Bhushunda Recounts World-Cycles - 8

Sage Vasishtha

BHUSHUNDA continued:

Of course I remember sages like you, goddesses like Gauri, demons like Hiranyaksha, kings like Sibi, of the recent past and of the bygone age. O sage, this is the eighth time you have taken birth as sage Vasishtha, this is the eighth time we meet each other. At one time you were born of space, at another of water, at another of wind, at another of a mountain and then of fire.

Whatever is happening in the present creation has happened exactly in the same manner during three previous creations. But I remember the events of ten such creations. (NOTE: Then follows a list of major world-events all of which were not repeated all the time in every creation, accounting for the differences in the number of times Bhushunda witnessed them. A few of them are reproduced here to illustrate this.)In every age there have been sages who propounded the truth and revealed the Vedas. There have been Vyasas who wrote down the legends (prehistoric tales). And, time and again Valmiki composed the sacred Ramayana. In addition to that a sacred book of wisdom which contains your instructions to Rama has also been recorded by a sage known as Valmiki: originally it was of one hundred thousand verses. In this age, too, it will again be recorded by Valmiki by the twelfth time. There was an equally great scripture known as 'Bharatha' which has been forgotten. 

In order to destroy the demons, lord Vishnu takes birth again and again as Rama: He will be born in this age for the eleventh time. And, lord Vishnu will incarnate as Krishna for the sixteenth time. 

However, all this is illusory appearance; the world as such is not a reality. It seems to be real to the deluded mind. It arises and ceases in the twinkling of an eye like the ripples on the ocean. The three worlds were similar during some epochs and in other epochs they were utterly dissimilar. On account of all these differences, in every age I have new friends, new relatives, new servants and new dwellings. Sometimes I dwell in the Himalayas, other times in the Malaya mountains and in other times, on account of inherited tendencies, I take my abode here in this nest. 

Even the directions change from age to age. Because I alone have survived the night of the creator Brahma I know the truth about these changes. Depending upon the position of the poles and the movement of the stars, the sun and the moon, the directions (North, East etc.) are determined. When these change, the directions change. But, I know that this world is neither real nor unreal. The only reality is the movement of energy within the cosmic consciousness. This, on account of deluded understanding, appears as this creation and disappears: such delusion also causes confusion of relationships and duties. In some ages the sun behaves like the father, friend like an enemy and man like woman. Sometimes in 'the dark age' people behave as if 'the golden age' prevails and vice versa.