Hiranyagarbha
Hiraṇyagarbha (Sanskrit: हिरणà¥à¤¯à¤—रà¥à¤à¤ƒ ; literally the 'golden womb' or 'golden egg', poetically rendered in translation as 'universal germ') is the source of the creation of the universe or the manifested cosmos in Hindu philosophy.[1] It finds mention in one hymn of the Ṛgveda (RV 10.121), known as the Hiraṇyagarbha SÅ«kta, suggesting a single creator deity (verse 8: yo deveá¹£v Ädhi devÄ eka ÄsÄ«t, Griffith: "He is the God of gods, and none beside him."), identified in the hymn as PrajÄpati. The concept of the "golden womb" is again mentioned in the Vishvakarman SÅ«kta (RV 10.82).
The Upanishad calls it the Soul of the Universe or Brahman,[2] and elaborates that Hiraṇyagarbha floated around in emptiness and the darkness of the non-existence for about a year, and then broke into two halves which formed the Svarga and the Pṛthvi.
In classical PurÄṇic Hinduism, Hiraṇyagarbha is the term used in the Vedanta for the "creator". Hiraṇyagarbha is also a name of BrahmÄ, so called because he was born from a golden egg (Manu Smá¹›ti 1.9), while the MahÄbhÄrata calls it the Manifest.[3]
Hiraṇyagarbha is also a sacrifice, where it is known as Hiraṇyagarbha Yagna. This sacrifice was performed by the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, Dantidurga, to confer Kshatriyahood on himself, as he was not born a Kshatriya, and in olden days, the Caste System in India was very prevalent and he was not accepted by the people as their King, until he conferred Kshatriyahood upon himself.
Some classical yoga traditions consider Hiraṇyagarbha as the originator of yoga, though this may also be a name for Rishi Kapila.[4][5]
Creation
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Matsya PurÄṇa (2.25-30) gives an account of initial creation. After MahÄprÄlaya, the great dissolution of the Universe, there was darkness everywhere. Everything was in a state of sleep. There was nothing, either moving or static. Then Svayambhu, Self-manifested Being arose, which is a form beyond senses. It created the primordial waters first and established the seed of creation into it. The seed turned into a golden womb, Hiraṇyagarbha. Then Svayambhu entered in the egg.
The NÄrÄyaṇa SÅ«kta exclaims that everything that is, visible or invisible, all this is pervaded by NÄrÄyaṇa within and without.
The Īśvara Upaniṣad says that the universe is pervaded by Īśvara (God), who is both within and without it. He is the moving and the unmoving, He is far and near, He is within all these and without all these.
The VedÄnta SÅ«tra further states that Brahman is That from Whom this Universe proceeds, in Whom it subsists, and to Whom, in the end, it returns.
The Saṃkhya school holds that there are only two primary principles, Puruá¹£a and PrÄká¹›ti, and creation is only a manifestation or evolution of the constituents of PrÄká¹›ti due to the action of Puruá¹£a's Consciousness.
The Bhagavata states that NÄrÄyaṇa alone was in the beginning, who was the pious of principles of creation, sustenance, and dissolution (also known as the Hindu Trinity of BrahmÄ, Viṣṇu and Shiva) - the Supreme Hari, multi-headed, multi-eyed, multi-footed, multi-armed, multi-limbed. This was the Supreme Seed of all creation, subtler than the subtlest, greater than the greatest, larger than the largest, and more magnificent than even the best of all things, more powerful, than even the wind and all the gods, more resplendent than the Sun and the Moon, and more internal than even the mind and the intellect. He is the Creator, the Supreme. The term can also mean as He who, having become first the Creator, has come to be considered as the womb of all objects.
Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta
The Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta of the Ṛkveda declares that God manifested Himself in the beginning as the Creator of the Universe, encompassing all things, including everything within Himself, the collective totality, as it were, of the whole of creation, animating it as the Supreme Intelligence.
