यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति ।
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता १३.३०
जब पृथक-पृथक भूत पदार्थ और प्राणी ‘उस’ एक में स्थित और ‘उस’ एक का ही विस्तार दिखाई देने लगे, तब ब्रह्म (परम सत्य का दर्शन/ज्ञान/अनुभव) प्राप्त हो जाता है।
yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati,
tata eva ca vistāraṁ brahma saṁpadyate tadā. ... śrīmad bhagavadgītā 13.30
When a person realizes oneness in the diversified existence, then he becomes Brahman (united with the Absolute Truth).
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा॥ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता १३.३०
जब पृथक-पृथक भूत पदार्थ और प्राणी ‘उस’ एक में स्थित और ‘उस’ एक का ही विस्तार दिखाई देने लगे, तब ब्रह्म (परम सत्य का दर्शन/ज्ञान/अनुभव) प्राप्त हो जाता है।
yadā bhūtapṛthagbhāvamekasthamanupaśyati,
tata eva ca vistāraṁ brahma saṁpadyate tadā. ... śrīmad bhagavadgītā 13.30
When a person realizes oneness in the diversified existence, then he becomes Brahman (united with the Absolute Truth).
Verse of the Day -- 13.20
Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness
Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- 13.20
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्धयनादी उभावपि | विकारांश्र्च गुणांश्र्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् || २० ||
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān
SYNONYMS
prakṛtim—material nature; puruṣam—living entities; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—must know; anādī—without beginning; ubhau—both; api—also; vikārān—transformation; ca—also; guṇān—three modes of nature; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—know; prakṛti—material nature; sambhavān—produced of.
TRANSLATION
Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.
PURPORT
By this knowledge, the body, the field of activities and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul) can be known. The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature. It is the individual soul which is embodied. Enjoying the activities of the body is the puruṣa, or the living entity. He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul. Of course, it is to be understood that both the Supersoul and the individual entity are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entity is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion.
Both material nature and the living entity are eternal. That is to say that they existed before the creation. The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord and so also are the living entities, but they are of the superior energy. Both of them existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahā-Visṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of mahat-tattva. Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are adverse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky. After the winding up of material nature, these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation. Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature. It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place. In the scriptures the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence. But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all the transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature. All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.
— with Priya Jahnesvari and 46 others.Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness
Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- 13.20
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्धयनादी उभावपि | विकारांश्र्च गुणांश्र्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् || २० ||
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavān
SYNONYMS
prakṛtim—material nature; puruṣam—living entities; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—must know; anādī—without beginning; ubhau—both; api—also; vikārān—transformation; ca—also; guṇān—three modes of nature; ca—also; eva—certainly; viddhi—know; prakṛti—material nature; sambhavān—produced of.
TRANSLATION
Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.
PURPORT
By this knowledge, the body, the field of activities and the knowers of the body (both the individual soul and the Supersoul) can be known. The body is the field of activity and is composed of material nature. It is the individual soul which is embodied. Enjoying the activities of the body is the puruṣa, or the living entity. He is one knower, and the other is the Supersoul. Of course, it is to be understood that both the Supersoul and the individual entity are different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entity is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category of His personal expansion.
Both material nature and the living entity are eternal. That is to say that they existed before the creation. The material manifestation is from the energy of the Supreme Lord and so also are the living entities, but they are of the superior energy. Both of them existed before this cosmos was manifested. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahā-Visṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the agency of mahat-tattva. Similarly, the living entities are also in Him, and because they are conditioned, they are adverse to serving the Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky. After the winding up of material nature, these living entities are again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare themselves to enter into the spiritual world. That is the mystery of this material creation. Actually the living entity is originally the spiritual part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but due to his rebellious nature, he is conditioned within material nature. It really does not matter how these living entities or superior entities of the Supreme Lord have come in contact with material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows, however, how and why this actually took place. In the scriptures the Lord says that those attracted by this material nature are undergoing a hard struggle for existence. But we should know it with certainty from the descriptions of these few verses that all the transformations and influences of material nature by the three modes are also productions of material nature. All transformations and variety in respect to living entities are due to the body. As far as spirit is concerned, living entities are all the same.
समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः ..... ॥९- २९॥
"I am equally present in all beings; there is none hateful or dear to Me."
मैं सब भूतोंमें समभावसे व्यापक हूँ, न कोई मेरा अप्रिय है और न कोई प्रिय है।
"I am equally present in all beings; there is none hateful or dear to Me."
मैं सब भूतोंमें समभावसे व्यापक हूँ, न कोई मेरा अप्रिय है और न कोई प्रिय है।
If you think you are free you are free. If you think you are bound you are bound. It is rightly said: You become what you think. ....
मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि। किवदन्तीह सत्येयं या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत्॥१-११॥
स्वयं को मुक्त मानने वाला मुक्त ही है और बद्ध मानने वाला बंधा हुआ ही है, यह कहावत सत्य ही है कि जैसी बुद्धि होती है वैसी ही गति होती है॥११॥
The soul is witness, all-pervading, infinite, one, free, inert, neutral, desire-less and peaceful. Only due to illusion it appears worldly. ....
आत्मा साक्षी विभुः पूर्ण एको मुक्तश्चिदक्रियः। असंगो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भ्रमात्संसारवानिव॥१-१२॥
आत्मा साक्षी, सर्वव्यापी, पूर्ण, एक, मुक्त, चेतन, अक्रिय, असंग, इच्छा रहित एवं शांत है। भ्रमवश ही ये सांसारिक प्रतीत होती है॥१२॥ .... अष्टावक्र गीता
मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि। किवदन्तीह सत्येयं या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत्॥१-११॥
स्वयं को मुक्त मानने वाला मुक्त ही है और बद्ध मानने वाला बंधा हुआ ही है, यह कहावत सत्य ही है कि जैसी बुद्धि होती है वैसी ही गति होती है॥११॥
The soul is witness, all-pervading, infinite, one, free, inert, neutral, desire-less and peaceful. Only due to illusion it appears worldly. ....
आत्मा साक्षी विभुः पूर्ण एको मुक्तश्चिदक्रियः। असंगो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भ्रमात्संसारवानिव॥१-१२॥
आत्मा साक्षी, सर्वव्यापी, पूर्ण, एक, मुक्त, चेतन, अक्रिय, असंग, इच्छा रहित एवं शांत है। भ्रमवश ही ये सांसारिक प्रतीत होती है॥१२॥ .... अष्टावक्र गीता
"The wave said to the sea: "Could I be like you? The sea replied: It's easy... just settle down."
~Ramana Maharshi
Open Heart Extra - http://goo.gl/wpA9vu — with Sara Sternberg and 4 others.
~Ramana Maharshi
Open Heart Extra - http://goo.gl/wpA9vu — with Sara Sternberg and 4 others.
Sanatan Dharma Prachar Samiti shared Hinduism's photo.
उद्गीतमेतत्परमं तु ब्रह्म तस्मिंस्त्रयं सुप्रतिष्ठाऽक्षरं च ।
अत्रान्तरं ब्रह्मविदो विदित्वा लीना ब्रह्मणि तत्परा योनिमुक्ताः ॥१.७॥।
वेद गा रहे वर्णन जिसका, परम तत्त्व वह शाश्वत् है,
सृष्टि का आधार सदा सर्वत्र ब्रह्म ही व्यापक है।
सर्वान्तर में अनुभव जिसका सिद्ध मुनिजन करते है,
होकर परम सत्य में तत्पर द्वंद्व मुक्त हो जाते है॥ .... श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषत्
"He is the eternal Reality, sing the scriptures,
And the ground of existence.
Those who perceive him in every creature
Merge in him and are released from
The wheel of birth and death."
[udgitametatparamam tu brahma tasmimstrayam supratistha'ksaram cha ।
atrantaram brahmavido viditva lina brahmani tatpara yonimuktah ॥ 1.7॥] .... Shvetashvatara Upanishad
अत्रान्तरं ब्रह्मविदो विदित्वा लीना ब्रह्मणि तत्परा योनिमुक्ताः ॥१.७॥।
वेद गा रहे वर्णन जिसका, परम तत्त्व वह शाश्वत् है,
सृष्टि का आधार सदा सर्वत्र ब्रह्म ही व्यापक है।
सर्वान्तर में अनुभव जिसका सिद्ध मुनिजन करते है,
होकर परम सत्य में तत्पर द्वंद्व मुक्त हो जाते है॥ .... श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषत्
"He is the eternal Reality, sing the scriptures,
And the ground of existence.
Those who perceive him in every creature
Merge in him and are released from
The wheel of birth and death."
[udgitametatparamam tu brahma tasmimstrayam supratistha'ksaram cha ।
atrantaram brahmavido viditva lina brahmani tatpara yonimuktah ॥ 1.7॥] .... Shvetashvatara Upanishad
:: Universal Self (atman) and Ultimate Reality (Brahman) ::
One of the key concepts of Hinduism is the belief in an ultimate reality called Brahman which is the source of all living things in this universe.
