowed with breath and whose nature it is to act, the incomprehensible, in a kind of deep sleep all over. subtle group of Sadhyas, and the eternal sacrifice. Then the Self-existent Lord appeared – the Unmanifest From fire, wind, and sun, he squeezed out the eternal manifesting this world beginning with the elements, triple Veda characterized by the Rig verses, the Yajus projecting his might, and dispelling the darkness. That formulas, and the Saman chants, for the purpose of One – who is beyond the range of the senses; who carrying out the sacrifice. Time, divisions of time, cannot be grasped; who is subtle, unmanifest, and constellations, planets, rivers, oceans, mountains, flat eternal; who contains all beings; and who transcends and rough terrain, austerity, speech, sexual pleasure, thought – it is he who shone forth on his own. desire, and anger – he brought forth this creation in his wish to bring forth these creatures. As he focused his thought with the desire of bringing forth diverse creatures from his own body, it was the To establish distinctions among activities, moreover, he waters that he first brought forth; and into them he distinguished the Right (dharma) from the Wrong poured forth his semen. That became a golden egg, as (adharma) and afflicted these creatures with the pairs bright as the sun; and in it he himself took birth as of opposites such as pleasure and pain. Together with Brahma, the grandfather of all the worlds. the perishable atomic particles of the five elements given in tradition, this whole world comes into being in … an orderly sequence. As they are brought forth again After residing in the egg for a full year, the Lord on his and again, each creature follows on its own the very own split the egg in two by brooding on his own body. activity assigned to it in the beginning by the Lord. From these two halves, he formed the sky and the Violence or non-violence, gentleness or cruelty, earth, and between them the mid-space, the eight righteousness (dharma) or unrighteousness (adharma), directions, and the eternal place of the waters. truthfulness or untruthfulness – whichever he assigned to each at the time of creation, it stuck automatically From his body, moreover, he drew out the mind having to that creature. As the change of seasons each the nature of both the existent and the non-existent; season automatically adopts its own distinctive marks, and from the mind, the ego – producer of so do embodied beings adopt their own distinctive self-awareness and ruler – as also the great self, all acts. things composed of the three attributes [the three gunas, or qualities; i.e. sattva, rajas and tamas] and For the growth of these worlds, moreover, he produced gradually the five sensory organs that grasp the sense from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet, the Brahmin, objects. By merging the subtle parts of these six the Ksatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra. possessing boundless might into particles of his own body, moreover, he formed all beings. Because the six parts of his physical frame became attached to these Here we see a much more comprehensive and elaborate beings, the wise called his physical frame “body”. The creation story relative to its parallel verses in the Vedas, and great elements 1 enter it accompanied by their the integration of a much more sophisticated philosophical activities, as also the mind, the imperishable producer system, but yet at the same time shows clear signs of strong of all beings, accompanied by its subtle particles. Vedic (Rig-Veda) influence. We see the emergence of an ordered world from a primordial chaotic universe through the From the subtle particles of the physical frames of the will and power of an anthropomorphic grand deity, the seven males of great might, this world comes into universe itself being a manifestation of his physical form and being, the perishable from the imperishable. Of these, creation occurring by his will/seed across the primordial waters. 1 “Elements” here, and below, referring to the five classic elements of the We see reference to some of the core Vedic philosophical universe from the Indian philosophical perspective which diverged somewhat and archaic elements such as the three gunas or attributes, as from the classic earth, air, water, fire that we are accustomed to seeing (alchemy well as a thinly veiled reference to the five classic elements of for example) in the West. We have ether, wind, light, water, and earth, each the universe from the Indian philosophical perspective created one from the other at the beginning of the universe, emanating from the (diverged somewhat from the classic earth, air, water, fire that mind of the creator when he awakens from his deep sleep. The process of we are accustomed to seeing in the West). We have ether, creation of these elements, and their associated characteristics, is delineated in wind, light, water, and earth, each created one from the other passage 1.75-8 of Laws of Manu and is alluded to here – “in a series”. at the beginning of the universe, emanating from the mind of  Journal name （201X）x-x the creator when he awakens from his deep sleep. [The philosophy and esotericism which were altogether abandoned process of creation of these elements, and their