THE MANY

WHEN Ishvara shines out on Prakriti and makes it fall into shapes, the first Forms that
appear are those of the त्रिमूर्तिः Trimûrtih, the three Aspects of Ishvara, manifested to cause
a ब्रह्माण्ड Brahmândam, literally an Egg of Brahma, a universe, or orderly system of
worlds. The aspect of Ishvara in which He creates the worlds is named Brahma; Brahma is
the Creator. The aspect of Ishvara in which He preserves, takes care of, and maintains the
worlds is named Vishnu; Vishnu is the Preserver. The aspect of Ishvara in which He
dissolves the worlds, when they are worn out and of no further use, is named Shiva, or
Mahadeva; Shiva is the Dissolver of the worlds. These are the first manifestations of
Îshvara, His Supreme Forms, His three Aspects, or Faces. The ONE, the Saguna Brahman,
or the Supreme Ishvara, appears as Three.

Brahma, the Creator, shapes matter into seven तत्त्वानि Tattváni, Elements, as they have
been called.* Different names are given to the first two; we may use the names Mahat-
Buddhi, Pure Reason, and Ahamkara, Egoism, the principle of separation, breaking up
matter into tiny particles, called atoms. Then come the remaining five Tattvas: Akasha,
Ether; Vayu, Air; Agni, Fire; Apa, Water; Prithivi, Earth. This is called the creation of the
भूतादि Bhútadi, Elements, and out of these all things are partly made. There is more of
Tamo-guna than of Rajo-guna and of Sattva-guna showing itself in these elements, and so
the things composed chiefly of them are dull and inert; the inner life, the Jiva, cannot show
its powers, for the coat of matter is so thick and heavy.

Next after the Elements, the ten Indriyas are created; these were at first only ideas in the
mind of Brahma, and later were clothed in the Elements; they are the five centres of the
senses: smell, taste, sight, touch, hearing, the organs of which are the nose, tongue, eyes,
skin and ears; and the five centres of action, the organs of which are hands, feet, and those
of speech, generation and excretion. There is more of Rajo-guna than of Tamo-guna and of
Sattva-guna shewing itself in these Indriyas, so they are very active, and the inner life, the
Jiva, can show more of its powers in them.

After the Indriyas, Brahma created in His mind the Devas who are connected with the
senses, and also Manah, the mind, which is some-times called the sixth Indriya, when the
first five are spoken of, and the eleventh, when the ten are taken: because it draws into
itself and arranges and thinks over all the sensations collected by the Indriyas from the
outer world. There is more of Sattva-guna than of Tamo-guna and of Rajo-guna showing
itself in these Deities and Manah.