Brahma Vaivarta Creation

The Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa begins with the sṛshṭi-krama, the order in which creation came. Śrī Kṛshṇa, the Parabrahman, willed the universe into being out of the emptiness of pralaya-kāla (the time of dissolution). He brought forth the twenty-five tattvas, the main devas and devīs, and the world of matter. Each of them came out of a particular part of Kṛshṇa’s divine body, and each at once sang a stotra (hymn of praise) to him.

Before creation

At the time of pralaya only a blazing jyotis (light) remained, as bright as countless suns. This light was the very form of Śrī Kṛshṇa, the Parabrahman who acts by his own will (svecchāmaya). Inside that endless light only Goloka stood, unchanged. It is three crore yojanas wide, filled with jewelled mansions, and held up wholly by Kṛshṇa’s yoga-śakti (yogic power).

All three worlds, svarga, martya (the world of mortals) and pātāla (the world below), had been drawn into Kṛshṇa’s awareness. Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha and Śivaloka were empty and silent. There were no gopas, gopīs or cattle. There was no water, wind, tree, mountain, ocean, mineral, plant or grass.

Kṛshṇa looked at the vast emptiness and decided to create. In an instant the great work of sṛshṭi (creation) began.

The twenty-five tattvas

From Śrī Kṛshṇa’s right side first arose the twenty-five tattvas (principles), the material base of the universe. They are the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas), mahat-tattva, ahaṃkāra, the five tanmātras (gandha, rasa, rūpa, sparśa and śabda), and the related tattvas of the Sāṅkhya count. The text calls these the pañcaviṃśati-tattvas (the twenty-five tattvas), which bind beings in saṃsāra.

Nārāyaṇa

From Kṛshṇa’s right side arose Nārāyaṇa in his four-armed form. He is dark as a rain cloud and dressed in yellow. He holds the śaṅkha (conch), cakra (discus), gadā (mace) and padma (lotus). He bears the Śrīvatsa mark and the Kaustubha jewel on his chest and wears the Śārṅga bow. His face is as handsome as the autumn moon.

Nārāyaṇa stood before Kṛshṇa with folded hands and sang the first stotra of the Khaṇḍa. He called Kṛshṇa “kāraṇānāṃ kāraṇam” (the cause of all causes), “karma-svarūpa“, “tapas-svarūpa“, “veda-rūpa“, “sarvasvarūpī” and “sarvaveda-vitta“. At Kṛshṇa’s command Nārāyaṇa sat on a jewelled throne.

Mahādeva

From Kṛshṇa’s left side appeared Mahādeva. He is white as pure crystal. He has five heads, matted golden locks and three eyes, with a crescent moon on his forehead. He wears the sky as his robe (digambara) and holds a japamālā (prayer beads). He is the master of all siddhas.

He stood before Kṛshṇa with tears of love flowing and his body thrilling with bhakti (devotion). He sang the second stotra, praising Kṛshṇa as “jaya-svarūpa“, “viśva-svarūpa“, “viśvasṛshṭikāraka“, “tejaḥsvarūpa” and “aparājita“. Then he greeted Nārāyaṇa, who stood near, and sat down at Kṛshṇa’s command.

Brahmā

From Kṛshṇa’s nābhi-padma (navel lotus) arose Caturmukha Brahmā. He has an aged form, wears white, carries a kamaṇḍalu (water pot) and has the four Vedas on his four faces. He is the maker of all beings, the master of yogīs and craftsmen, and the giver of the fruit of tapas and of all prosperity.

Brahmā stood before Kṛshṇa and bowed with his whole body thrilling with joy. He sang a stotra calling Kṛshṇa “rāseśvara“, “rāsavāsa“, “rāsakrīḍā-ullāsa-pradāyaka” and “go-ānanda-kārika“. Then he greeted Śiva and Nārāyaṇa and took his seat.

Dharma

From Kṛshṇa’s vakshaḥsthala (chest) arose Dharma. He is white, smiling, with matted locks (jaṭā). He is the witness of all, full of compassion, free of violence and anger, the very form of knowledge of dharma.

