मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्यहम्।
संभवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत।।14.3।।
।।14.3।।हे भरतवंशोद्भव अर्जुन मेरी मूल प्रकृति तो उत्पत्तिस्थान है और मैं उसमें जीवरूप गर्भका स्थापन करता हूँ। उससे सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंकी उत्पत्ति होती है।
।।14.3।। हे भारत मेरी महद् ब्रह्मरूप प्रकृति? (भूतों की) योनि है? जिसमें मैं गर्भाधान करता हूँ इससे समस्त भूतों की उत्पत्ति होती है।।
।।14.3।। व्याख्या -- मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म -- यहाँ मूल प्रकृतिको महद्ब्रह्म नामसे कहा गया है? इसके कई कारण हो सकते हैं जैसे -- (1) परमात्मा छोटेपन और बड़ेपनसे रहित हैं अतः वे सूक्ष्मसेसूक्ष्म भी हैं और महान्सेमहान् भी हैं -- अणोरणीयान्महतो महीयान् (श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् 3। 20)। परन्तु संसारकी दृष्टिसे सबसे बड़ी चीज मूल प्रकृति ही है अर्थात् संसारमें सबसे बड़ा व्यापक तत्त्व मूल प्रकृति ही है। परमात्माके सिवाय संसारमें इससे बढ़कर कोई व्यापक तत्त्व नहीं है। इसलिये इस मूल प्रकृतिको यहाँ महद्ब्रह्म कहा गया है।(2) महत् (महत्तत्त्व अर्थात् समष्टि बुद्धि) और ब्रह्म(परमात्मा) के बीचमें होनेसे मूल प्रकृतिको महद्ब्रह्म कहा गया है।(3) पीछेके (दूसरे) श्लोकमें सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च पदोंमें आये सर्ग और प्रलय शब्दोंका अर्थ क्रमशः ब्रह्माका दिन और ब्रह्माकी रात माना जा सकता है। अतः उनका अर्थ महासर्ग (ब्रह्माका प्रकट होना) और महाप्रलय (ब्रह्माका लीन होना) सिद्ध करनेके लिये यहाँ महद्ब्रह्म शब्द दिया है। तात्पर्य है कि जीवन्मुक्त महापुरुषोंका इस मूल प्रकृतिसे ही सम्बन्धविच्छेद हो जाता है? इसलिये वे महासर्गमें भी पैदा नहीं होते और महाप्रलयमें भी व्यथित नहीं होते।सबका उत्पत्तिस्थान होनेसे इस मूल प्रकृतिको योनि कहा गया है। इसी मूल प्रकृतिसे अनन्त ब्रह्माण्ड पैदा होते हैं और इसीमें लीन होते हैं। इस मूल प्रकृतिसे ही सांसारिक अनन्त शक्तियाँ पैदा होती हैं।इस मूल प्रकृतिके लिये मम पदका प्रयोग करके भगवान् कहते हैं कि यह प्रकृति मेरी है। अतः इसपर आधिपत्य भी मेरा ही है। मेरी इच्छाके बिना यह प्रकृति अपनी तरफसे कुछ भी नहीं कर सकती। यह जो कुछ भी करती है? वह सब मेरी अध्यक्षतामें ही करती है (गीता 9। 10)।मैं मूल प्रकृति(महद्ब्रह्म) से भी श्रेष्ठ साक्षात् परब्रह्म परमात्मा हूँ -- इसको बतानेके लिये भगवान्ने,मम महद्ब्रह्म पदोंका प्रयोग किया है।महद् ब्रह्मसे भी श्रेष्ठ परब्रह्म परमात्माका अंश होते हुए भी जीव परमात्मासे विमुख होकर प्रकृतिके साथ सम्बन्ध जोड़ लेता है। इतना ही नहीं? वह प्रकृतिके कार्य तीनों गुणोंसे सम्बन्ध जोड़ लेता है और उससे भी नीचे गिरकर गुणोंके भी कार्य शरीर आदिसे सम्बन्ध जोड़ लेता है और बँध जाता है। अतः भगवान् मम महद्ब्रह्म पदोंसे कहते हैं कि जीवका सम्बन्ध वास्तवमें मूल प्रकृतिसे भी श्रेष्ठ मुझ परमात्माके साथ है -- मम एव अंशः (गीता 15। 7)? इसलिये प्रकृतिके साथ सम्बन्ध मानकर उसको अपना पतन नहीं करना चाहिये।तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् -- यहाँ गर्भम् पद कर्मसंस्कारोंसहित जीवसमुदायका वाचक है। भगवान् कोई नया गर्भ स्थापन नहीं करते। अनादिकालसे जो जीव जन्ममरणके प्रवाहमें पड़े हुए हैं? वे महाप्रलयके समय अपनेअपने कर्मसंस्कारोंसहित प्रकृतिमें लीन हो जाते हैं (गीता 9। 7)। प्रकृतिमें लीन हुए जीवोंके कर्म जब परिपक्व होकर फल देनेके लिये उन्मुख हो जाते हैं? तब महासर्गके आदिमें भगवान् उन जीवोंका प्रकृतिके साथ पुनः विशेष सम्बन्ध (जो कि कारणशरीररूपसे पहलेसे ही था) स्थापित करा देते हैं -- यही भगवान्के द्वारा जीवसमुदायरूप गर्भको प्रकृतिरूप योनिमें स्थापन करना है।सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत -- भगवान्के द्वारा प्रकृतिमें गर्भस्थापन करनेके बाद सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंकी उत्पत्ति होती है अर्थात् वे प्राणी सूक्ष्म और स्थूल शरीर धारण करके पुनर्जन्म प्राप्त करते हैं। महासर्गके आदिमें प्राणियोंका यह उत्पन्न होना ही भगवान्का विसर्ग (त्याग) है? आदिकर्म है (गीता 8। 3)।[जीव जबतक मुक्त नहीं होता? तबतक प्रकृतिके अंश कारणशरीरसे उसका सम्बन्ध बना रहता है और वह महाप्रलयमें कारणशरीरसहित ही प्रकृतिमें लीन होता है।] सम्बन्ध -- पूर्वश्लोकमें समष्टि संसारकी उत्पत्तिकी बात बतायी? अब आगेके श्लोकमें व्यष्टि शरीरोंकी उत्पत्तिका वर्णन करते हैं।
।।14.3।। महद् ब्रह्म योनि यहाँ महद् ब्रह्म को भूतमात्र की योनि अर्थात् कारण कहा गया है। परन्तु? यहाँ महद् ब्रह्म यह शब्द सम्पूर्ण विश्वाधिष्ठान परमात्मा के लिये प्रयुक्त नहीं है। यह शब्द जगत् की अव्यक्त अवस्था अर्थात् जड़ प्रकृति को इंगित करता है। वह अपने स्थूल और सूक्ष्म कार्यरूप विकारों की अपेक्षा बड़ी? व्यापक होने से महत् है तथा स्वविकारों का भरणपोषण करने के कारण ब्रह्म कहलाती है। इस प्रकार व्युत्पत्ति के आधार पर प्रकृति को यहाँ महद्ब्रह्म कहा गया है। इसी महद्ब्रह्म के लिये पूर्व के अध्यायों में अपरा प्रकृति? क्षेत्र? प्रकृति इत्यादि शब्दों का प्रयोग किया गया था।उससे मैं गर्भाधान करता हूँ यह महद्ब्रह्मरूप प्रकृति स्वयं जड़ होने के कारण स्वत स्वतन्त्ररूप से सृष्टि नहीं कर सकती है। इसमें शुद्ध चैतन्यस्वरूप परमात्मा जब प्रतिबिम्बित होता है? तब यह चेतनयुक्त होकर सृष्टिकार्य में प्रवृत्त होती है। परमात्मा का इसमें चैतन्यरूप से व्यक्त हो जाना ही गर्भाधान की क्रिया है। इसके फलस्वरूप सर्वप्रथम समष्टि मन को धारण करने वाले ईश्वर जिसे इस अवस्था में वेदान्त के अनुसार हिरण्यगर्भ कहते हैं व्यक्त होता है और तत्पश्चात् असंख्य जीव और नामरूपमय सृष्टि उत्पन्न होती है।सृष्टि की इस प्रक्रिया को हम इस प्रकार समझ सकते हैं कि किसी भी रचनात्मक कार्य का प्रादुर्भाव एवं विकास कर्ता के मन में उदित होने वाली वृत्ति के साथ होता है। जीवनी शक्ति से युक्त होकर वह वृत्ति शक्तिशाली बनकर स्वयं को व्यक्त करने के लिये अधीर हो उठती है। फलत वह विचारों और भावनाओं के रूप में व्यक्त होकर अन्त में कर्मरूप में परिणत हो जाती है। एक चित्रकार अपने विचारों को रंगों के माध्यम से व्यक्त करता है तो एक गायक संगीत के रूप मे शिल्पकार उसे पाषाणों के द्वारा प्रगट करता है और साहित्यकार शब्दों के माध्यम से। परन्तु इनमें से किसी भी कल्पना के मृत हो जाने पर वह अपने विचारों को कर्म रूप में अभिव्यक्त न्ाहीं कर सकता है। जैसे व्यष्टि की सृष्टि है? वैसे ही समष्टि सृष्टि को भी समझना चाहिये।समष्टि वासनाओं? विचारों? भावनाओं एवं कर्मों के संगठित रूप को प्रकृति कहते हैं? जो सत्त्वरजतमोगुणात्मिका होने से इन गुणों से नियन्त्रित होती है। इसी प्रकृति को यहाँ महद्ब्रह्म कहा गया है? जिसे वेदान्त में माया शब्द से भी सूचित किया जाता है। माया के व्यष्टि रूप को ही अविद्या कहते हैं। जीव ओर ईश्वर में भेद यह है कि जीव अविद्या के अधीन रहता है? जबकि ईश्वर माया को अपने वश में रखता है।भगवान् आगे कहते हैं
14.3 My womb is the great-sustainer. In that I place the seed. From that, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, occurs the birth of all things.
14.3 My womb is the great Brahma; in that I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.
14.3. The mighty Brahman is a womb for Me; and in That I lay seed; therefrom is the birth of all beings, O descendant of Bharata !
