The nature of Brahman – Higher & Lower

Gita essays – 11

The eighteen chapters of Bhagavad Gita are divided into 3 sets of 6 Chapters each explaining the Truth of the Mahavakya – “Tat Twam Asi”  meaning `You Are That', You standing for Jiva and That for Brahman.  The first 6 Chapters of Gita explain the significance of the term `Twam' (You standing for Jiva). The next 6 Chapters from the 7th to 12th explain the term `Tat' (That standing for Brahman). The last 6 Chapters from 13<sup>th</sup> to 18<sup>th</sup> explain the meaning of the term `Asi' (Are standing for Ikyam).  This Division is made only to indicate the pattern of thought flow from one chapter to another in these six chapters.  According to Swami Paramarthananda Isvara svarupam, Isvara upasana, and Isvara kripa are the three topics highlighted in the six chapters starting from chapter 7.

In the last verse of chapter 6, Lord Krishna stated that that the yogi who devoutly worships Him with his mind fully focussed on Him is the best of yogis. In the first verse of the chapter 7 He follows this up by stating how He can be known in full without any doubt.  “Hear from me, Arjuna, how taking refuge in ME and practicing Yoga with a mind which is totally absorbed in ME, you will come to know ME completely and doubtlessly”.  We should remember here that Lord Krishna is not speaking these words as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva but as the cosmic Supreme, Brahman, who has taken the mortal body for the protection of the virtuous and destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of Dharma, as he had stated earlier (Ch.4 – 8).  What He means by complete knowledge He clarifies in the next verse (7-2)

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः।(Jnaanam te’ham savijnaanam idam vakshyaamyasheshatah)
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते।।(Yajjnaatwaa neha bhooyo’nyaj jnaatavyamavashishyate)

I shall completely impart to you this Jnanam along with Vijnanam gaining which knowledge nothing more remains to be known in this life.

The knowledge of Nirguna Brahman is called Vijnanam and the knowledge of Saguna Brahman only, is called here Jnanam.  Jnanam with Vijnanam makes knowledge of Brahman total and complete. Because Brahman is everything and everything is in Brahman, everything automatically becomes known when one gains total knowledge of Brahman.  If one wonders why so few only have the complete knowledge of Brahman, Lord explains that among the innumerable human beings, only a few develop a desire for Liberation and go for such a knowledge.  Even among the few who develop such desire, only a few have the access for the means of attaining the knowledge and strive for it.  Even among those who strive, only a fortunate few who have conquered their vasanas and strive with patience and perseverance succeed in acquiring the true and full knowledge of Brahman.  Hence people with correct and complete knowledge of Brahman are rare in the world.

After this brief introduction, Lord Krishna starts giving the knowledge of His nature as Brahman from verse 5.  Brahman is a mixture of two principles known as the higher principle, the Para prakr̥ithi; and the lower principle, the eight-fold Apara prakr̥ithi; and both of them are beginningless, eternal.  The five elements, earth, water, fire, air, and space in their subtler aspects and the mind, intellect, and ego in their samashti form make up the eight constituents of Apara prakrithi. This is called lower because it is changing, inert, finite and dependently existent.  The higher principle, Para prakrithi, is the Consciousness principle, the very life-factor in all beings, in Lord’s words.  This is called higher because it is changeless, sentient, infinite and independently existent

In short, Brahman has two aspects to His nature, changing matter principle and changeless Consciousness principle, Para prakrithi and Apara prakrithi.  It is the Para prakrithi expressing itself through the Apara prakrithi that causes the “Universe of happenings”, as Swami Chinmayananda puts it.  So Brahman, as a combination of two prakrithis is the srishti, sthithi, laya karanam of the universe. He is the material cause as well besides being the intelligent cause and as material cause He pervades the karyam, Universe. He explains quoting various instances to show that in fact there is no creation apart from Him and He alone is the very essence of everything.

He also declares that there is no one superior to Him and He is the “uncaused cause” of all and He holds together everything in creation as the unseen string holds together the seen pearls in a necklace.  The same idea is conveyed by Poet Subramania Bharathi in his song:

காக்கை சிறகினிலே நந்தலாலா!-நின்றன் (kakkai siraginile Nandalala-ninran)

கரிய நிறம் தோன்றுதையே, நந்தலாலா! (kariya niram Thonruthaiye, Nandalala)

In the wings of crow I see only your dark colour , Krishna!

All things (including the different states of mind under the influence of the three gunas, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas) are in The Lord but He is not in them just as all waves are in the ocean but the ocean is not in them.  As Sri Sankara observes it is the matter that depends upon the Consciousness Principle for its existence and the Consciousness principle is not in any way dependant on matter.  Brahman with the three gunas, Satvam, Rajas and Tamas, unmanifest, is called Nirguna Brahman and the other with the three gunas Satvam, Rajas and Tamas manifest is called Saguna Brahman. The three gunas together are known as Prakrithi or nature and also as Maya.  Everything in creation including Jiva, the individual, has all the three gunas but in varying proportions. Jiva under the deluding influence of Maya fails to recognize the higher nature (parā-prakṛti) of Brahman, which as Athma lends him life, making him sentient.  Lord Krishna also advises how to get over Maya’s illusion.

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया। (Daivee hyeshaa gunamayee mama maayaa duratyayaa)

मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते।।7.14।।(Maameva ye prapadyante maayaametaam taranti te)

This divine Maya of Mine which consists of the (three) gunas is difficult to cross over.  Only those who surrender to Me cross over this Maya.

Lord here refers to Maya as divine and mine because Maya is the power of the Lord through which the He makes the world manifest.  Sri Sankara calls Iswara a Mayavi, magician, in his Dakshinamurthy stotram(Sloka 2). If Iswara is magician, Maya is His magic. So one can get over its effects through His Grace only.  Therefore He says that only those devotees who surrender to Him in devotion will be able to get over its effects and recognise His higher nature. While He tells in this verse who can overcome the power of this magic and discover their innate Divinity, in the next verse He points out who cannot free themselves from its spell,.  “They do not devote themselves to Me – the evil-doers, the deluded, the lowest of men, deprived of their discrimination by Maya and following the way of the Asura or evil-doers.”   To escape the spell of Maya, one has to go beyond the three gunas, which are its constituents.  To go beyond the three gunas, one has to become first a Satva dominant person.  Unless one becomes ethical, Satva-predominant, one cannot become really spiritual. And one has to be really spiritual to convert oneself to be an instrument of Divine eventually and cross over Maya with His Grace. So if one is not a true devotee of the Lord, one cannot shake off the shackles of Maya.

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