Gurbani provides fascinating details of the planning as well as well as the process of creation. Every thing started from nothingness. The first step was to have someone do all this and thus the came the Creator from no where.

 

The Creator CreatesItself

There was a period when nothing existed, and then –

ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪੁ ਉਪਾਇਓਨੁ ਤਦਹੁ ਹੋਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥

ਮਤਾ ਮਸੂਰਤਿ ਆਪਿ ਕਰੇ ਜੋ ਕਰੇ ਸੁ ਹੋਈ ॥ (ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮ: ੩, ਪੰ: ੫੦੯).

The Creator created Itself alone and none else;

It made plans with Its own counsel and was also to be the executor (M; 3, p 509).

the universe was done over myriad ages. During that period there was stillness, nothing else existed:

 

ਆਦਿ ਜੁਗਾਦੀ ਅਪਰ ਅਪਾਰੇ ॥ ਆਦਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਖਸਮ ਹਮਾਰੇ ॥

ਸਾਚੇ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ਸਾਚੇ ਤਾੜੀ ਲਾਈ ਹੇ ॥੧॥

ਕੇਤੜਿਆ ਜੁਗ ਧੁੰਧੂਕਾਰੈ ॥ ਤਾੜੀ ਲਾਈ ਸਿਰਜਣਹਾਰੈ ॥ ਮਾਰੂ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੧੦੨੩).

 

The Infinite Creator is the beginning of time;

The beginning of every thing;

It sat in deep concentration making out plans;

Innumerable ages passed in utter darkness,

with the Creator remaining absorbed in contemplation (M: 5, p 1023).

 

The lone presence of God has a lesson for mankind. In that state there were no superstitions and other problems mankind faces today:

 

ਜਬ ਅਕਾਰੁ ਇਹੁ ਕਛੁ ਨ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟੇਤਾ ॥ ਪਾਪ ਪੁੰਨ ਤਬ ਕਹ ਤੇ ਹੋਤਾ ॥

ਜਬ ਧਾਰੀ ਆਪਨ ਸੁੰਨ ਸਮਾਧਿ ॥ ਤਬ ਬੈਰ ਬਿਰੋਧ ਕਿਸੁ ਸੰਗਿ ਕਮਾਤਿ ॥

ਜਬ ਇਸ ਕਾ ਬਰਨੁ ਚਿਹਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਪਤ ॥ ਤਬ ਹਰਖ ਸੋਗ ਕਹੁ ਕਿਸਹਿ ਬਿਆਪਤ ॥

ਜਬ ਆਪਨ ਆਪ ਆਪਿ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥ ਤਬ ਮੋਹ ਕਹਾਕਿਸੁ ਹੋਵਤ ਭਰਮ ॥

ਆਪਨ ਖੇਲੁ ਆਪਿ ਵਰਤੀਜਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਰਨੈਹਾਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੧॥ (ਗਉੜੀ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਮ: ੫, ਪੰ: ੨੯੦-੯੧੦).

 

When the manifest existence was not yet there –

Who acted in virtue or sin?

Who was the enemy or opponent?

Who had joy or sorrow?

Where could be attachment or doubt?

The Creator conducted its own play,

None else was there to do any thing (M: 5, p 290-91)

 

The above is only a sample. There are other factors like different religions, scriptures and conflicts, deities, rituals, attachment, jealousy and so on. The lesson is that even now it is possible to do away with them if mankind gives up ego and focuses on the Creator alone.

 

The Sequence of Creation.

It seems planning for creation was based on three principles. Firstly that the whole universe was to be started at one time:

 

ਵਿਰਲੇ ਕਉ ਗੁਰਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਦੇਖੈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਸਬਾਇਆ ॥

ਖੰਡ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੰਡ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਅਰੰਭੇ ਗੁਪਤਹੁ ਪਰਗਟੀ ਆਇਦਾ ॥੧੫॥ (ਮਾਰੂ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੧੦੩੬).

 

Only rare people have received the Divine word of revelation;

That the creator created, watches and Its writ runs all over;

The individual planets and the whole universe were all started together,

as the unseen Creator’s manifestation (M: 1, SGGS, p 1036).

Secondly resources for life to sustain were to be provided before life was created. The Creator has arranged for these in mind-boggling detail. For example food is available for creatures born under the rocks. It is also there for those created in water. Before a mother gives birth to her baby she gets milk in her breasts. At the very early stage of creation requirement was for air, water and food. The earth has these resources available and it was so planned that the earth was nominated for life to exist. Gurbani praises the Creator:

 

ਪਹਿਲੋ ਦੇ ਤੈਂ ਰਿਜਕੁ ਸਮਾਹਾ ॥ ਪਿਛੋ ਦੇ ਤੈ​‍ਂ ਜੰਤੁ ਉਪਾਹਾ ॥ ਤੁਧੁ ਜੇਵਡੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਲਵੈ ਨ ਕੋਈਲਾਵਣਿਆ ॥ (ਮਾਝ ਮ: ੫, ਪੰ: ੧੩੦).