14.3 मम My? योनिः womb? महत् the great? ब्रह्म Brahma? तस्मिन् in that? गर्भम् germ? दधामि bears? अहम I? संभवः the birth? सर्वभूतानाम् of all beings? ततः thence? भवति is? भारत O descendant of Bharata (Arjuna).Commentary My womb is the great Nature. The cosmos is evolved out of His Nature. Nature is called the great Brahma for She is the resting place of the five subtle elements and also the Mahat (cosmic mind). She is callled the great Brahma? because through Her the whole manifestation takes place.All changes arise out of this great Nature. So She has got the name Mulaprakriti or Primordial Nature or the original principle. From the point of view of the Unmanifest She is called Avyakta. The Vedantins call Her Maya (illusion). The Sankhyas call Her Prakriti.This Prakriti is called great because She is greater than all Her effects. This Nature? made of the three alities? is the material cause of all beings. As She is the source or cause of all Her,modifications and also nourishes all the modifications with Her energy? She is called Brahma.I place in it (the Mahabrahma) the embryo of life then all beings begin to come to life therefrom. In the great Brahma or Nature I place the germ or the seed for the birth of Hiranyagarbha and the seed gives birth to all beings. The birth of Hiranyagarbha or Brahma (the Creator) gives rise to the birth of beings. The Primordial Nature is like the clay. She cannot create the forms Herself. She gives birth to Brahma Who creates all beings just as the potter creates various forms from the clay. I am endowed with the two Saktis? viz.? the superior and the inferior Natures (Cf. VII. 4 and 5)? the field and its knower. I unite these two (the Spirit and the matter). The individual soul comes under the influence of the limiting adjuncts? viz.? ignorance? desire and action. On account of ignorance (Avidya)? the individual soul forgets his original divine nature? gets himself entangled in the meshes of desire (Kama) and action (Karma)? and revolves in the wheel of birth and death. The individual soul turns towards ignorance without knowing his own true divine nature. The Jiva (individual soul) being overpowered by ignorance and the modifications? forgets its pristine purity and moves in various forms.The Primordial Nature or the Unmanifested is a dark matrix with infinite potentialities. It is not a substance. Sound and energy are in an undifferentiated state in It. The whole world gets involved into It during the cosmic dissolution. There is no relationship of substance or ality between It and the three Gunas. The alities are the Mulaprakriti and the latter is the former in a state of poise or eilibrium. This manifested world of the three alities is compared to a twisted rope of three colours? viz.? white? red and black. Each colour represents a Guna. Sattvic is white? Rajas is red and Tamas is black. The three are not in a state of eilibrium in the manifested world.Water and the seed coming in contact with the earth produce sprouts which grow into trees. In the womb of Nature? the seed develops into the eightfold elements -- earth? water? fire? air? ether? mind? intellect and egoism. The first fruit of the contact of Nature with the soul is the MahatTattva or intellect. From intellect mind is born from mind egoism from egoism? the five elements.There are four classes of beings? viz.? Jarayuja? Andaja? Svedaja and Udbhijja. The Jarayuja is born of the placenta (viviparous). Human beings? cows? elephants? horses? etc.? belong to this class. In this variety the five senses of knowledge exist. The Andaja is born of eggs (oviparous). In this variety the elements of wind and ether predominate. Lice come under the category of Svedaja they are born of sweat. In this variety fire and water predominate. Trees that are born of seeds are classified under the head Udbhijja in this variety earth and water predominate. (Cf.VII.6IX.17XV.7)
