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Shri Datta Swami

Jnana Saraswati – Parabrahma Sutras

    

10. Brahman means 'greatest' in general


ब्रह्म योगात् वेदादिषु गीतं श्रुतञ्च।१०।
brahma yogāt vedādiṣu gītaṁ śrutañca|10|

The word Brahman is used for imaginable items like the Veda through its root meaning i.e., 'greatest'. Such usage is found in the Gita and its similar usage for other items is seen in the Veda too.

Explanation:

In the Gita, it is said that Brahman is created by God (Brahmaakshara samudbhavam). Here, Brahman cannot mean God. It means the Veda, which is the greatest among all the scriptures due to the absence of additions and deletions. This is because the Veda is protected by the system of oral recitation for generations together. The word Brahman is also used in the Veda to mean other ‘greatest’ items like food (Annam Brahmeti…). Therefore, the word Brahman is not restricted to the unimaginable God and hence, God is confused to be any ‘greatest’ worldly item in its corresponding category. Only for this reason, the author would like to restrict the word Parabrahman to the unimaginable God and avoid the confusion.

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