Text 17: The fifth creation is that of the controlling deities by the interaction of the mode of goodness, of which the mind is the sum total. The sixth creation is the ignorant darkness of the living entity, by which the master acts as a fool.
Text 18: All the above are natural creations by the external energy of the Lord. Now hear from me about the creations by Brahmā, who is an incarnation of the mode of passion and who, in the matter of creation, has a brain like that of the Personality of Godhead.
Text 19: The seventh creation is that of the immovable entities, which are of six kinds: the fruit trees without flowers, trees and plants which exist until the fruit is ripe, creepers, pipe plants, creepers which have no support, and trees with flowers and fruits.
Text 20: All the immovable trees and plants seek their subsistence upwards. They are almost unconscious but have feelings of pain within. They are manifested in variegatedness.
Śrīdhara Svāmi-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Vyākhyā
The sixth is tamas, the five-fold avidyā. It creates ignorance, concealment and distraction for living beings. Listen to that from me. [17]
He speaks of listening without agitation. The intelligence that removes samsara is Hari's play. Or this is the creation of tamas etc., for those with rajas, meaning in the form of Brahmā. In this view, abuddhikṛta is in the nominative case, meaning "created by inattention". The primary creation is first, like the face. Of the stationary beings.
He describes the six types: Those that fruit without flowers are vana and vanaspati. Oṣadhi end with the ripening of fruit. Climbing plants like bamboo need support. Vīrudh are hard and do not need support to climb. Those that fruit with flowers are druma. Their common characteristic is described - their nutrient flow is upwards. They are mostly in tamas, with unmanifest consciousness, and only have inner touch sensation, not external. They have many distinctions with fixed transformations. [18-19]
He describes the creation of horizontal-moving beings: It is twenty-eight fold. The characteristics of animals are: they lack knowledge of tomorrow etc., are full of tamas, focused only on food knowledge, know desired objects only by smell, lack understanding in the heart, and lack long-term memory. As the śruti says: "For other animals, there is knowledge only of hunger and thirst. They do not speak of what they know, do not see what they know, do not know tomorrow, nor heaven and hell." [20]
Śrī Vaṃśīdhara-kṛtā Bhāvārtha-dīpikā Prakāśa Vyākhyā
He describes the creation of avidyā: "Tamas, moha, mahāmoha, tāmisra, and andhasaṁjñaka - this five-fold avidyā was manifested by the great soul" as stated in the Vaiṣṇava text. Or it means the Lord's power of illusion called vidyā that deludes jīvas. The vocative case may indicate absence of control by avidyā. O king or Vidura. Created by the sage means: Māyā has three functions - pradhāna, avidyā and vidyā. By pradhāna, the tattvas from mahat to pṛthivī were created as real, forming the gross and subtle bodies of jīvas. By the second avidyā that deludes jīvas, the five-fold tamas of avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa and abhiniveśa was created as unreal. Thus the world of real and unreal was created by pradhāna avidyā. By the third vidyā, knowledge that removes the five-fold ignorance was created, which will be explained later. These six prākṛta were known from prakṛti or māyāśakti. Vikṛti is the collective virāṭ Brahmā. Those born from him will be described. [17]
If asked why Hari's play is described instead of the relevant creation, he says - This is the play. This refers to creation in general. If objected that this avidyā creation is not suitable as play for the sāttvika Hari, he says - Or. Meaning of Brahmā in the form of rajas. In this Brahmā view, it means - Carelessness is inattention, as per the lexicon. Rajas causing carelessness is well-known. That will be stated in the 10th canto: "Therefore forgive me, O infallible one, for my rajas-born ignorance in thinking myself separate from you, the Lord." In this view, harimedhasa means one whose intelligence is in Hari or whose intelligence is like Hari. Or it means one whose intelligence shines brilliantly like the sun-fire Hari, as per another lexicon. As the face is produced first in body formation, similarly. Or its primacy is due to selfless benefit of others, as Kṛṣṇa himself will say in the 10th canto: "Ah, their birth is indeed the best, as all beings live on them. Like good people, they do not turn away those who come to them in need." Caya means collection. In some kalpa, from Hari's mouth in dissolution state, a water drop fell and became the Āmardakī tree. From that he created Brahmā, who created gods, demons, humans and all stationary beings. They all asked Brahmā what this was. He said this is the primal sprout, the nurse of us all called Dhātrī tree, as stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa section on the 11th of bright Phālguna. The sentences are not quoted here to avoid elaboration. Hence the primacy of the stationary collection. [18]
