Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Aham Brahmasmi

 By Shri Kesava Rao Tadipatri

tadAhuryadbrahmavidyayA sarvaM bhaviShyanto manuShyA manyante

\"kimu tadbrahmAvedyasmAttatsarvamabhavad\" iti || 9 || 

mantra 10 ##[I.iv.10]## 

brahma vA idamagra AsIt | tadAtmAnamevAvedahaM brahmAsmIti |

tasmAttatsarvamabhavat | tadyo yo devAnAM pratyabudhyata sa eva tadabhavat |

tatharShINAm | tathA manuShyANAm |

taddhaitat pashyan R^iShirvAmadevaH pratipede.ahaM manurabhavaM sUryashcheti |

tadidamapyetarhi ya evaM vedAhaM brahmAsmIti sa idaM sarvaM bhavati |

tasya ha na devAshcha nAbhUtyA Ishate | AtmA hyeShAM sa bhavati |

 

atha yo.anyAM devatAmupAste \"anyo.asaavanyo.ahamasmi\" iti na sa veda |

yathA pashuH | evaM sa devAnAm |

yathA ha vai bahavaH pashavo manuShyaM bhuJNjyurevamekaikaH puruSho devAn bhunakti|

ekasminneva pashAvAdIyamAne priyaM bhavati kimu bahuShu |

tasmAdeShAM tanna priyaM yadetanmanuShyA vidyuH || 10 ||

तदाहुर्यद्ब्रह्मविद्यया सर्वं भविष्यन्तो मनुष्या मन्यन्ते

"किमु तद्ब्रह्मावेद्यस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवद्" इति॥ ९॥

 The split is as follows - 

तत् आहुः यत् ब्रह्म-विद्यया सर्वं भविष्यन्तः मनुष्या मन्यन्ते

"किमु तत् ब्रह्मा अवेत् यस्मात् तत् सर्वम् अभवत् " इति॥ ९॥

Word-by-word meaning: 

यत् ब्रह्म-विद्यया = By which Brahma-vidya

सर्वं भविष्यन्तः = (Those who) obtained Fullness (meaning their own full inherent bliss manifested).

तत् आहुः = told about that info (Fullness was obtained from Brahma-vidya).

मनुष्या = people

मन्यन्ते = raise a thought or question

किमु = why indeed

अवेत् - (He) knew

तत् = that

यस्मात् = by which (meaning knowing Himself)

तत् = That Brahman

सर्वम् अभवत् = became Full (His own Full is Infinitely Full)?

 

Note that “sarvaM abhavat” does not mean He became everything. Sarvam means - All or Full or Complete or Entire which is its own Purnatva. A cup will become its own full. A kettle will become its own full. A bucket will become its own full. A lake will become its own full. A river will become its own full. an ocean will become its own full. Brahman alone is infinitely full. Even an ocean can not be compared to him. For lack of something else, people compare Him to ocean, but He is infinite and even ocean is finite. Strictly speaking, there is nothing in this universe that He can be compared with. Even the entire Universe is finite compared to Him.

Meaning : They (Those Mahatmas, who obtain fullness as per their inherent ability or svarUpa yogyata) say - “All of it meaning the appropriate Knowledge and Bliss of svarUpa(Inherent nature) manifests from BrahmavidyA(Knowing about Brahman)”. Then men raise the question - “If Jiva svarUpa or the inherent nature manifests from BrahmavidyA, then did the Brahman also acquire His own fullness(sarvam or PurNatva) from that Brahmavidya, which is knowing about Himself?” 

mantra 10 ##[I.iv.10]## 

brahma vA idamagra AsIt | tadAtmAnamevAvedahaM brahmAsmIti |

मन्त्र १० - [I.iv.10]

ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत्। तदात्मानमेवावेदहं ब्रह्मास्मीति।

 The split is as follows - 

ब्रह्म वा इदम् अग्र आसीत्। तत् आत्मानम् एव अवेत् अहं ब्रह्मा अस्मि इति।

Note “aham brahmA asmi” is part of the whole sentence and has been stripped and quoted completely out-of-context.

