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In the unmanifested state, there is no maya which means the soul was already in pure state. So why did God decide to manifest himself, why he created different universes? Under Maya, the same indivisible self appears as different jivas.

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If God didn't create everything, then there was no need for souls to realize the truth because by default they would be in pure state.

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  • As i discussed in this http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/9370/3500 Brahman created on it's own manifest form as a part of it's/His sport (leela). IMO, this is teach us lesson. We should experience to learn some new lessons. We should know things that exist in opposite pairs( Cold and Heat, good and bad, evil and virtue) etc. I think only after experiencing this we can realize or know "what is absoluteness"?. – The Destroyer Nov 08 '15 at 06:25
  • @AnilKumar We all started from pure state, at present we are in human bodies, our goal is to realize back that pure state. So, if we were already in that pure state then why did God felt a need to bring us to this impure state? Suppose, I am taking part in a race and there is no opponent, I alone will be racing. The racing field is circular so I will stop where I will start. Now I know my goal is to come back from where I started then logic says I shouldn't start the race at all! – Pinakin Nov 08 '15 at 06:30
  • Our Puranas did not mention any reason for "why Brahman did manifest his form." All say it happened, as a part of his leela. But he is trying to teach us something from that leela. Well, exact reason might difficult to find. Pro people in Spirituality might tell you exact reason. – The Destroyer Nov 08 '15 at 06:36
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    The pure unmanifested Brahman is not aware of any manifestation or creation. To the pure unmanifested Brahman there is only the pure unmanifested Brahman. It is only within Maya that there is the 'awareness' of a 'creation'. 'Why' only can be asked within time, space, and causation. There is no 'why' in the unmanifested state.... – Swami Vishwananda Nov 08 '15 at 09:52
  • @SwamiVishwananda Maya exists because of Brahman, because of Brahman there is Maya that means Brahman must be aware of it. And if he is not aware of Maya, then all creation is happening against his will. – Pinakin Nov 08 '15 at 10:18
  • @ChinmaySarupria The unmanifested Brahman has no will. Iswara has will, but Iswara is Brahman viewed from within Maya. To have will assumes imperfection and thinking. Will can only be manifested within Maya. There was no creation, so how can creation be happening against his will? – Swami Vishwananda Nov 08 '15 at 10:29
  • @SwamiVishwananda Then how come you and me are in this human body? – Pinakin Nov 08 '15 at 10:43
  • @SwamiVishwananda Also, if Iswara and Brahman are same then how can Isware get will under Maya when he himself is above Maya? – Pinakin Nov 08 '15 at 10:59
  • @ChinmaySarupria it is under the hypnotism of Maya that you think that you are in a body. Astavakra Samhita 1.11 - "He who considers himself free is free indeed, and he who considers himself bound remains bound. This popular saying in this world is true: 'As one thinks so one becomes.'" – Swami Vishwananda Nov 09 '15 at 04:31
  • @ChinmaySarupria Iswara is Brahman seen through the lens of Maya. Iswara only appears bound from the viewpoint of a bound soul...When you wake up from a hallucination, do you ask what were the laws of the hallucination, how did it come start, etc. These questions can only be asked within the hallucination, and even the answers are part of the hallucination.... – Swami Vishwananda Nov 09 '15 at 04:36
  • @ChinmaySarupria: This may be helpful. http://www.estudantedavedanta.net/gospel_srk.pdf , the link is about Sri Ramakrishna's answer to a question almost similar to yours. Look at start of page 407 (search page 428). – Jatin Nov 09 '15 at 08:06
  • @SwamiVishwananda So if I am free then I shouldn't do anything in any life. I should just sit on a chair and say "I'm free, I'm free" because I am free, right? – Pinakin Nov 09 '15 at 10:06
  • @SwamiVishwananda Also why I am hypnotised under Maya, why many others are not like Shiva, Vishnu. They are above it, now don't say that I am thinking so. You also said that I am not in a body, then how I am able to act on this body, how am I able to move hands, legs and everything else? – Pinakin Nov 10 '15 at 03:59
  • Read Swami Vivekananda's lecture titled 'The Absolute and Manifestation' in the section titled 'Jnana Yoga' in Volume 2 of his Complete Works - available here - http://cwsv.belurmath.org/volume_2/vol_2_frame.htm – Swami Vishwananda Nov 12 '15 at 05:51
  • Possible duplicate of Are we really God? – Say No To Censorship Feb 16 '16 at 20:22
  • Possible duplicate of What is the purpose of life? – Say No To Censorship Feb 16 '16 at 20:25
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    @sv. How are those 2 questions duplicate of this one? I know we are NOT god and I know the purpose of life is to realize God. My question is not about who we are but rather why we are that. My question is in no way related to the 2 you mentioned. – Pinakin Feb 17 '16 at 10:22
  • @ChinmaySarupria You re-framed the question 'What is the purpose of life' to 'Why did God manifest himself' ("If God didn't create everything, then there was no need for souls to realize the truth") ... IMHO, because you reword a question doesn't make it a new question. What you are essentially asking is: What is the purpose of life? and that was recently closed as well. So my vote to close stands. – Say No To Censorship Feb 17 '16 at 14:38
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    @sv. If this question has to be re-framed then it will go like this "What was the purpose behind God creating all this". Many users have commented here, 1 has answered it, why didn't they flag it? Because it is no way related. You first need to understand this question, then understand the question you linked and then analyse the differences between two. – Pinakin Feb 18 '16 at 02:30

