Bhagavatgita a detailed studychapter8- Imperishable Brahman

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20. parah thasmaath thu bhaavaH anyaH avyaktho avyakthaH

sanaathanaH

yaH sa sarveshu bhootheshu naSyathsu na vinasyathi

When it is the night of Brahma all beings sentient and insentient are said to exist in unmanifest state. This is the avyaktha which is jada, known as prakrthi, or primordial nature. The Supreme Purusha who is the first existence mentioned as sath in the upanishats, which existed one only without a second, is the Unmanifest other than and higher than, paraH anyaH avyakthaH, the unmanifest, avyakthaath, mentioned earlier. This is the ancient Brahman ever existent who does not perish when all else perishes, being the eternal and primal cause.

In simple words, all beings become unmanifest at pralaya but are not destroyed. When the pot is destroyed it exists in the form of potsherds and when they also are powdered they merge into the mud from where they came. Hence according to Ramanuja nothing is unreal and when destroyed it exists in another form. When the whole world is destroyed it means that the form in which they were perceivable are destroyed but they do exist in an unperceivable form which is called unmanifest . During the time of deluge the elements themselves are absorbed into the primordial nature but they should exist in an unmanifest form in order to come back in creation. This is the unmanifest mentioned in avanthara pralaya and mahapralaya.

But the primordial nature itself which is unmanifest must have a substratum to emerge again as it cannot evaporate into nothingness. This is the supreme Unmanifest called akshara which is ever existing and changeless, otherwise known as Brahman or sath, synonymous with Lord Narayana of Visishtadvaita.

21. avyaktho akshara ithyukthaH tham aahuH paramaam

gathim

yam praapya na nivarthanthe thadDhaama paramam mama

This imperishable Unmanifest being is the highest goal to be reached. Attaining that there is no return to the world again and this is the supreme abode of Me.

The highest goal of life is moksha or salvation which means freedom from embodiment. Hence Krishna terms it as paramaam gathi, the supreme goal. This is possible only when the individual soul realises its true identity as a part and parcel of the infinite Brahman, who is Unmanifest, avyakthaH and imperishable, akshara. Reaching that state of realization, yam praapya, there is no more birth, that is no more return to embodied state, na nivarthanthe. That is the abode of Me, says, Krishna, speaking as the Supreme Purusha.

 

22. purushaH sa paraH paarTha bhakthyaa labhyaH thu

ananyayaa

yasya anthasThaani bhoothaani yena sarvam idham

thatham

That Supreme Purusha could not be attained except through devotion. He is the one in whom all beings exist and who pervades all.

Who is this purusha? He is the one in whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded.' That is, Brahman. He is the supreme and unexcelled. Within Him dwells all beings because He is the cause of all and the effects must be necessarily be pervaded by the cause as pots are by the mud. Thus He is all-pervading like the akasa in which everything exists and which exists in everything. Attaining Him alone is the guarantee for no return.

How to attain Him? Only through devotion, ,says Krishna. From the rise of desire for moksha till one attains it the grace of the Lord is required at each and every step as in the amrthamaThana, where the Lord gave the idea , helped to lift the mountain, supported it on His back, churned the ocean along with them, entered into them to give them strength and finally helped to get it for the devas from asuras, who grabbed it at the last moment. AmrthamaThana signifies the spiritual progress and the brahmajnana which secures immortality is the amrtha. The upanishat says . `yamaivesha vrNuthe thena labhyathe,' It is only the one whom He chooses attains brahmajnana. But how to make sure that he will choose us. By having steadfast devotion we can be sure of His grace as when a devotee takes one step towards Him the Lord takes ten.