35. AtmA

35. AtmA

Adhyaya 1 PAda 4 AdhikaraNa 6

The "AtmA" of BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad
4.5 is Brahman and Not JIva


Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa

In the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 4.5.6 YAjavalkya teaches his wife, MaitreyI:

na vA are patyuH
kAmAya patiH priyo bhavati

"A husband is not dear because
the wife loves the husband. A husband is dear because she loves
the Self."

He also says:

na vA are sarvasya kAmAya sarvaM priyaM
bhavati Atmanas tu kAmAya sarvaM priyaM bhavati

"Everything is not dear because one loves everything. Everything
is dear because one loves the Self."

Again, he says:

AtmA vA are
draShTavyaH shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyAsitavyo maitreyy Atmano vA
are darshanena shravaNena matyA vij~nAnena idaM sarvaM
viditam

"The Self should be seen, heard, worshiped, and
always meditated on. O MaitreyI, by seeing, hearing, worshiping,
and understanding the Self, everything becomes known."

SaMshaya: In this passage which self is to be
understood: the jIva (individual spirit soul)
described in the Kapila-tantra, or the ParamAtmA
(the Supreme Personality of Godhead)?
PUrvapakSha: Because in this passage he
describes the love of husband and wife and because in the middle
of the passage he says: etebhyo bhUtebhyaH samutthAya tAny
evAnuvinashyati na pretya-saMj~nAsti (He leaves the
material elements, his body is destroyed, he dies and is no
longer conscious), words that clearly describe a resident of the
material world who is subject to birth and death, and because at
the end he says: vij~nAtAram are kena vijAnIyAt
(How should we understand the person who is the knower?) this
passage should be interpreted to describe the jIva,
who is the knower described in the Kapila-tantra.
One may object: "But it says that by knowing the Self
everything becomes known. Certainly this refers to the ParamAtmA
and not the jIva." but this objection is not valid.
The jIva takes birth in this world with an aim to
enjoy and one may figuratively say that by knowing the
jIva one knows everything for one then knows the world
around him meant for his enjoyment. One may again object,
This passage canot refer to the jIva because
the text says amR^itatvasya tu nAshAsti vittena (By
knowing Him one becomes immortal). Because it is only by knowing
the ParamAtmA that one becomes immortal, how can this passage
refer to the jIva?" This objection is also not
valid because by understanding that the jIva is by
nature different from matter one may also attain immortality. In
the same way all descriptions in this passage that seem to refer
to Brahman should be understood to refer to the jIva
. In this way this entire passage describes the jIva
. In this way it should be understood that the material nature,
which is under the control of the jIva, is the
original cause of the world.
SiddhAnta: In this matter:


SUtra 19


vAkyAnvayAt

vAkya - statement; anvayAt - because of the
connection.


The context of this passage proves that Brahman is the
object of discussion.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


In this passage the ParamAtmA, and not the jIva
of the Kapila-tantra, is described. Why? Because
in the context of the whole passage, including what precedes and
follows this quote, that is the appropriate interpretation.
Three sages also confirm this interpretation:


SUtra 20


pratij~nA-siddher li~Ngam AshmarathyaH

pratij~nA - of the promise; siddher - of the
fulfillment; li~Ngam - the mark;
AshmarathyaH - Ashmarathya.


Ashmarthya (maintains that the Self here is ParamAtmA because
only in that way) is the promise (that by knowledge of the Self
everything is known) fulfilled.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


