803. Puraatanaa

 

Sarveshaam aadhi bhootatvaath puraatanaa

Puraatanaa means ancient. Divine mother is the beginning of everything. Creation came from the attribute less Parabrahma. All the worlds came out of it. Because it is present even before the first ever thing that is created, it is being referred to as the most ancient one.

Hayanaatmaa mahaadevah prajaapathir iti smrutah

Tantras say that Prajaapathi is the personification of Kaala (passage of time). Only Parabrahma does not change in time. At the beginning of creation, Time also emerged (along with 5 elements) from Divine Mother. At the end of creation, it will dissolve into her. We learnt this in the name Kaala hanthri. She neither has a beginning nor an end. She is eternal. So she is the oldest of all. Hence she is being referred to as ancient.

1st shloka of Vishnu Sahasranaama:
Vishwam vishnurvashatkaaro bhoota bhavya bhavatprabhuh
Bhootakridh bhootabrith bhaavo bhootaatmaa bhoota bhaavanah

Vishnu means spreading every where. Where is he spread. Vishwam - all over the universe. What is he doing? Vashatkaarah - He is helping to elevate the lives of beings. Since when? bhoota bhavya bhavatprabhuh - Since time immemorial because he is eternal. How is he elevating? By giving birth, by giving food and by being as the vital life force (soul) of the beings. For what? To liberate beings from all types of bonds and give them moksha.