 

O Creator You first created the wherewithal.

And the living beings after that;

There is no benefactor equal to you, nay no one comes close (M: 5, SGGS, 130).

 

Thirdly a core was to be made first which was to expand later.

 

The Process of Creation.

A controversy on whether the present existence is a result of creation by a Creator or by the process of evolution has been raging for a long time. However protagonists of evolution are not able deny the requirement for some thing to exist before evolution can take place. Gurbani takes this into account and says the two are complementary. The following process of creation-cum- evolution brings this out.

 

The Creator started the process of creation with a view to fulfill its purpose which no one else knows. Guru Nanak likens it to Chaupar, a game of dice played on a cloth board with two strips crossing at right angles to make four segments. Pieces move on the board according to throw of dice:

 

ਬਬੈ ਬਾਜੀ ਖੇਲਣ ਲਾਗਾ ਚਉਪੜਿ ਕੀਤੇ ਚਾਰਿ ਜੁਗਾ ॥

ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਸਭ ਸਾਰੀ ਕੀਤੇ ਪਾਸਾ ਢਾਲਣਿ ਆਪਿ ਲਗਾ ॥੨੬॥(ਆਸਾ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੪੩੩-੩੪),

 

The Creator started the world play with the four ages as the Chaupar board;

The creatures were to be the pieces with the Creator throwing the dice (M: 1, SGGS, p 433-34).

 

The throw of dice by the Creator represents Hukam or commands which the creatures carry out.

 

The Creator’s action did not end with creation. Every thing is under Its control by way of the laws of nature. The Creator is also present every where which again means the laws of nature are applicable every where:

 

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਹੈ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਉਪਾਈ ॥

ਹੁਕਮੇ ਕਾਰ ਕਰਾਇਦਾ ਦੂਜਾ ਕਿਸੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਭਾਈ ॥੨॥ (ਆਸਾ ਮ: ੩, ਪੰ: ੪੨੭).

 

The Creator is present every where and in every one in the multifaceted creation;

It directs all actions; none else can do this (M: 3, SGGS, p 427).

 

We can identify the following two stages in creation.

 

The Creator Creates Air, Water and Molds the Planets.

The Creator next created air and water and then the planets were molded using dust and heat. Guru Nanak says:

 

ਸਾਚੇ ਤੇ ਪਵਨਾ ਭਇਆ ਪਵਨੈ ਤੇ ਜਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥

ਜਲ ਤੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੁ ਸਾਜਿਆ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਮੋਇ ॥ (ਸਿਰੀ ਰਾਗ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੧੯).

 

The eternal Creator created air from Itself and from air was formed water;

The universe was molded with water; the Creator pervades all existence (M: 1, SGGS, p 19).

ਖਾਕ ਨੂਰ ਕਰਦੰ ਆਲਮ ਦੁਨੀਆਇ ॥

ਅਸਮਾਨ ਜਿਮੀ ਦਰਖਤ ਆਬ ਪੈਦਾਇਸਿ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥੧॥(ਤਿਲੰਗ ਮ: ੫, ਪ: ੭੨੩).

 

Spirit was infused into dust to create the universe including the world;

The sky, the earth, water, plants were created by the Creator (M: 5, SGGS, p 723).

 

ਪਉਣੁ ਉਪਾਇ ਧਰੀ ਸਭ ਧਰਤੀ ਜਲ ਅਗਨੀ ਕਾ ਬੰਧੁ ਕੀਆ ॥ (ਆਸਾ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੩੫੦).

 

After creating the air the creator molded all the planets making use of water and heat (M: 1, SGGS, p 350).

 

This is based on revelation. The scientific explanation for formation of water is that hydrogen and oxygen gases in the air chemically reacted to form water.

The process of making the core was thus complete. The next step was to let the core expand and the components take their respective places in space.

 

Expansion.

After all things were given shape they were enclosed in a shell like that of an egg and allowed to incubate. When the incubation period was over the shell was opened, put together again, and later

finally opened:

ਆਪੇ ਸਚੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਰ ਜੋੜਿ ॥ ਅੰਡਜ ਫੋੜਿ ਜੋੜਿ ਵਿਛੋੜਿ ॥

ਧਰਤਿ ਅਕਾਸੁ ਕੀਏ ਬੈਸਣ ਕਉ ਥਾਉ ॥ ਰਾਤਿ ਦਿਨੰਤੁ ਕੀਏਭਉ ਭਾਉ ॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਏ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖਣਹਾਰਾ ॥ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ਸਿਰਜਣਹਾਰਾ ॥੩॥(ਬਿਲਾਵਲ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ: ੮੩੯).