14.3 Mama, My own Maya, i.e. Prakrti consisting of the three alities, which belongs to Me; is the yonih, womb [Here Ast. adds karanam, cause (-off all the creatures).-Tr.] for all the creatures. Since it (Prakrti) is great (mahat) as compared with all its effects, and it is the sustainer (brahma) [Prakrti is brahma since it permeates all of its own products.-A.G.] of all its own transformations, therefore the womb itself is alified as mahat brahma. Tasmin, in that, in the womb which is the great-sustainer; aham, I, God, possessed of the power in the form of the two aspects, viz the field and the Knower of the field; dadhami, place, deposit; garbham, the seed-the seed of the birth of Hiranayagarbha, te seed which is the cause of the birth of all things-; i.e., I bring the field into association with the Knower of the field who conforms to the nature of the limiting adjuncts, viz ignorance, desire and activity. Tatah, from that, from that deposition of the seed; O scion of the Bharata dynasty, bhavati, occurs; sambhavah, the birth, origination; sarva-bhutanam, of all things, following the birth of Hiranyagarbha.
14.3 Mama etc. For Me : [For Me] Who am of the nature of the inexplicable Supreme Bliss, the mighty Brahman : the Brahman that is identical with My own energy, allowing expansion [of all in It]. Taking hold of just My own energy of Self-consciousness, I cause the beginningless tiny [individual] Souls to pass through the cycle of birth and death by way of favouring them. Therefore-
14.3 In that great brahman forming my womb, I lay the germ. The non-conscient Prakrti is alluded to in the text Earth, water, fire, air, ether, Manas, Buddhi and Ahankara - thus My Prakrti is eightfold (7.4-5). This Prakrti is designated here by the name the great brahman by reason of its being the cause of modifications like the Mahat, the Ahankara etc. In the Srutis also, here and there, even the Prakrti is designated as brahman, as in: He who is all-knowing, all-wise, whose austerity consists of knowledge - from Him are produced this brahman as also food, i.e., the universe of name and form (Mun. U., 1.1.9) The higher Prakrti, which is the mass of conscient selves, alluded to in the passage, Know My higher Prakrti to be distinct from this; it is the life-principle (7.5). It is here expressed by the term Garbha, the source or womb in which all living beings originate. I lay the germ, constituting the mass of conscious beings, in that great brahman, which is non-conscient and forms the womb. From that conjunction between the two Prakrtis, brought about by My will is brought forth the origin of all entities from Brahma down to tuft to grass. He continues to say: I Myself bring about the conjunction of the conscient and unconscient Prakrtis in the manifested state of effect.
