July 19, 2026
maharṣayaḥ sapta pūrve catvāro manavas tathā
madbhāva mānasā jātā yeṣāṁ loka imāḥ prajāḥ (X-6)
etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ
so ’vikaṁpena yogena yujyate nā ’tra saṁśayaḥ (X-7)
X/6. The seven great sages, the ancient four and also the manū, possessed of powers like me, were born of my mind; from them are these creatures born in this world.
X/7. He who in truth knows these manifold manifestations of my being and yoga-power of mine become established in the unshakable yoga; there is no doubt about it.
Swamiji's Commentary
Hinduism, especially Hindu mythology, has woven colorful legends into a charming pattern of creation. The Bhāgavataṁ and many other scriptures contain interesting stories which invariably conclude with the note, ‘All this is the Lord’s play’. The four ancient sages who were first born of the Creator’s mind were not interested in progeny. The second lot of seven were prompted by the indweller to do this job, whilst the four illuminated the path of renunciation and return. These eleven sages and the manū, ‘were born of my mind’. In other words, they are not to be mistaken for gross, physical, material beings! They are the thought-forms or the dreams of the Lord. They are the archetypes in the macrocosm of certain physic-mental faculties in the microcosm.
The four ancient sages represent the four aspects the mind – the conscious, the subconscious, the intellect and the ego-ity. The seven sages, however, represent the seven dhātū (components) of the physical body. The manū are thoughts themselves in the waking state, and dreams of the dream-state. But all these are only in cosmic mind! – i.e., they are God’s dreams. And, ‘from them are these creatures born in this world’! – i.e., the concrete material, sensible world that seems to exist is nothing more than God’s dream-object. Why, then, do we not experience it as such? Because the dream is still in progress and we are all dream-objects. Whilst the dream is in progress, no one can convince the dreamer that he is dreaming! All seems so real. It is only on awakening that the dream is realized to have been a dream. The knower of this truth practices the ‘unshakable yoga’ for he is no more deluded, though he sees both sides – the dream and the dreamer dreaming his dream!