India

Ananth Nandakishore Greta Goldbart Tanisha Afnan

India (Hiranyagarbha)

Once there was a great void in the universe, where nothing existed. Then came the Hiranyagarbha, who by pure thought alone, created himself (Indian Myths Online). He is the oldest being, the original creator of everything. He has an infinite soul and is the soul of the universe. His feet and arms stretch in all directions,and his mouth any eyes are everywhere. By the power of the thought he created the oceans and seas of the world. He then created the Hiranyagarbha, or the golden egg/womb (Mahabarata, Book 12). After floating through the water for a year, the Hiryanagarbha hatched (Ions, 1967).

From here the story splits into two parts. One version says that Brahma was the Hiranyagarbha. In this version Brahma split the egg into two pieces and he himself emerged from the golden egg (Wikipedia). His first creation was a being called Prapajati, which he then imbued with consciousness. He created the Wind, Space, Earth, Light, and Water, and their physical properties. He then created the five senses, and the organs of the body, and bestowed them upon the Prapajati (Mahabarata, Sacred Texts Online). The two pieces would then be used to create the earth and the heavens. From the remains Brahma created the sky, the oceans, and the eight regions of the universe. Brahma than created the gods, each sent to live in a different region, which then becomes their domain. Agni, god of fire,was created in earth, Surya, the sun god, sent to live in the sky, and Vayu, the wind god, wanders about the atmosphere (Hiranyagarbha, Epics of India Online). Hiranyagarbha then created the animals and plants of the universe. This marks the end of a cycle, Brahma is done creating the world. (Mahabarata, Sacred Texts Online) This world that he created will exist for one day of Brahma's life, which is, in our days, 2,160,000,000 years. 100 years of chaos will ensue before the world sees its demise and is recreated once more(Ions, 1967). The Hiranyagarbha is also thought to be the creator of yoga (The Original Teachings).

Another version of the story says that Svayambhu entered the egg/womb and because of that became known as Vishnu. From Vishnu's navel grew a lotus flower from which Brahma was born. Brahma became Vishnu's slave and was ordered to create the universe. The process described above was how it was created (Wikipedia).

"A Hindu Creation Story." painsley. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.   c-hindu.htm>.

"HIRANYAGARBHA." Epics Of India Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2010.  .

History world. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.  wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab83>.

Ions, Veronica. //Indian Mythology//. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1967. Print.

Sacred texts. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.  m12/m12c002.htm>.

"The Original Teachings of Yoga: From Patanjali Back to Hiranyagarbha ."  vedanet. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.  index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=133>.

Wikipedia. "Hiranyagarbha." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2010.  .

Ananth: [|Indian myths online] :


 * Hiranyagarbha means golden egg or golden wonb
 * Rigveda says that Hiranyagarbha is the god above all gods
 * According to Manu Hiranyagarbha was Brahma, became an golden egg, and after a year split the egg into the heavens, the earth, the water, the skies, and the eight regions

[|Wikipedia page] :


 * source of creation of the universe or the manifested cosmos in Indian philosophy
 * The Upanishads call it the soul of the universe or Brahman
 * The Matsya Purana says after the great dissolution of the universe there was darkness everywhere. Everything was in a state of sleep. Nothing was moving or static.
 * The Self-Manifested being arose. It created the waters and put a seed of creation into it. The seed turned into the golden womb Hiranyagarbha. Then Svayambhu
 * entered into the womb and became known as Vishnu because it did.

__<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Tanisha: __ <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">much later Indian story involves the god Brahma. Beginning from nothing, he goes through a lengthy process. First he creates, by thought alone, the waters. In them he deposits his seed, <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">which grows into a golden egg. He himself is born in the egg. After a year, again by thought alone, he splits the egg in two. The halves become, in the usual way, heaven and earth." <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">^quote from [|History World]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">other story says that there was once nothing except for the god vishnu. from vishnu's navel came a lotus blossom, in the center of the lotus blossom was brahma <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">brahma was then vishnu's servant, and was commanded to create the world which he did and thus became the god of creation. <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">[|painsley]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">here's a picture of brahma sitting on a lotus blossom: <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">[|Brahma on lotus]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">BOOK I FOUND IN THE LIBRARY: Indian Mythology by Veronica Ions, published by PAUL HAMLYN in London, 1967. <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">-3 worlds (heavens, middle and lower) <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">-there is a never-ending cycle of creation and destruction <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">- 100 years if chaos --> Brahma is born --> new cycle

[|mythfolklore]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Brahma is the supreme first being, he is "the active creator of the universe". was hatched from an egg which came from the "supreme first cause"
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Brahma is the prajapati, which means "lord/father of all creatures". In the Vedas he is actually called the Hiranyagharba/prajapati since the vedas do NOT mention a god named Brahma
 * each cycle of creation lasts one day of Brahma's life, which roughly equates to 2,160,000,000 years

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">mythfolklore. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.mythfolklore.net/india/ <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;"> encyclopedia/brahma.htm>.

you might want to check this out too: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c002.htm

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">sacred texts. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/ <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;"> m12/m12c002.htm>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">HEY GUYS. DO YOU WANT TO START PUTTING THE COSMOLOLGY TOGETHER (uh not yelling the caps are for attention :3)? <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Yeah. I made a version but someone look over/edit/yell at me if its not good please >.< (Ananth)

OKAY. lets put our uni emails here, and then email the drafts to each other! Greta has a good start :) afnan1 nandaki1 goldbar1 <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Greta Goldbart

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">This part of the Mahabharata describes the creation of the universe, involving the Hiranyagharba and how he creates himself with himself, that he is the eldest being, and the soul of the universe. <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">It indicates the process by which existence was created out of non-existence. <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">[|sacred texts]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">(I tried to put this into our early pre-first draft but i didn't get it. like at all. can someone make notes on this? Ananth)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Another text describing the being at the "threshold of creation" : <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062067?seq=5&Search=yes&term=Hiranyagarbha&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DHiranyagarbha%26wc%3Don%26acc%3Don&item=24&ttl=88&returnArticleService=showFullTe0xt&resultsServiceName=null (Greta this link doesn't work...find it again? Ananth)~ alright, I'll look for it

<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">[|vedanet]

Putting stuff together EARLY PRE-ROUGH DRAFT: Hiranyagharbha is the golden egg or womb that created himself (Indian Myths Online). It is the source for all creation (Wikipedia). Either Hiranyagarbha was Brahma or Vishnu entered the womb (Wikipedia and History World). If it was Brahma that was the egg it was still for ~1 year and then became the heavens, the earths, the waters, and the eight regions (Wikipedia and History World). If Vishnu goes into the womb and from him comes Brahma who is then ordered to create the world (Painsley). Hiranyagarbha may have also created yoga (Vedanet).

PRE-FIRST DRAFT: A long time ago when there was nothing a golden egg (or womb) appeared. It had infinite soul. That golden egg (womb) would become the source of all creation. THIS IS WHERE THE STORIES SPLIT: 1. Hiranyagarbha was Brahma, the creator of everything. It lay dormant for about a year and then split into the earths, the waters, and the eight regions all by pure thought. He also creates conciousness and puts it into another being. It also creates wind, light, water, space, and earth with their properties of touch, sound, form tastes and scent. This created the universe.

2. The Hiranyagarbha is NOT Brahma and in penetrated by Svayambhu who is then called Vishnu. From Vishnu, Brahma is born on a lotus coming out of his navel and becomes Visnu's servant. Vishnu then orders Brahma to create the universe which he does.

Random stuff: Hiranyagarbha created yoga.

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