Vanaspati are like aśvattha etc. Oṣadhi are like rice etc. Latā are like nāgavallī etc., whose essence is in the bark. Ādi includes reeds etc. Vīrudh are like pumpkin etc. Druma are like mango etc. The six have this in common. The word prāyaḥ excludes wish-fulfilling trees etc. Or as the Mahābhārata says trees have all knowledge - "Therefore trees see" etc. And due to hearing the dialogue between wind and trees, the word prāyaḥ is used. This agrees with Tīrthakṛt's explanation of mostly ignorant. But Svāmī explains it as unmanifest consciousness. Actually consciousness is knowledge itself, so they do not know anything other than touch, to avoid contradiction with the Mahābhārata statement. So the word sparśa should be explained as referring to knowledge, meaning they have inner knowledge. Ādi in pariṇāmādi includes growth, decline etc. [19]
Here aṣṭāviṁśad is shortened by dropping ta and i for metrical reasons. Some read aṣṭāviṁśatidhā mataḥ. He cites evidence for animals lacking long-term memory: The śruti means: Of others i.e. non-humans, śvastana is tomorrow's tasks, lokāloka are light and darkness or heaven and hell. Or bhūritamasaḥ means of many forms. They know (vidanti) what is pleasing (hṛdyam) in their heart, meaning they grasp objects for food, sleep etc. [20]
Śrī Rādhā Ramaṇa dāsa Gosvāmi Viracitā Dīpanī Vyākhyā
Prākṛta means "Prakṛti is the premise, as seen from examples" as per Nyāya 1.4.23. Prakṛti is the material cause of all, Īśvara. Vikṛti born from that is the collective Virāṭ Brahmā. In the view of Bhagavān, rajobhājaḥ means by proximity to that which assists it. In the first meaning, the demonstrative idam cannot refer to something remote, so alternatively yadvā includes the primary creation etc. to be described. Of Brahmā's form - in this view it means "whose intelligence is in Hari". [17-18]
Saptama makes it one and a half. Ādi in pariṇāmādi includes fruits, flowers etc. [19]
Itareṣām means other than humans, indicating humans become animals if lacking that knowledge. vijñātam means considered object. aśanāyāpipāse is a dvandva compound treated as singular. lokāloka means light and darkness or heaven and hell. [20]
Śrīmad Vīrarāghava Vyākhyā
The sixth is tamasaḥ. Tamas refers to the egg-like sphere of prakṛti, as in passages like "Beyond darkness (tamasaḥ parastāt)" where the word tamas denotes the sphere of prakṛti. The creation related to that is the sixth tamasic creation. It specifies that as abuddhikṛtaḥ prabhoḥ. It means created not by the intellect of the Lord Brahmā, but by the will of the inner controller Supreme Self. Describing the tamasic creation as not created by intellect also implies the same for the previous creations. Since all six creations preceded Brahmā's creation, they were not preceded by Brahmā's intellect. Reading "ṣaṣṭhastu tamasaḥ sargaḥ" and interpreting it as "the sixth creation of the five-fold tamas that creates non-intelligence which is the covering and distraction for living beings" is incorrect. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, the creation of immobile beings etc. is seen as not created by Brahmā's intellect, so here too it should be understood similarly as not created by Brahmā's intellect.
If it is asked - in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa only the creation of immobile beings etc. is said to be without prior intellect, but here how are all six prakṛtic creations said to be without intellect? The answer is - "sādhakā manuṣyāḥ" (human beings are the strivers). Paraśara's intention is that the creation of beings other than humans is without prior intellect. Vyāsa's intention is that since immobile beings and animals are useful for sacrifices, and gods are worshipped through rituals, their creation is also with prior intellect like humans, as they are useful for sacrifices. So there is no contradiction.
