PRANAVA-VADA

PRANAVA-VADA
VOL. III.

THE SCIENCE OF THE SACRED WORD
BEING A SUMMARISED TRANSLATION
OF
THE PRANAVA-VADA
OF
GARGYAYANA
BY
BRAGA VAN DAS, M.A.
with notes by Annie Besant
VOL. III.
Theosophical Publishing Bouse, Adyap, Kadras, India
1913

SECTION III. (Oontinued.)
CHAPTER XXVII.
PARA AND APARA-PRAKJ.tTI.
Light and shade as Para and A para-prakrti.­
JivatIria as the third.-The next stage of condensation
as saHva, rajas and tamas; corresponding
to ..A.tma-(orJivatma-) prakrti, ParaandApari
respectively.-Endless repetitions of these and
further and further condensatiolls.-M an a s, bU9-
9hi, and ahailkara.-ChiHa, mahaHva and mamatva.-Thence
three akash It s.-Thence three
vayus, and so on.-Endless triplets, even denser
than earth.-Other counts, by sevens, etc.-Formations
of Il'toms by action and re-action.
New facts and names arise out of this conjUllction
of light and shade that was described
in the preceding chapter. Light is Par ap
l' a k r t j; shadow is A par ii.-p l' a k r P; the
t picture' born of the two is the J i v it t m i1.
Out of the conjunctions of this triplet of Par it,
A par it 3.nd J i v it t m ii, arises the other triplet
of sat t v a, r It j a s, and tam It s. The first is
At m a-p l' It k r t i, i.e., the Self Itself (the
possessor of the light); raj as is Pit l' a-p r a k r t i
or prakaB.ha, light; tamas (darkness)
is A pit r it-p l' a k r t i.1 In other words, the I is
1 In the preceding chapter, A par a t m a was
said to possess the quality of light and to reside

164
PRA:tlAVA-VAVA.
become," says the Brahma-Sft{1·a. And again:
From one kind of expansive and contractive
vibration, spa n g a and s p h u raJ). a, is born
one (kind of substance). (In other words, the
same root-matter, M 11 1 a-prakrti, in different
kinds of vibrations, appears as different
substances, with different sense-qualities).
From the vibrations of r 11 p a, there is born
taste, which can be felt only when visible shape
is definitely present already.
Finally, from the vibrations of taste, is born
smell. In each one is included the 'experience'
of another. (? Also, each one of the sensations
of anyone sense has a specifically corresponding
sensation belonging to each one of the other
senses, e.g., sweet smell, sweet taste, sweet appearance,
sweet touch, sweet sound). Medical
science (in the department of Chemistry) tells
us how such and such an odour may be produced
out of such and such a taste belonging
to such and such a substance.
The sense-qualities belong to their respective
substances and sense-organs, universally. (The
same vibrations of the same atom will constitute
the same substance, and will produce the
same sensation in or on the receiving organs
constituted in the same way, in any time and
any space. In other words, given the same
constitution of sense-organ, and of the vibrating
,..
LOVE AND HATE. 165
atom, the resultant sensation experienced will
be the same, in all times and all spaces).
The well-known quintuplication, p a fi chi·
k a r a Q a, l of the elements, has arisen in this
wise. When the less known two other elements
become manifest, then sap t i-k a r a l}. a or
septuplication will be generally recognised.
By the' conquest' of this sense-multiplication,
this innate tendency to evolve new sense-qualities,
substances, sense-organs, etc., 1 a y a is
secured. 'Conquest' here means abolition, annihilation.
It is true that complete annihilation
of anything is not possible. Yet at the same
time we see that I a y a is a constant and
nnignorable fact also-in the way of inaction,
sleep, by means of the Negation. It is ever
present in the Logion. The condition between
I and' This is I a y a, dissolution, reabsorptionl
the point of neutrality wherein both factorS'
become concealed. It is also the condition
between This and Not, and between Not and I;
1 In current Ver!anta works, this word means that
at the present stage of our evolution these five
elements exist for us united in a definite proportion,
a moiety of each (giving the name) plus onequarter
of the other half consisting of each of the
other four. But here the word seems to mean
simply the 'becoming or making five' of what
was the one root-matter.

iv
find it of some help in the culture and regulation of
their emotional nature, the soundness and purity of
which lie at the root of human welfare.
The Indian Review, Madras, July, 1901.
THE SCIENCE OF PEACE Rs. 4-8-0
It The student should carefully study Bhaga.van
Das' Science of Peace, in which the metaphysical
questions involved are expounded with rare acumen
and felicity."
ANNIE BESANT (A Study in Oonsciousness, p. 6.)
Writing a series of articles on the subject; in
The Theosophist (1909), Mrs. Annie Besant said in a
prefatory note; It These articles are an exposition
of one of the most valuable books issued under
the inspiration of 'I.'heosophy, The Science of Peace,
by Bhagavan Das. Those who, seek a lasting intellectual
foundation for their thinking will find
much help from this valuable and original work."
THE SCIENCE OF SOCIAL ORGANISATION·
. ,
OR THE LAWS OF MANU IN THE LIGHT
OF THEOSOPHY Rs. 2-8-0.
Popular edition 1-8-0.
" Admirable Convention Lectures ..• A rare
combination of deep learning and felicitous phrasing."
ANNIE BESANT (Theosophy in India, 1910.)
.. This book, like others from the same pen, has
the indefinable quality of distinction: subtlety and
v
precision of thought, scholarly culture and urbanity
of expression all mingling to. produce something
eminently readable and provocative of re:H.ection.
A great subject has been presented in a clear
and pleasant way ... Weare shown, with .••
admirable skill and lucidity, what J)harma meant
to the age in which it was given. For those who
look forward to a great revival of Indian spirituality,
The Science of Social Organisation by Bhaga.van
Das is rich in instruction ... An admirable·
organon of the new idealism, which, though new in
its hopes and aspirations, is yet reonian in its
sources, and which, through the cyclic process of the
Aryan race, must eventually bring back all the
scattered members of that race to the level of
thought and aspiration from which many thousands
of yea.rs a.go, they started on their long journey ...
... A book of the highest excellence and value.
... A work which is clearly the outcome of long
years of thonght and study, but which has also,
just as clearly, been a labour of love."
PROf!'. E. A. WODEHciuSE, M. A. (OXON.)
(The O. H. O. Magazine, October, 1910.)
"A revelation ... of the scientific principles which
underlie our old social organisatiou ... It has been a
delight and an instruction to read the work."
MAHAMAHOPADHYAYA PAiwIT ADITYARAM BHATIA­
OHARTA, M. A., F. A. u., late Professor of Samskrt,
Muir College, Allahabad.

PAGE LiNE FOR READ:
220 11 Soheme, Soheme
218 22 )
222 25 If, SO, Hso,
248 26 love love,
"
X
14 Manifests Manifests,
252 27 xiii., xiii.)
253 29 where in wherein
272 1 samiihara samiihiira
355 27 Kundiilini KumJiilini
361 25 prapbimbiis ••• prap bim b8.B
27 sound Bound,
"
VOLUME III.
PAGE LINE FOR READ:
6 27 (of ohitta,) of ohitta,
35 21 iva jiva
38 19 bhriitrtvena bhriitrtvena.
94. 29 ohohn