Prana, Consciousness, and the Cosmic Creation
What is Prana?
Have you ever thought — what makes any motion possible: the blink of an eye, the budding of a flower, the beating of the heart, or the fall of the stars? Thousands of years ago, the yogis in the Himalayas fathomed the inherent quality of motion in creation and they called it Prana. Though a direct translation of this word in english does not exist, however one may roughly translate the word Prana as ‘energy’ or ‘vital force’. From the yogic view, the entire cosmos is alive, throbbing with Prana.
Prana is present in every aspect of creation. It is prana within each and every object that gives it existence and material form, whether it is a planet, a star, a tree, or a rock. If there were no prana, there would be no existence. All beings whether living or non-living, exist due to prana. Every manifestation in creation forms part of a never-ending matrix of energy particles, arranged in different densities, combinations and variations. The universal principle of Prana may be in a static or dynamic state, but it is behind all existence on every plane of being from the highest to the lowest. The wind blows and the river flows because of prana. The light and the sound wave travel because of prana. The space vibrates with prana. Even the thoughts and desires that rise in the mind is nothing but an energy in motion or prana.
It is said in the Kathopanishad: This whole world — whatever there is — vibrates having originated from prana.
This cosmic prana, also called mahaprana, came into being at the time of creation. So, to understand further let’s see how the creation manifested.
Cosmic creation and the Universal Prana
The Vedic scripture expounded the concept of creation of the universe thousands of years before science came up with the explanation of Big Bang.
While science remains in a conundrum about the existence of an intelligent creator, it presents a universal origin story known as the Big Bang which postulates that, 13.7 billion years ago, our universe emerged from a singularity — a point of infinite density and gravity — and that before this event, space and time did not exist (which means the Big Bang took place at no place and no time).
Let’s understand this in the light of what the scriptures say about the creation and evolution of the universe.
At the very beginning, there was nothing, not even creation. What existed was an all-pervasive, unmanifest consciousness, known in the scriptures as Para Brahman.
It contained within it all the qualities and components necessary for creation. The whole universe lay infinitely contracted in it as mere potency; prana remained completely absorbed in it as if in a union of deep embrace. It was a state of perfect equilibrium and harmony.
In this utter stillness, there is a movement. The vedic literature states that a desire arose in that absolute principle: Ekoham bahusyam — “I am one, let me become many”. The desire is the first impulse, which results in ‘willing’. This ‘willing’ of the unmanifest consciousness causes the first spandan or vibration, and energy issues forth. It is the first movement: the first moment of becoming from being, the first manifestation of prana.
This primal energy called mahaprana, is also known as Mahamaya, Mahashakti, the Cosmic creatrix or the Cosmic Mother.
Prana was never separate from consciousness; it existed eternally as potential in consciousness, but now it assumed itself. Thus, energy and consciousness began to interact with each other and indulged in a cosmic play which caused the manifestation of the creation.
And so, the Para Brahman or the Universal consciousness is both the intelligent creator (Nimitta karanam) and the material cause (Upadan karanam) of the universe. The manduka upanishad explains this beautifully using the example of a spider. The spider releases a sticky substance called the spider silk from within itself to create its web. The spider here is both the creator as well as the material cause of the web.
The awakening of mahaprana was like a self projection of the infinite consciousness — the unchanging consciousness could experience itself through the movement of prana. In the course of time, modifications took place in the states of consciousness and energy, and with each modification a different level of creation came into being. Different levels of existence manifested in the form of beings and matter, elements and energies, light and dark, positive and negative, animate and inanimate, male and female. Together consciousness and energy expanded the universe, and at the end of every age dissolved it, gathering the universe back into themselves.
The Cosmic play of Consciousness and Prana
Consciousness (Shiva) is the awareness; that which takes one closer to awareness is prana (Shakti), and that which motivates prana is vasana or inherent desire.
Consciousness is being, awareness, knowledge; prana is becoming, manifestation through motion. These two are the two eternal principles that are the basis of macrocosm and microcosm. The entire universe, creation and existence are a play of consciousness and energy and permeate every atom and cell of the universe.
The mahaprana or the divine mother is all love and grace. She fulfils all our desires and has always something or the other to teach. She is Shakti — Mahamaya. One can never get enough of her. As Ramdas says in his book, “Be here and now” — if you think that something is happening, like your are working, you are achieving, you are doing something worthwhile, and thinking there is so much more to do and accomplish — all that is just the pendant in the ear of the divine mother, or it’s a little spot of color on her cheek. If you meet someone as benevolent as the divine mother who fulfils all your wishes, you’d surely want to hang around with her to experience the world. She will always have new experiences and learnings for you. As long as we’re greedy for experiences, we’re going to be around for quite a while, in this ocean of Maya. But even then, you can’t have her, neither reject her. All you can do is surrender to her and worship her.
The other face of the divine Mother is all bliss. If she is the illusion, she is also that which is beyond illusion. And so, finally when you go beyond her, and become free of her, and go further beyond, you finally cross the great OCEAN OF EXISTENCE, the OCEAN OF MAYA, and meet the divine mother again — as Shiva.
Shakti is not different from Shiva. Swami Muktananda wrote beautifully in his autobiography entitled ‘Play of Consciousness’ — “The supreme Shakti is Paramshiva. She is inseparable from Paramashiva, who is absorbed in Her. She is also called Shiva-Shakti. It is Her beauty that is revealed in this phenomenal universe, animate and inanimate. She is the power of consciousness of the supreme Being and is completely identical with Him. The perceivable universe is the outer expansion of her own inner pulsation. She reveals Herself in every visible activity in life. She appears in various forms, favourable or unfavourable, helpful or obstructive. Even though the pervasion of Shiva-Shakti may seem to an ordinary person to be duality, to one who depends on the Guru’s grace, and attains knowledge, it appears only as the perfect embodiment of love and non-duality.”
This universe is a manifestation of the divine play, a Lila of Shiva, the pure consciousness, and Shakti, the divine mother, who in essence are not two, but ONE.
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Read the part 2 of the post here: Prana: Understanding the Life
Reference: Prana and Pranayama by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Raja Yoga — Swami Vivekananda, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
