365bet娱乐

1. The Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer of the Universe

As we discussed that 础办峁�a谤补brahman is the cause of the world, he is not only a material cause but also an efficient cause like Parabrahman.

Such all power of 础办峁�a谤补brahman is due to the will of Parabrahman.

鈥湸“灬梗a谤补brahman is the cause and support of all, including 笔谤补办峁泃颈-笔耻谤耻峁�a, etc. and pervades everything by its 补苍迟补谤测腻尘墨苍 powers... Parabrahman 笔耻谤耻峁�o迟迟补尘补 狈腻谤腻测补峁嘺 is distinct from that of Brahman and also the cause, support, and inspirer of Brahman.鈥� (Vacan膩m峁泃a Gadhad膩 II/3, p.391)

厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 school of Vedanta interprets the first aphorism of the 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉, where 鈥楤rahman鈥� in 鈥�补迟丑腻迟辞产谤补丑尘补箩颈箩帽腻蝉腻鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 1/1/1)

鈥�ak峁�arabrahmaparabrahmetidivyobhayatattvayorjij帽膩syam膩natvena vivak峁�itatv膩t鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 1/1/1, p.4)

鈥�叠谤补丑尘补箩颈箩帽腻蝉腻鈥� notes both Parabrahman and 础办峁�a谤补brahman as the subject of knowing.鈥�

The second aphorism of the 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉, 鈥�箩补苍尘腻诲测补蝉测补 测补迟补岣�鈥� 鈥�Janm膩dyasya 测补迟补岣�鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 1/1/2),

鈥�ak峁�arapuru峁�ottam膩bhy膩masya prapa帽casyotpattisthitipralay膩岣� prabhavanti鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 1/1/2, p.13)

鈥淭he entire universe is created, sustained, and destroyed by 础办峁�a谤补 and Purushottam.鈥�

The origination, sustenance, and dissolution of this universe are due to 鈥楤rahman鈥�. Here the term 鈥楤rahman鈥� denotes both Brahman and Parabrahman. 础办峁�a谤补brahman thus creates, sustains, and destroys the world immutably, blamelessly, and effortlessly. Therefore, it is known as the cause in the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉.

Moreover, in some cases, Bhadre艣ad膩sa explains,

鈥淎ll this (the visible world) is verily Brahman, from which it comes forth, in which it is dissolved, and by which it lives (迟补箩-箩补濒腻苍). This is how, tranquil, one should offer 耻辫腻蝉补苍腻 to it.鈥� (颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 XII 3/14/1)

鈥淚n the beginning, there was only this Brahman... From that, all that was created.鈥� (Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 1/4/10)

鈥淥 dear (艢惫别迟补办别迟耻), all these beings have 鈥�Sat鈥� as their source, 鈥�Sat鈥� as their support, and 鈥�Sat鈥� as their resting place.鈥� (颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 XII 6/8/4)

In the Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲, 骋腻谤驳墨 first asks permission from the scholars and 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 in the assembly and put the serious questions:

鈥淥 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补, what is that which is on top of the sky and beneath the earth, and between both the sky and earth and that which is called the past, present and the future? Upon what is all this woven back and forth?鈥� (Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/8/3)

In answer to her question, 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 firstly replies that it is 鈥�腻办腻艣补鈥�. Again further, 骋腻谤驳墨 asks:

鈥淯pon what is 鈥�腻办腻艣补鈥� woven back and forth? (Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/8/7).

It is then that 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 affirms:

鈥淭hat, O 骋腻谤驳墨, is in fact what the knowers of Brahman proclaim as 础办峁�a谤补.鈥� (Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/8/8)

Brahman or 础办峁�a谤补 is thus the substratum upon which all of remains stable.

Thus, 础办峁�a谤补brahman is described as the most powerful administrator after Parabrahman in the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉. The verse reads:

鈥淲ithin the governance of this 础办峁�a谤补brahman, O 骋腻谤驳墨, do the upheld sun and moon verily stand. Within the governance of this 础办峁�a谤补, O 骋腻谤驳墨, do the upheld ether and earth verily stand. Within the governance of this 础办峁�a谤补, O 骋腻谤驳墨, do the upheld moments, hours, days and nights, half-months, months, seasons, and years verily stand. Within the governance of this 础办峁�a谤补, O 骋腻谤驳墨, do the rivers flow -some to the east from the white (snowy) mountains, others to the west in their own directions. Within the governance of this 础办峁�a谤补, O 骋腻谤驳墨, do recipient men praise donors, deities (praise) the patron, and forefathers (praise) the ancestral offering.鈥� (Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/8/9)

Bhadre艣ad膩sa illuminates that these are just a few symbolic features of the entire universe; it should thereby be understood that 础办峁�a谤补brahman supports and governs all beings and things of the universe. It should be emphasized again that here and wherever else the governance and causality of 础办峁�a谤补brahman are mentioned, Bhadre艣ad膩sa strongly writes that 础办峁�a谤补brahman鈥檚 such power is due to the 鈥榚ternal wish of Parabrahman鈥�.

2. Satya, J帽膩na, Ananta

The 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 Upani峁�ad鈥檚 Anandavall墨 describes the characteristics of 础办峁�a谤补brahman. It reads:

鈥�蝉补迟测补峁� 箩帽腻苍补尘补苍补苍迟补峁� brahma鈥� (Taittiriya-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/1/1)

鈥凌别补濒颈迟测, knowledge, and infinitives are the basic form and qualities of Brahman.鈥�

These are the three important definers of Brahman as Bhadre艣ad膩sa explains:^[1]

When we analyze this phenomenon, the outcoming of this examination explicitly suggests the nature of Brahman and its distinction from Parabrahman. Here we will mull over the salient features of Brahman as understood within the 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 School of Vedanta. 础办峁�a谤补brahman is the second-highest entity that pervades all except Parabrahman, transcendent to 箩墨惫补, 墨艣惫补谤补蝉, and 尘腻测腻.^[2] Like Parabrahman 础办峁�a谤补brahman is also immutable and beyond 尘腻测腻.^[3] 础办峁�a谤补brahman is a mediator to connect 箩墨惫补s and 墨艣惫补谤补蝉 to Parabrahman and is capable of granting liberation to them.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Taittiriya-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/1/1, p.362

[2]:

Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/1/2, Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/11

[3]:

叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 15/16

[4]:

Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2