Ashmarathya maintains that the promise Atmano vij
24Anena sarvaM viditam (By knowledge of the Self
everything is known) indicates that the Self referred to here is
the ParamAtmA. It is not taught here that by knowledge of the
jIva everything becomes known. On the other hand by
knowledge of the cause of all causes everything becomes known. It
is not possible to interpret these words in a figurative way
because after promising that by knowing the Self everything
becomes known, in the passage beginning brahma taM
parAdAt (One who thinks the brAhmaNas rest
in a place other than the Self is spurned by the
brAhmaNas. One who thinks the kShatriyas
rest in a place other than the Self is spurned by the
kShatriyas. One who thinks the worlds rest in a place
other than the self is spurned by the worlds) he affirms that the
ParamAtmA is the form of everything and the resting place of the
brAhmaNas, kShatriyas, and world. For these reasons
it is not possible that the Self here can be any other than the
ParamAtmA. It is also not possible for the individual living
entity who remains under the control of karma to be
the original cause of all causes decsribed in the passage
beginning tasya vA etasya mahato bhUtasya niHshvasitam
(transcendental he Vedas were manifested from
the breathing of this Supreme Being). It is also not possible for
(the sage YAj~navalkya) to have taught his wife, who had
renounced all wealth and material benefits to attain liberation,
only about the jIva and not about the Supreme
Brahman. It is also not possible that the Self referred to here
is the jIva because on cannot attain liberation
simply by knowing the jIva. That liberation is
attained only by understanding the Supreme Brahman is confirmed
in the following statement of shvetAshvatara UpaniShad
3.8 and 6.15: tam eva viditvAti mR^ityum eti (By
understanding the Supreme Brahman one is able to transcend
death). For all these reasons it should be understood that the
Self described in this passage is the ParamAtmA.
PUrvapakSha: The objection may be raised:
Because the Self in this passage is described as the object of
love for the husband and other persons, this self must be the
jIva bound to the cycle of repeated birth and death
and not the ParamAtmA. It cannot be said that the Self described
here must be the ParamAtmA because that interpretation answers
the promise (of YAj~navalkya to speak certain words), nor
can it be said that the Self here must be the ParamAtmA because
this Self is the shelter of the devotees, the creator of
everything, all-powerful, and the origin of transcendental bliss.
The jIva may also be these things, as the
Padma PurANa explains: yenArcito haris tena
tarpitAni jaganty api rajyanti jantavas tatra sthAvarA ja~NgamA
api (One who worships Lord Hari pleases all the worlds.
All moving and non-moving creatures love the devotee). In this
way the Self described here is not the ParamAtmA.
SiddhAnta: Fearing that the opponent may speak
these words, he says:


SUtra 21


utkramiShyata evaM bhAvAd ity auDulomiH

utkramiShyataH - of a person about to depart;
evam - in this way; bhAvAt - from this condition; iti - thus;auDulomiH - AuDulomi.



AuDulomi maintains that one about to become liberated
attains the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The word utkramiShyataH here means a person who
by following spiritual practices attains the ParamAtmA.
EvaM bhAvAt means "because of being dear to
everyone." AtmA means "ParamAtmA." This is
the opinion of AuDulomi. The passage patyuH kAmAya patiH priyobhavati (A husband is not dear
because the wife loves the husband. A husband is dear because she
loves the Self) means that if a wife thinks "By my own
power I shall become dear to my husband" her husband will not
love her. However, if the wife loves the ParamAtmA, then Lord
ParamAtmA will make everyone love this devotee-wife. The word
kAma here means "desire" and
kAmAya means "to fulfill the desire." The use
of the dative case here is described in PANini.as
sUtras (AShTAdhyAyI 2.3.1 or
SiddhAnta-kaumudI 581) in the following words:
kriyArthopapadasya ca karmaNi sthAninaH (The dative case
is used for the object of a verb understood but not expressed. In
the dative two verbs are used together and the action is in the
future). In other words this passage (patyuH kAmAya)
of the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad means "When
He is worshiped with devotion, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
makes everything a source of happiness for His devotees." This is
corroborated by the following statement of shrImad-
BhAgavatam (11.14.13):

aki~ncanasya dAntasya
shAntasya sama-cetasaH
mayA santuShTa-manasaH
sarvAH sukhamayA dishaH


"For a person who is renounced, self-controlled,
peaceful, equal to all, and who finds his happiness in Me, every
place in this world is full of joy."

The passage patyuH kAmAya may also be
interpreted to mean "Trying to please the husband does
not please him. Only when the wife tries to please the ParamAtmA
does the husband become pleased." This interpretation is
corroborated by the following statement of shrImad-
BhAgavatam (10.23.27):

prANa-buddhi-manaH-svAtma-
dArApatya-dhanAdayaH
yat-samparkAt priyA AsaMs
tataH ko .anyaH paraH priyaH
"Our life, property, home, wife, children, house,
country, society, and all paraphernalia which are very dear to us
are expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Who is more dear to usthan the Supreme Person?"