associated from the Judeo-Christian narrative as it looked to focus more characteristics, is delineated in passage 1.75-8 of Laws of not on incorporating various streams of thought and schools Manu and is alluded to here – “in a series”.] of (philosophical) belief but on excluding as many different We also see the inclusion of the analogy of the “cosmic interpretations and traditions as possible so as to avoid any egg” from which came forth the sky and the earth, a metaphor shadow of doubt with respect to how God was to be viewed which can be found in various Brahmanas (commentaries on and how his creation was to be perceived and even how one the Vedas transcribed in the first few centuries first was to live their life in concordance with the laws of the millennium BCE), and in the Chandogya Upanishad (3.19), Church. one of the earliest of the Upanishads (from the early part of So the Hindu creation mythology ascribes the source of the the first millennium BCE). In the Chandogya Upanishad, the universe to Brahma, a layer of anthropomorphic abstraction cosmic egg splits into golden and silver parts and from which between Brahman and the world of gods and men, who sits the sky and earth germinate respectively and a reference to atop of the creation and destruction of this known universe, this same “golden egg” can also be found in Rig Veda verse as and that in turn each known universe has its own creation, well (10.121), where the Sanskrit word Hiranyagarbha preservation and destruction process and this process repeats (Griffith 1896: Hymn CXXI, 10.121), literally the “golden itself ad infinitum through the ages. The Brahma of the womb” or “golden egg”, is used as an epithet of the Creator, Hindus is equivalent theologically to the Judeo-Christian or Brahma (See Witzel, 2012 pgs. 121-124 for a God. comprehensive look at the cosmic egg analogy in world With the Indo-Aryan tradition then, we find belief in a myth). single unified Creator God, Brahma, coupled with a robust We furthermore see in this rendition of creation the philosophical tradition - Vedanta - from which the social and emergence of the Gods, the Vedas themselves and the rituals ethical structure of society evolves from and sits upon (as which they describe and encode, the core elements of the exemplified with Manu’s Laws and ethical precepts), and we universe (ether, wind, light, water, earth), the celestial also have a rich mythical poetic narrative, that is coupled with elements of the universe, time itself, etc. all emerging from and compliments this deep philosophical system of thought this great creation process, as do the creation of all living no doubt capturing the imagination of Hindu’s from time beings and creatures on earth. Parallels here can be drawn immemorial. The cosmology embedded in the various directly with the order of creation in Genesis for example, scriptural texts, some of which we have looked at in detail while the segmentation into 7 days isn’t found but the basic here, captures essence and order of universal creation, the natural universal creation narrative follows a very similar line. establishment of different classes of society, the creation Finally at the end, and consistent with the purpose of the narrative from the basic primary elements of universal matter treatise as a whole, with some antecedents found in the Vedas to gods, sages, humans and all the way to the rest of life – themselves, we have a final attestation of the establishment of plants, animals, etc. right (dharma) from wrong (adharma), as well as the basic social structure, as the final piece of creation and the establishment of order, leading quote nicely into the text itself which now sits on the foundation of universal order, from References which the social order arises. Witzel, M. (2012). “The Origins of the World’s Mythologies”, Oxford University Press. Olivelle, P. (2005). “Manu’s Code of Law: A Critical Edition 6. Summary: Vedic Cosmology, a and Translation of the Manava-Dharmasastra”, Oxford Distinctive Approach University Press. Macdonell, A.A., Oldenberg, H., Muller, M. (2014). “The Golden Book of the Holy Vedas”, Vijay Goel. So what we see in the Vedic-Hindu creation mythological Wilson, H.H. (2005). "The Visnu-Puranam: A System of narrative then, and what distinguishes it from the Hindu Mythology and Tradition", Parimal Publications. Judeo-Christian tradition (again within which we place Islam) Valdez, J. (2014). “Snow Cone Diaries: A Philosopher’s is a strong philosophical and analytical bent that goes back to Guide to the Information Age”, Authorhouse LLC. the roots of the very scriptural tradition itself. This unbroken Griffith, R. (1896). “The Hymns of the Rig Veda”. tradition, which starts with the pre-historical Indo-Aryans as reflected in the Vedas, and then passes through the Upanishadic phase which further codifies and elaborates on the philosophical and ritualistic tradition that we find in the Vedas and then moves to a more classic Western epic poetry phase which involves the pre-eminence of Gods and heroes – the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas – includes not just what we would consider to be the classic theological components of a religion in today’s modern parlance – the classic creation story/myth - but also an underlying thread of