The Supreme Entity is one without a second. At that stage that Entity does not create anything. The flow of creation starts when Nirguńa Brahma [Non-Qualified, or Non-Attributional, Supreme Entity] becomes Saguńa [Attributional Supreme Entity]; and Prakrti [Operative Principle], which starts the creative flow, does not get the opportunity of unfolding Her creative faculty by Herself.

Puruśa is the material cause on the basis of which Prakrti is creating the numerous entities. So when Brahma or His Prakrti is continuing the creation along the processes of saiṋcara and pratisaiṋcara,⁽¹⁾ that is the liilábháva of Parama Puruśa. One Puruśa becomes many. The quinquelemental universe with its innumerable entities with their varied shapes and sizes, forms and colours, has come into existence due to His liilábháva. (The word liilá means that the purpose of the game is not known, whereas the game whose purpose is known is kriidá. The term liilá is used in the case of the divine game only.) In nityabháva, this varied expression is conspicuously absent. There Puruśa remains in His original stance, original rank, even though He is the source of this entire creation.

The sádhaka who looks at this expressed universe from the absolute point of view will see that all the five fundamental factors, the sky and the earth, the sun and the moon, have all vanished into nothingness; everything has merged into the Non-Attributional Entity. Ekohaḿ Sad vipráh bahudhá vadanti – “He is one, [intellectuals] describe Him variously.” When the same sádhaka (being associated with Puruśottama [Nucleus Consciousness]) looks at this universe, he sees the universe with men and things and the various movements and actions. He will see different pictures at different angles, although he will look at the same thing from the same place. In the first case, he will see that Saguńa Brahma, Puruśottama, Bhagaván and the universe are all non-existent, there being only one Supreme Entity – infinite, without any beginning or end, all-pervading – only Nirguńa Brahma. He is in His original rank – nityabháva. In the second case, he sees the universe with people and other living and non-living beings. He sees the universe, with all the varied and kaleidoscopic creation. Which of the two is better is difficult to say because without both of these aspects, it is not possible to realize the madhura bháva [sweet stance] of Parama Puruśa.

Footnotes

(1) In the Cosmic Cycle, respectively, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter; and the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to Nucleus Consciousness. –Eds.