Gita Satsangh, Chapter 10: Swami Dayananda's Commentary

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

These comments are from Swamij's Bhagavadgita Homestudy Guide and

they can help us to strengthen our standing within the confinement of

Advaita Philosophy. I once agains wants to express my gratitude to

Arshavidya Gurukulam for permitting me to quote appropriate portions

of those notes for the Satsangh. Those who are interested to get the

complete notes (over 1200 pages of written materials) should contact

http://www.arshavidya.org directly.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati on " Upadhi's influence on the Gradation in

Knowledge."

A jiva is kincijjnah because he has avidya-upadhi, which seemingly

limits atma. Whereas Isvara has an upadhi, called maya, which does

not limit. On the other hand, it makes atma omniscient and the

cause of the world.

Then in the expressed form, the jiva has a given buddhi through which

he can know some things. But Isvara, through maya-upadhi is

sarvajnah. The concealing power, avarana-sakti, of maya is present in

the jiva so he cannot know everything. Whereas for Isvara, that

avarana does not exist. There is only the capacity to create. Thus,

the very maya which keeps the jiva under its spell becomes a glory

for Isvara. That is the first vibhuti. Maya itself becomes the

vibhuti for Paramesvara saccidananda atma.

The buddhi is limited because it has a location. It operates in a

sthula-upadhi depending upon brain ceils and so on. Whereas maya is

not limited at all because it is the cause of everything.

How do you know this? It is established by the Sastra. Therefore, the

one who is in the form of Krsna is conditioned by maya-upadhi. By his

own words in the fourth chapter, Lord Krsna presents himself as

Isvara, or Vyasa presents him as Isvara.

This being so, the knower, the subject, who is conditioned by the

physical body recognized as Krsna, has maya as his upadhi. Keeping

the maya under control, a particular form is born. Since he is

avatara, he is not forced into this birth by the strength of his own

karma. The assumption of a body is at the will of Isvara. It is

voluntary. And for him there is omniscience but the gods like Indra

are limited in knowledge. Therefore, the devas he talked about in the

previous verse, do not know about his glory. They are all jivas

enjoying their own limited buddhis so their knowledge will be only

limited.

>From the standpoint of upadhi, the jiva is kincijnah, Isvara is

sarvajnah. Saccidananda atma obtaining in a given upadhi is called a

knower, pramata. Atma is called the pramata, not the upadhi, not the

buddhi. The same saccidananda with maya upadhi becomes Isvara pramata

who is sarvajnah. Viewed from the standpoint of upadhi, identity

between jiva and Isvara is not possible. But the pramata is not

real; it is adhyasikam, mithya. Although there seems to be a

difference, essentially there is no difference. In reality the

jiva is Isvara, saccidananda atma, pure awareness that is one non-

dual. This identity is revealed by the mahavakya, tattvamasi.

Like a wave and the ocean. If the wave is told that it is the ocean,

it will say, "How can I be the ocean? The ocean was there before I

was born." Then the wave realizes the implied meaning of "you" is

water and the immediate meaning is wave. Wave and ocean are purely

namarupa upadhi. There is no wave or ocean but merely a certain form

for which a name is given. On analysis one finds both ocean and wave

are water. That alone counts. There is no real difference. If you

count names and forms, in the ocean there are many waves, breakers,

etc. Now1 count water and see if there is any additional wave or

ocean. All that is there is water. That is the knowledge of non

duality.

Only in the body of Krsna is awareness conditioned by maya. In our

physical bodies, it is the same awareness conditioned by ignorance,

buddhi etc. How do you distinguish this? Krsna has a body and so does

Arjuna. Arjuna's atma is caitanya and Krsna's atma is caitanya. His

caitanya is conditioned by his body, mind and senses and my caitanya

is conditioned by body, mind and senses. How can you say my caitanya

is conditioned by ignorance and his is conditioned by maya? Only from

the standpoint of limited knowledge, kiftcijjnatva. and omniscience,

sarvajiiatva. He knows and I do not. There is nothing unknown to him

whereas everything is unknown to me except the little I know. Krsna

is talking here about things that a man of limited knowledge cannot

talk about at all.

As long as there is vyavahara, empirical life, jiva is jiva and

Isvara is Isvara. As pramatah, knowers, there is no identity

between jivas, including the devas like Indra and Varuna. But from

the standpoint of Paramatma there is no difference whatsoever between

them as well as between jiva and Isvara.

Even though Isvara is a pramata. the knower, he has omniscience,

sarvajiiatva. Therefore he can say, "Even the risis and the devas do

not know what I am going to tell you. Being omniscient, it is proper

for Krsna to say so.

Even the devas and the maharisis do not know me because I am the

cause of every one of them and am sarvajnah while everyone else is

alpajnah.

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

The gradation of knowledge summarized by Swami Dayanandaji is quite

essential for understanding the distinction between Nirguna Brahman,

Saguna Brahman and Jiva:

 

The Nirguna Brahman is the unmanifested Brahman without mAyA; The

Saguna Brhaman or Isvara is the manifested Brahman with the mAyA and

Jiva is the manifested Brahman with the Avidya. For the Jivas, the

most important question is: How to get rid of Avidya? Avidya is

likely present, as long as Jiva is present! Jiva can transform into

Isvara by surrendering the ego to the Lord with total devotion. Only

by surrendering the power of mAyA which was responsible for creation,

jiva ultimately realizes the Nirguna Brahman!

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran