How It All Started

A brief description of how it all started is given in the Mahabharata. This explains how the universe, as we see it today, began. It specifically describes the beginning of the present Kalpa.

The beginning of the Kalpa implies that there was something even before that. On the time scale, we are going to fix a certain point at the beginning of the Kalpa and start describing from there. However, there could be happenings, incidents, and states even before this point. This should be clear.

At this point in time, where it all started, there was nothing—only darkness. There were no objects or beings. Absolutely nothing existed; only darkness surrounded everything.

Suddenly, a huge egg appeared out of nowhere. It didn’t come from anywhere else; it just emerged from that darkness, like how butter comes out of curd. This egg contained the Parabrahma. He wasn’t inside the egg as a separate entity; he was the egg itself. He was inside every minute part of this egg and controlled it completely.

This Parabrahma is a wonder. Can we envision his form? How big could he be? How small? What color is he? What is his state—solid, liquid, or gas? We cannot know. This egg doesn’t have a structure like the white and yellow parts of a typical egg. It is uniform all around, as the Parabrahma is also uniform all around.

Do not confuse Parabrahma with Brahmadeva, the creator with four heads, whose consort is Saraswati Devi. They are not the same. Is it possible to define Parabrahma? No. You can’t define what Parabrahma is. Every object or being in this world can be defined in terms of its characteristics and features. You can describe every object and being. But Parabrahma can never be described or defined sufficiently to convey a fair understanding of what he truly is.

This is why the shastras say: 'neti, neti.' The moment you think you have understood Parabrahma, be sure that you have not understood. You can never conclude what Parabrahma is—'na iti.' 'Iti' means a conclusion. When you have known something, you can say 'iti,' meaning 'this is what it is.' For example, after describing something completely, you conclude by saying, 'Iti Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram sampoornam.' This is your concluding line.

But in the case of Parabrahma, you can never write a concluding line. Because you can never fully understand or define Parabrahma. This is the lesson of the thousands of scriptures, the Upanishads, and the Prasthana-trayi. They all teach that Parabrahma cannot be fully comprehended. To convey this truth, all these scriptures exist. They are books that tell you in millions of words that, ultimately, they cannot teach you the full nature of Parabrahma.

When you seek answers from these scriptures, they eventually tell you, 'Sorry, we don’t have the full answer.' But in the process, they take you on a journey that will ultimately lead you to join their understanding—that this ignorance is not due to inefficiency. This ignorance doesn’t make you lesser; it is not incompetence.

This is the nature of Parabrahma. With your limited mental faculties, you cannot fully capture or understand him. This is what the scriptures tell us.

Knowledge Bank

Who is Parabrahma?

Parabrahma is the one and only truth. It is beginningless and unless. It is unmanifest and undivided. When Parabrama only manifests itself into the universe. Parabrahma can not be perceived by the sensory organs. Parabrahma can not be understood with the mind. Parabrahma is not confined by space and time.

What is Kalpa?

Kalpa is the lifespan of the universe. One kalpa is 4.32 billion years.

What is the current Kalpa?

The name of the current Kalpa is Shweta Varaha.