Adhyaya 1 Pada 2 - AdhikaraNa 1
The Word "Manomaya" Refers to Brahman
Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
manomayAdibhiH shabdaiH
svarUpaM yasya kIrtyate
hR^idaye sphuratu shrImAn
mamAsau shyAmasundaraH
In the First Pada of this chapter it was said that one should inquire about the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the creator of all universes. Certain words used in Vedic literature were also clearly shown to refer to that Supreme Brahman. In the Second and Third Padas it will be demonstrated that certain other words, although less clearly related to Brahman, also describe Him.
In the ChAndogya UpaniShad, shANDilya-vidyA (3.14.1) the following explanation is given:
sarvaM khalv idaM brahma taj jalAn iti shAnta upAsIta. atha khalu kratumayaH puruShaH. yathA kratur asmin loke puruSho bhavati tathetaH pretya bhavati. sa kratuM kurvIta. manomayaH prANa-sharIro bhA-rUpaH satya-sa~Nkalpa AkAshAtmA sarva-karmA sarva-kAmAH sarva-gandhaH sarva-rasaH sarvam idaM abhyAto avAkyAn AdaraH.
"Everything is Brahman. From Him everything has come. The peaceful sage should worship Brahman with this idea. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the activities of devotional service. When devotional service is performed in this world the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present. As one performs devotional service in this life he will attain an appropriate body after death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by those whose minds are pure. He is the controller of all life. He is effulgent and glorious. His every desire is automatically fulfilled. He is all-pervading. He is the original creator of everything. He fulfills all desires. He possesses all pleasant fragrances. He is all sweetness. He is present everywhere. He cannot be described in words. He cannot be known."
SaMshaya: Do the adjectives (beginning with manomaya) in this passage describe the jIva or the ParamAtmA?
PUrvapakSha: The words manaH and prANa here appropriately describe the jIva. The MuNDaka UpaniShad (2.1.2) explains: aprANo hy amanAH shubhraH (The splendid Supreme Person has neither breath nor mind). Because this passage from the ChAndogya UpaniShad contradicts the description of the Supreme Lord in this way, it should be understood to refer to the jIva. The opening words sarvaM khalv idaM brahma (Everything is Brahman) do not necessarily mean that the entire passage following them are about Brahman, but are merely spoken so that the worshiper may become peaceful. The teaching there is that because Brahman is everything one should become peaceful. The rest of the passage should then be understood to refer to the jIva and the word brahma at the end of the passage should also be understood to refer to the jIva.
SiddhAnta: The proper conclusion is:
SUtra 1
sarvatra prasiddhopadeshAt
sarvatra—everywhere; prasiddha—celebrated; upadeshAt—because of the teaching.
(The word "manomaya" here refers to the ParamAtmA) because (in this passage) the famous (attributes of the ParamAtmA as are taught) everywhere (in VedAnta literature are) described.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
This passage describes the ParamAtmA and not the jIva. Why? Because the qualities that belong only to the ParamAtmA, beginning with His being the creator of the material universes, and which are described everywhere (saravatra) in VedAnta literature, are mentioned in this passage in the phrase taj-jalAn and other phrases and words also.
Although the opening words of this passage (sarvaM khalv idaM brahma) are not intended to teach about Brahman but to invoke peacefulness, the word manomaya definitely describes the Supreme Brahman. The word kratu means "devotional service" and manomaya means "He who can by understood by a pure mind." The BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (4.4.19) explains manasaivAnudraShTavyam (He may be seen by a pure mind). The passage yato vAcA nivartante aprApyo manasA saha (The Supreme cannot be described in words or understood by the mind) means the foolish cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and even the wisest sages cannot understand Him completely.
The word prANa-sharIra (life-body) means {.sy 168}He who is the controller of life." Some also interpret this word to mean "He whose transcendental form is most dear." The words aprANo hy amanAH (He has neither breath nor mind) may mean either that He is supremely independent and does not need breath or mind, or it may mean that he does not possess material breath or material mind. The shruti-shAstra explains manovAn (The Supreme has a spiritual mind) and AnIda-vAtam (The Supreme has spiritual breath).
Other scriptural passages also state that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described by the word manomaya. Some of these passages follow.
manomayaH prANa-sharIra-netA
"He is understood by the pure mind (manomaya). He is the guide of the body and senses."
—MuNDaka UpaniShad 2.2.7
sa eSho .antar-hR^idaya AkAshas tasminn ayaM puruSho manomayo .amR^itamayo hiraNmayaH
"The golden Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of nectar, and who is known by the pure mind (manomaya), resides in the sky of the heart."
—TaittirIya UpaniShad 1.6.1
hR^idA manIShA manasAbhiklpto ya etad vidur amR^itas te bhavanti
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by they who have a pure heart and a pure mind. They who know Him in this way become free from death."
—KaTha UpaniShad 7.9
prANasya prANaH
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the life of all life."
—BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 4.4.18
SUtra 2
vivakShita-guNopapattesh ca
vivakShita—wished to be said; guNa—qualities; upapatteH—because of being appropriate; ca—and.
The word "manomaya" here must refer to Brahman) because the qualities (given here) most appropriately describe Brahman.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
Manomaya (knowable by the pure mind), prANa-sharIra (the controller of life), bhA-rUpa (effulgent and glorious) and the other qualities mentioned here are appropriate for the Supreme Personality of Godhead but not at all for the jIva.
SUtra 3
anupapattes tu na shArIraH
anupapatteH—because of inappropriateness; tu—indeed; na—not; shArIraH—the jIva.
