{"id":2275,"date":"2026-10-26T01:12:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T01:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/?p=2275"},"modified":"2026-10-26T01:45:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T01:45:50","slug":"the-original-pura%e1%b9%87a-sa%e1%b9%83hita-and-a-dzyan-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/the-original-pura%e1%b9%87a-sa%e1%b9%83hita-and-a-dzyan-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"The Original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101 and a Dzyan Commentary?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

            The core text on cosmogony from the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> is preceded in two pur\u0101\u1e47as by a passage whose terminology closely matches that of a secret commentary on the Book of Dzyan quoted by H. P. Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine<\/em>. The pur\u0101\u1e47as known today are regarded as having descended from a lost original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>. Either the Dzyan commentary and the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> come from the same source, or Blavatsky made up the Dzyan commentary on the basis of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> passage. Here is the Dzyan commentary:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Secret Doctrine<\/em>, Vol. 2, pp. 46-47, quoting a Commentary on the Book of Dzyan, verse 1.4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the changeless (avik\u0101ra) immutable nature (Essence, sadaikar\u016bpa) had awakened and changed (differentiated) into (a state of) causality (avyakta), and from cause (K\u0101ra\u1e47a) had become its own discrete effect (vyakta), from invisible it became visible. The smallest of the small (the most atomic of atoms, or a\u1e47\u012by\u0101msam a\u1e47\u012byas\u0101m) became one and the many (ek\u0101nekar\u016bpa); and producing the Universe produced also the Fourth Loka (our Earth) in the garland of the seven lotuses. The Achyuta then became the Chyuta.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Achyuta is an almost untranslatable term. It means that which is not subject to fall or change for the worse: the Unfalling; <\/em>and it is the reverse of chyuta<\/em>, \u201cthe Fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compare: The Vishnu Purana<\/em>, trans. H. H. Wilson, ed. Fitzedward Hall, Vol. 1, 1864, pp. 14-15, notes on book 1, chapter 2, verses 1-7, followed by the text they go with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. This address to Vishnu pursues the notion that he, as the supreme being, is one, whilst he is all. He is Avik\u0101ra, not subject to change: Sadaikar\u016bpa, one invariable nature: he is the liberator (T\u0101ra), or he who bears mortals across the ocean of existence: he is both single and manifold (Ek\u0101nekar\u016bpa): and he is the indiscrete (Avyakta) cause of the world, as well as the discrete (Vyakta) effect; or the invisible cause and visible creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. An\u012by\u0101msam an\u012byas\u0101m, ‘the most atomic of the atomic’; alluding to the atomic theory of the Ny\u0101ya or logical school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Or Achyuta; a common name of Vishnu, from a<\/em> privative, and Chyuta, fallen: according to our comment, ‘hewho does not perish with created things’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory to the unchangeable, holy, eternal, supreme Vishnu, of one universal nature, the mighty over all: to him who is Hiranyagarbha, Hari, and \u015aankara, the creator, the preserver, and destroyer of the world: to Vasudeva, the liberator of his worshippers:* to him whose essence is both single and manifold; who is both subtile and corporeal, indiscrete and discrete: to Vishnu, the cause of final emancipation.1<\/sup> Glory to the supreme Vishnu, the cause of the creation, existence, and end of this world; who is the root of the world, and who consists of the world. Having glorified him who is the support of all things; who is the smallest of the small;2<\/sup> who is in all created things; the unchanged,** imperishable3<\/sup> Purushottama; who is one with true wisdom, as truly known; eternal and incorrupt; and who is known, through false appearances, by the nature of visible objects: having bowed to Vishnu, the destroyer, and lord of creation and preservation; the ruler of the world; unborn, imperishable, undecaying: . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The words “of his worshippers” are supplied from the commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

