The Cosmic Blueprint of Creation: Srishti Utpatti Krama
Since the dawn of human curiosity, we have gazed at the stars and wondered: Where did all this come from? Modern science provides us with the Big Bang Theory, a description of how the observable universe expanded from an unimaginably dense point nearly 13.8 billion years ago. It explains galaxies, stars, and planets in terms of physical forces, equations, and probabilities.
But thousands of years before telescopes, satellites, and particle accelerators, the sages of Sanatan Dharma, India’s timeless spiritual tradition, described the origin of the cosmos in an astonishingly sophisticated manner. They did not rely on external observation, but on inner vision, deep meditation, yogic perception, and the experience of pure consciousness.
This ancient wisdom is known as Srishti Utpatti Krama, the sacred sequence of creation. It is not merely a myth or story but a cosmic map, a metaphysical unfolding of reality, from the subtle to the gross, from the invisible to the tangible, from consciousness to matter.
Unlike science, which asks how the universe came to be, Sanatan Dharma asks why. And in answering, it reveals something profound: creation is not a random accident, but a sacred order arising from the play of consciousness itself.
The Journey from Silence to Creation
The Vedic seers declared that creation does not begin with noise, but with silence. It begins not with matter, but with pure potential. The sequence of manifestation flows in nine distinct stages, each one giving rise to the next, each one representing a movement from subtle to tangible reality.
Let us walk this ancient pathway of the universe.
Avyakt ~ The Unmanifest
At the beginning, if we may even use the word beginning for something timeless, lies Avyakt, the Unmanifest Reality.
Avyakt is beyond time, beyond form, beyond causation. It is existence before existence, the cosmic womb from which all potential arises. It cannot be seen, heard, touched, or conceptualized, because it is subtler than the subtlest.
It is not empty, but full, full of pure potential waiting to unfold.
Modern cosmology speaks of a “singularity” before the Big Bang, a condition where laws of physics collapse. The rishis, however, went further. They declared that Avyakt is not merely a dense point of matter or energy, but the infinite, formless essence beyond perception.
“Avyakt is the silence before the symphony, the invisible canvas where the universe paints itself.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Mahan ~ The Cosmic Intellect
From Avyakt arises the first principle of manifestation: Mahan, the cosmic intelligence.
This is not the intellect of human beings, nor the cleverness of analytical thought. Mahan is the universal mind, the organizing principle that sets order into potential. It is the pattern-making force that allows energy to become structure, chaos to become rhythm.
If Avyakt is the womb, Mahan is the first spark of awareness within it. In philosophical terms, it is the cosmic Buddhi, the supreme intelligence that contains within it the design of everything to come.
One might compare it to the concept of “unified field” in modern physics, the invisible layer of intelligence from which all forces emerge.
Ahankar ~ The Principle of “I”
From Mahan emerges Ahankar, often misunderstood in common speech as “ego” in the negative sense. But in Srishti Utpatti Krama, Ahankar is not about arrogance or selfishness.
Ahankar literally means the sense of “I”, the principle of individuality. It is that by which the One becomes the many, the infinite becomes finite, the undivided becomes differentiated.
Without Ahankar, there would be no separation, no identity, no distinct forms. The sun would not be distinguished from the moon, nor water from fire. Ahankar is what allows unity to express itself as diversity.
“Ego is not the enemy of creation; it is the brush that divides the infinite into countless forms.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Threefold Manifestation
From Ahankar flow three streams of creation, each representing a guna, or quality of cosmic energy. These streams weave together to create the vast tapestry of existence.
Vaikarik (Sāttvika ~ purity, harmony, knowledge): The stream of clarity and light.
Taijas (Rajasic ~ activity, passion, transformation): The stream of dynamism and movement.
Bhutadi (Tamasic ~ inertia, density, matter): The stream of heaviness, resistance, and structure.
These three are not separate; they are interwoven currents. Just as white light splits into the three primary colors to paint the entire spectrum, the threefold manifestation splits cosmic energy into its infinite expressions.
Vaikarik ~ The Eleven Indriyas (Faculties of Experience)
From the Sāttvika (Vaikarik) stream arise the Ekadasha Indriyas, eleven faculties that allow consciousness to experience its own creation.