Dharma fell flat before Kṛshṇa in a daṇḍapraṇāma (a bow like a falling rod) and sang twenty-four names of Kṛshṇa: Śrī Kṛshṇa, Vishṇu, Vāsudeva, Paramātmā, Īśvara, Govinda, Paramānanda, Advaita, Akshara, Acyuta, Gokulānātha, Gopikānātha, Goshṭhavāsa, Govatsapuccha-dhārī, Go-gopa-gopī-madhyastha, Pradhāna and Purushottama. Dharma then greeted Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva and took his seat.

The text says that anyone who chants these twenty-four names at dawn gains lasting dharma, victory in all things, and the power to say Kṛshṇa’s name at the moment of death.

Sarasvatī

From Kṛshṇa’s mukha (mouth) appeared Sarasvatī. She is white as crystal and holds a vīṇā and a book. She shines like ten million full moons, with eyes like autumn lotuses (śarat-padma). She wears golden clothes and jewelled ornaments. She is the presiding devī of vāk (speech), the beloved of poets and the mother of all learned people.

First Sarasvatī sang Kṛshṇa’s praises to the tune of her vīṇā, telling of his deeds in every kalpa and yuga. Then she called him “rāsamaṇḍala-madhyabhūta“, “rāsollāsa-samutsuka“, “ratna-siṃhāsanastha” and “śānta“. She sat down at Kṛshṇa’s command.

Mahālakshmī

From Kṛshṇa’s manas (mind) appeared Mahālakshmī. She shines with the glow of pure gold and wears pītāmbara and jewelled ornaments. She is a young woman of the highest beauty, the ruler of all aiśvaryas (powers and riches).

She stood before Vishṇu, her husband, and bowed with devotion. She sang a stotra calling Kṛshṇa “satya-svarūpa“, “satyeśvara“, “satyakāraṇa“, “sanātana” and “satya-mūla“. Her golden light lit all the directions as she took her seat.

Durgā, the Mūlaprakṛti

From Kṛshṇa’s buddhi (intelligence) appeared Durgā, the Mūlaprakṛti (the root nature). She shines like refined gold and glows like one crore suns. Her face is smiling, her eyes are like autumn lotuses, and she wears red clothes and jewelled ornaments.

She has one hundred arms, and each holds a weapon: triśūla, śakti, the Śārṅga bow, khaḍga, arrows, śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma, a crystal mālā, kamaṇḍalu, vajra, aṅkuśa, pāśa, bhuśuṇḍi, daṇḍa, tomara, the Nārāyaṇāstra, Brahmāstra, Raudrāstra, Pāśupatāstra, Vāyavyāstra, Vāruṇāstra, Āgneyāstra and Gāndharvāstra. She is the presiding devī of all śaktis, and of sleep, hunger, thirst, compassion, śraddhā (faith) and kshamā (forgiveness).

She stood before Kṛshṇa and said, “I am Prakṛti-svarūpiṇī, Īśvarī, Sarveśvarī. Yet I am not independent, for I was made by you. You alone are the Īśvara, the goal, the protector, the maker, the destroyer and the maker again of all. I bow to you.”

She also praised Kṛshṇa’s endless power. At a single blink of his eye Brahmā dies. From a single frown of his brow he can make crores of Vishṇus. At Kṛshṇa’s command she took her seat, and all the devas rejoiced.

Sāvitrī

From Kṛshṇa’s jihvā (tongue) arose Sāvitrī. She is white as pure crystal and beautiful. She wears white and is adorned with every ornament, and she holds a japamālā. She stood before Kṛshṇa and sang a stotra calling him “sarva-kāraṇa-bhūta“, “brahma-svarūpa“, “sanātana“, “parātpara“, “kṛshṇa“, “nirvikāra” and “nirañjana“.

Manmatha and Rati

In the same chapter Manmatha, who is Kāmadeva, and his consort Rati also came into being. Sāvitrī is given as Brahmā’s dharmapatnī (wife in dharma). Manmatha and Rati are the devas of kāma (desire), who drive creation on. Through their presence, life goes on by desire.

Varuṇa

Varuṇa was born from the jala (water) that Kṛshṇa made at the time of sṛshṭi.

Sources

• Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa