15 Sep 2024
[08.01.2003] Brahma Jñāna or Brahma Vidyā means the recognition of the Brahman. The Shruti says, ‘Prajñānaṃ Brahma.’ That means, knowledge in the form of awareness is Brahman. The word “Prajñāna” is said to mean ‘awareness’ in a general sense. Awareness is a special life force that creates will in all living beings. When it is said that this awareness is Brahman, there is no difficulty in understanding it. One who has studied a little Physics and who has studied the principles of energy well, can easily understand this. If you consider this as the meaning of Brahma Jñāna or Brahma Vidyā, then there is no difficulty in understanding this. But elders used the word ‘Brahma Vidyā’ in the sense that it is the most difficult of all subjects and its proverbial usage in local languages is also used in the same sense. The purpose of saying that Brahmā is awareness is that Brahman made the will to create this creation and so Brahman is not an inert item. When we say that Brahman is awareness, we cannot see existence of any awareness independently without a physical body in the world. Awareness is always associated with a living being. Therefore, we can rhetorically say that awareness is a living being. So, when Brahman is awareness, it must be a living being. It means that Brahman always exists as a living being. But, a living being can be an animal, a bird or a human being. When you say that Brahman, now who is known as a living being, created such a picturesque (attractive) and wonderful world, can that Brahman be in the form of animals or birds?
Animals and birds do not have the power to make such a wonderful world. Only human beings have that power. Therefore, Parabrahman, in the form of the Creator Brahman, has to be in human form only. Therefore, Brahman is in the form of Individual soul. Then, the will of creating the world is said to be the reason that such a living being is not an animal or a bird but a human being. Shankara said that individual soul is Brahman (Jīvo Brahmaiva nā'paraḥ). The same is said in the Gita that Sanātana is in the form of an individual soul (Jīva bhūta ssanātanaḥ) and He possesses this world in the form of an Individual soul (Jīva bhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat). Doubting the meaning of the word ‘Individual soul’, you might take its meaning for animals and birds. That is why, Lord Krishna has clearly said in the Gita – ‘Mānuṣīṃ tanu māśritam.’ It means that He will always come in human form. This is the essence of the four principal sentences (Mahāvākyas) in the Brahmasūtras. When we say "Prajñānaṃ Brahma", it means awareness is Brahman. So, the individual soul with awareness is Brahman. In order to say that the the individual soul is not an animal or a bird, the following principal sentences are mentoned: ‘Ahaṃ Brahmā'smi’ – Brahman is in human form like me. ‘Ayamātmā Brahma’ – Brahman is in human form like him. ‘Tattvamasi śvetaketo’ – O Shwetaketu! Brahman is in human form, like you.
Here, in these three principal sentences, the simile ‘like’ is not used. Why is it not said as ‘Ahamiva’ like Me, ‘Tvam iva’ like you or ‘Ayam iva’ like him? The Sanskrit word for ‘like’ is ‘iva.’ Then, why there is no ‘Iva’ word? Because the ‘iva’ word is missing, these Mahāvākyas are misunderstood by people, resulting in a wrong interpretation that ‘I am Brahman,’ ‘he is Brahman,’ ‘you are Brahman’. Consequently, all human beings have become Brahman. This misinterpretation arised because of the lack of knowledge of Alankara Shastra (Figures of speech). When the word ‘Iva’ is missing in the simile, such a figure of speech is called ‘Luptopamā’. When one asks how the incarnated Paramātman looks like, who is in the form of Shri Rama, one says that like me, like him and like you. This kind of expression is called ‘Upamā alaṃkāra’ (simile). There are types of this alamkara and one of them is ‘Luptopamālaṅkāra. When the previously mentioned expression is used in the sense of ‘Luptopamā,’ it results in replying that Shri Rama is like an ordinary human being in form and behavior. Such an expression is Luptopamā. Hence, the principal sentences sound like: ‘I am Brahman,’ ‘He is Brahman’ and ‘You are Brahman.’ Upamā alaṅkāra consists four components – ‘Upamāna’ (comparision), ‘Upameya’ (compared), ‘Upamā vācaka’ (simile of expression) and ‘samāna dharma' (equal characteristics). In the previous discussion, Upamāna is human being, Upameya is Shri Rama and the Upamā vācaka is the word ‘like.’ Therefore, when one says that 'Shri Rama is like a human being in form and behaviour,’ the human beings – Upamāna and Shri Rama – Upameya are not one and the same. That is why, the Brahma Jñāna or Brahma Vidyā is very difficult. When the Paramatman appeared as the human incarnation of Rama, He appeared in normal human form and also did not show any miracles but behaved like a common man. Therefore, it is very difficult to know, which human being is Paramātman among the crores of human beings. Hanuman did miraculous things like crossing the ocean through aerial way, uprooting and bringing Sanjeevini Mountain. When Lakshman fainted in the war, Rama was crying. Then, Hanuman brings Sanjeevi Mountain. When we see this scene, we think that Hanuman is God and Rama is an individual soul. But Hanuman worshipped Rama as God. So, imagine how difficult it is to recognize Rama as God for us. That is why Brahma Jñāna or Brahma Vidyā, is very difficult.
Rama is incarnated with the sixteen divine qualities of knowledge, love, peace, etc., in His original form. He did not exhibit any miraculous power or superpowers. For God, miracles are like external ornaments. If you consider the ornaments are the only identity of divinity, then why sages did not accept Ravana as the Parabrahman, who showed miraculous powers? Miracles indicate superpowers. You can give your power to someone else. Let us imagine, you cook well. You can teach your daughter the skill of cooking and give her that power. But can you transfer your form to your daughter? Your physical form is the basis to identify you. If your cooking power is your identity mark, it is as if your daughter, who cooks like you, is yourself. Therefore, many people could not recognize the Parabrahman existing in His original form. They thought that Shri Rama was only a king. But the Brahmarshis living in the Dandaka forest, who know the Brahma Vidyā well and Hanuman, who is equal to them, have recognized Rama as the Parabrahman. Therefore, the incarnation of Rama is limited only to the best Sādhakas. Such sādhakas crossed the worldly ocean. The rest of the common people were not uplifted like them. Such people are neither like the ignorant children who recognize the king with the crown on the head nor like the queen, who recognizes the king even without wearing the crown. That is why the incarnation of Krishna tried to attract and uplift even the common people by performing some miracles also.
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