These are divided into three categories:
Five Gyanendriyas (organs of knowledge): Ear, Skin, Eye, Tongue, Nose
Five Karmendriyas (organs of action): Tongue (speech), Hands, Feet, Organs of pleasure, Anus
Mana (Mind): the internal organ that coordinates perception and action
Together, these Indriyas form the bridge between inner consciousness and outer reality. They allow the universal intelligence to taste, see, touch, move, act, and express.
Taijas ~ The Pancha Tanmatras (Subtle Essences)
From the Rajasic (Taijas) stream arise the Tanmatras, the five subtle elements. These are not physical substances but essences of perception, vibrations that later crystallize into matter.
They are:
Shabda (Sound)
Sparsha (Touch)
Roopa (Form)
Rasa (Taste)
Gandha (Smell)
These Tanmatras are like the invisible codes of reality, the software of the universe, programming the physical world that is yet to come.
Bhutadi ~ The Panchamahabhutas (Gross Elements)
From the Tamasic (Bhutadi) stream emerge the Panchamahabhutas, the five great elements, the tangible building blocks of the cosmos.
Akash (Ether): associated with sound and space, the vast container of all existence.
Vayu (Air): associated with touch and movement, the force of life and breath.
Agni (Fire): associated with form and transformation, the principle of light and change.
Jala (Water): associated with taste and fluidity, the essence of nourishment and cohesion.
Prithvi (Earth): associated with smell and solidity, the foundation of material reality.
Every atom, every star, every body is woven from these five. They are not just physical, but metaphysical, each embodying both matter and meaning.
The Grand Synthesis
Thus, the sequence of creation unfolds in majestic order:
Avyakt → Mahan → Ahankar → Vaikarik (Indriyas) → Taijas (Tanmatras) → Bhutadi (Mahabhutas).
This is the cosmic blueprint ~ a step-by-step unfolding where consciousness condenses into matter.
👉 Consciousness becomes energy.
👉 Energy becomes perception.
👉 Perception becomes matter.
👉 Spirit becomes creation.
“Creation is not the fall of spirit into matter, but the dance of spirit as matter.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Why This Ancient Wisdom Still Matters
One may ask: Why should a person today, surrounded by smartphones, satellites, and supercomputers, care about ancient cosmology?
The answer is simple: Because this is not just a description of how the universe began, but of how we ourselves are created.
Science tells us about atoms, quarks, and galaxies. Sanatan Dharma tells us about the inner architecture of life.
It shows us that:
Consciousness is the root.
Matter is the last stage.
Creation is not random, it is sacred order.
When we understand this, life itself changes. We no longer see ourselves as isolated fragments in a meaningless cosmos. We recognize that we are woven into the same sacred sequence as stars and galaxies.
The Personal Dimension of Srishti Utpatti Krama
The rishis were not only speaking of the cosmos “out there.” They were also pointing to the microcosm “in here.” The same sequence by which the universe unfolds also plays out in our daily lives.
Every thought arises first as Avyakt ~ a subtle, formless impulse.
It then becomes Mahan ~ a clear idea, shaped by intelligence.
From there it gains Ahankar ~ a sense of ownership (“my idea”).
It flows into the threefold manifestation ~ sattva, rajas, tamas and
finally crystallizes into speech and action, affecting the material world.
In other words, every time you think, speak, or act, you are reenacting the cosmic drama of creation.
“The universe outside is a mirror of the universe within; both unfold by the same laws of consciousness.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Science and Sanatan Dharma: Two Lenses, One Mystery
Modern physics speaks of the Big Bang, quantum fields, and the expansion of space-time.
Sanatan Dharma speaks of Avyakt, Mahan, and Panchamahabhutas.
At first glance, they seem worlds apart.
But when we look deeper, we find harmony:
The “singularity” of cosmology resonates with Avyakt.
The quantum vacuum echoes the idea of unmanifest potential.
The four fundamental forces resemble the interplay of gunas.
The gradual emergence of matter from energy parallels the descent from Tanmatras to Mahabhutas.
The difference is that science focuses on how, while Sanatan Dharma also explains why. The universe is not only an accident of physics, but a manifestation of consciousness.
Scriptural Foundations of Srishti Utpatti Krama
The wisdom of Srishti Utpatti Krama is not a single theory, but a recurring vision across different scriptures of Sanatan Dharma. Various texts, from the Upanishads to the Sankhya philosophy and the Puranas, describe the unfolding of creation in subtle and symbolic ways.