In order to explain how the contact with the gunas through beginningless ignorance creates bondage, the Lord speaks about the method of appearance of the field and knower of the field. My (Supreme Lord’s) place of impregnation is prakrti, called mahat because it extends of all place and time continuously. It is called brahma because it is the cause of increase (root is brh). In some sruti texts, prakrti is referred to as brahma. I place the seed (garbha) within that prakrti. The Lord said itas rv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param jlva-bhutam: know this other prakrti of mine, which is superior and which gives rise to the jivas. (BG 7.5) From this it is understood that there is a mass of consciousness, the jiva prakrti which is called the tatastha sakti This is called the seed (garbha), because it is gives life to all beings. Then (tatah) from my action of placing the seed (jiva sakti) in the prakrti, the appearance of all the entities such as Brahma and others takes place.
After praising such wisdom and proclaiming the results of what He is about to teach to get the listener attentive, Lord Krishna declares the fundamental purport of the teachings that the emergence of all living entities from the combination of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence and the purusa or the supreme being as eternal consciousness is that it derives itself from the Supreme Lord and is subservient and dependent upon Him. The brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence is not limited by time and space and is the abode and cause of the expanding evolution of praktiti which is the womb Lord Krishna impregnates casting His seeds in the form of limitless atmas or immortal souls which accept unlimited forms as countless jivas or embodied beings. This He does by infusing the reflection of His supreme intelligence which causes the expansion and evolution of all creation. At the commencement of universal creation at the time of conception the Supreme Lord unites again with the corresponding body of each and every jiva. During universal dissolution all jivas were previously absorbed into Him. Now once again spawning them out He abides within each and every jivas heart as paramatma the all pervading supreme soul and is distinguished as the ksetrajna or the knower of the sphere of activity distinctly different from the ksetra or sphere of activity. The jivas are endowed by the impressions of the three gunas which are the modes of sattva or goodness, rajas or passion and tamas or nescience comprised in a kalpa or one day of Brahma, the accumulative actions of their previous 43,200,000 lifetimes for a human. These calibrated results are kept intact and correspondingly transferred into their new existence to reap the exact reactions to there actions thereof. From this dissertation the origins of all jivas from the secondary creator Brahma, the most evolved jiva down to the least evolved jiva such as a one celled amoeba can be succinctly comprehended and practically understood.
The mahat means that which cannot be limited brahma denotes the expansive material energy or prakriti the material substratum pervading physical existence. This represents sakti or the feminine energy such as Sri, Bhu, Durga, etc. Saraswati, Uma and others are partial manifestations of Sri. The same is confirmed in the Kashayana scripture which states: Sri, Bhu and Durga are the three forms of illusion which binds the jivas or embodied beings in this world. Although Saraswati and Uma are only partial expansions of Sri in the Agama texts they to are sometimes referred to as Sri as well. The words mama yonir meaning womb confirms that the feminine sakti is existing to accept the seed of consciousness from the Supreme Lord and give birth to all life forms. In the Sharkarakshya texts it states: For giving birth by the Supreme Lord the goddess Sri, the great illusion is devoid of all suffering. Yet she along with the Supreme Lord displays herself as if suffering to delude the debased and ignoble. An example of this is the sorrow displayed by Rama for the suffering of Sita. Another example is the tolerance of Bhu as the personified goddess of the Earth which is but her reflection. So much destruction and misery takes place on Earth but she is incorruptible and even though she appears as the last of the five primary elements fire, water, air, ether she is the origin of them all. The Anabhimlan scripture states: She willingly accepts the servitude even though she is the matriarch of all the worlds. The Matsya Purana states that prakriti sometimes can be referred by mahat brahma due to her great benevolence and selfless service. Now begins the summation. According to the Shabda Nirnay the word yonir has three distinct meanings. One is the wife. The second is the female generative organ and the third is known as the cause. Here it means the wife because Lord Krishna states that in the womb He impregnates.
