PARABRAHMAN
Brahman is the root cause of this universe. From Brahman originated Akasa (sky). From sky came air, from air came Agni and from Agni came water and from water was born this earth. (Chapter 377, Agni Purana).
General characteristics: Brahman is such that he who says he knows it does not know it and he who says he does not know it, knows it. It is beyond the experiences of time and space._ The chief attributes of Brahman
are Sat, Cit and Ananda. Sat means existence, the really existent truth. The one and undivided existence. There are pandits who say that it was undivided, Nastitva (nonexistence) that was at the beginning of the Universe. Since nothing can be born from 'nothing' the world should have started from astitva (existence). There is a saying in Rgveda explaining the position thus : "There was neither Astitva nor
Nastitva (existence or non-existence) at the beginning." It is a matter to ponder how strongly conscious was the Rsi who made the above statement about the
Parabrahman's Nirgunatva (devoid of attributes) and how clearly he tries to make it understandable to those who have not experienced the idea. Chit means knowledge, splendour, consciousness. Ananda means bliss. Paul Deussen writes that the ancient Upanisads do not include in the definition of Brahman the term 'ananda'.
The two forms of Brahman: Brahman has two forms Parabrahman and Aparabrahman. Parabrahman is Amurta (formless, incorporeal) and Aparabrahman is Murta (embodied, corporeal). The Amurta Brahman is known by such names as Parabrahman, Paramatma and Nirgunabrahman. The corporeal or material Brahman is Aparabrahman and thus this whole world is Aparabrahman.
The Upanisads about Brahman:
As abdamasparsamarupamavyayarh
Tathasrasam nityamagandhavacca yat /
Anadyanantarh mahatah pararh dhruvarh
Vicarya tanmrtyumukhat pramucyate //
(Kathopanisad)
(With no sound, touch, form, taste or smell, with neither beginning nor end Brahman is imperishable).
Na tatra caksurgacchati na vak gacchati no mano
Na vidmo na vijammo yathaitadanufisyate /
Anyadeva tadviditadatho aviditadadhi
Iti susruma purvesarh ye nastadvyacacaksire.
(Mundakopanisad)
(No eye goes there, no word goes there, no mind, no intelligence we do not see it, we cannot describe it you cannot imagine it nor can you understand it It is distinct from the known and above the unknown. We have heard it spoken thus) .
Yasyamatarh tasya matarh matarh yasya na veda sah /
Avijnatarh vijanatarh vijnatam avijanatam. //
(Kenopanisad)
(He understands It who comprehends It not; and he understands It not who feels he has understood. It is the unknown to those who have acquired real knowledge
while it is the known to those who are ignorant of true knowledge) .
Yat caksusa na pasyati
Yena caksurhsi pasyati '
Tadeva Brahma tvarh viddhi
Nedarh yadidamupasate. //
(Kenopanisad) .
(That which is not seen by the eye but that by which the eyes are able to see That alone is Brahman and not that which people do worship here, do know that) .
Yato vaco nivartante
Apriipya manasa saha. (Taittirlya Upanisad) .
Avijnatarh Vijanatarh vijnatam avijanatam.
(Kenopanisad)
(It is unknown to people who think they know but known to those who did not profess to know it) .
Naiva vaca na manasa praptumsakyo na caksusa /
Astiti bruvatos nyatra katharii tadupalaksyate. //
(Kathopanisad)
(It is not possible to reach it by speech, mind or the eyes. How is it to be identified; or described?)
Digdesagunadiphalabhedas'unyarh hi paramarlha
Sat tad advayarh Brahma mandabuddhlnam asadiva
pratibhati.
(Sankaracarya) .
The sublime Truth (Brahman) is beyond time, place and attributes. Brahman is one (not two) and it is Sat (existent) but for the dull-witted, ignorant people it is Asat (non-existent).
Satyamevopasate, tadetat tryaksaram satyamiti;
Sa ityekamaksaram, tya ityekamaksaram,
prathamottame aksare satyam madhyato
Anrtam tadetatamrtamubhayatahsatyena parigrhitarh
satyabhuyameva bhavati.
( Brhadaranyaka ) .
Kohamasmlti satyamiti bruyat kirn tad yat
Satyamiti yadanyad devebhyagca pranebhyasca/
Tatsadatha yaddevca pranascatadutade-
Tayapicabhivyahriyate satyamitye
Tadapatitam sarvamidam
( Kausi taki Brahmana) .
