Name:
Location: India

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Sloka 61 and 62

Hari OM,

SLOKA 61:
yad.hbhaasaa bhaasyate.arkaadi bhaasyairyattu na bhaasyate .
yena sarvamidaM bhaati tad.hbrahmetyavadhaarayet.h .. 61..

Pada artha:
Yad bhaasaa: the light of which
Bhaasyate: are illumined
Arkaadi: sun and other (luminous orbs)
Bhasaihi: by the luminous orbs
Yaha: that
Tu: indeed
Na: not
Bhaasate: is illumined
Yena: by which
Sarvam: all
Idam: this
Bhaati: shines
Tad Brahma: that to be Brahman
Ithi: thus
Avadhaarayet: realize

That by the light of which the luminous, orbs like the Sun and the Moon are illuminated, but which is not illumined by their light, realize that to be Brahman.

SLOKA 62:
svayamantarbahirvyaapya bhaasayannakhilaM jagat.h .
brahma prakaashate vanhiprataptaayasapiNDavat.h .. 62..

Pada artha:
Swayam: itself
Anthaha: inwardly
Bahihi: outwardly
Vyapya: pervading
Bhaasayan: illumining
Skilam: entire
Jagat: universe
Brahma: Brahman
Prakashyatt: shines
Vahni prapyat asam pindavat: like the fire permeating a red hot ironball

Pervading the entire universe outwardly and inwardly the Supreme Brahman shines of Itself like the fire that permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glows by itself.

In the previous sloka, Acharya explained Brahman as devoid of all qualities, such nirvishesha Brahman is described here as Self illumining. It is that because of which even the sun and moon are illumined. That is to be known as Brahman.

Brahman is consciousness absolute, and it is only because of this consciousness that all objects of the world are known. All the creations including the celestial bodies are illumined only because of the consciousness. Thus even the Sun and moon that illumine the different worlds would not exist apart and independent of this all pervading consciousness.
Hence Acharya is here explaining that everything derives their power from Brahman while Brahman is independent of everything and needs no external illumination. That which illumines all others cannot be illuminated by anything other than itself. Brahman is ever the illuminator and illumines itself. As we learnt from the examples in previous slokas, unattached and unaffected like the street lamp, Brahman is the light of all lights and the illuminator of all illuminations.

The famous sloka of Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.10 proclaims this as:
na tatra suuryo bhaati na chandrataarakaM
nemaa vidyuto bhaanti kuto.ayamagniH
tameva bhaantamanubhaati sarvaM
tasya bhaasaa sarvamidaM vibhaati 10

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon or the stars; nor do these flashes of lightning shine there. How can this fire do so ? Everything shines according as He does so; by His light all this shines diversely.

The same is also explained by Lord in many places in Gita such as in 15.6:

na tadbhaasayate suuryo na shashaaN^ko na paavakaH .
yadgatvaa na nivartante taddhaama paramaM mama ..

That the sun illumines not, nor the moon, nor fire; That is My Supreme Abode, to which having gone none return.

Thus Brahman is that truth which shines of itself and penetrates the entire world of creation. It is not something other than the world of creation, for it exists in and through all as the consciousness. Acharya gives the example of a fire ball to state this.

Brahman is infinite, all pervading and self illuming while the objects of the world are insentient, dependent and illusory, thus opposite in nature. How then can one perceive existence-consciousness which is verily Brahman in these? Acharaya answers this through the example of a hot iron ball. An iron ball when in contact with fire for a long time comes to glow as fire itself, similarly, even though the insentient objects seem to exist only due to Brahman. Iron though black in color and cold to touch, acquire the redness and heat due to fire. So too the inert and insentient matter like the sun and moon also acquire their illuminating power only due to Brahman.

Gita says the same in 15.12 as:
yadaadityagataM tejo jagadbhaasayate.akhilam.h .
yachchandramasi yachchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam.h .. 15\-12..

That light which residing in the sun illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in the fire, that light do thou know to be Mine.

Hari OM

With regards,
Mallika R
What you have is God's gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift to God

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home