Creation. Manifestation. Arise. The manifested universe. The first of the three apparent states of origin. The other two are sthiti, maintained and laya, dissolution.
- srsti
The source and origin of these three states is hiraṇyagarbhaḥ. That is why Hiraṇyagarbhaḥ is known as sṛṣṭi sthiti laya kartā.
There are no separate things that are ever created or destroyed. The universe and all that is here is a manifestation in the form of names and forms (nāma rūpam) of Brahman himself. It does not take place outside of Brahman, since there is only Brahman, pure consciousness.
In time, it becomes unmanifested in Brahman and is re-manifested (appears) in Brahman in an beginningless, endless cycle. Brahma khālu idam sarvam (Chāndogya 6.2.1), all this is certainly Brahman. Iha nānā kiñcana nāsti (Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4.4.19), There is no multiplicity (there is no plurality or variety here).
Therefore, the word creation is ultimately not the accurate translation of sṛṣṭi. Nothing is created, nothing is born (ajati). The sṛṣṭi is a manifestation of the potential, unmanifested state of māyā.
The beginningless, endless cycle of saṁsāra is not an act of the will of Brahman. The universe manifests itself only to lawfully fulfill the prārabdha karma of countless jivas.
In order to exempt yourself from this, it makes sense to distinguish between īśvara sṛṣṭi and jīva sṛṣṭi. Īśvara sṛṣṭi is the total, neutral manifestation-creation of the divine as all power, all knowledge. The transactional reality that this produces is called vyāvahārika satya. Just as there is only one consciousness, there is also only one cosmic event.
To be pure mokṣa (freedom), you as an individual must first reasonably connect to this objective level. This is the qualification vairagya (without binding desires). You do this with devotion and surrender through practices such as karma yoga (dedicating actions to īśvara) and upāsana yoga (meditating on īśvara). Only the one who lives to contribute can shift his self-image from the small me, to the complete, infinite self. Only then does the aspirant's mind for freedom become calm and balanced and fit for true self-knowledge.
Thus, Jīva sṛṣṭi is the subjective, individual creation in our mind, based on personal likes and dislikes, judgments and interpretations. Every individual looks at the world differently. This subjective, fantasy experience is the most distant from the completely neutral brahman and is called prātibhāsika satya. Because an individual lives in a subjective creation of fears and desires, he keeps the manifestation going.
Thus, in these terms, the road to freedom runs from jīva sṛṣṭi through īśvara jīva sṛṣṭi to no sṛṣṭi. This third level is called pāramārthika satya, literally the reality (satya) beyond or before (pāram) to all goals (ārthika).