In this interpretation the word kAma means
"happiness" and the dative case is used in the same sense
as the previous interpretation. This interpretation means that by
the will of the ParamAtmA, by the nearness of the ParamAtmA, or
by the touch of the ParamAtmA, even what is ordinarily unpleasant
becomes blissful. Therefore when the BR^ihad-AraNyaka
UpaniShad says AtmA vA are draShTavyaH (The
Self should be seen), the word AtmA means the dear
Lord Hari. It is not possible to interpret the word
AtmA here to mean the jIva because here
the primary meaning of AtmA is the supremely
powerful Personality of Godhead. To interpret tAtmA
in any other way would contradict the way the word had been
used in the previous passage (vAkya-bheda). We do
not see how it is possible to interpret AtmA in a
way different from the way it was clearly used in the immediately
previous passage. In this way the word AtmA in
AtmA vA are draShTavyaH must be the ParamAtmA. In both
passages (Atmanas tu kAmAya and AtmA vA are
draShTavyaH) the word AtmA cannot mean the
jIva, for in these contexts the word
AtmA can only refer to Brahman.
Although AuDulomi is a nirguNa-AtmavAdI
(impersonalist) as will be explained later on in the words (
Vedanta-sUtra 4.4.6) citi tan-mAtreNa tad-
AtmakatvAd ity auDulomiH (When he is liberated the
jIva enters the Supreme Intelligence, for the
jIva is actually intelligence only. This the the opinion
of AuDulomi.), still AuDulomi maintains that in order to dispel
ignorance and reveal the true nature of the self Lord Hari should
be worshiped, as will be explained in the following words (
VedAnta-sUtra 3.4.45): Artvijyam ity auDulomis
tasmai hi parikrIyate (Just as a Vedic priest is purchased
to perform a yaj~na, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is purchased by His devotees.a love). In this way it is
proved that pure devotion to Lord Hari fulfills all desires.
Our opponent may say: So be it. However, in the same
BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (2.4.12) we find the following
words:

sa yathA saindhava-khilya udake prAptam udakam
evAnulIyate na hAsyodgrahaNAyaiva syAd yato yatas tv AdIta
lavaNam evaivaM vA. are idaM mahad bhUtam anantam apAraM vij
24Ana-ghana evaitebhyo bhUtebhyaH samutthAya tAny
evAnuvinashyati

"As a little salt merges into water and
cannot be again extracted from it, although the water itself
becomes salty, so does this great being, limitless, endless, and
full of knowledge, rise from these elements and then vanish into
them."

How do you reconcile this statement with your
interpretation of the word AtmA in this
UpaniShad? Clearly this passage refers to the
jIva described in the Kapila-tantra
because that is the appropriate interpretation.
To answer this doubt he says:


SUtra 22


avasthiter iti kAshakR^itsnaH

avasthiter - because of residence; iti - thus;kAshakR^itsnaH - KAshakR^itsna.


This passage refers to ParamAtmA, for ParamAtmA resides
within the jIva. This is the opinion of KAshakR^itsna.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


In this statement the word avasthiteH
(residing) which refers to the ParamAtmA, the Great Being who is
different from the jIva, and who is described as
vij~nAna-ghana (full of knowledge), teaches
that the ParamAtmA is different from the jIva and
resides within him. KAshakR^itsna considers that because the
ParamAtmA and the jIva are different the words
mahad-bhUtam (Great being), anantam
(limitless) and vij~nAna-ghana cannot refer
to the jIva. A summary of the passage from
BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad under discussion follows.

YenAhaM nAmR^itaH syAM kim ahaM tena kuryAm

"Tell me what I must do to become free of death)."

- BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 4.5.4)

Asked this question about the
means to attain liberation, the sage answered:

AtmA vA are
draShTavyaH shrotavyo mantavyo nididhyAsitavyo maitreyy Atmano vA
are darshanena shravaNena matyA vij~nAnena idaM sarvaM
viditam

"The Self should be seen, heard, worshiped, and
always meditated on. O MaitreyI, by seeing, hearing, worshiping,
and understanding the Self, everything becomes known."

In this way he explains that the worship of ParamAtmA is the
way to attain liberation.

Then he says:

sa yathA dundubher hanyamAnasya
bAhyA~n chabdA~n chakruyAd grahaNAya dundubhes tu
grahaNena dundubhy-AghAtasya vA shabdo gR^ihItaH

"As the sounds of a
drum when beaten cannot be seized externally, although when the
drum or the player of the drum are seized then the sounds are
also seized). Thus, in a very general way he explains the proper
method of worshiping the ParamAtmA: sense-control.

He continues in the following words:

sa yathArdhraidho .agner
abhyAhitasya pR^ithag dhUmA vinishcaranty evaM vA are .asya mahato
bhUtasya nishvAsitam etad yad R^ig vedo yajur vedaH sAma-vedo
.atharvA~Ngirasa itihAsaH purANaM vidyA upaniShadaH shlokAH sUtrANy
anuvyAkhyAnAni vyAkhyAnAnIShTaM hutam AshitaM pAyitam ayaM calokaH
parash ca lokaH sarvANi ca bhUtAny asyaikaitAni sarvANi
nishvasitAni. sa yathA sarvAsAm apAM samudra ekAyanam evaM
sarveShAM sparshAnAm tvacaikAyanam evaM sarveShAM rasAnAM
jihvaikAyanam evaM sarveShAM gandhAnAM nAsikaikAyanam evaM
sarveShAM rUpANAM cak.sur ekAyanam evaM sarveShAM shabdAnAMshrotram
ekAyanam evaM sarveShAM sa~NkalpAnAM mana ekAyanam evaM sarvAsAM
vidyAnAM hR^idayam ekAyanam evaM sarveShAm karmaNAM hastAv ekAyanam
evaM sarveShAm AnandAnAM upastha ekAyanam evaM sarveShAMvisargANAM
pAyur ekAyanam evaM sarveShAm adhvanAM pAdAv ekAyanam evaM
sarveShAM vedAnAM vAg ekAyanam

