Where the Earth raised from - Water?

 

 

Interesting question indeed. It is quite logical that water cannot exist without support of Earth.

The main issue here is the wrong interpretation of contents in the Taittirīya Saṃhitā (तैत्तिरीयसंहिता) or Ramayana, thus resulting in totally incomprehensible story of Vishnu taking an avatar of Varaha and saving Earth from the demon Hiranyaksha, who had dragged the Earth into the ocean.

The original story, in brief, from Taittirīya Saṃhitā (7.1.5.1), is as follows;

आपो वा इदम् अग्रे सलिलम् आसीत् तस्मिन् प्रजापतिर् वायुर् भूत्वाऽचरत् स इमाम् अपश्यत् तां वराहो भूत्वाऽहरत् तां विश्वकर्मा भूत्वा व्य् अमार्ट् साऽप्रथत सा पृथिव्यभवत् तत् पृथिव्यै पृथिवित्वम् । तस्याम् अश्राम्यत् प्रजापतिः स देवान् असृजत वसून् रुद्रान् आदित्यान् ते देवाः प्रजापतिम् अब्रुवन् प्र जायामहा इति सो ऽब्रवीत्

In the beginning, there was water. In that, Prajapati became Vayu and roamed. He saw her (the Earth) and, becoming a boar, carried her. Vishwakarma, becoming the creator, manifested her. She became the Earth, and thus Earth received its essence. In her, Prajapati created the gods, the Vasus, the Rudras, and the Adityas. Those gods spoke to Prajapati, saying, 'Let there be a creation.' He responded."

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So, it was stated in the above verse that In the beginning, there was water - आपो वा इदम् अग्रे सलिलम् आसीत् . And, Prajapati carried Earth.

In Ramayana, the same point was narrated in a much brief manner.

सर्वम् सलिलम् एव आसीत् पृथिवी यत्र निर्मिता |
ततः समभवद् ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर् दैवतैः सह || २-११०-३

"All was water only in the beginning" from which element the earth was formed. After that, the self-existent Brahma with all the gods came into existence."

स वराहः ततो भूत्वा प्रोज्जहार वसुंधराम् |
असृजच् च जगत् सर्वम् सह पुत्रैः कृत आत्मभिः || २-११०-४

"Thereafter, that Brahma, assuming the form of boar, caused the earth to rise from water and with his sons of pure soul, created the entire world."

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The main issue is not whether it was Brahma or Vishnu, who raised Earth from the ocean, but the first statement that All was water only in the beginning - सर्वम् सलिलम् एव आसीत्.

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Hence, be it Taittirīya Saṃhitā or Ramayana, the common point is All was water only in the beginning.

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The interesting thing to note that the word सलिलम् - Salilam has the meaning Water.

However, it defies the logic that Water can exist without a support like the Earth.

It can be properly understood only the word सलिलम् - Salilam is properly understood, in the meaning which the composers of Taittirīya Saṃhitā or Ramayana used it.

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It is further more interesting to note that even in Rig Veda, this concept was existing, in brief.

Rig Veda 10.129.3 says

tama āsīt tamasā gūḻham agre 'praketaṃ salilaṃ sarvam ā idam

There was darkness covered by darkness in the beginning, all this (world) was indistinguishable water.

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We have to understand that the Rig Vedic rishis many a time used the same word in different meanings. Thus, the word सलिलम् - Salilam has the meaning of Water as well as SPACE.

Hence, if we replace Water with SPACE, for the word सलिलम् - Salilam , in the verse of Taittirīya Saṃhitā or Ramayana, we will get the correct interpretation.

All was SPACE only in the beginning.

Hence, the EARTH was formed from the SPACE, but not from the WATER.