** In the original there is no term to which this corresponds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> was written about here in “Creation Stories: The Cosmogony Account from the Pur\u0101\u1e47as” in three parts, and a follow-up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1. On the Original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> (posted Aug. 14, 2012)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2. \u201cIn the Beginning\u201d as Derived from the Original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> (posted Sep. 1, 2012)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3. Tracing the Cosmogony Account from the Original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> (posted Dec. 26, 2012)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe One Form of Existence\u201d: prabhav\u0101pyaya in the Original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> (posted Jan. 15, 2013)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Part 1 gives what is known about the lost original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>, which is regarded as the source of all the pur\u0101\u1e47as known today, however much these latter have been expanded. Part 2 gives the core verses on cosmogony from the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> as preserved in the oldest pur\u0101\u1e47as known today, the V\u0101yu-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and its twin the Brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>. Part 3 traces these verses as they appear and were modified in the other pur\u0101\u1e47as known today, including the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and the Brahma-pur\u0101na<\/em>. The passage quoted above is found only in the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and twice in the Brahma-pur\u0101na<\/em>. It is not found in the oldest pur\u0101\u1e47as known today, the V\u0101yu-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and its twin the Brahm\u0101\u1e47\u1e0da-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            According to the researches of F. E. Pargiter and S. P. L. Narasimhaswami summarized in Part 1, the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> was cognizant of the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>, but usually re-wrote its verses in updated Sanskrit and often condensed the accounts. Theirs and the additional researches of R. C. Hazra, summarized in “Critical Editions of the Pur\u0101\u1e47as” (posted Aug. 31, 2014), indicate that the Brahma-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> is among the majority of the pur\u0101\u1e47as now known that have become so expanded with extraneous material as to no longer represent the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>. Nonetheless, Willibald Kirfel found that the cosmogony account in the Brahma-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> matched that of Hariva\u1e43\u015ba<\/em>, a pur\u0101\u1e47a-like text in which Narasimhaswami found hundreds of verses from the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>. However, the passage quoted above is not found in the Hariva\u1e43\u015ba<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            All this presents us with a few possibilities. The passage quoted above, despite being found only in the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and the Brahma-pur\u0101na<\/em>, could have come from the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> and been expanded by adding praises to Vishnu. Then the Dzyan commentary would show its original form, having the descriptive terminology, but minus the praises to Vishnu. Another possibility is that the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> and the Brahma-pur\u0101na<\/em> added this whole passage as part of their expansion, having no basis in the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em>. This would lead us to the possibility that Blavatsky simply made up this Dzyan commentary passage on the basis of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em> passage, which she clearly had access to, since she often quoted from the 1864-1870 Wilson translation. As for which of the possibilities is the more plausible, that would depend largely on how any individual reader regards Blavatsky’s trustworthiness, based on the rest of the content of The Secret Doctrine<\/em>. In the absence of an original language source, other criteria must be employed to determine the authenticity of the Book of Dzyan and its commentary passages given by her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sanskrit texts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>, from The Critical Edition of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47\u016bpur\u0101\u1e47am<\/em>, ed. M. M. Pathak, 1997, book 1, chapter 2, verses 1-7:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

avik\u0101r\u0101ya \u015buddh\u0101ya nity\u0101ya param\u0101tmane |
sadaikar\u016bpa-r\u016bp\u0101ya vi\u1e63\u1e47ave sarva-ji\u1e63\u1e47ave || ViP_1,2.1 ||
namo hira\u1e47yagarbh\u0101ya haraye \u015ba\u1e43kar\u0101ya ca |
v\u0101sudev\u0101ya t\u0101r\u0101ya sarga-sthity-anta-k\u0101ri\u1e47e || ViP_1,2.2 ||
ek\u0101neka-svar\u016bp\u0101ya sth\u016bla-s\u016bk\u1e63m\u0101tmane nama\u1e25 |
avyakta-vyakta-r\u016bp\u0101ya vi\u1e63\u1e47ave mukti-hetave || ViP_1,2.3 ||
sarga-sthiti-vin\u0101\u015b\u0101n\u0101\u1e43 jagato yo jaganmaya\u1e25 |
m\u016bla-bh\u016bto namas tasmai vi\u1e63\u1e47ave param\u0101tmane || ViP_1,2.4 ||
\u0101dh\u0101ra-bh\u016bta\u1e43 vi\u015bvasy\u0101py a\u1e47\u012by\u0101\u1e43sam a\u1e47\u012byas\u0101m |
pra\u1e47amya sarva-bh\u016bta-stham acyuta\u1e43 puru\u1e63ottamam || ViP_1,2.5 ||
j\u00f1\u0101na-svar\u016bpam atyanta-nirmala\u1e43 param\u0101rthata\u1e25 |
tam ev\u0101rtha-svar\u016bpe\u1e47a bhr\u0101nti-dar\u015banata\u1e25 sthitam || ViP_1,2.6 ||
vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 grasi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 vi\u015bvasya sthiti-sarge tath\u0101 prabhum |
pra\u1e47amya jagat\u0101m \u012b\u015bam ajam ak\u1e63ayam avyayam || ViP_1,2.7 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brahma-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>, from the1895 \u0100nand\u0101\u015brama edition, chapter 1, verses 21-27, with variant readings from the 1906 Ve\u1e45ka\u1e6de\u015bvara edition, chapter 1, verses 22-28, as established in the 1987 composite edition by Peter Schreiner and Renate S\u00f6hnen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

avik\u0101r\u0101ya \u015buddh\u0101ya<\/em> nity\u0101ya param\u0101tmane |
sadaikar\u016bpa-r\u016bp\u0101ya vi\u1e63\u1e47ave sarvaji\u1e63\u1e47ave || BrP_1.21 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. guhy\u0101ya<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