If it is asked - how can both being created by Brahmā and not being created by his intellect be reconciled for immobile beings among Brahmā's creations? The answer is - Paraśara's statement refers to immobile beings not useful for sacrifices. Even though Brahmā had no desire to create immobile beings not useful for natural sacrifices, their creation is possible just by the will of the inner controller Supreme Self.
Concluding the prakṛtic creations, he introduces the division of vaikṛta creations: These six prakṛtic creations have been enumerated (iti śeṣaḥ). Listen to the vaikṛta creations I will now enumerate from me. (17)
Anticipating the doubt that Brahmā would be fatigued by creating such diverse wonderful creations, the sage says: rajobhājaḥ. Since he has the body of four-faced Brahmā, rajobhājaḥ means predominant in rajas quality. Harimedhasa means one whose intellect (medhā) removes (harati) worldly afflictions. Or harimedhā means that which removes worldly afflictions when meditated upon. This creation is a play (līlā) for that Hari, not a source of fatigue.
About to enumerate the vaikṛta creations, he states that the creation of immobile beings is the seventh compared to the previously enumerated prakṛtic creations: The main creation of immobile beings (tasthuṣām) is the seventh, and it is sixfold. Its being "main" should be understood as being created first like the face. (18)
He describes the sixfold nature of immobile beings: Vanaspati are fruit-bearing trees without flowers. Oṣadhi are plants that end with the ripening of fruit. Latā are creepers that need support to climb. Tvaksāra are plants like banana and bamboo with essence in the bark. Vīrudh are shrub-like plants. Druma are trees with flowers and fruits.
He states their common characteristics: Utsrota means devoid of movement or nourishment. Tamaḥprāya means with unmanifest consciousness. Antaḥsparśāviśeṣiṇa is one compound meaning they have internal sensations of cold, heat etc. that cause pleasure and pain, but are not aware of external distinctions. They are aware only of internal sensations, not external ones. (19)
Stating that the creation of animals is eighth, he describes its 28-fold nature: The creation of animals (tiryak) that move horizontally is the eighth, and is known to be of 28 types.
He states their common characteristics: Avida means devoid of knowledge of past, present and future. Bhūritamasaḥ means predominantly in the mode of ignorance, focused only on food, sleep, mating and fear. Ghrāṇajñāḥ means they know desired objects only through smell, like "cows see through smell". Hṛdyavedinah means unaware of inner pleasures etc., without long-term memory. As the śruti says: "Other animals know only hunger and thirst. They speak but have no knowledge. They do not see the next day or the worlds beyond." (20)
Śrīmad Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha-kṛtā Pada Ratnāvalī Vyākhyā
The word "tu" is used in the sense of darkness or ignorance. Viṣṇu is in that (darkness). Intelligence and non-intelligence were created in him even before. Although always having intelligence of Viṣṇu, due to fear of becoming one's own intelligence by association with darkness, it is specifically said "intelligence in that alone". It is to indicate intelligence in that at all times. The word "tu" is used to indicate that ignorance was produced from Brahmā from the portion of darkness which is the tamasic part of beings. As it is said:
"As if without prior intelligence, from Brahmā's intelligence of Hari. Of tamasic beings, a thousand partaking of sattva. One-hundredth part of those with rajas, of those with tamas knowing all. The purely tamasic one, that is avidyā (ignorance) with five aspects."
From that body were born Kṛṣṇa, demons, rākṣasas, and piśācas.
Thus:
"Without prior intelligence, his tamas-filled manifestation appeared. Tamas, moha, mahāmoha, tāmisra, and the one called andha. This five-fold avidyā manifested from the great soul."
Thus in the Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa:
"The five-fold avidyā was from beings, by Hari long ago. Taken by me and cast into Brahmā, it was again emitted by him. To indicate its creation by him, therefore it is considered tamasic."
