Cosmogony and Cosmology

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad (तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्) states

तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशस्संभूत:| आकाशात् वायु: ||
वायो: अग्नि:| अग्ने: आप:| अद्भ्यः पृथ्वी ||
पृथिव्या ओषधयः, ओषधीभ्यः अन्नम्, अन्नात् पुरुषः||

This is the Brahman, Ātman (आत्मन्) or consciousness from which emerged – space or plasma (ākāśa, आकाश), from the ākāśa the air, and from the air the fire, from the fire the waters, from the waters the earth, from the earth the herbs and plants and from the herbs and plants the grains/food and from the food man was born.

For the term “Ākāśa” we have used the English word plasma as against traditionally used word ether. Similarly, for “dik (दिक्)” we have used the term “space”. In support of this we
bring to notice the following quotation from Amarakoṣa (अमरकोष):

वियद्विष्णुपदं वा तु पुंस्याकाशविहायसी। (Amarakoṣa – kāṇḍa (काण्ड) 1, vyomavarga (व्योमवर्ग) 2, Śloka (श्लोक) 2

According to this, Ākāśa word has been in use in both the genders: neutral or masculine, viz., Ākāśam (आकाशम्) or Ākāśaḥ (आकाशः) but with different meanings and connotations – वा (शब्दात् पूर्वान्वयि) आकाशम्| आसमन्तात् काशन्ते सूर्यादयो यत्र इति, काश् दीप्तौ, हलश्च इति घञ् Obviously, this very phase of transformation of matter should be plasma. तुशब्दात् उत्तरान्वयी आकाशः — विशेषेण हाययति गमयति| हय् गतौ | अवकाशः (space) इत्यर्थः

Vaiśeṣika uses Ākāśa in neutral gender, eg., शब्दगुणकमाकाशम्|

Nyāyaśāstra uses Ākāśa in masculine gender, eg., घटाकाशः, पटाकाशः – दिशस्तु ककुभः काष्ठाः आशाश्च हरितश्च ताः, अमरकोष, काण्ड १, दिग्वर्ग ३, श्लोक १. दिश इति| दिश इत्यवकाशम् or space.

Another example of words used in two different genders having different connotations are mitram (मित्रम्) and mitraḥ (मित्रः). Mitram means friend and mitraḥ stands for the Sun.

Thus, it is also clear that Vaiśeṣikaśāstra, instead of Ākāśa uses a different word dik for space, which particularly denotes the sense of measuring the length vector.

Ākāśa, the Sanskrit word, as mentioned above, means a physical quantity which glows all around. Ākāśa can be interpreted as the fourth state of matter, namely plasma. It is also obvious that this state of matter (Bhūta, भूत) is spread all over the universe. It is Vibhu (विभु) or omnipresent.

In physics, plasma is a mixture of ionized atoms (ions) and free electrons, with a sprinkling of whole atoms, and sometimes even molecules of gas. While it is known that all gases, including the air we breathe, contain some ionized atoms and free electrons, the properties of plasma differ strikingly from those of gases. In plasma, the atoms are in an excited state, a continuous collision of electrons in the course of their random motions, is responsible for the glow of plasma. Plasma is an excellent conductor of electricity. The purity of plasma depends upon the degree of ionization. The upper temperature limit of chemical reactions is of the order of 6,000-8,000 o K. Beyond this limit, the ‘true’ state of plasma sets in. The details in this regard may be seen in the book Dongre-Nene, Physics in Ancient India, NBT, Delhi, 2016.

Modern Science assumes that Ākāśa, the vacuity i.e. the space or plasma, devoid of matter, pre-existed, the particles in this vacuum come together due to gravity to form stars.

The sequence of cosmic formation according to the Big Bang theory is as follows:

Space or plasma (Ākāśa) -> air or gas (Vāyu, वायु ) -> energy (tejas, तेजस् ), the star and galaxy formations, which actually release radiation energy -> water (jala, जल) -> earth (pṛthvī, पृथ्वी) that leads to the formation of heavier elements, solids, etc.

Vedānta does not accept space as a mere emptiness because vacuum too needs to come into being. So, there has to be some thing from which space has emerged.

The sequence of evolution of the universe according to Vedānta is as follows:

Parabrahman (परब्रह्मन्) (beyond sat (सत्) and asat (असत्)), incomprehensible being, beyond bhāva (भाव) and abhāva (अभाव), qualityless Brahman/ Cosmic consciousness / inspiring Self Brahman -> Brahmā (ब्रह्मा) – Brahman with attributes i.e. absolute being bhāva -> the fundamental existence evolves into eightfold or Aṣṭadhā Prakṛti (अष्टधा प्रकृति) -> on one side, the confluence of Sūkṣmabhūta (सूक्ष्मभूत) or subtle elements with consciousness results into elemental sentient world, and on the other side, their quintuplicating generates five gross elements, Pañcamahābhūta (पञ्चमहाभूत) constituting insentient world -> creation of inert matter as well as the sentient organisms with senses of perception and organs of action.

The stage wise evolution of the universe from ‘non-being’ to the emergence of consciousness in accordance with the Theory of Inflationary Universe (Alan guth):

Zero (negation), non-being (abhāva) ->split into negative (gravity, one of the fundamental forces) and positive (other three fundamental forces- electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear forces) energy->formation of fundamental particles -> formation of inert matter->formation of complex molecules of carbon, and complex structure of matter- >emergence of consciousness in living organisms as an emergent quality of complex form of matter.

One finds a common befitting analogy for the Vedantic evolution of the universe in few words in Kaṭhopaniṣad (कठोपनिषद्) as well as Bhagavad Gītā (भगवद् गीता). The whole universe is described as a holy fig tree (Aśvattha or अश्वत्थ which means mutable, known as Pipal tree), its roots pointing up towards Brahman, the cosmic consciousness, and the
branches (as perceived universe) and leaves (Vedas) pointing down. The upward direction denotes Brahman beyond sat (real) and asat (unreal), whereas the downward direction denotes material universe of inert matter and organic life including Jīvas (जीव).

ऊर्ध्वमूलमवक्षाख एषोsश्वत्थः सनातनः- Kaṭhopaniṣad, 2.3.1.