"As smoke comes from a fire made
with wet fuel, the Rg Veda, SAma Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva
Veda, PurANas, ItihAsas, VidyAs, UpaniShads, shlokas, sUtras,
vyAkhyAs, and anuvyAkhyAs, come from the
breath of the Supreme Person. As the ocean is the sole resting
place of all waters, so the skin is the sole resting-place of all
tactile sensations, the nose is the sole resting-place of all
fragrances, the tongue is the sole resting-place of all tastes,
the eyes are the sole resting-place of all forms, the ears are
the sole resting-place of all sounds, the mind is the sole
resting-place of all thoughts and desires, the heart is the sole
resting place of all knowledge, the hands are the sole resting-
place of all work, the genitals are the sole resting-place of all
material bliss, the anus is the sole resting-place of all
expulsions, the feet are the sole resting-place of all pathways,
and words are the sole resting-place of all the Vedas
)."

To encourage the desire for liberation he says:

sa
yathA saindhava-khilya udake prAptam udakam evAnulIyate na
hAsyodgrahaNAyaiva syAd yato yatas tv AdIta lavaNam evaivaM vA.
are idaM mahad bhUtam anantam apAraM vij~nAna-ghana
evaitebhyo bhUtebhyaH samutthAya tAny evAnuvinashyati

"As a little salt merges into water and cannot be
again extracted from it, although the water itself becomes salty,
so does this great being, limitless, endless, and full of
knowledge, rise from these elements and then vanish into them."

In this way he explains that the supreme object of worship is
immanent: always near to the jIva.
In the words etebhyo bhUtebhyaH samutthAya tAny
evAnuvinashyati (So does this great being, limitless,
endless, and full of knowledge, rise from these elements and then
vanish into them) he describes the non-devotees who do not
worship the Lord, who mistake the external material body for the
self, who at the time of death remain in the cycle of repeated
birth and death, and for whom the Supreme Lord remains invisible,
hidden within the material elements.
The words na pretya saMj~nAsti (After
death he becomes free of the world of names) describe the devotee
when he leaves the material body and attains liberation. At that
time the liberated devotee becomes aware of his real spiritual
identity. He then considers all material designations to be the
same and he no longer thinks of himself as a human being,
demigod, or any other kind of material being.
The words yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati tad itara
itaraM pashyati tad itara itaraM jighrati tad itara itaraM
rasayate tad itara itaram abhivadati tad itara itaraM shR^iNoti tad
itara itaraM manute tad itara itaraM spR^ishati tad itara itaraM
vijAnAti yatra tv asya sarvam AtmaivAbhUt tat tena kaM pashyet tat
tena kaM jighret tat kena kaM rasayet tat kena kam abhivadet tat
kena kaM shR^iNuyAt tat kena kaM manvIta tata tena kaM spR^ishet tat
tena kaM vijAnIyAt (Where there is duality one sees
another, smells another, tastes another, offers respect to
another, hears another, thinks of another, touches another, and
is aware of another. But for one for whom the Supreme Self is
everything how can he see another? How can he smell another? Hopw
can he taste another? How can he offer respect to another? How
can he hear another? How can he think of another? How can he
touch another? How can he be aware of another?) explain how the
liberated jIva takes shelter of the the ParamAtmA.
The words yenedaM sarvaM vijAnAti taM kena
vijAnIyAt (How can a person, even if he understands the
entire world, understand Him?) teach that it is very difficult to
understand the Supreme Lord.
The words vij~nTAram are kena vijAnIyAt
(How can one understand the Supreme Knower?) mean "How
can one understand the all-knowing Supreme Personality of Godhead
without first worshiping Him and attaining His mercy? There is no
other way than this." In this way the worship of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is described as the actual means of
liberation. The speaker of the UpaniShad concludes
by declaring that actual liberation is the same as attaining the
ParamAtmA.
From all this it may be understood that this
passage of the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad describes
the ParamAtmA and not the puruSha as described in
the Kapila-tantra, or the material nature
controlled by the puruSha.