how universe was created according to Hinduism | how big bang happened | the power of speaking | Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

The Power of Speech | Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | Shloka 1.2.4

#English Watch https://youtu.be/VNDMOhY0L5E
#Hindi Watch https://youtu.be/zeioptEQ8JA
#Bangla Watch https://youtu.be/-bM58RuShaY

Dear readers,

Welcome back to our BLOG. Today, we delve into the fourth shloka of the second Brahmana within the first chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. In this post, we will explore the profound meaning of this shloka and draw parallels between ancient wisdom and modern scientific understanding.

Let's begin by reading or reciting the shloka:

"सोऽकामयतः द्वितीयो म आत्मा जायेतेति स मनसा वाचं मिथुन समभवदशनाया मृत्युस्तद्यद्रेत आसीत्स संवत्सरोऽभवत्। न ह पुरा ततः संवत्सर आस तमेतावन्तं कालमबिभः। यावान्त्संवत्सरातमेतावतः कालस्य परस्तादसृजत तं जातमभिव्याददात्स भाणकरोत्सैव वागभवत्॥ ||४||"

"So'kaamayatah dviteeyo ma atmaa jaayeteti sa manasaa vaacham mithuna samabhavadashanaayaa mrityustadyadreta aaseets samvatsaro'bhavat. Na ha puraa tatah samvatsara aasa tametaavantam kaalamabibhah. Yaavaantsamvatsaraatametaavatah kaalasya parastaadasrijata tam jaatamabhivyaadadaatsa bhaanakaro'saiva vaagabhavat."

English Translation:

He desired, 'May a second self be born to me.' Thus, Death or Hunger caused the union of speech (the Vedas) with the mind. The seed from this union became the year. Before this, there was no concept of a year. He (Death) nourished the cosmic egg for a year, and after that period, a being was born. As the baby was born, he opened his mouth to cry 'Bhan!'—and this sound became speech.

Just as a woman dreams of becoming a mother and nurtures her baby for nine months, the cosmic egg nurtured the universe. The joy and pain of childbirth mirror the birth of the universe.

Before we dive deeper, I recommend reading our previous posts on the formation of the solar system, meditation on Viraj, the origin of the Universe, and an introduction to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Also, explore our series on the Isha Upanishad to unveil the Secrets of Self. You can find the links to these posts at the bottom of the page.

In this shloka, the Rishi envisions the universe's creation as a process similar to childbirth. He imagines the universe as a super being named Viraj, who existed in the cosmic egg, or Hiranyagarbha, for a year. Before this period, there was no time or manifestation of Brahman. The creation began with Hiranyagarbha thinking of a baby, leading to the birth of Viraj. Upon Viraj's birth, Hiranyagarbha attempted to awaken him, resulting in the creation of speech. For your note, Death or Hunger is Hiranyagarbha or Prajapati, which I explained in my previous episodes.

Let's see the scientific perspective now. As we already discussed the most popular model, the Big Bang theory, in detail earlier, in this post I will not go into detail. In the Big Bang theory, we saw that there was nothing before this Universe because our current understanding breaks down at that point. At this moment, the laws of physics and time as we understand them break down, and our current theories cannot accurately describe the universe's state. The universe began as an infinitely dense and hot point, often referred to as a singularity. In that singularity, some quantum fluctuations or cosmic inflation happened, leading to the Big Bang. From that Big Bang, the Universe took birth. The concept of time also started from this point. Subatomic particles, waves, atoms, matter, stars, planets, life—each and everything formed and shaped gradually in different processes at different points in time as evolution.

Beyond understanding the universe's creation, this shloka emphasizes the power of speech, equating it with the Vedas, or knowledge. Speech is nothing but the Veda. What is Veda? Veda is knowledge. Speech has the power to produce Veda, and mindful speech can sow the seeds of revolution in millions of minds. Isn't it so powerful? Indeed. A right, honest, powerful speech can influence millions to build something for the betterment of all, and a wrong speech, a lie, or a dishonest narrative can destroy this world. In our tradition, speech is sacred. We say Goddess Sarasvati, the Goddess of knowledge, resides in the organ of speech. Unfortunately, with all the progress in society, we are misusing our speech organ regularly by abusing others, using slang, telling lies, involving in gossip, spreading misinformation and false narratives, telling negative things, influencing others for anti-social and anti-national activities, and whatnot. By doing this, we are creating a society of hell. If we don't stop misusing our speech organ, the world will be destroyed by us very soon. So, my humble request to everyone: the organ which creates Veda, the organ where Goddess Sarasvati resides, use it for the truth. Be respectful, humble, and kind while speaking to others. Your words can hurt others without any intention, so try to avoid such situations and choose your words wisely while speaking. Your words are not just words; they have the power to make or break a deal. Your words are your commitment. Understand the value of your words and do not waste them in unnecessary wars of words and criticizing others. Words spoken in anger cannot be reverted but can damage relationships. Any spoken words reflect the character of a person. Right words used in the right place and at the right time can bring about a revolution. History has witnessed many great speakers all over the world, such as Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and many others. Start by just saying the truth; believe me, positivity will follow, and gradually this world will be free from hatred, false narratives, corruption, and greed.

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