And thus, these six primordial creations have been told to you, is the remainder. After narrating the primordial creation, to prevent any other disconnection, he states the words of Parīkṣit have no scope, saying "vaikṛtāni" (modifications). || 17 ||
** What is the fruit of hearing about the primordial and modified creations? Anticipating this question, with the meaning that liberation itself is the fruit of hearing, as it is the play of the Lord, he says "rajobhāja" (partaker of rajas). Of him who has intelligence like the sun and fire, which promote the rajas quality for the purpose of creation, like Hari - meaning of him with brilliantly shining intelligence. This creation of Lord Nārāyaṇa is play, not for his own purpose, but for the liberation of suitable people, is the meaning. In reference to Brahmā, he whose intelligence is in Hari is thus. By this, the word "abuddhikṛta" (done without intelligence) is explained. Even for Brahmā, this creation is by the grace of Śrī Nārāyaṇa, not producing fatigue, but in the form of play - by this also, the contrary notion that it is fatigue-producing is refuted, as it is done without intelligence. At the beginning of creation, these qualities are primarily of Hari alone. As it is said:
"These qualities of Hari are always properly objects of independence."
The principal creation of stationary things is the seventh. And that is sixfold:
"By rule, from the stationary ones, the principal motion is obtained. Mostly due to benefiting others, their principal streaming nature."
Thus the principal streaming nature of stationary things is proper. || 18 ||
** He states the sixfold nature. Vanaspati (tree), etc. "Those which fruit without flowers are called vanaspati." Thus, jackfruit trees, etc. are vanaspati. Oṣadhi (herbs) are those ending with fruit ripening, like rice, etc. Latā (creepers) are those strong by dependence on others. Tvaksāra (bark-essenced) are bamboos, etc. Vīrudh are plants growing from stalks. Druma (trees) are mango trees, etc. What is called principal streaming by authoritative statement is indeed called utsrota. Why can't the meaning of utsrota be ūrdhvasrota (upward streaming)? It cannot be, as it is impossible. Thus, the upward-going gods partake only of liberation. As it is said:
"By rule, the upward-going gods partake only of liberation. Therefore they are declared to be ūrdhvasrota."
Then how will this meaning apply to the gods? It is said, the highest state is upwardness, that alone is the meaning of the word "ut" also. As it is said:
"Ūrdhva indeed means that which is declared to be highest. Therefore the gods alone are ūrdhvasrota, not beyond that."
The stationary things are denoted by this word as they are principal among the upward growing. As it is said: "The word ut is used even for mere highness, therefore it is said for stationary things." By this, another meaning of the word "principal" is shown. He states their nature: "tamaḥ prāyā" (mostly tamas). Mostly tamas means abundant in ignorance. The word "mostly" is to exclude wish-fulfilling trees, etc. Antaḥsparśā (inwardly touching) means having internal knowledge when touched. Viśoṣiṇaḥ (drying) means quickly drying when cut. || 19 ||
Of animals, the horizontally streaming.
"Neither down nor up, but horizontally, again birth there itself. Useful for sacrifice and benefiting the good, or even without that. Therefore they are called horizontally streaming by the wise."
By this, the horizontal streaming nature of animals is explained, should be known. He states the characteristics of animals. Avidaḥ (ignorant) means devoid of knowledge of what should and should not be done. Bhūritamasaḥ (greatly dark) means having ego and possessiveness only in the body. Or, devoid of knowledge in any subject other than food and sleep. Ghrāṇajñāḥ (nose-knowers) means they know only by smell. Hṛdayavedā (heart-knowers) means those whose knowledge is only in the heart. This is the common characteristic of both stationary things and animals. As it is said:
"Animals and stationary things are said to be inwardly touching. As the knowledge grasped by direct perception and inference, not from scripture, is in the heart."
It means they know only what is instinctively understood in the heart, not from scripture and reasoning. The promise of twenty-eight types is an overstatement, with the intention of specifically mentioning those useful in sacrifices. It is not improper, as it indicates that whatever is similar to something is included in it. As it is said:
"Twenty-eight types are specifically mentioned by knowers of scripture, as they are useful in sacrifices. Therefore that many types of animals are stated."
"But the principal types of animals are twenty-eight. Whatever else is similar to any of these is included in that. Snakes and insects, etc. are included among aquatic animals. As their bodies are predominantly made of water in every way."
