home
Shri Datta Swami

Jnana Saraswati – Parabrahma Sutras

    

31. Atman, a partial simile or reflection of God


उपमानप्रतिबिम्बमात्मा वाच्योपि कश्चित्।३१।
upamānapratibimbamātmā vācyopi kaścit|31|

Atman, the soul, is a simile or a reflection of God in certain aspects. Sometimes, God enters a specific soul and in that case, that specific soul can be treated as and said to be God.

Explanation:

In the above Vedic statement, which says space is generated from Atman, the soul or Atman, is a simile or reflection of God. As said above, the simile is always incomplete and cannot have all the aspects. Shankara said that the soul is a reflection of God. Even here, all the aspects are not covered. The sun is very hot. But its reflection in water is not hot. Therefore, there is no difference between a simile and a reflection. But when God enters a specific soul like Krishna, Krishna is treated as God, because the unimaginable God cannot be directly mentioned and can be mentioned only through a medium in which God exists.

Note:

Are statements like “Space is generated from Atman” similes or the absolute truth?

This statement is the absolute truth, but God is mentioned through the medium, Atman. The generation of space from God is the absolute truth. But God is said to be the bird or Atman. Here the indication of God is done through Atman. This part alone is the simile.

* * *

    

 
 whatsnewContactSearch