BIG BANG THEORY-AN INTRODUCTION

BIG BANG THEORY-AN INTRODUCTION

There are numerous theories regarding the origin of universe but the Big Bang model is the broadly accepted theory. But thousands of years before scientists came up with Big Bang model, did the sages of Upanishads knew about the cosmos wake up.  

In the introduction of his book ‘The Big Bang and the Bhagavad Gita,’ R.A.S. Koacha suggests that the early saints of modern day Hinduism knew about this cosmic event through mystic insight.

Big Bang Theory postulates that 12 to 14 billion years ago, the portion of the universe we can see today was only a few millimeters across. It has since expanded from this hot dense state into the vast and much cooler cosmos we currently inhabit. (NASA)

The very name ‘Brahman’ representing the Ultimate Reality in Hindu religion appears to be nothing but an implicit reference to the ‘Big Bang’ itself. The word ‘Brahman’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘brh’ which means to ‘grow big’ without limit and can be an oblique reference to an explosion or‘Sphota’.  However they postulate that Brahman being the one and only Reality, represents everything, including even the state of singularity before the Big Bang, as well as the whole manifested universe after it. Their inference is that Brahman is the impersonal absolute of pure timeless existence.

As all creation emerges from Brahman with the Big Bang, the sound that has emerged there from and which is prevalent in the ether eternally is represented by them by a single syllable ‘OM’ (Shabda Brahman). The greatness of this is that this single syllable ‘OM’ is a mantra (Invocation) by itself and the seers of unknown age in their meditation attributed  its oneness with the cosmos.They also clarified that'OM" or "AUM"(OM is a combination of three syllables A U and Ma, the first one being emanated from the stomach,next one from heart and the third one from mouth and ultimately the sound culminates into silence.) represents the waking, dream and deep-sleep states of all living beings. Hence it is the appropriate symbol of Brahman in its transcendent as well as immanent aspects. Representing the primal sound of creation the ‘AUM’ symbolizes the manifesting sound (or vibration) of the ‘Big Bang’ which astronomers have detected as the residual cosmic emanation from that explosion.

 According to Samkhya there is nothing like a new creation but only a manifestation of what was already present in the cause in a potential form. Thus Prakriti or material nature is the primordial matrix or plenum out of which all material as well as psychic phenomena evolve. Mind and matter are but manifestations of the same principle. Prakriti is the homogenous universal field (Quantum field?) at first in a state of equilibrium, its three constituents the illuminating (Sattvic), activating (Rajasic) and restricting (Tamasic) being in a balanced state. When this balance is disturbed by the preponderance of one or the other of the constituents (Gunas) creation becomes inevitable.

The Kashmiri cult of Shaivism is more explicit in its account of creation. The whole universe was at first concentrated at one point or dot (Bindu). It is the Primordial Seed of creation. After a period of germination it undergoes an explosion (Sphota) resulting in the sound (Nada) of creation (OM). (Sound is used in the scriptures for all kinds of vibrations.) All creation (Kala) proceeds from this sound. Thus the doctrine of Nada, Bindu, and Kala is but an implied reference to the Big Bang theory of creation.

Swasti.