First Shloka of Srimad Bhagavatam

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Shri HariH

Rama Rama

 

I have wanting to know more about the First Shloka of Srimad Bhagavatam - Janmadasya YataH... That Vedanta Side of it - from the Vashishta Advaita point of view.

Could one of the Bhagavatas please guide me to where I could read up more on this..Or could some educate me on the gist of this..?

 

Dasoham

Deepak

 

 

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha,

Srimath Varavaramunaye Namaha.

 

JanmAdy Asya occurs in the Brahma Sutras. It means, 'Brahman is that from which

creation, sustenance and reabsorption proceed'.

 

This is an answer to the question - 'What is Brahman'?

 

It is a key phrase taken from the Taittiriya Upanishad. GeetAchAryan also

mentions it in the Gita.

 

Sri Ramanuja holds the Taittiriya Up. in high esteem because it provides two

excellent definitions of the essential nature of Brahman. One is 'Satyam Jnanam

Anantam' and the other declares that He is that from which all originate,

maintain and are destroyed endlessly.

 

I will give the meanings of this verse. I am relying on what I gleaned from

glimpses of Gita Bhashya, Sri Bhashya and Sri Velukkudi Swami's Upanyasams. May

acharyan forgive me if I make any mistakes:

 

1)As per Vishishtadvaita, the Jivas and Jagat constitute the body of Brahman

(Yasya Prithvi Sariram; Yasya AtmA Sariram', says Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

During pralaya, the jivas and jagat undergo a transformation. They become devoid

of name and form, and exist in what is called as a 'sukshma' or 'causal' state.

Prakriti undergoes changes in its svarupa always...so, it is converted to

primordial matter. The Jivatma's attributive consciousness is reduced to such an

extent that it is put into slumber (note - svabhava only changes for Jivatma.

Svarupa remains changeless).

 

Thus, the 'slumbering' jiva does not exhibit any consciousness and becomes

indistinguishable from prakrti. This results in a primordial 'soup' ala the

pre-Big Bang period. Note, all this is Brahman's body. Brahman's essential

nature (svarupa) and svabhava does not undergo any change as He is devoid of

Karma.

 

2) Then, during Shrishti, Brahman makes a sankalpa, 'May I become many, and be

differentiated in Name and Form'. Hence, this results in the jivas 'regaining'

consciousness and prakrti undergoing transformation into a vareity of things,

each having a distinctive name and form.

 

Note - Authoritative texts state that Brahman willed 'May I become many'.

Technically, it is only the Jivas and Jagat, which transform into countless

things. Brahman does not transform. But 'I' is used to denote Brahman because

everything is Brahman's body. Just as the name 'Jack' applies to Jack's body and

also to Jack's soul, all names pertain to the body of Brahman (Jivas and Jagat)

and to the soul(Brahman) as well.

 

Another analogy would be when we say, 'I am a Man'. Technically, the Self is not

a man, as it is devoid of such material designations. But because it has the

body of a man, it can say 'I am a man'. Similarly, when Brahman says 'I became

many', it means, 'My (Brahman's) body became many, ie, transformed into

different shapes and forms'.

 

MundakOpanishad gives the analogy of a spider weaving a web.

 

Now, that we know what exactly this sloka means, let us analyse how it describes

Brahman:

 

1) By stating that everything (creation, preservation and destruction) proceeds

from Brahman, Sruti and Smriti accept Sriman NArAyaNa as the first cause of all.

 

2) By stating that everything has its origin in Him, it proclaims that Sriman

NARAyaNa is the material cause, as well as the instrumental and efficient cause

of the Universe.

 

3) By highlighting the fact that He is the cause, Vedanta shows how the

attributes of greatness (by being the cause of the Universe), Lordship (Being in

control of Jivas and Jagat) and Power (Being able to effect such a phenomenon)

are present in VAsudevA.

 

4) It also describes everything as the body of Brahman, and hence, all names

denote Brahman.

 

5) As everything originates in Him, all entities are dependant on Him.

 

And let us not forget that Sri Vaishnavism is Ubhaya Vedanta, so this

explanation would be incomplete without our great azhwar's opinion on the

matter. Dravida Vedam says:

 

" ivaiyum avaiyum uvaiyum* ivarum avarum uvarum,*

evaiyum yavarum thannuLLE* aakiyum aakkiyum kaakkum,*

avaiyuL thanimuthal emmaan "

 

" tAnE ulahellAm --tAnE padaitthu idanthu

tAnE uNDu umizhinthu--tAnE aLvAnE "

 

" ni padittu udandu indu umilnda par... "

 

and many more.

 

Udayavar refutes many contradictory opinions and elaborates on this verse in his

magnum opus, the Sri Bhashya. Please refer that work for more details.

 

Adiyen VilAnchOlai Pillai DAsan,

 

Govind.