Thus. || 20 ||
Śrīmaj Jīva Gosvāmi-kṛtā Krama Sandarbha Vyākhyā
Not in the presence of rajas, but not itself as its assistant in the form of Brahman, but as its conditioning factor - this is the meaning. In the commentary, "tama ādi" etc. By the word ādi, being the beginning of the main creation etc. is to be understood. "Anavadhānakṛta" means that due to Hari's independence of meditation, but for Brahman due to deviation from that - this is the meaning. || 18 || * * "Saptama" etc. is with a half. || 19-20 ||
Śrīmad Viśvanātha Cakravarti-kṛtā Sārārtha darśinī Vyākhyā
Vaikārika is related to the sāttvika ahaṅkāra. Creation of devas, the presiding deities of senses. Manmaya means creation of the mind as well, which is the fifth - this is the meaning. These five creations are called prādhānika. He states the creation based on avidyā. "Ṣaṣṭhas tu" - the word tu indicates a different beginning, the sixth creation is of tamas or ignorance, by the Lord's, the Supreme Lord's power called avidyā (ignorance) which deludes the jīva, created by it. This is the meaning - prakṛti, avidyā and vidyā are the three functions of māyā. Among those, by prakṛti, the tattvas from mahat to pṛthivī are created as real, by which indeed the gross and subtle conditioning factors of the jīva in collective and individual forms came into being. But by the second, avidyā, deluding the jīva, the fivefold ignorance consisting of avidyā, asmitā, rāga, dveṣa and abhiniveśa, which is unreal, is created in connection with the jīva. Thus, this world consisting of the real and unreal is created by prakṛti and avidyā. But by the third, vidyā, the knowledge which removes the fivefold ignorance is created. That will be explained in detail later. || 17 || * * These six born from prakṛti, the power of māyā, hence called prākṛta, vikṛti is the collective virāṭ Brahmā, those to be mentioned as born from him as well, from me, are vaikṛta - he explains this: "rajobhājo brahmarūpasya harir medhāyāṃ yasya tasya" || 18 || * * Of the world consisting of immobile and mobile beings, due to the primacy of the immobile ones, mukhe means in the beginning, mukhya means primary, of the immobile ones, trees bearing fruit without flowers are vanaspati; oṣadhi are those ending with the ripening of fruit; latā are those requiring support to climb; tvaḳsāra are bamboo etc.; latā themselves when not requiring support for climbing due to hardness are vīrudh; those ending with flowers only; druma are trees, their common characteristics are stated - those whose nutrient flow is upwards, mostly in tamas, with unexpressed consciousness, feeling only inside, experiencing pain only through internal cutting. Viśeṣiṇaḥ means having many differences like unstable transformations etc. || 19 || Of the tiryak (horizontal) flowing ones. Avidaḥ means devoid of knowledge of tomorrow etc. Bhūritamasaḥ means fixated only on food etc. Ghrāṇajñāḥ means they know desired objects only through smell, hṛdi avedinah means devoid of long-term memory, with little reflection. Thus the śruti says: "Now of the other animals, they say there is only the knowledge of hunger and thirst. They do not speak of the known, they do not see the known, they do not know of tomorrow, nor of this world and the other." Bhūritamaso bahurūṣaḥ. They know only through smell, they find only their favorite thing in relation to the heart, they grasp only for the purpose of food, sleep etc. || 20 ||
Śrīmac Chukadeva-kṛta Siddhānta Pradīpaḥ
Abuddhikṛtaḥ means that which makes abuddhi, ignorance which is the cause of inclination towards saṃsāra, of that tamas which is the effect of prakṛti, meaning the brahmāṇḍa. The sixth creation. Some say the creation of andhatamasra etc. to be mentioned is the sixth, but that is to be considered, as that is included in the vaikṛta creation as indicative of the nature of the jīva being created deluded by ignorance. || 17 || * * Whose medhā (intelligence) removes saṃsāra, of that Hari, Viṣṇu, how - rajobhājaḥ means the inner controller of the four-faced one associated with the rajoguṇa, meaning whatever creation of immobile beings etc. is done even by the four-faced one etc. is also the Lord's play - with this intention he says "tasthūṣāṃ" - of the immobile ones, which creation is the seventh, how - mukham iva mukhyaḥ means done first. And that is of six types. || 18 || * * He shows the six types. Vanaspati etc. Trees bearing fruit without flowers