Brahman is the ground of all reality and existence. Brahman is uncreated, external, infinite and all-embracing. It is the ultimate cause and goal of all that exists. It is One and it is All. All beings emanate from Brahman; all beings will return back to the same source. Brahman is in all things and it is the true Self (atman) of all beings.
Upanishads, the ancient scripture of Hinduism, teaches that the ultimate ground of the universe is one with the ground of the thinker himself. For instance Chandogya Upanishad suggested, "tat tvam asi" ('that art thou' or "that is what you are.") expressing the identity of Brahman and the Self (atman).
"Now, the name of this Brahman is 'Real' (satyam). This word has three syllables: sa, ti, and yam. Of these, sat is the immortal, and ti is the mortal, while the syllable yam is what joins those two together. Because the two are joined together (yam) by it, it is called yam. Anyone who knows this goes to the heavenly world every single day."
- from the Chandogya Upanishad
" He is the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, the chief foundation of this world, subtler than the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art
That."
- Atharva Veda
"He is the eternal Reality, sing the scriptures,
And the ground of existence.
Those who perceive him in every creature
Merge in him and are released from
The wheel of birth and death."
- Shvetashvatara Upanishad
In its deepest essence, the human soul is identical with the immortal Brahman that sustains the entire universe. Bhagavad Gita says that "those who know the soul, are immortal."
I shall tell you of the soul. The soul is God who is immortal and infinite, who has no beginning and will have no end, and who both exists and does not exist. Those who know the soul, are immortal.
The soul dwells in every living being, and in every part of every living being; it dwells in the hand and the foot, the skull and the mouth, the eye and the ear. Although it does not itself have senses, it shines through every sense. It is completely independent, yet all beings depend on it.
The soul is both near every living being, and far from every being. The soul is both inside and outside every living being. The soul is the cause of movement, but does not itself move. The soul is one, yet has innumerable forms. The soul creates, preserves, and destroys.
The soul is the light of every light; and its light transcends the duality of brightness and darkness. The soul is the light of knowledge; and its light is also the goal of knowledge. In the soul the subject and object of knowledge are one.
Bhagavad Gita 13.12-17
Vedic literature suggests that there is a single essence (brahman) that underlies all existence and animates all living beings. A person's realization of the identity and unity of atman and brahman is believed to bring about liberation or moksha. When that happens, he or she is freed from all restraints of the mind and body, and thereby transcends all distinctions. Both the Upanishads and later philosophy emphasize the role of jnana or knowledge in the attainment of moksha.
The concept that brahman and atman are ultimately the same is very difficult to understand. The Chandogya Upanishad, for example, compares the learning process to reach there to crossing the ocean of suffering. An person needs to meditate on the nature of the self to know brahman. Brahman cannot be defined according to Hindus, because to define brahman would mean limiting it. So we arrive at a paradoxical situation. C. Scott Littleton in Hinduism: The Sacred East described it this way:
"If brahman is indeed infinite and limitless, encompassing the variety of the whole world, then it must be the source of the universe, as the Chandogya Upanishad teaches. However, as the one true absolute, this same brahman is spoken of as remaining transcendent, beyond all differences. How, then, can such a single reality account for the diversity of the world? How can a single consciousness constitute the atman within different individuals without itself being divided?"
Philosophers wrestled with this question for centuries. A number of schools of thought exists that treat this differently. For example, the Vedanta school of philosophy upholds the doctrine of brahman as the ground of all being. But there is no agreement on the questions of the relation between the one brahman and the diversity of creation and, in particular, of the relation between the universal brahman and the individual atman. Individual souls are bound in misery, they maintained, because of the difference between brahman and atman. Tp them, this suffering is due to people's ignorance (called avidya) of the essential non-difference between brahman and atman.
Shankara, an 8th century hindu philosopher, believed that the ordinary world, as individuals perceive it, is essentially an illusion. On the level of ultimate reality, only brahman exists, and this undivided consciousness is the true identity of each individual. Shankara's stance is called advaita (non-dualism).
Others maintained that the distinction between god and god's devotees must be retained.
Ramanuja, an 11th century hindu philosopher, believed in the principle of vishishta dvaita (qualified non-dualism). According to Ramanuja, the individual soul is not identical with god. So, a devotee may worship god even after liberation or moksha. Moksha can be attained through bhakti (devotion), which involves the constant remembering of god or the surrender of the individual self to god.
Nirguna Brahman::
Brahman without attributes or qualities.
Saguna Brahman::
Brahman with attributes. In this manifestation of Brahman it is worshipped as personal God and Lord (Ishwara). Vishnu or Shiva or one of their many manifestations are the most popular.
One of the key concepts of Hinduism is the belief in an ultimate reality called Brahman which is the source of all living things in this universe.