(The word "manomaya" here) cannot refer to the jIva because the qualities (described in this passage) cannot be attributed to him.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The manomaya here cannot refer to the jIva because it is not possible that the qualities described here refer to the tiny, glowworm-like jIva.
SUtra 4
karma-kartR^i-vyapadeshAc ca
karma—object; kartR^i—agent; vyapadeshAt—because of the statement; ca—also.
And because the distinction is drawn here between the agent and the object.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
With the words (BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 3.14.4) etam itaH pretyAbhisambhavitAsmi (After death I will attain Him) at the end the manomaya is clearly designated as the object of the sentence and the jIva, with the words abhisambhavitAsmi (I will attain) is clearly identified as the agent. Therefore the manomaya, being the object, must be different from the jIva, which is the agent. The manomaya must therefore be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word abhisambhavitAsmi here describes meeting. The jIva meets the Supreme Lord as a great river meets the ocean.
SUtra 5
shabda-visheShAt
shabda—words; visheShAt—because of the difference.
(The word "manomaya" here cannot refer to the jIva because the words are in different cases.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The text says (ChAndogya UpaniShad 3.14.3) eSha ma AtmAntar-hR^idaye (He is within my heart). In these words the devotee jIva is placed in the genitive case and the object of his worship is placed in the nominative case. Because the jIva and the object of his worship are in different cases they must be two distinct persons. Therefore the manomaya here must be the worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is different from the devotee jIva.
SUtra 6
smR^itesh ca
smR^iteH—because of the smR^iti-shAstra; ca—also.
And because of the statement of smR^iti-shAstra also.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is different from the jIva is also confirmed by the following statement of Bhagavad-gItA (18.61):
IshvaraH sarva-bhUtAnAM
hR^id-desh/e .arjuna tiShThati
bhrAmayan sarva-bhUtAni
yantrArUDhAni mAyayA
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone.as heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy."*
Someone may object: The ChAndogya UpaniShad (3.14.3) describes the manomaya in the following words: eSha ma AtmAntar-hR^idaye .aNIyAn vrIr heva yavAd vA (In my heart is the Self, smaller than a grain of rice or barley). This text shows that because it is very tiny the manomaya must be the jIva and cannot be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SUtra 7
arbhakaukastvAt tad-vyapadeshAc ca neti cen na nicAyyatvAd evaM vyomavac ca
arbhaka—small; okastvAt—because of the residence; tat—of that; vyapadeshAt—because of the teaching; ca—and; na—not; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; nicAyyatvAt—because of meditation; evam—in this way; vyomavat—like the sky; ca—also.
If it be said that the word "manomaya" here cannot refer to Brahman because here it is said that the residence of "manomaya" is very tiny, then I say no because Brahman should be meditated on in this way and because in the same passage the "manomaya" is said to be as great as the sky.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
For these two reasons it cannot be said that the manomaya is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this passage from ChAndogya UpaniShad the manomaya is said to be greater that the entire Earth planet. The text says jyAyAn antarIkShAt (He is greater than the sky). Because the Supreme Brahman is all-pervading the word vyomavat (like the sky) is used in this sUtra.
How may these two statements (that Brahman is very small and very great) be reconciled? To answer this question he says nicAyyatvAd evam (Because Brahman should be meditated on in this way). This means that it is said that Brahman is very small so He may become the object of meditation. This means that when in the Vedic literatures it is said that the infinite, all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead is as small as the distance bewteen the thumb and forefinger or some other very small distance, in some instances it is meant to be taken figuratively and in other places literally. In the first instance (figuratively) the devotee meditates on the Lord in his heart and in the second (literally) by His inconceivable potencies, the Lord personally appears in the heart out of kindness to His devotee. Although the Supreme Lord has only one original form, He still manifests in many different forms to His devotees. This is described in the smR^iti-shAstra in the words eko .api san bahudhA yo .avabhAti (Although He is one He manifests in many forms). Because of His inconceivable potency the Supreme Lord, although He is all-pervading, may become as small as an atom. This will be described (later in this book) in the section (SUtra 25) describing VaishvAnara. In this way when the Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested in a very small form, as the size of an atom or the distance between the thumb and forefinger, that very small size is present everywhere, so in this way also the Supreme Lord is all-pervading.
Someone may object: If the ParamAtmA is then also present within the material body just as the jIva is, then, because of His contact with the body the ParamAtmA must also feel all the pleasures and sufferings of the body just as the jIva does. To answer this he says:
SUtra 8
sambhoga-prAptir iti cen na vaisheShyAt
sambhoga—of enjoyment; prAptir—attainment; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; vaisheShyAt—because of the difference.
If it is said that (the ParamAtmA in the heart also) experiences (the pains and) pleasures (of the material body), then I say no because there is a great difference (between Him and the jIva.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
In the word sambhoga the prefix sam means "with" as it also does in the word samvAda (with+words=conversation). Therefore this sUtra states that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not enjoy with (the jIva). Why? Because there is a difference between them. This is the meaning: mere contact with a certain body does not by itself bring suffering and enjoyment. Being under the dominion of karma is the real cause of material suffering and enjoyment. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not under the power of the law of karma. This is described in the MuNDaka UpaniShad (3.1.1): anashnann anyo .abhicAkashIti (Two birds sit in the metaphorical tree of the material body. One bird eats. The other bird does not eat, but only looks) and in the Bhagavad-gItA (4.14), where Lord KR^iShNa says: na mAM karmANi limpanti na me karma-phale spR^ihA (There is no work that affects me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action).
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