The Creator enclosed all things in a shell like that of an egg;

The shell was opened, put together again and later finally separated;

The earth and its sky were nominated for life to exist;

Day and night were to guide activities of the creatures;

The One who created also watches;

None else can play that role (M: 1, SGGS, p 839).

 

The sun and moon were introduced after the first opening:

 

ਦੁਇ ਪੁੜ ਜੋੜਿ ਵਿਛੋੜਿਅਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਬਿਨੁ ਘੋਰੁ ਅੰਧਾਰੋ ॥

ਸੂਰਜੁ ਚੰਦੁ ਸਿਰਜਿਅਨੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਚਲਤੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੋ ॥੧॥ (ਵਡਹੰਸ ਮ: ੧. ਪੰ: ੫੮੦).

After the shell was put together and then split into two, there was utter darkness;

The sun and moon were created for the world play in day and night (M: 1, SGGS, p 580).

When the contents of the shell were finally released they expanded:

 

ਕੀਤਾ ਪਸਾਉ ਏਕੋ ਕਵਾਉ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਹੋਏ ਲਖ ਦਰੀਆਉ ॥(ਮ:੧, ਜਪੁ, ਪੰ:੩).

A single command was given and expansion took place in millions of streams (M: 1, SGGS, p 3).

The creation is not finite:

 

ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਕੀਤਾ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰੁ ॥ (ਮ: ੧,ਜਪੁ, ਪੰ: ੫).

There are no limits to creation; it has no boundaries (M: 1, SGGS, p 5)

The above was revealed to Guru Nanak in the 15^th century CE. However science seriously addressed the issue of the process of creation only in the 20^th century. A Belgian physicist and Roman Catholic priest Georges Lemaitre relying on Albert Einstein’s General Relativity put forward a hypothesis in 1927 that the universe came into existence as a result of an explosion. This was later confirmed by observations made by Edwin Hubble in 1929.This hypothesis came to be called the Big Bang Theory, the term coined by Fred Hoyle in 1949. The mathematical equations of Einstein showed that the universe is ever expanding. These aspects have been confirmed by observations from the data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990. It was discovered that galaxies are moving away from each other continuously. Like all scientific theories further studies continue ( Big Bang – Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia).

It has been stated above that the earth and its sky were nominated for life to exist. This is interesting because science has been making efforts for many decades to find life on other planets but without success. Gurbani view is that life is not likely to be found any where else.

How was life created?

 

ਤੁਧੁ ਸਿਰਜੀ ਮੇਦਨੀ ਦੁਖੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਦੇਵਣਹਾਰੋ ॥ ਨਾਰੀ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਿਰਜਿਐ ਬਿਖੁ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਪਿਆਰੋ ॥ ਖਾਣੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਤੇਰੀਆ ਦੇਹਿਜੀਆ ਆਧਾਰੋ ॥ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਤਖਤੁ ਰਚਾਇਆ ਸਚਿ ਨਿਬੇੜਣਹਾਰੋ ॥੨॥ (ਵਡਹੰਸ ਮ: ੧, ਪੰ;੫੮੦).

 

The Creator created the earth and with it pleasure and pain;

Woman and man were created along with sense of attachment, and emotions;

All life forms and their forms of speech were created, as also support for them all;

The laws of nature determine what is right or wrong (M: 1, p 580).

 

Charles Darwin in his book ‘The Origin of Species’ Chapter VI – Difficulties on Theory, has spent considerable effort to show that different organs of the body evolved gradually. He also says that if it can be shown that any organ has irreducible complexity his theory fails. But then says even though the eye is complex it could have evolved.

However, the concept of gradual evolution of the organs does not seem reasonable because a body could not have existed with partial organs. Then there is the interconnection between organs. For example in the human body the heart, lungs and the kidneys are all associated with purification of blood and disposal of waste. Who designed this and the other systems like the digestive and respiratory systems involving multiple organs? This is a major point of contention in the Evolution – Intelligent Design debate. Gurbani had rejected the view about development of individual organs more than five centuries ago saying the body was created whole:

 

ਸਭੁ ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਮੁਖੁ ਨਕੁ ਦੀਆ ਵਰਤਣ ਕਉ ਪਾਣੀ ॥ ਅੰਨੁ ਖਾਣਾ ਕਪੜੁ ਪੈਨਣੁ ਦੀਆ ਰਸ ਅਨਿ ਭੋਗਾਣੀ ॥ ਜਿਨਿ ਦੀਏ ਸੁ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਪਸੂ ਹਉ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਣੀ ॥੩॥ (ਗਉੜੀ ਮ: ੪, ਪੰ: ੧੬੭).

 

We were given the soul, body, mouth, nose and water for use;

Food to eat, clothes to wear as well as avenues of enjoyment are given;

Caught in ego the animal-like mind does not acknowledge the Creator (M: 4, SGGS, p 167).