are vanaspati, those ending with the ripening of fruit are oṣadhi, those requiring support to climb are latā, bamboo etc. are tvaḳsāra, latā themselves not requiring support to climb, somewhat hard are vīrudh. Trees with flowers and fruits are druma. He shows their common characteristics - those whose nutrient flow is upwards, mostly in tamas, with hidden consciousness, feeling only inside, viśeṣiṇaḥ means having many subsidiary differences. || 19 || * * Of the horizontally moving ones, the eighth, that is of twenty-eight types, he states their common characteristics. Avidaḥ means devoid of knowledge of tomorrow, the present day etc. Bhūritamasaḥ means fixated only on food etc. Ghrāṇajñāḥ means they know something as liked or disliked only through smell, hṛdyavedinah means devoid of discrimination of duty and non-duty in the heart. Thus the śruti says: "Now of the other animals, there is only the cognition of hunger and thirst, they do not speak of the known, they do not see the known, they do not know of tomorrow, nor of this world and the other." || 20 ||
Śrīmad Vallabhācārya Viracitā Subodhinī Vyākhyā
He says the fifth - vaikārika iti. Vaikārika is the sāttvika creation of devas. Here in the creation of devas, there is origination in essence. Due to being beyond the senses and not being practical, there is no duality, so there is no exclusion of alternatives. Just as the organs of knowledge are required for action, so is the inspiration of deities, because without that there would be no grasping. By being vaikārika there is threefoldness, and due to being divine there is the nature of intellect. Now what is the function of these devas? Thinking that inspiration is accomplished by the indwelling self and the individual soul, he says - yanmayaṃ mana iti. The mind is abundant in the fifth creation. Even when the senses are present, without the mind there is no arising of knowledge and action, as expressed in "I did not hear, being absent-minded". Indeed, just as a king cannot fully control without regulation of those of the same class, so the conscious self alone cannot. Therefore, just as the mind is the general controller, so are the deities of the senses. And there is unity due to being vaikārika. Being vaikārika is the earlier form, being the inspirer is the later form. He states the sixth - ṣaṣṭhas tv iti. Thinking that the Lord cannot be grasped by the senses, he considers ignorance to be the inner form of origination. That is purely tāmasa. Among avidyā, prakṛti and māyā, because the first relates to prakṛti objects, it or its effects are grasped by prakṛti beings. Therefore, for the purpose of grasping, the sixth tāmasa creation is the object. If objecthood were merely by being tāmasa, the creation of elements would also be so, therefore to exclude that, the word tu is used after yaḥ. Abuddhikṛtaḥ means caused by ignorance. Now doesn't ignorance produce something unreal like silver on a pearl-oyster shell, so how can that be a creation? Thinking this, he says - vibhor iti. Of the capable one. He is able to manifest even the real through the mode of knowledge, so even though this grasped object is produced by ignorance, it is a creation. || 17 ||
Thus he concludes the six creations described in the material mode - ṣaḍ ime prākṛtāḥ sargā iti. If one did not make this division, from the use of "seventh" etc., all would become of one kind. Having thus concluded the natural ones, one should carefully know the differences in the evolutes - vaikṛtān apīti. The evolute which is the effect of the natural, being described along with the natural, would not have a difference or nature established. Therefore he says "listen from me". These differences are fit to be heard only from me, others do not know - this is the idea. So "listen" is said to prevent distraction. Now these natural and evolute ones are worldly, how should they be heard by devotees of the Lord? Thinking this, he says - rajobhājo bhagavata iti. When the Lord takes on the quality of rajas for creation, or the seed-giving rajas for desire, then he performs this play. Therefore, being the Lord's play, the creations should indeed be heard. Now not all of the Lord's play should be heard, as per the maxim "as much water as needed from a well", only the play useful to oneself should be served - thinking this, he says - harimedha iti. Hari means remover of all sorrow, medhā means intellect. Any understanding related to the Lord is indeed the remover of all sorrow, therefore any play of the Lord should be heard. Moreover, the fixed understanding of objects is to be understood here as related to the Lord. Therefore, plays in the form of measures, being related to time, are naturally destructive compared to other plays, and to remove that defect they must necessarily be known as belonging to the Lord. With this intention the word medhaḥ is used. Just as the word medhā means intellect, so does the word medhas with the as suffix. || 18 ||