Inanimate and inert earth, water, fire, air, ether along with manas or mind, buddhi or intelligence and ahankara or ego all constitute Lord Krishnas eightfold differentiated aspects of matter. But they only comprise His external energy and are inferior. The mahad-brahma signifies the infinite extension of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence by dint of its being the primal source of all variegations of species and subspecies which emanate thereof correspondingly in the forms of manas, buddhi and ahankara. Passages found in various Vedic scriptures sometime refer to prakriti in specific circumstances in the purview of the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence. An example is seen in the Mundaka Upanisad II.II.VII. beginning yah sarvajnah sarvavid which states: The Supreme Lord is omniscient and omnipotent and His glory is pervading through all of creation. He eternally dwells in Vaikuntha the eternal, transcendental spiritual worlds and simultaneously with the heart of every jiva or embodied being. The term garbha means seed as in embryo in the form of all the animate myriad trillions of atmas or immortal souls manifesting within the jivas en masse at the time of their appearance. So in the inanimate, womb like nature of prakriti the Supreme Lord casts the animate seeds in aggregate corresponding precisely to the exact finite number of atmas for every jiva in creation. The purport is that the Supreme Lord impregnates material nature with souls in the form of incalculable living enities that assume unlimited forms throughout material existence. The ksetrajna or knower of the field of activity uniting with the ksetra or field of activity. Thus are all jivas from Brahma down to a one-cell amoeba manifested by the combination of the aforementioned principles; generated by the will of the Supreme Lord. That such manifestation is actually and factually from the Supreme Lord will be given next.
Inanimate and inert earth, water, fire, air, ether along with manas or mind, buddhi or intelligence and ahankara or ego all constitute Lord Krishnas eightfold differentiated aspects of matter. But they only comprise His external energy and are inferior. The mahad-brahma signifies the infinite extension of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence by dint of its being the primal source of all variegations of species and subspecies which emanate thereof correspondingly in the forms of manas, buddhi and ahankara. Passages found in various Vedic scriptures sometime refer to prakriti in specific circumstances in the purview of the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence. An example is seen in the Mundaka Upanisad II.II.VII. beginning yah sarvajnah sarvavid which states: The Supreme Lord is omniscient and omnipotent and His glory is pervading through all of creation. He eternally dwells in Vaikuntha the eternal, transcendental spiritual worlds and simultaneously with the heart of every jiva or embodied being. The term garbha means seed as in embryo in the form of all the animate myriad trillions of atmas or immortal souls manifesting within the jivas en masse at the time of their appearance. So in the inanimate, womb like nature of prakriti the Supreme Lord casts the animate seeds in aggregate corresponding precisely to the exact finite number of atmas for every jiva in creation. The purport is that the Supreme Lord impregnates material nature with souls in the form of incalculable living enities that assume unlimited forms throughout material existence. The ksetrajna or knower of the field of activity uniting with the ksetra or field of activity. Thus are all jivas from Brahma down to a one-cell amoeba manifested by the combination of the aforementioned principles; generated by the will of the Supreme Lord. That such manifestation is actually and factually from the Supreme Lord will be given next.
Mama yonirmahadbrahma tasmin garbham dadhaamyaham; Sambhavah sarvabhootaanaam tato bhavati bhaarata.
mama—my; yoniḥ—womb; mahat brahma—the total material substance, prakṛiti; tasmin—in that; garbham—womb; dadhāmi—impregnate; aham—I; sambhavaḥ—birth; sarva-bhūtānām—of all living beings; tataḥ—thereby; bhavati—becomes; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat; sarva—all; yoniṣhu—species of life; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; mūrtayaḥ—forms; sambhavanti—are produced; yāḥ—which; tāsām—of all of them; brahma-mahat—great material nature; yoniḥ—womb; aham—I; bīja-pradaḥ—seed-giving; pitā—Father
