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XXI11] Vāyu Purāņa
503 akşara, śukra, tapas, satyam, atiprakāśa. It is said to cover round the second puruṣa. This second puruṣa is probably the loka-pitāmaha. Through the association of time and preponderance of rajas eight different stages of modification are produced which are associated with kşetrajña?. In this connection the Vāyu Purāņa speaks also of the prākṣtika, the naimittika and the ātyantikapralaya. It also says that the categories of evolution have been discovered both by the guidance of the śāstras and by rational argument, and that prakyti is devoid of all sensible qualities. She is associated with three guņas, and is timeless and unknowable in herself. In the original state, in the equilibrium of gunas, everything was pervaded by her as tamas. At the time of creation, being associated with kşetrajña, mahat emerges from her. This mahat is due to a preponderance of sattva and manifests only pure existence. This mahat is called by various names, such as manas, mahat, mati, brahmā, pur, buddhi, khyāti, īśvara, citi, prajñā, smrti, samvit, vipura". This mahat-prajñā, being stirred by desire to create, begins the work of creation and produces dharma, adharma and other entities". Since the cause of the gross efforts of all beings exists always as conceived in a subtle state in the mahat, it is called "manas." It is the first of all categories, and of infinite extent and is thus called mahān. Since it holds within itself all that is finite and measurable and since it conceives all differentiations from out of itself and appears as intelligent puruşa, by its association with experience it is called mati. It is called brahman since it causes all growth. Further, as all the later categories derive their material from it, it is called pur. Since the purușa understands all things as beneficial and desirable and since it is also the stuff through which all understanding is possible, it is called buddhi. All experience and integration of experience and all suffering and enjoyment depending upon knowledge proceed from it; therefore it is called khyāti. Since it directly knows everything as the great Soul it is called Isvara. Since all sense-perceptions are produced from it, it is called prajñā. Since all states of knowledge and all kinds of
1 Vāyu Purāņa, 3. 11, and compare the Pañcarātra doctrine as elaborated in Ahirbudhnya. 2 Vayu Purana, 3. 23.
tac-chăstra-yuktyā sua-mati-prayatnāt
samastam āviskyta-dhi-dhrtibhyah. Ibid. 3. 24. It speaks of five pramānas. Ibid. 4. 16. 4 Ibid. 4. 25.
6 Ibid. 4. 24.
