There are 3 eternal entities (tattva) described in our scriptures. They are God (brahm), souls (jeev), and the material energy (maya). Maya is the original cosmic power, which has taken the form of the universe. Everything in the universe is made of maya. The individual souls are infinite in number, spot-existent, and have their own free will to perform actions. Both maya and the souls are powers of God, and exist dependent on God.
Did God create Maya and the souls?
According to the Vedas, these three eternal entities have always existed. In other words, they were never created and hence can never be destroyed. God did not create Maya or the Souls. For creation to unfold, God simply activates maya – so it takes the form of the universe.
When God withdraws his power, the universe dissolves back into a subtle form of the mayic energy, which remains absolutely dormant and invisible until the next creation. This is an eternal cycle of creation and dissolution of the universe, which is controlled by God.
The souls are alive because God resides within each individual soul and gives life to them. Thus, He is the supreme Soul of every soul (Paramatma). During the creation phase of the universe (srishti), God sends the souls forth to take birth in the world, and during the dissolution phase (pralay), the souls remain alive, but are dormant within God.
Thus, although God has not created maya (because it is an eternally existing power of His), He is the ruler of maya. And although He has not created the souls (because they have eternally existed, just like Him), He is the Lord of all the souls.
Amazing aspects about God’s Divine Personality
God is described in the Vedas as Satchidananda – Sat means that He is eternally existing and indestructible. Chit means that He has sentience, and has Divine mind and senses. Anand means that He is Divine bliss which is unlimited, everlasting and perfect in every way.
God Himself is independent from both maya and the souls. He is beyond maya, is unaffected by mayic qualities, and exists in His own Divine dimension. This dimension is beyond material time and space, is stable, permanent, and is unaffected by the creation and dissolution of the universe. This dimension is the expansion of God Himself, and is also known as His abode.
He is sarvagya (all-knowing), sarvadrashta (all-seeing), sarvashaktiman (all-powerful), sarvavypak (omnipresent), all-merciful, all-forgiving, all-kind, and all loving. He is the friend of humble souls (Deenbandhu) and the purifier of fallen souls (PatitPavan). He is subservient to the love of His fully surrendered devotees (BhaktVashya), and is the kind-hearted guardian and caretaker of His devotees (BhaktVatsal).
God is both with form (sakarbrahm) and without form (nirakarbrahm), and both aspects are omnipresent. In His nirakar aspect, all the above mentioned powers and qualities lie dormant and inactive. As sakarbrahm, the same powers and qualities are manifested, either in part or in full. Depending on the extent of the manifestation of these Divine powers and qualities, one single God takes many forms (Krishna, Ram, Vishnu, Shiv, Durga, etc.). All forms of God are internally one, the same and equal.
God is absolute Divinity and is unlimited in every way. There is nothing that is apart from Him, as He pervades everything. He is larger than the largest, because the entire universe and all its beings reside within Him.
He is smaller than the smallest, because He pervades even the smallest particle. He is beyond the understanding of even the greatest material mind, because a material mind can only understand in limitations.
No matter how much one describes about God, one cannot reach Him through words, nor can it make another understand who God is. Thus, we cannot know God through our own effort. However, when someone surrenders his heart and mind to Him, God graces that soul. Through His Grace, that soul can know God.
Disciple of Jagadguru Shree KripalujiMaharaj
Swami Nikhilanand Ji is a Canadian born Hindu spiritual leader based in Austin, Texas. He is a sanyasi disciple and pracharak of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
Attracted to the teachings of Hinduism from a young age, Swamiji eventually let his deep spiritual longing lead him to India, where he was most fortunate to come under the guidance of Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. Thereafter, living in the ashrams of JKP, he extensively studied Hindi, the philosophy of the prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, DarshanShastras, Gita, Bhagwatam), and practiced meditation in the tradition of raganuga bhakti.
In 2003, he was given sanyas. Now, with the blessings of his Guruji, he offers satsang programs throughout America, engaging audiences with his clear explanations of Hindu philosophy coupled with inspired chanting of Sanskrit mantras and shlokas and charming namsankirtan. His informative and compelling speeches provide practical insight into how to adopt the teachings of Sanatan Dharm into our daily lives, and inspire us to awaken our inner spiritual potential.
To stay in touch with Swami NikhilanandJi, like his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SwamiNikhilanand or follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/Swami_Nikhil.
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