Adhikarana II — Brahman defined

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Objection: An objector says: «The word ‘Bhuma’ is applied in the Chh. Up., (VIII., 23.1.) to Jiva or Sod».

«The Infinity (Bhuman) is bliss. There is no bliss in anything finite. Infinity only is bliss. This Infinity, however, we must desire to understand. Sir, I desire to understand it». «Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, that is the Infinite. Where one sees something else, hears something else, that is the finite. The Infinite is immortal, the finite is. mortal».

Because the context of that chapter shows that the Jiva is the topic of discussion there. As this ‘Bhuma is to be enquired into and as the first Sutra refers to this text of the Chandogya Upanishad, therefore, Brahman of the: first Sutra must refer to the individual soul and not to Brahman.

Note: — The full text of the Bhuma passage is given below in order to understand the full argument of the Purvapakshin who says that the word Bhuma refers to the Jiva and not to the Supreme Spirit.

‘Spirit (Prana) is better than hope. As the spokes of a wheel hold to the nave, so does all this (beginning with name and ending in hope) hold to Spirit. That Spirit moves by the Spirit, it gives Spirit to the Spirit. Father means Spirit, mother Spirit, brother Spirit, sister Spirit, tutor Spirit, Brahmana Spirit’.

‘For if one says anything unbecoming to a father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or Brahmana then people say: Shame on thee! Thou hast offended father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or a Brahmana.

‘But, if after the spirit has departed from them, one shoves them together with a poker, and burns them to pieces, no one would say: ‘Thou offendest thy father, mother, brother, sister, tutor or a Brahmana,

‘Spirit then is all this. He who sees this, perceives this and understands this, becomes an ativadin. If people say to such a man, Thou art an Ativadin, he may say, I am an Ativadin; he need not deny it’.

Similarly the text, «Atma vare drashtavya», ‘Self must be seen’. The word Atma refers to the individual soul, and not to God. The context there also shows that the individual soul is referred to. Because we find it stated there, ‘Not for the sake of wife, is the wife dear, but for the sake of the Self the wife is dear’.

Note: The full text is given below:

‘And he said: ‘Verily, a husband is not dear, that you may love the husband; but that you may love the Half, therefore, a husband is dear’.

‘Verily, a wife is not dear, that you may love the wife; but that you may love the Self, therefore a wife is dear’.

‘Verily, sons are not dear, that you may love the sons; but that you may love the Self, therefore, sons are dear’.

‘Verily, wealth is not dear, that you may love wealth; but that you may love the Self, therefore, wealth is dear’.

‘Verily, the Brahmana class is not dear, that you may love the Brahmana class; but that you may love the Self, therefore the Brahmana class is dear’.

‘Verily, the Kshatriya class is not dear, that you may love the Kshatriya class; but that you may love the Self, therefore, the Kshatriya class is dear’.

‘Verily, the worlds are not dear, that you may love the worlds, but that you may love the Self, therefore, the worlds are dear’.

‘Verily, the Devas are not dear, that you may love them; but that you may love the Self, therefore, the Devas are dear’.

‘Verily, creatures are not dear, that you may love the creatures; but that you may love the Self, therefore, creatures are dear’.

‘Verily, everything is not dear, that you may love everything; but that you may love the Self, therefore, everything is dear’.

‘Verily, the Self is to be seen, to be heard, to be perceived, to be marked, O Maitreyi! When we see, hear, perceive, and know the Self, then all this is known’.

Moreover the word Brahman has several meanings, according to lexicographers. It means anything big, the Brahmanical caste, the lotus-seated Brahma and the Vedas. Therefore, when the first Sutra says that Brahman should be enquired into, the doubt arises, does it mean something big that should be enquired into? or the Brahmanical caste should be enquired into? or the lotus-seated Brahma must be enquired into? or the Vedas?’

Answer: To remove this doubt the next Sutra has been formulated by Badarayana. It is based on the following verse of the Taittiriya Upanishad:

Bhrigu went to his father Varuna, saying: ‘Sir, teach me Brahman’. He told him this, viz., ‘Food, breath, the eye, ear, mind, speech’.

Then he said again to him: ‘That from whence these beings are born, that by which, when born, they live, that into Which they enter at their death, try to know that: that is Brahman.

Doubt: Now the doubt arises. Is the Brahman that is to be enquired into Jiva (individual soul) or Ishvara (God)?

Purvapaksha: The Brahman is jiva (individual soul), because we find in that very Taittiriya Upanishad the following:

If a man knows understanding (Vijnana) as Brahman and if he does not swerve from it, he leaves all evils behind in the body, and all his wishes’. (Taitt. Up., II., 5.).

Here the word Brahman is applied to Vijnana, which is a name of the Jiva; and that very text also shows that this Vijnana is to be meditated upon. And moreover a Jiva may acquire the power of creation, by the supreme force of some invisible cause.

Siddhanta: To this doubt and Purvapaksha the next Sutra gives answer by describing the peculiar attributes of Brahman who is the topic of discussion of the Vedanta Sutras.

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