Sound is the origin of material creation; spiritual sound liberates the soul from material bondage.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.32 — January 9, 1975, Bombay 750109SB-BOMBAY [40:32 Minutes] SB-03.26.32_750109SB-BOMBAY Nitāi: [indistinct]
Prabhupāda: And why it is that? All right. Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] tāmasāc ca vikurvāṇād bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān nabhaḥ śrotraṁ tu śabdagam [SB 3.26.32] [break] [02:30] "When egoism in ignorance is agitated by the sex energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the subtle element sound is manifested, and from sound comes the ethereal sky and the sense of hearing." Prabhupāda: tāmasāc ca vikurvāṇād bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān nabhaḥ śrotraṁ tu śabdagam [SB 3.26.32] So this creation... The beginning of the creation is the sound. The modern physist, they also agree.
Sound and light, according to their theory. But the sound is the origin of creation, mixed with these modes of ignorance. Everything here in the material world is spiritual reflection covered by the material elements. So when this sound is purified or you catch up the spiritual sound, then your spiritual life begins.
As from the material sound this material creation has begun from first of all the sky, nabha, or ether; and from ether, air is created, wind; and from air, then fire is created, electricity... You see. From the sound, there is immediately electricity in the sky, the fire. Electricity means fire.
So from sky, the sound is created. From the sound, air is created. By the friction of air, the electricity, or fire, is created. Then, within the fire, there is water.
And after water, there is land. This is pañca-bhūta, five gross elements. It is coming from the subtle elements. From the subtle elements, the gross elements gradually develop. So in the ether there is sound, śabdagam.