Q: How real is the universe?

A: Very. Just as the Lord Almighty and the individual souls are eternal and real, the universe is also real. However, the material world and its contents continuously undergo changes, but they are real in every sense of the word. Many objects in the world may be temporary in nature, but they are nonetheless real and the experience one feels during interaction with these objects can never be negated. Many experiences in life may fade away over time and hence appear illusory, but nonetheless the fact that the experience occurred and had impact on the person cannot be disputed. The universe is hence real, eternal and always under the control of the Lord. The very fact that the Lord has Himself has declared that He originates and controls the eternal cycle of creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe is proof enough about the reality of the universe.

 

Concept of Space, Time and Spoken Words

 

Q: What are the characteristics of space, time and spoken words?

A: Space and time are eternal, cannot be destroyed and are self supporting because of the will of the Lord. Further, space and time are infinitely divisible. Words are composed of basic alphabets which are 51 in number. These 51 alphabets are also eternal and pervade space and time. They survive every cycle of creation and destruction of the universe. Words which are formed by certain combination of alphabets are, in general temporary. However, Scriptures (Vedas) are eternal and are not composed by anyone. Every word and indeed every letter is an epithet of the Lord (11-18). Further, every sound made or heard in the universe primarily sings in praise of the Lord (and the fact that we use sounds to express our thoughts and feelings is secondary). It is said that even the sound of lizard’s chirping is a sound expressing the amazement at the glory of the Lord. It is interesting to note that even in human conversations, despite the plethora of words and languages available for us to express our thoughts, in times of absolute amazement (or great shock) we resort to making a chirping noise like lizards!

 

Q: How do the entities in the universe compare on the basis of time, space and associated characteristics?

A: The Lord pervades all time and space and has infinite auspicious attributes. The individual souls are also eternal and hence pervade all time, but they have limited presence in space and have limited attributes. The physical bodies of the individual souls (during any specific birth) have limited presence in space, time and have limited attributes. The basic letters (51) from which any word can be composed are eternal in time and space, but have limited attributes. The implication of the differences outlined here is that the Lord is independent and supreme and controls the functioning of the universe and hence every action that we perform must be to please Him as He alone can grant us freedom from the cycle of births and deaths.

 

Takeaways

 

ü The five fold differences narrate the difference among the constituents of the universe, namely, the Lord Almighty, individual souls and inert matter, with the Lord being the supreme controller of all

ü The individual souls adorn many physical bodies in its journey towards the final abode and these physical bodies undergo changes and perish. The soul itself is indestructible, has always existed, will always exist and is always under the control of the Lord

ü The universe is real, has always been and will always be. The state of its constituents such as inert nature is subject to change during the course of its evolution (and destruction)!

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The Glory of God

It is impossible for anyone to fully describe the nature and glory of the Lord. In fact the best description of the Lord is that ‘He is beyond comprehension’. However, some of the aspects of the Lord find expression in the Gita and they are covered in this chapter. Gita also points to the source of divine knowledge and the methodology to gain true knowledge through which one can attempt self realization. The divine presence of the Lord’s consort, Sri Lakshmi (or Maya) also finds elucidation in the Gita. An attempt is made in this chapter to address the above mentioned issues.

 

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