AkAsa Brihad-Upan 3-8-3

[Guest guest]

Namaste Respected Advaitins.

 

Gargi, the daughter of vAchaknu said,

"With your permission, divine-natured brahmanas, I

shall ask him 2 questions"

After getting their permission, Gargi said,

 

"yajnavalkya,

what pervades above heaven,

what pervades below the earth,

which is heaven and earth

as well as between them ?

 

and which was, is and will be?"

 

"By what is it pervaded ?"

 

yajnavalkya said, "AkAsa"------------(A) 3.8.4

 

Gargi said,"what pervades AkAsa?"

 

yajnavalkya said,

"aksharam; neti, neti"---------(B) 3.8.8

 

yajnavalkya said further,

"under its rule, the manifested creation is sustained"

© ---- 3.8.9

 

In a couple of English translations of "AkAsa" of

3.8.4, it is translated as "unmanifested ether"

or "unmanifested space".

 

In the translation of "AkAsa" of 3.8.4,

is "unmanifested" implied in its meaning, and

translated as "unmanifested ether".

 

In my opinion (could be wrong), yajnavalkya is

quantifying the entire manifested creation in 3.8.4

and then introduces the unmanifested brahman that

pervades, sustains and governs the manifested aspect

(B,C).

 

Any help to clarify the meaning of "AkAsa" is received

with respect.

 

Kind regards,

Raghava

 

 

 

Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.

[Guest guest]

Raghavarao gaaru - welcome back.

Here is my understanding.

 

AkAsha is the first of the panca bhUtas and subtlest of them all; and

that is created first in the series. That which accommodates everything

is AkAsha. At one stage in the evolution of science, space was

considered as filled with ether. Space has to be infinite and

Yajnavalkya’s answer was to the point. All manifestations are

accommodated within AkAsha. Interestingly one cannot define space or

AkAsha, nor can it be perceived by senses. Movement in space defines

time. MadhAvas consider that space and time are recognized by Saxi.

 

Further questioning by Gargi, Yajnavalkya says the space is pervaded by

axaram - therefore axaram provides the support for space too.

 

Mundaka explaining the material and the intelligent cause for creation

are one and the same says:

yathonAbhir sRijate gRihNate ca .... tathA axarAt sambhavatIha vishvam||

 

axaram is that which is indestructible and hence permanent, while AkASha

that accommodates everything is also swallowed in the deep sleep state

while axaram remains as axaram.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

 

--- Raghavarao Kaluri <raghavakaluri > wrote:

 

> Namaste Respected Advaitins.

>

> Gargi, the daughter of vAchaknu said,

> "With your permission, divine-natured brahmanas, I

> shall ask him 2 questions"

> After getting their permission, Gargi said,

>

> "yajnavalkya,

> what pervades above heaven,

> what pervades below the earth,

> which is heaven and earth

> as well as between them ?

>

> and which was, is and will be?"

>

> "By what is it pervaded ?"

>

> yajnavalkya said, "AkAsa"------------(A) 3.8.4

>

> Gargi said,"what pervades AkAsa?"

>

> yajnavalkya said,

> "aksharam; neti, neti"---------(B) 3.8.8

>

> yajnavalkya said further,

> "under its rule, the manifested creation is sustained"

> © ---- 3.8.9

>

> In a couple of English translations of "AkAsa" of

> 3.8.4, it is translated as "unmanifested ether"

> or "unmanifested space".

>

> In the translation of "AkAsa" of 3.8.4,

> is "unmanifested" implied in its meaning, and

> translated as "unmanifested ether".

>

> In my opinion (could be wrong), yajnavalkya is

> quantifying the entire manifested creation in 3.8.4

> and then introduces the unmanifested brahman that

> pervades, sustains and governs the manifested aspect

> (B,C).

>

> Any help to clarify the meaning of "AkAsa" is received

> with respect.

>

> Kind regards,

> Raghava

>

>

>

> Send instant messages to your online friends

> http://in.messenger.

>

[Guest guest]

Raghavendra-ji,

 

Sadaji has already provided a wonderful explanation to your question.

 

may i also share with you and this esteemed audience what Swami

Sivananda has to say on the definition of AKASA?

 

 

 

"The Akasa is Brahman "

 

 

Akaso'rthantaratvadivyapadesat I.3.41 (104)

Akasa (is Brahman) because it is declared to be something

different etc., (from names and forms).

 

Akasah: Akasa; Arthantaratvadi-vyapadesat: because it is

declared to be something different; Artha: with a meaning; Antaratva:

differentness. Adi: etc.; Vyapadesat: from statement on account of

designation.

 

Another expression from the Chhandogya Upanishad is now taken

up for discussion. We read in Chhandogya Upanishad VIII-14-1 "That

which is called Akasa is the revealer of all names and forms. That

within which these names and forms are contained is Brahman, the

Immortal, the Self."

 

Here a doubt arises whether that which here is called Akasa is

the Highest Brahman or the ordinary elemental ether.

 

The Purvapakshin or the objector says that Akasa means here

the elemental ether, because this is the conventional meaning of the

word.

 

To this the Siddhantin gives the following reply. Here 'Akasa'

is Brahman only, because it is designated as a different thing etc.

Names and forms are said to be within this Akasa, which is therefore

different from these.

 

The term Akasa signifies Brahman because it is stated to be

the source of all names and forms, also because it is qualified by

such epithets as 'Infinite, Immortal' 'Self'. The word Akasa, refers

to Brahman because the description "beyond name and form" applies

only to Brahman. "

 

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_1/1-3-05.html

 

here are two more quotes on Akasa from the upanishads !

 

He (Brahman) who, dwelling in the akasa, is distinct from akasa, whom

the akasa knows not, whose body the akasa is, who rules the akasa

from within, he is thy soul, the inner guide, the immortal."–

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III. 7, 12.

 

"It is the akasa, out of which all these creatures proceed, and into

which they are again received, the akasha is older than they all, the

akasa is the ultimate end."–chandogya Upanishad, I. 9, 1.

 

Aum Shanti! Aum Shanti! Aum Shantihi!

 

ps- there is always a metaphysical meaning to every word.

 

Raghavendra writes :

(> In my opinion (could be wrong), yajnavalkya is

> quantifying the entire manifested creation in 3.8.4

> and then introduces the unmanifested brahman that

> pervades, sustains and governs the manifested aspect

> (B,C).

>

> Any help to clarify the meaning of "AkAsa" is received

> with respect.)

>

> Kind regards,

> Raghava

>

>