Sanskrit Verse
हिरणà¥à¤¯à¤—रà¥à¤à¤ƒ समवरà¥à¤¤à¤¤à¤¾à¤—à¥à¤°à¥‡ à¤à¥‚तसà¥à¤¯ जातः पतिरेकासीत ।
स दाधार पृथà¥à¤µà¥€à¤‚ धà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤®à¤¾à¤‚ कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatÄgre bhÅ«tasya jÄtaḥ patirekÄsÄ«ta |
sa dÄdhÄra pá¹›thvīṃ dhyÄmutemÄṃ kasmai devÄyahaviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
य आतà¥à¤®à¤¦à¤¾ बलदा यसà¥à¤¯ विशà¥à¤µ उपासते पà¥à¤°à¤¶à¤¿à¤·à¤‚ यसà¥à¤¯à¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¤¾à¤ƒ ।
यसà¥à¤¯ छायामृतं यसà¥à¤¯ मरà¥à¤¤à¥à¤¯à¥à¤ƒ कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
ya ÄtmadÄ baladÄ yasya viÅ›va upÄsate praÅ›iá¹£aṃ yasyadevÄḥ |
yasya chÄyÄmá¹›taṃ yasya martyuḥ kasmai devÄyahaviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
यः पà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤£à¤¤à¥‹ निमिषतो महितà¥à¤µà¥ˆà¤• इदà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤œà¤¾ जगतो बà¤à¥‚व ।
य ईशे असà¥à¤¯ दà¥à¤µà¤¿à¤ªà¤¦à¤¶à¥à¤šà¤¤à¥à¤·à¥à¤ªà¤¦à¤ƒ कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥
yaḥ prÄṇato nimiá¹£ato mahitvaika idrÄjÄ jagato babhÅ«va |
ya īśe asya dvipadaÅ›catuá¹£padaḥ kasmai devÄya haviá¹£Ävidhema ||
यसà¥à¤¯à¥‡à¤®à¥‡ हिमवनà¥à¤¤à¥‹ महितà¥à¤µà¤¾ यसà¥à¤¯ समà¥à¤¦à¥à¤°à¤‚ रसया सहाहà¥à¤ƒ ।
यसà¥à¤¯à¥‡à¤®à¤¾à¤ƒ परदिशो यसà¥à¤¯ बाहू कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥
yasyeme himavanto mahitvÄ yasya samudraṃ rasayÄ sahÄhuḥ |
yasyemÄḥ paradiÅ›o yasya bÄhÅ« kasmai devÄya haviá¹£Ävidhema ||
येन दयौरà¥à¤—à¥à¤°à¤¾ परà¥à¤¥à¤¿à¤µà¥€ च दरà¥à¤³à¥à¤¹à¤¾ येन सव सतà¤à¤¿à¤¤à¤‚ येननाकः ।
यो अनà¥à¤¤à¤°à¤¿à¤•à¥à¤·à¥‡ रजसो विमानः कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
yena dayaurugrÄ parthivÄ« ca darḻhÄ yena sava satabhitaṃ yenanÄkaḥ |
yo antariká¹£e rajaso vimÄnaḥ kasmai devÄyahaviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
यं करनà¥à¤¦à¤¸à¥€ अवसा तसà¥à¤¤à¤à¤¾à¤¨à¥‡ अà¤à¥à¤¯à¥ˆà¤•à¥à¤·à¥‡à¤¤à¤¾à¤‚ मनसारेजमाने ।
यतà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤§à¤¿ सूर उदितो विà¤à¤¾à¤¤à¤¿ कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
yaṃ karandasÄ« avasÄ tastabhÄne abhyaiká¹£etÄṃ manasÄrejamÄne |
yatrÄdhi sÅ«ra udito vibhÄti kasmai devÄyahaviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
आपो ह यद बरà¥à¤¹à¤¤à¥€à¤°à¥à¤µà¤¿à¤¶à¥à¤µà¤®à¤¾à¤¯à¤¨ गरà¥à¤à¤‚ दधानाजनयनà¥à¤¤à¥€à¤°à¤—à¥à¤¨à¤¿à¤® ।
ततो देवानां समवरà¥à¤¤à¤¤à¤¾à¤¸à¥à¤°à¥‡à¤•ःकसà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
Äpo ha yada barhatÄ«rviÅ›vamÄyana garbhaṃ dadhÄnÄjanayantÄ«ragnima |
tato devÄnÄṃ samavartatÄsurekaḥkasmai devÄya haviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
यशà¥à¤šà¤¿à¤¦à¤¾à¤ªà¥‹ महिना परà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¶à¥à¤¯à¤¦ दकà¥à¤·à¤‚ दधानाजनयनà¥à¤¤à¥€à¤°à¥à¤¯à¤œà¥à¤žà¤® ।
यो देवेषà¥à¤µà¤§à¤¿ देव à¤à¤• आसीत कसà¥à¤®à¥ˆà¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¤¾à¤¯ हविषा विधेम ॥
yaÅ›cidÄpo mahinÄ paryapaÅ›yada daká¹£aṃ dadhÄnÄjanayantÄ«ryajñama |
yo deveá¹£vadhi deva eka ÄsÄ«ta kasmaidevÄya haviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
मा नो हिंसीजà¥à¤œà¤¨à¤¿à¤¤à¤¾ यः परà¥à¤¥à¤¿à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤¾ यो वा दिवंसतà¥à¤¯à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®à¤¾ जजान ।
यशà¥à¤šà¤¾à¤ªà¤¶à¥à¤šà¤¨à¥à¤¦à¥à¤°à¤¾ बरà¥à¤¹à¤¤à¥€à¤°à¥à¤œà¤œà¤¾à¤¨à¤•सà¥à¤®à¥ˆ देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
mÄ no hiṃsÄ«jjanitÄ yaḥ parthivyÄ yo vÄ divaṃsatyadharmÄ jajÄna |
yaÅ›cÄpaÅ›candrÄ barhatÄ«rjajÄnakasmai devÄya haviá¹£Ä vidhema ||
परजापते न तवदेतानà¥à¤¯à¤¨à¥à¤¯à¥‹ विशà¥à¤µà¤¾ जातानि परि ताबà¤à¥‚व ।
यतà¥à¤•ामासà¥à¤¤à¥‡ जà¥à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¤¨ नो असà¥à¤¤à¥ वयं सयाम पतयोरयीणाम ॥
parajÄpate na tavadetÄnyanyo viÅ›vÄ jÄtÄni pari tÄbabhÅ«va |
yatkÄmÄste juhumastana no astu vayaṃ sayÄma patayorayīṇÄma ||
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ऋगà¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¦: सूकà¥à¤¤à¤‚ १०.१२१
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Translation in English
In the beginning was the Divinity in his splendour, manifested as the sole Lord of land, skies, water, space and that beneath and He upheld the earth and the heavens.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
It is that who bestows soul-force and vigor, whose guidance all men invoke, the Devas invoke whose shadow is immortal life and death.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
It is that who by His greatness became the One King of the breathing and the seeing, who is the Lord of man and bird and beast.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
It is that through whose glory the snow-clad mountains rose, and the ocean spread with the river, they say. His arms are the quarters of the sky.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings ?