Brahman is the ground of all reality and existence. Brahman is uncreated, external, infinite and all-embracing. It is the ultimate cause and goal of all that exists. It is One and it is All. All beings emanate from Brahman; all beings will return back to the same source. Brahman is in all things and it is the true Self (atman) of all beings.
Upanishads, the ancient scripture of Hinduism, teaches that the ultimate ground of the universe is one with the ground of the thinker himself. For instance Chandogya Upanishad suggested, "tat tvam asi" ('that art thou' or "that is what you are.") expressing the identity of Brahman and the Self (atman).
"Now, the name of this Brahman is 'Real' (satyam). This word has three syllables: sa, ti, and yam. Of these, sat is the immortal, and ti is the mortal, while the syllable yam is what joins those two together. Because the two are joined together (yam) by it, it is called yam. Anyone who knows this goes to the heavenly world every single day."
- from the Chandogya Upanishad
" He is the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, the chief foundation of this world, subtler than the subtle, eternal. That thou art; thou art
That."
- Atharva Veda
"He is the eternal Reality, sing the scriptures,
And the ground of existence.
Those who perceive him in every creature
Merge in him and are released from
The wheel of birth and death."
- Shvetashvatara Upanishad
In its deepest essence, the human soul is identical with the immortal Brahman that sustains the entire universe. Bhagavad Gita says that "those who know the soul, are immortal."
I shall tell you of the soul. The soul is God who is immortal and infinite, who has no beginning and will have no end, and who both exists and does not exist. Those who know the soul, are immortal.
The soul dwells in every living being, and in every part of every living being; it dwells in the hand and the foot, the skull and the mouth, the eye and the ear. Although it does not itself have senses, it shines through every sense. It is completely independent, yet all beings depend on it.
The soul is both near every living being, and far from every being. The soul is both inside and outside every living being. The soul is the cause of movement, but does not itself move. The soul is one, yet has innumerable forms. The soul creates, preserves, and destroys.
The soul is the light of every light; and its light transcends the duality of brightness and darkness. The soul is the light of knowledge; and its light is also the goal of knowledge. In the soul the subject and object of knowledge are one.
Bhagavad Gita 13.12-17
Vedic literature suggests that there is a single essence (brahman) that underlies all existence and animates all living beings. A person's realization of the identity and unity of atman and brahman is believed to bring about liberation or moksha. When that happens, he or she is freed from all restraints of the mind and body, and thereby transcends all distinctions. Both the Upanishads and later philosophy emphasize the role of jnana or knowledge in the attainment of moksha.
The concept that brahman and atman are ultimately the same is very difficult to understand. The Chandogya Upanishad, for example, compares the learning process to reach there to crossing the ocean of suffering. An person needs to meditate on the nature of the self to know brahman. Brahman cannot be defined according to Hindus, because to define brahman would mean limiting it. So we arrive at a paradoxical situation. C. Scott Littleton in Hinduism: The Sacred East described it this way:
"If brahman is indeed infinite and limitless, encompassing the variety of the whole world, then it must be the source of the universe, as the Chandogya Upanishad teaches. However, as the one true absolute, this same brahman is spoken of as remaining transcendent, beyond all differences. How, then, can such a single reality account for the diversity of the world? How can a single consciousness constitute the atman within different individuals without itself being divided?"
Philosophers wrestled with this question for centuries. A number of schools of thought exists that treat this differently. For example, the Vedanta school of philosophy upholds the doctrine of brahman as the ground of all being. But there is no agreement on the questions of the relation between the one brahman and the diversity of creation and, in particular, of the relation between the universal brahman and the individual atman. Individual souls are bound in misery, they maintained, because of the difference between brahman and atman. Tp them, this suffering is due to people's ignorance (called avidya) of the essential non-difference between brahman and atman.
Shankara, an 8th century hindu philosopher, believed that the ordinary world, as individuals perceive it, is essentially an illusion. On the level of ultimate reality, only brahman exists, and this undivided consciousness is the true identity of each individual. Shankara's stance is called advaita (non-dualism).
Others maintained that the distinction between god and god's devotees must be retained.
Ramanuja, an 11th century hindu philosopher, believed in the principle of vishishta dvaita (qualified non-dualism). According to Ramanuja, the individual soul is not identical with god. So, a devotee may worship god even after liberation or moksha. Moksha can be attained through bhakti (devotion), which involves the constant remembering of god or the surrender of the individual self to god.
Nirguna Brahman::
Brahman without attributes or qualities.
Saguna Brahman::
Brahman with attributes. In this manifestation of Brahman it is worshipped as personal God and Lord (Ishwara). Vishnu or Shiva or one of their many manifestations are the most popular.