Therefore, having established that it should be heard, he explains the first of the evolutes - saptama iti. Among the evolutes, what occurs in the mouth is primary. Food is first created, then the eaters of food afterwards. Otherwise, an obstruction will be stated later in another procedure. || 1 || Therefore, what occurs in the mouth is conceived only as edible food, arranged first as useful for sustaining all beings. The first is sixfold along with the mind and organs of action. Just as they do not disappear even when being eaten, so it is said "of the stationary ones". The sixfold creation which is of the stationary beings alone is to be understood here, indicated by the word yaḥ, not that which becomes stationary after being born as mobile, as that is not the Lord's play. From ca, they too are described and accepted according to scripture, or milk etc. are included by ca. Vanaspati means trees like the aśvattha. Trees are mentioned first, as Viṣṇu is primary in protection, being Vaiṣṇava, as per the śruti "Trees are indeed Vaiṣṇava". Vanaspati means trees without flowers but with fruits, Vaiṣṇavas without rajas but with fruits. Oṣadhi means rice, barley etc. which end when the fruit ripens, as they become the main food. Latā means creepers like pumpkin, in the form of fat as vegetables. Tvaksāra means bamboo, as the essence of food; bamboo and barley are food, and bamboo has many uses. Vīrudha means soma etc., and grasses etc. They too have both forms. Druma means trees with fruits and flowers like mango. By these six types being eaten, the eaters become well-established. || 19 ||
Now by what quality do these six types have unity as one creation? Thinking this, he indicates those qualities - utsrota iti. These indeed are to be stated as creations in the form of elements etc. They too are described by four characteristics. Those whose food moves upwards - for them, consumed water etc. goes upwards. By this, elementhood is described, or the opposite. Indeed action is to be understood as intellect, so their intellect is described as "they are plants". Tamaḥprāyāḥ means absence of knowledge, ignorance is established there itself. To exclude the word prāyaḥ, stating objecthood he describes - antaḥsparśā iti. They grasp only inner touch, they do not have knowledge of other objects - this is the meaning. But in the Mahābhārata, all senses are established for trees, and all knowledge refers to their presiding deities, but for those with ego there is only touch. And they are not restricted to measurements like hand-span etc., or they lack special designations. || 20 ||
Śrīmad Gosvāmi Śrī Puruṣottama Caraṇa Viracitaḥ Śrī Subodhinī Prakāśaḥ
Regarding "vaikārika". Due to the word "tu" being mentioned earlier and not here, they say the following - atīndriya etc. Due to absence of duality. Because the distinction in nature is not required for producing effects, there is no duality in that. Now, to address the question of what is the purpose of the creation of devas, they say - yathā etc. Just as the jñānendriyas (sense organs) are required for action even though the karmendriyas (organs of action) perform actions, similarly the inspiration of deities is required as a support even though the jñānendriyas produce knowledge, and by the same logic it is required for action as well. Here they state the form that causes universality - vaikārika etc. Trirūpatā means having the form of bhūtamātra (subtle elements) and indriyas (senses). Kiṃ kāryam means what is the purpose. Now, by explaining "yanmayaṃ mayaṃ manaḥ" as establishing the purpose of deva creation, the creation of mind would remain unstated - to remove this doubt they say - vaikārikatve naikyam etc. Thus, due to the mind's similarity with deities, by the force of the adjective "vaikārika", that too is included, so it is not unstated. Sargatvam means creation is due to the Lord's power alone, not due to its own nature. Here the material creation's nature as āvaraṇa-tattva (covering principle) and madhya-tattva (middle principle) should be understood by the logic of the mahābhūtas (great elements). || 17 ||