It is that through whom the heaven is strong and the earth firm, who has steadied the light and the sky's vault, and measured out the sphere of clouds in the mid-region.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offering?
It is that to whom heaven and earth, placed in the light by his grace, look up, radiant with the mind while over them the sun, rising, brightly shines.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
When the mighty waters came, carrying the universal germ, producing the flame of life, then dwelt there in harmony the One Spirit of the Devas.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
It is that who in its might surveyed the waters, conferring skill and creating worship - That, the God of gods, the One and only One.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
Mother of the world - may that not destroy us who with Truth as his Law made the heavens and produced waters, vast and beautiful.
Who is the deity we shall worship with our offerings?
Lord of creation! No one other than thee pervades all these that have come into being.
May that be ours, for which our prayers rise, may we be masters of many treasures!
-- (RV 10:121) Ralph T. H. Griffith
1. HIRANYAGARBHA was present at the beginning ;
when born, he was the sole lord of created beings; he
upheld this earth and heaven,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
2. (To him) who is the giver of soul, the giver of strength, Whose commands all (beings), even the gods obey, Whose shadow is immortality, whose (shadow) is death,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
3. (To him) who, by his greatness, has verily become the sole king of the breathing and seeing world, who rules over this aggregate of two-footed and four-footed beings,-
let us offer Worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
4. Through whose greatness these snow-clad (moun- tains exist), whose property men call the ocean with the rivers, whose are these quarters of space, whose are the two arms,
--let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
5. By whom the sky was made profound and the earth solid, by Whom heaven and the solar sphere were fixed, who was the measure of the water in the firmament,-
let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
6. Whom heaven and earth established by his pro- tection, and, shining brightly, regarded with their mind, in whom the risen sun shines forth,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
7. When the vast waters overspread the universe containing the germ and giving birth to AGNI, then was produced the one breath of the gods,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
8. He who by his might beheld the waters all around containing the creative power and giving birth to sacrifice, he who among the gods was the one supreme god,-
let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
9. May he do us no harm who is the parent of the -earth, or who the unerring support (of the world) begat the heaven, and who generated the vast and delightful waters,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine KA.
10. No other than thou, PRAJAPATI, hast given existence to all these beings ; may that object of our desires for which we sacrifice to thee be ours, may we be the possessors of riches.
- [H. H. Wilson]
See also
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Cosmic egg (world egg)
- Golden egg
- Hindu views on monotheism
- List of suktas and stutis
- Purusha Sukta (RV, 10:90), Nasadiya Sukta (RV, 10:129), Narayana sukta
- Chinese alchemy
- Elixir of life
- Amrita
Citations
- ↑ Hiranyagarbha britannica.com.
- ↑ The Philosophy of the Upanishads, by Paul Deussen, Alfred Shenington Geden. Published by T. & T. Clark, 1906. Page 198.
- ↑ The MahÄbhÄrata, Book 12: Santi Parva. Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr. Section CCCIII The Mahabharata.
- ↑ Feuerstein, Georg (2001). The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice. Arizona, USA: Hohm Press. p. Kindle Locations 7299–7300. ISBN 978-1890772185.
- ↑ Aranya, Swami Hariharananda (2000). "Introduction". Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali with Bhasvati. Calcutta, India: University of Calcutta. p. xxiii-xxiv. ISBN 81-87594-00-4.
References
- Hiranyagarbha by Rekha Dwivedi. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 8188140198.
- The Philosophy of the Upanishads and Ancient Indian Metaphysics: As Exhibited in a Series of Articles Contributed to the Calcutta Review by Archibald Edward Gough. Published by Trübner & Co., 1882. p. 164.
- The Original Teachings of Yoga: From Patanjali Back to Hiranyagarbha by David Frawley.
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