Shloka 4
सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः
सृष्टिं चिन्तयतस् तस्य कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा अबुद्धिपूर्वकः सर्गः प्रादुर्भूतस् तमोमयः
sṛṣṭiṃ cintayatas tasya kalpādiṣu yathā purā abuddhipūrvakaḥ sargaḥ prādurbhūtas tamomayaḥ
As he contemplated creation—just as in former ages at the beginnings of kalpas—there manifested a first emanation, born without clear discriminative intelligence, a creation steeped in darkness (tamas).
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How creation proceeds at the beginnings of kalpas; the initial emergence characterized by tamas and non-discrimination.
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Kalpa
Concept: At the start of each kalpa, creation first manifests in a tamasic, non-discriminative mode before differentiated order appears.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Recognize tamas in one’s own mind as the earliest veil; cultivate clarity (sattva) through discipline and devotion.
Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic processes unfold by real guṇic modalities under the Supreme’s governance; the Lord remains sovereign while prakṛti’s tamas initiates obscuration.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse highlights that an initial phase of creation can arise as a tamasic, undifferentiated emergence—dark, inert, and lacking discriminative clarity—before subsequent, more ordered manifestations unfold.
Parāśara frames kalpa-beginnings as recurring moments when, through the Lord’s contemplation, creation reappears in patterns seen “formerly,” indicating cyclical cosmic order rather than a one-time event.
Vishnu is presented as the supreme sovereign cause: creation manifests in accordance with his intent and contemplation, while the qualities of the manifested world (like tamas) describe the state of the emergence, not a limitation of the Lord.