Regarding "saptama". Te'pi means though moving, they attain the state of being stationary. Parigṛhītā means accepted as the primary creation. As the inferiority of violent sacrifice is stated in the Barhiṣad episode, they state an alternative Vedic view - dugdhādi etc. Ubhayarūpatvam means having the form of food and the form of food container. || 19 ||
Śrī Giridhara-kṛtā Bāla Prabodhinī
Concluding the stated material creations, he draws attention to hearing about the modified creation - ṣaḍ iti. These six material creations originated from prakṛti itself by the Lord's will, have been described. Now hear from me about the modified creations made by Brahmā who is the totality of modifications. To indicate this must be heard, he says - i-raja iti. This creation is the play of the Lord who has accepted the rajoguṇa for creation etc. To state the result of hearing this, he says - harimedhasa iti, one whose intellect is fixed on Hari who removes saṃsāra afflictions. The result is removal of worldly sorrows. || 17 ||
Showing those modified creations, he first states the creation of food - saptama iti. The primary creation of stationary beings is the seventh and sixfold. Its primaryness is due to being created first like the mouth, or being primary due to being food like the mouth. He shows the sixfold nature - vanaspati etc. Those that fruit without flowers are vanaspatis like banyan and peepal. Oṣadhis are those that end with fruit ripening like barley and rice. Creepers that need support are latās like pumpkin. Those with hard bark are tvaksāras like bamboo. Creepers that do not need support due to hardness are vīrudhs. Those that fruit with flowers are drumas like mango. || 18 ||
To address how these six types have unity as one creation, he states their common qualities - utsrota iti. Those whose food flow is upwards. Tamaḥprāyāḥ means with unmanifest consciousness. Antaḥsparśāḥ means they only know touch internally but cannot express it. Viśeṣiṇa means having many distinctions like unstable transformation etc. Having described the creation of objects of enjoyment, he now describes the creation of enjoyers starting with the creation of animals - tiraścām iti. The creation of animals that move horizontally is the eighth, and it is considered to be of 28 types. || 19 ||
He states their common qualities - avida iti. They lack knowledge of yesterday, today, tomorrow etc. Bhūritamasaḥ means full of ignorance. They are prone to anger and focused only on food, sleep, mating, fear etc. They know desired objects only through smell. They cannot comprehend long-term pleasure and pain. As the śruti says - "Other animals have only the knowledge of hunger and thirst. They do not speak of what they know or see. They do not know tomorrow or this world and the next." He states the 28 types - gaur iti. Cows etc. up to camels are the nine cloven-hoofed animals. Kṛṣṇa is the black deer, gavaya is similar to cow, ruru is a many-horned deer. || 20 ||
Hindī Anuvāda
The sixth creation is of avidyā (ignorance). It has five knots - tāmisra, andhatāmisra, tama, moha and mahāmoha. It covers and agitates the intelligence of beings. These are the six prākṛta (natural) creations. Now listen to the description of the vaikṛta (modified) creations as well. ॥ 17 ॥
The Lord who removes all sorrows of those who contemplate Him - this entire līlā (divine play) belongs to that Śrī Hari alone. He Himself, accepting the rajas quality as Brahmā, creates the world. After the six types of prākṛta creations, the seventh primary vaikṛta creation is of these six types of immobile trees. ॥ 18 ॥
Vanaspati, oṣadhi (herbs), latā (creepers), tvaksāra, vīrudh and druma (trees). Their movement is from below (roots) upwards, they generally do not exhibit cognitive abilities, they experience only touch internally, and each of them possesses some special quality. ॥ 19 ॥
The eighth creation is of tiryagyoni (animal kingdom). It is considered to be of twenty-eight types. They have no knowledge of time, due to the predominance of tamas quality they only know eating, drinking, mating, sleeping etc. They gain knowledge of objects merely by smelling. Their hearts lack the power of reasoning or foresight. ॥ 20 ॥
SB 3.10.17-20
