‘Tat’ pada analysis – Part 1

Vakyavritti – 5

Verse 28

Guruh uvaacha:

‘Tvam’ artham evam nishchitya ‘Tat’artham chintayet punah I

Atad vyavritti-roopena sakshaat vidhi mukhena cha.II

Guru continues:  Having thus ascertained the meaning of ‘Thou’, one should reflect upon what is meant by ‘That’; by employing both the method of negation, and also the method of direct, positive assertion.

Of the four questions asked by the student, guru has completed answering in the previous verse the first question, ‘who is jiva?’ through the ‘Tvam’ pada vichara of the Mahavakhya “Tat Tvam asi”.  From this verse he starts giving the answer to the second question, ‘who is Paramathma? through ‘Tat’ pada vichara of the same Mahavakhya.  Vachyartha of Paramathma is Iswara, who is saguna Brahman and lakshyartha of Paramathma  is Nirguna Brahman, simply called as Brahman.  In the sastras Brahman is revealed directly and indirectly as well.  Direct revelation of Brahman is by defining Brahman through its nature, as Satyam, Jnanam, Anantham i.e pure Existence, pure Consciousness and infinity.  Indirect revelation is through negating everything other than Brahman to arrive at nothingness and then reasoning that the Consciousness which is aware of this nothingness is Brahman. This verse is the introduction to ‘Tat’ pada vichara.

Verse 29

Nirasta ashesha samsaara doshah asthoolaadi lakshana I

Adrishyatvaaadi gunakah paraakrita tamohmalah II

Which is free from all impurities of Samsara or worldliness; which is defined as ‘neither gross nor subtle’; which has qualities such as ‘imperceptibility’, etc; which is beyond the taint of action and darkness (that is Brahman).

Guru is starting the ‘Tat’ pada vichara  with Brahman through nishedamukha lakshyartha that is Nirguna Brahman in a negative form, by negating other things It is not.  For the description of Brahman scriptures are the pramanam and he draws here heavily from Upanishads.  In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-8-8), Yajnavalkya describing Brahman says” "That, O Gargi, the knowers of Brahman call that Imperishable. It is neither gross nor subtle, neither short nor long, neither red nor moist; It is neither shadow nor darkness, neither air nor akasa; It is unattached; It is without taste or smell, without eyes or ears, without tongue or mind; It is non-effulgent, without vital breath or mouth, without measure and without exterior or interior. It does not eat anything, nor is It eaten by anyone”.  Mundaka Upanishad (1-1-6) describes “.(By the higher knowledge) the wise realize everywhere that which cannot be perceived and grasped, which is without source, features, eyes, and ears, which has neither hands nor feet, which is eternal, ------ “.   Bhagavad Gita (8-9) describes Brahman as”---- effulgent like the sun, and beyond darkness---“   Further the veiling power, avarana sakthi of Maya does not function in Brahman, only the projecting power, vikshepa sakthi is operational. So Brahman is free from the problem of samsara, here called samsara-dosha. 

Verse 30.

Nirasta atishaya aanandah prajnaana vigrahah I

Sattaa vilakshanah poornah paramatma iti geeyate.II

Paramathma is defined as, having no greater Bliss than Itself; the embodiment of Existence and Knowledge and having Existence for its specific definition

In this verse vidhimukha lakshyartha for ‘Tat’ pada is given.  For this definition as well, scriptures are our only source.  Taittriya Upanishad (2,1) explains Brahman as Existence, knowledge, Infinity.  Chandogya Upanishad (6-2-1) states that in the beginning only Existence (Sat) was there, one only without a second. Further Taittriya Upanishad (3-6-1) says “He (Bhrugu) realized that bliss was Brahman (anando brahmeti vyajanat)”.  And this bliss (aananda) is absolute and not subject to gradation or fluctuation. So Brahman, the ‘Tat’ pada lakshyartha being Sat swarupa, Chit swarupa and Aananda swarupa can be directly described as Satchidananda swarupa. 

Verse 31

Sarvajnatvam para eeshatvam tathaa sampoorna shaktitaa I

Vedaih samarthyate yasya tad brahma iti avadhaaraya.II

Ascertain that Brahman is the Being that has been expounded in the Vedas as all-knowing, as all-powerful and as the Supreme Overlord of all.  

From this verse vachyartha of Paramathma is described,  Vachyartha of Paramathma is Iswara, Brahman with Maya sakthi i.e. Saguna Brahman, referred to as Brahman in the verse. In this verse and following verses I will be referring to the Vachyartha of Paramathma as Iswara only to avoid confusion. In the case of Iswara also, scriptures only are the pramanam. Iswara  is all-knowing as revealed in Mundaka Upanishad (1-1-9), “For him who knows all and understands everything-------“.  He is all-powerful as seen in Swetasvatara Upanishad (6-8), “----The Vedas speak of His exalted power, which is innate and capable of producing diverse effects, and also of His omniscience and might”.   He is the supreme overlord of all as stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-8-9), “Verily, under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, the sun and moon are held in their respective positions. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, heaven and earth are held in their respective positions. Under the mighty rule of this Imperishable, O Gargi, moments, muhurtas (about forty-eight minutes), days and nights, fortnights, months, seasons and years are held in their respective positions.------“.   Iswara is here referred to as ‘Imperishable’.   As Iswara is Sarvajna, He is the efficient cause of the universe.

Verse 32

Yad jnaanaat sarva vijnaanam shrutishu pratipaaditam I

Mridaadi aneka drishtaantaih tad brahma iti avadhaaraya II

That by knowing which all else becomes known and which has been explained in the scriptures through numerous similes such as mud, etc., ascertain That as Brahman.

Iswara is described in this verse as the material cause of the universe. As a result Iswara becomes the cause, karanam and universe,the effect, karyam.  Since karyam is only karanam plus nama, rupa and nama and rupa are without substance, through knowledge of karanam, knowledge of all its kaaryams can be known. This is explained by sage Uddalka to his son, Swetaketu in Chandogya Upanishad (6.1.4-6) through several examples two of which are as below:

“"Just as, my dear, by one clod of clay all that is made of clay is known, the modification being only a name, arising from speech, while the truth is that all is clay;”

"Just as, my dear, by one nugget of gold all that is made of gold is known, the modification being only a name, arising from speech, while the truth is that all is gold;”

So The Guru tells the disciple to bear in mind firmly that lakshyartha of ‘Tat’ is that Iswara knowing whom everything else becomes known.

Verse 33

Yad anantyam pratijnaaya shrutih tat siddhaye jagau I

Tat kaaryatvam prapanchasya tad brahma iti avadhaaraya.II

Know for certain that whom Sruthi tries to prove as limitless by showing the universe as Its modification, is Iswara (the lakshyartha of ‘Tat’)

This verse is a continuation of the description of world as a karyam, karanam being Iswara.   We saw earlier while discussing verse 30 that Taittriya Upanishad (2,1) describes Brahman as Existence, knowledge, Infinity.  A question will arise as to how Iswara can be infinite when there is world to limit it.  In this verse Guru explains that world being karyam cannot limit the karanam, Iswara.  As between karanam and kaaryam, karanam only is Satyam and kaaryam is mithya.  As mithya world cannot limit the Satyam Iswara, Iswara is limitless, infinite.

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