Mahat-tattva and creation of our world
Astronomers have recently discovered a planet, 'theoretically habitable', orbiting the Sun-like star Alpha Centauri. The planet resembles our very own Saturn, a gas giant, eliminating the chances of supporting life like our home planet does.
The cosmos is an intriguing place. With billions of stars, planets, asteroids and rocks, which often makes one wonder where it all began. Physicists say it's the Big Bang – the universe expanded from an inflexion point and continues to expand even today, as I write this article. Philosophers, of course, wonder 'why'. Why did the universe expand? Where did it come from? What was there before the singularity? Where did singularity come from, so on and so forth?
Sankhya school of Indic philosophy explains that origin of the cosmos can be attributed to the proximity of purusha and prakriti – consciousness and matter/nature, and from that arises Mahat, the great cause of the universe or cosmic intelligence. It is the first product of this proximity and the first step in the beginning of creation.
Sankhya says that prakriti is initially a constitution of three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas. Once this equilibrium is disturbed, creation begins, and Mahat emerges – the cosmic intellect, which also, interestingly, constitutes individual buddhi. From Mahat comes ahamkara, ego, i, which gives rise to the mind, senses, and elements. S Radhakrishnan says in the Indian Philosophy, Volume 2, 'While the term 'mahat' brings out the cosmic aspect, buddhi, which is used as a synonym for it, refers to the psychological counterpart appertaining to each individual.' Hence, Mahat is used both in a cosmic sense and in an individual psychological sense as Mahat-buddhi.
Radhakrishnan says, 'The functions of buddhi are ascertainment and decision. All other organs function for intellect, buddhi, and the intellect, which works directly for purusha, enabling the latter to experience all existence and discriminate between prakriti and itself.'
In the Bhagwad Gita (14.3), Krishn says, 'My primordial nature, known as the great Mahat Brahmn is the womb of all creatures, in that womb I place the seed of life. The creation of that union follows from that union of matter and spirit, O Arjun.' Therefore, Mahat-tattva is the primordial womb from which emerges creation. It is both within and without; it constitutes our buddhi, intellect and is also the universal intellect. In effect, it is both seer and the seen. It emerges from proximity of purusha and prakriti and becomes the eyes of purusha, relaying and informing what it perceives to purusha.
The Mahat-tattva is the organiser of creation, the first efficient cause. From Mahat-buddhi, arises ahamkar, ego or self-sense, individual i. From a sattva-dominated ahamkar, comes manas and five organs of perception – functions of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch; five of action: vak, pani, pada, payu, upasth, and five elements: prithvi, jal, fire, agni, air, vayu, and akasha, determined by varied combinations of three gunas. Five tanmatras: shabda, sparsha, roop, ras and gandha are linked to the five sense organs.
Thus, creation unfolds in all its breathtaking glory, complexity, and contradictions, with Mahat – cosmic intellect – emerging first. The subtle turns into gross as physical worlds of stars, planets and exoplanets, all guided by the Mahat, emerge. The cosmic intellect can guide the individual intellect when the individual buddhi tunes into Mahat buddhi through dhyan, dharna, and samadhi, or shravan, manan, and nidhidyasan.
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