namo hira\u1e47yagarbh\u0101ya haraye \u015ba\u1e45kar\u0101ya ca |
v\u0101sudev\u0101ya t\u0101r\u0101ya sarga-sthity-anta-karma\u1e47e || BrP_1.22 ||
ek\u0101neka-svar\u016bp\u0101ya sth\u016bla-s\u016bk\u1e63m\u0101tmane nama\u1e25 |
avyakta-vyakta-bh\u016bt\u0101ya vi\u1e63\u1e47ave mukti-hetave || BrP_1.23 ||
sarga-sthiti-vin\u0101\u015b\u0101ya<\/em>  jagato yo ‘jar\u0101mara\u1e25<\/em> |
m\u016bla-bh\u016bto namas tasmai vi\u1e63\u1e47ave param\u0101tmane || BrP_1.24 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. vin\u0101\u015b\u0101n\u0101\u1e43<\/em> ; jaganmaya\u1e25<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0101dh\u0101ra-bh\u016bta\u1e43 vi\u015bvasy\u0101py a\u1e47\u012by\u0101\u1e43sam a\u1e47\u012byas\u0101m<\/em> |
pra\u1e47amya sarva-bh\u016bta-stham acyuta\u1e43 puru\u1e63ottamam || BrP_1.25 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. vi\u015bvasya mahata\u015b c\u0101py a\u1e47\u012byasa\u1e25<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

j\u00f1\u0101na-svar\u016bpam atyanta\u1e43 nirmala\u1e43 param\u0101rthata\u1e25 |
tam ev\u0101rtha-svar\u016bpe\u1e47a bhr\u0101nti-dar\u015banata\u1e25 sthitam || BrP_1.26 ||
vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 grasi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 vi\u015bvasya sthitau sarge tath\u0101 prabhum |
sarvaj\u00f1a\u1e43 jagat\u0101m \u012b\u015bam ajam ak\u1e63ayam avyayam || BrP_1.27 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brahma-pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/em>, second version, from the 1895 \u0100nand\u0101\u015brama edition, chapter 180, verses 6-12, with variant readings from the 1906 Ve\u1e45ka\u1e6de\u015bvara edition, chapter 71, verses 6-12, as established in the 1987 composite edition by Peter Schreiner and Renate S\u00f6hnen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

avik\u0101r\u0101ya \u015buddh\u0101ya nity\u0101ya param\u0101tmane |
sadaikar\u016bpa-r\u016bp\u0101ya ji\u1e63\u1e47ave vi\u1e63\u1e47ave nama\u1e25<\/em> || BrP_180.6 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. vi\u1e63\u1e47ave sarva-ji\u1e63\u1e47ave<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

namo hira\u1e47yagarbh\u0101ya haraye \u015ba\u1e43kar\u0101ya ca |
v\u0101sudev\u0101ya t\u0101r\u0101ya<\/em>  sarga-sthity-anta-k\u0101ri\u1e47e || BrP_180.7 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. s\u0101r\u0101ya<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ek\u0101neka-svar\u016bp\u0101ya sth\u016bla-s\u016bk\u1e63m\u0101tmane nama\u1e25 |
avyakta-vyakta-bh\u016bt\u0101ya<\/em>  vi\u1e63\u1e47ave mukti-hetave || BrP_180.8 ||<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. r\u016bp\u0101ya<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

sarga-sthiti-vin\u0101\u015b\u0101n\u0101\u1e43 jagato yo jaganmaya\u1e25 |
m\u016bla-bh\u016bto namas tasmai vi\u1e63\u1e47ave param\u0101tmane || BrP_180.9 ||
\u0101dh\u0101ra-bh\u016bta\u1e43 vi\u015bvasy\u0101py a\u1e47\u012by\u0101\u1e43sam a\u1e47\u012byas\u0101m |
pra\u1e47amya sarva-bh\u016bta-stham acyuta\u1e43 puru\u1e63ottamam || BrP_180.10 ||
j\u00f1\u0101na-svar\u016bpam atyanta\u1e43 nirmala\u1e43 param\u0101rthata\u1e25 |
tam ev\u0101rtha-svar\u016bpe\u1e47a bhr\u0101nti-dar\u015banata\u1e25 sthitam || BrP_180.11 ||
vi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 grasi\u1e63\u1e47u\u1e43 vi\u015bvasya sthiti-sarge tath\u0101 prabhum |
an\u0101di\u1e43 jagat\u0101m \u012b\u015bam ajam ak\u1e63ayam avyayam || BrP_180.12 ||<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            The core text on cosmogony from the original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101 is preceded in two pur\u0101\u1e47as by a passage whose terminology closely matches that of a secret commentary on the Book of Dzyan quoted by H. P. Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine. The pur\u0101\u1e47as known today are regarded as having descended from a lost original Pur\u0101\u1e47a-sa\u1e43hit\u0101. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2275"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2281,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions\/2281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}