The Upanishads ~ Creation from the Unmanifest
The Upanishads often speak of creation as arising from the Avyakt (Unmanifest).
Mundaka Upanishad (1.1.7):
“As from a blazing fire, sparks of different sizes issue forth, so from the Imperishable arise various beings, various forms arise, and return back into it.”
Chandogya Upanishad (6.2.1):
“In the beginning, there was only Existence (Sat), one without a second. It thought: May I be many, may I grow forth.”
These verses affirm that the Unmanifest (Sat/Avyakt) is the root of all creation.
Sankhya Philosophy ~ The Sequential Blueprint
The Sankhya Darshana, attributed to Sage Kapila, provides the most systematic description of Srishti Utpatti Krama.
It explains the unfolding as:
Prakriti (Unmanifest) → Mahat (Cosmic Intellect) → Ahankara (Ego principle) → Indriyas (senses & organs), Tanmatras (subtle elements), and finally Mahabhutas (gross elements).
This is the same structure described earlier, making Sankhya the philosophical backbone of creation in Sanatan Dharma.
Sankhya Kārikā (Shloka 22):
“From Mahat is born Ahankara; from Ahankara arises the group of sixteen, and from the Tanmatras arise the five great elements.”
This succinct verse is the direct foundation of the step-by-step creation process.
The Bhagavad Gita ~ Gunas and Manifestation
The Bhagavad Gita repeatedly emphasizes that the cosmos is woven by the three Gunas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.
Bhagavad Gita (14.5):
“Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas ~ these three gunas, born of Prakriti, bind the eternal Self to the body.”
Bhagavad Gita (7.4 - 7.5):
Krishna declares the eightfold division of His Prakriti (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, ego) and explains that beyond it lies the higher Prakriti, the conscious principle.
This beautifully parallels the idea that consciousness (Purusha) is primary, while matter (Prakriti and its evolutes) is secondary.
The Puranas ~ Symbolic Cosmology
The Puranas provide poetic and symbolic versions of creation, often in narrative form.
Vishnu Purana (1.2.23):
“From the subtle came the gross, from the unseen the seen, from the immaterial the material. Thus the universe took form by the will of the Supreme.”
Bhagavata Purana (3.26.23 - 26):
Describes how from Prakriti arose Mahat, then Ahankara, then the senses, mind, Tanmatras, and the five elements.
The Bhagavata Purana is especially rich, combining philosophy with vivid imagery, making it both accessible and profound.
Yoga Vasistha ~ Consciousness as the Creator
The Yoga Vasistha goes further to say that the entire creation is the play of Chitta (consciousness).
“The universe is like a long dream of the cosmic mind. Consciousness alone shines as the world, appearing diverse yet remaining one.”
This teaching resonates with the idea that creation is not material at its root, but mental, a manifestation of pure awareness.
“Scriptures do not explain creation as a distant event, but as a living truth, one that vibrates in every breath and thought.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Living the Wisdom of Srishti Utpatti Krama
Understanding this cosmic blueprint is not just intellectual. It is transformative.
When we see the world as arising from consciousness, every action becomes sacred. Eating, speaking, walking, all are expressions of the same cosmic dance.
When we realize that the mind precedes matter, we learn the power of thoughts and intentions.
When we see that individuality (Ahankar) is necessary for diversity, we stop demonizing the ego and start harmonizing it with the higher Self.
When we see that the Panchamahabhutas make up both our body and the universe, we feel unity with nature, the earth, and the cosmos.
This is not an abstract philosophy; it is practical spirituality.
“To know the universe outside, know the universe within, for both are woven from the same thread of consciousness.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The rishis of Sanatan Dharma did not only map the stars. They mapped the journey from the Unmanifest to the Manifest, from silence to symphony, from spirit to creation.
They showed us that creation is not a fall, but a celebration, not chaos, but order, not accident, but a sacred intention.
In a world often divided between science and spirituality, their vision offers reconciliation.
It tells us: You are not a byproduct of random chance, but a conscious expression of the universe itself.
“The blueprint of the cosmos is etched within you, discover it, and you discover eternity.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Fri Oct 3, 2025
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