The Story of Aindava (the son of Indu or the Moon) 4
4. The Story of Aindava (the son of Indu or the Moon)
Summary—The author, having shown in the previous story that the light of Brahman alone is Jīva, etc. now tells this story to exemplify the fact that Brahman’s manifestation, namely the mind, is alone the universe.
From the foregoing story it is evident that Brāhmic Reality, which is the one Truth, alone is. None of the visible objects really exists. The mind alone is the cause of the manifold created objects.
To illustrate this, I shall relate to thee, Oh Rāma, a story which thou shalt presently hear. Thou wilt then be convinced that the potency of Jñāna alone manifests itself as this universe.
This puerile Manas which ever rises and falls with the ebb and flow of desire, imagines this illusory universe to be true, through its ignorance; but if it should be informed of the real nature of this world, then it will cognize it to be Brahman and pain will forsake such a mind.
Should the mind be subject to the heterogeneous modifications of attachment and other desires, then it tends to rebirth, but freedom from their thrall is emancipation.
Once upon a time, Lord Brahma rose up at dawn of day wishing to generate afresh a new creation, after having been refreshed by sleep during a night of his, when all creation was merged in the one fount.
For this purpose, he surveyed the Ākāśa which began to pervade everywhere through his mind; and lo, that Ākāśa became filled with all kinds of creations.
Marvelling over the event and longing to know its author, he pointed his finger at one of the suns therein to approach him and inquired of him as to the authorship of himself and all the universe.
The sun paid due respects to Brahma, and said:
Since even you, Brahma, the cause of this endless universe, do not know it, I shall try to explain it as far as I can:
There is a noble country called Suvarṇatala (golden seat) in a part of the extensive Jambu-dvīpa situated on the Kailāśa hills. It abounds with creations that are all your offspring. In it, there lived a noble Brahmin rejoicing by the name of Indu (the moon) and tracing his lineage to Kaśyapa, the Ṛṣi.
Not blessed with any offspring, he and his spouse resorted with an agitated heart to Kailāśa, the abode of Parameśvara, and underwent severe Tapas, tasting only water and remaining immovable as a tree.
Whereupon Paramaśiva was greatly pleased and having approached them, demanded what they wanted. With heads prostrate on the ground, they asked to be blessed with ten -erudite sons to free them from all pain.
The boon having been granted, the husband and wife lived in joy and were blessed with ten goodly babes. These children grew up well versed in all departments of knowledge.
In course of time, the parents died and their sons retired to the Kailāśa hills where they thought to themselves:
Shall we, to relieve ourselves of the indigence which is afflicting us, become leaders of men? As even this situation is a paltry one, let us become kings or rather emperors ruling over the worlds.
But even this is insignificant, when compared with the status of Devendra, the lord of nine types of wealth. But this too will not suffice us. Let us become the lotus-seated Brahma, in which case we can enjoy all kinds of stainless wealth.
With this fixed resolve, all the ten seated themselves in the Padma posture and with concentrated minds, having the same purpose, were engaged in meditation thus:
We alone are Brahma; all creations emanate out of ourselves only.
Thus did they pass long aeons of time, oblivious of their Body and immovable as wood. When their minds thoughts were perfected, all the ten became Brahma himself.
Then the ten Lokas were created. Ten kinds of creations were generated by these ten personages in their Manas-Ākāśa. Out of the ten creations of ten suns, I am one.
So saying, he (the sun) vanished out of sight.
Said Vāsiṣṭha to Rāma:
As all the visible universe are existent only through the expansion of this crass mind, the swan-seated Brahma created, in accordance with this law, all the worlds through his mind only.