In the Samvat year 1876 on the fifth day of the bright half of the Month of Magh in the evening Shreeji Maharaj was seated on a wooden bedstead laid on the platform under the neem tree near the temple of Shree Vasudev Narayan in the Durbar of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. He had put on all white garments. Garlands of yellow flowers adorned His neck, and bunches of yellow flowers were studded over His ears. Tassels of yellow flowers were hanging from His turban. Saints and devotees from various places had gathered before Him in an assembly.
Then Shreeji Maharaj asked the assembly to start questions and answers. Thereupon Nrusihanand Swami asked, “Maharaj, it is said in the scriptures that:
[I am one and alone. I would like to multiply and create the world]. This is interpreted by some scholars and Vedanti philosophers as ‘God was alone at the time of dissolution and out of His own will. He assumed the forms of souls and Ishwar at the time of creation of the universe.’ Such an interpretation can convince only fools. We do not think that it is so, as we have fully surrendered to you. We understand that God is
infallible and therefore He does not move from His abode to assume different forms of souls and Ishwar. Maharaj, Please give us the correct interpretation.”
Then Shreeji Maharaj replied, ‘The correct meaning of the text is not as’ it is commonly interpreted by all. The correct meaning is given in the book Vedstutt
It means Bhagawan Purushottam who created various species of creatures resides in those creatures as antaryarmi, omni-scient and enlightens them with more or less
light. To explain this phenomenon in detail Bhagawan. Purushottam who is beyond Akshar cast a glance at it, at the time of creation and Purush is produced from Akshar. Then He entered Purush through Akshar and Himself became Purush and inspired Prakruti to start the process of creation. In this way the process of creation continued, as Purushottam entered Purush gradually, Then Pradhan Purush was born out of the union of Purush and Prakruti. Thereafter Mahattatua was born out of Pradhan Purush. And three types of ahankar were produced out of Mahattattva. And from ahankar were produced five bhoots [basic physical elements], the senses, their objects of enjoyment, their presiding deities, and the conscience. Out of these was born Viratpurush Brahma emerged from the lotus that grew from the navel of Viratpurush. Brahma in turn created prajapatis like Mareechi and they created Kashyap-Prajapati. And Kashyap created deities like Indra and also created demons. And finally were created all these animate and inanimate things of this universe. Purushottam Bhagawan entered all of them and resides within them as antaryami, omni-scient as a moving force. But His manifestation in each one of them is revealed in different proportions according to their order of creation. His fullest manifestation is seen in Akshar, and then in decreasing proportions in Purush and prakruti in Pradhan Purush, in the twenty four basic elements like Mahattattva, in Viratpursh, in Brahma, in Mareechi, in Kashyap, in Indra and other deities, in human beings, in animals, in birds, in insects, and so on up to the lowest level of creatures. Thus Purushottam Bhagawan resides in every being in different degrees as antaryami, and
reveals Himself in graded manifestation.
Just as fire is latent in every log of wood, and just as the amount of fire is larger in a larger log. and thus different as per the different size and length. In the same manner Purushottam Bhagawan manifests Himself in every being in a greater or a smaller proportion according to the function He desires to be performed by that being and also according to its capacity. Thus Purushottam Bhagawan resides in Akshar, and Purush
and Prakruti and every other entity, as antaryami omni-scient and the difference in His manifestation is due to the difference in the capacity of the entity. But Purushottam Bhagawan is one only. He resides in every entity in His capacity as antaryami. He does not multiply Himself, nor does He Himself assume innumerable different forms of souls and Ishwar. This is the correct interpretation of the text.”