1 Answers1

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Interesting question and answer to this super "Why" is something we can at max opine about. We all are sensing this elephant from various angles, so being judgmental is the last thing to do!

In the unmanifested state, there is no maya which means the soul was already in pure state.

Soul is in its pure state even with MAyA.
There is another theory, which describes this "unmanifested" to be complete "Nothingness". Which means nothing really exists, yet this "Nothingness" is still identifiable & real!
Paradoxically, this "unmanifested" is beyond what we call "manifested" as well as "unmanifested". Isn't it confusing? That's why I used term "Nothingness" to segregate the former and latter "unmanifested"s:

BG 8.20 — But there is another eternal (unmanifest) reality, which is beyond this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all matter is annihilated, that remains

Adi ShakarachArya's version, provides us 2 inputs:

  1. The Brahman has an "unmanifested" nature which is eternal (forever)
  2. The "manifested" nature is also a reality (because "unmanifested" is referred as "another reality"), but it's not eternal

This shows that irrespective of MAyA is present or not, the eternal reality (Advaita calls it "soul") remains in its pure state.

So why did God decide to manifest himself, why he created different universes?

Before this "Why", there could be a big troubling question: "How" this unmanifested nature creates the 1st ever "anything" with no resources? I don't have a clue about this "Everything out of Nothing" magic. But since, it's not asked, let's duck that question and assume it to be "the way it is".

Let's call "God" as the manifested reality. So your question boils down to: "Why does God manifests anything at all?" The answer is:
"Because this is the Dharma of the God.".

At first glance, you may find the answer to be over-simplistic street-smart skip. Hence let me put it in interesting ways:

  • "Because manifesting self doesn't serve any Purpose."
  • "Because this is the only way, the God doesn't have to answer any 'WHY'".

All the above "Because"s are answering the same thing even though they look contradicting. The reason is that often we link Dharma with "Morality", by conveniently forgetting that "Morality" is not a monopoly, but changes from person to person. Ofcourse, Dharma is not Religion. In shortest form, Dharma is "Being oneself without further expectation". Dharma changes according to entity, hence there is term: Swa-Dharma.

Acting with Swa-Dharma is the only way to disallow the Karma to bind us. The fruits would be generated, but there won't be any attachment. e.g. A thief acts according to Dharma when [s]he neither repents upon punishment nor becomes happy upon escaping.

"Why God acts according to Swa-Dharma?", for the same reason: Detachment. Because God is neutral, Karma of creating universes, manifesting self etc. doesn't bind. There is no reason to create/destroy, it just creates/destroys due to own nature. God is just vibrating the way it should:

BG 9.8, 9.9 — The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again and annihilated at the end.
— O Dhanañjaya, all these work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral.

If God didn't create everything, then there was no need for souls to realize the truth

There is indeed never a need for Jivas to realize self. The things must be fine without it.
Moksha is lack of "purpose", "need", "goal". As soon as we relate Moksha with anyone of these destinations, it slides away like a mirage in dessert. Think of life as wet hands and Moksha as a wet soap on your palm. It's quite handy, but the moment you try to grab it, it slips away.

Moksha or self-realization is a state which is "received", Not "achieved".
Such opinion is from MA ShArada, RAmAnujAchArya, MAdhavAchArya, ...
(various articles and wikipedia, where they term it as Krupa)

BG 3.18 — He (A self-realized man) has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.

Footnote
If you believe above interpretations and are disappointed then there is a reason to be happy! Moksha is equivalent to assuming God's own nature, which is granted to all the entities at the end of Kalpa. But not to be too excited either. According to Ramana Maharshi, the actual nature is "thought-less-ness". If we "think" that after achieving Moksha we will enjoy some bliss, then there are chances of disappointment. Because that "bliss" might turnout to be "nothingness".

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