Idarh sarvarh khalu brahma iti Santa upaslta
Antarhrdaye esa me atma manomayah
Pranasarlrah bharupah satyasankalpah aka-
Satma sarvakarma sarvakamah sarvagandhah sarvamidamabhyatti.
(Chandogya).
JIVATMAN (The induvidual life or soul).
The Aparabrahman (which is next to the highest Brahman) that is so minute and subtle is called Jivatman. Parabrahman is God almighty. It is mentioned in Taittiriyopanisad about this aparabrahman as follows:
"Tasmad va etasmadatmana akasah sambhutah,
akasad vayuh vayoragnih, agnerapah adbhyah prthvi
prthivya osadhayah osadhibhyo annam annat purusah
sa'va esa puruso annamayah."
From this Atman came into existence ether possessing the quality of Sound, From Ether, air, possessing the qualities of sound and touch, came into existence. Fire with the qualities of sound, touch and colour came into being from air. From fire, water having the qualities of sound touch, colour and taste came into being. From water earth with the qualities of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell came into existence. Vegetation grew from earth, and from vegetation food, from food semen, and from semen Purusa came into existence.
The materialized form of aparabrahman is the body. Its subtle form is the soul. Jlvatma or the individual soul is the subtle form of soul dwelling in the materialized form of the aparabrahman. This soul sits in the miniature lotus of heart in the miniature e ther. The body which is made of the five elements is the dwelling place of this Jlvatma.
The Individual life exists in every living being. The body originated from food is the outer covering of the Jlvatma. This materialized body is also called Annamayakosa (the cask of food). Inside this annamayakosa there is the Pranamayakosa (the chest of the life breaths) . It is stated in the Taittiriyopanisad that this Pranamayakosa is separate from and existing inside the annamayakosa. The Pranamayakosa which exists inside the annamayakosa has the shape of man. The life breath which appears as the inhaling and exhaling breath is the head of the Pranamayakosa. The life breath Vyana is the ri^ht wing and Apana is the left wing, ether its soul and Prthvi (the earth) its tail. 2 Inside the Pranamayakosa, there exists the Manomayakosa (the chest of mind) , but it fills the entire interior of the Pranamayakosa. The Vijnanamayakos'a(the chest of knowledge or understanding)
exists inside the Manomayakosa. The Jivatma or the individual life dwells inside this Vijfianamayakosa and pervades the entire body. It is by the activity of Vijnanamayakoia that the Jivatma feels its individuality.
Inside the Vijnanamayakoi'.a there exists a fifth kosa (chest) called the Anandamayakosa, which is the immediate covering of Jivatma, and which has no sense of individuality. The three Koaas, Anandakosa, Vijnanakosa and Pranamayakosa together is called Suksmasaiira (the subtle body). It must be remembered that Suksmasarlra is different from Susuksmasarlra (the minute
subtle body) .
Heart is the abode of the Jivatma. Hrdi (in heart) ayam (this being Jivatma exists). So the name 'Hrdaya' (heart) is meaningful. 1 The Purusa (male being), which sits inside the heart or the Jivatma is as big as the toe according to the Kathopanisad.
The Jivatma or the Aparabrahman is without beginning. Even from the past which is beyond our thinking crores and crores of Jlvatmans had got into individuals and
when the Annamayakosas of the individuals decayed due to death, they abandoned them and entered into new individuals. The author of the Brhadaranyaka gives an explanation to the question why this Jivatma which is as free as air enters the body of man, beast, bird, tree, rock etc. and subjects itself to misery and hardship. "Where does the Jivatma originate from? How does it enter this body?" Jivatma originates from Paramatma (the soul of the universe) . As the shadow pervades the body of a man this Jivatma overshadows this body." Sri Sarikaracarya expounds it in another way; he says that the Jivatma is tied to the body by the imagination or desires of the mind.
Conclusion: No Veda is clearly defining the Atma, whether it is Paramatma or Jeevatma and hence the Brahmam. It says all NOs about it, like whether Brahmam is balck – No, White – No, Red – No; whether it is Hot – No, Cold – No; whether it is Round – No, Flat – No. It cannot be described with words, images or actions. Somebody says that I know about Brahmam, then he don’t know it and if says I don’t know, he is nearly knowing it.
Here comes the contradiction about Brahmins, if he knows the Brahmam he will become Brahmin but even though he knows it, he is unable to tell that, then how anybody can know that he knows it.
Loka Samastha SukhinO bhavanthu.