Word-by-word meaning: 

ब्रह्म  = Brahman

वा = वै = vai = alone

इदम् अग्र = इदम् अग्रे = idam agre = before all this (meaning beginning-less time)

आसीत् = existed.

तत्  = That Brahman

आत्मानम् = Himself

एव = only

अवेत् = knew 

अहं = अहेयं = aheyaM = unavoidable (as He is antaryAmi for all) = अहेयत्वात् अहं = aheyatvAt ahaM ; “haM” means avoidable and so “ahaM’ is unavoidable. Nothing can exist without Him and so He is called “aham”.

ब्रह्मा  = बृंहितत्वात् ब्रह्मा = bR^iMhitatvAt brahmA  = Infinitely complete;

अस्मि = सर्वदा अस्ति इति मेयं = sarvadA asti iti meyaM = Knowable as One who always existed.

इति = as

Meaning : Brahma or Parabrahma alone was there from beginning-less time as an independent entity. He knew about Himself always as “unavoidable (being antaryAmi for all)”, “Infinitely complete” and “Known as One who Always existed as Independent one.”

 

(That means in case of gods or men, they acquire knowledge about Brahman and become Full (which is the liberation or mukti or mokSha). But in His case, there is no question of His becoming Full at some point of time. He existed from beginning-less time He knows about Himself as described above and also infinitely full.)

tasmAttatsarvamabhavat | tadyo yo devAnAM pratyabudhyata sa eva tadabhavat | 

तस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवत्। तद्यो यो देवानां प्रत्यबुध्यत स एव तदभवत्।

 

The split is as follows - 

तस्मात् तत् सर्वम् अभवत्। तत् यो यो देवानां प्रत्यबुध्यत स एव तत् अभवत्।

Word-by-word meaning:

तस्मात् = For that reason;

तत् = That Supreme Brahman

सर्वम् अभवत् = (always) existed as Infinitely Full.

 

तत् = That knowledge about Him

यो यो = who ever

देवानां = among gods

प्रत्यबुध्यत = realized and served accordingly;

स एव = that god only

तत् अभवत् = became that (meaning achieved Fullness as per their own inherent abilities)

Meaning : For that reason, that Supreme Brahman always existed as Infinitely Complete. Among gods, who ever acquired that knowledge about Him and served Him accordingly, that god became Full as per their own individual abilities. 

tatharShINAm | tathA manuShyANAm | 

तथर्षीणाम्। तथा मनुष्याणाम्।

तथर्षीणाम् = तथा ऋषीणाम्

Meaning : Same is the case for Rishis and also for ordinary men. 

Among Rishis, who ever acquired that knowledge about Him and served Him accordingly, that Rishi became Full as per their own individual abilities.

 

Among men, who ever acquired that knowledge about Him and served Him accordingly, that man or woman became Full as per their own individual abilities.

 Special Note: 

‘sarvAntaryAmitva”(pervasion in all and control of all) of the Lord has three subaspects embedded in it. 

1. sarva jIva aheyatva - Without Him, nothing can exist. Or every thing exists because of Him. (This is ahaM part)

2. PurNatva or Brahmatva (This Brahma part). He is Omnipresent(sarva-vyApakatva), Omnipotent(sarva-sAmarthya), Omniscient(sarvajnatva), Omnibuoyant(sarva-Ananda), Omnibenevolent(sarva-kAruNya) etc. (Infinitel full qualities. His presence inside and outside every thing is specially noted as “sat”. His all-knowing quality is specially noted as “chit”. His all-blissful quality is specially noted as “Ananda”. That is why scriptures say that Brahman is sachchidAnanda. That is in the unlimited or infinite sense. Jivas are also sachchidAnanda, but in a limited or finite sense. They also exist, have consciousness and ability to know and blissful as well.

3. Known as that which exists always (This is asmi part - asti iti meyatva). All the jIvas are obliged to know about Him.

 

taddhaitat pashyan R^iShirvAmadevaH pratipede.ahaM manurabhavaM sUryashcheti |

tadidamapyetarhi ya evaM vedAhaM brahmAsmIti sa idaM sarvaM bhavati |

tasya ha na devAshcha nAbhUtyA Ishate | AtmA hyeShAM sa bhavati |

 

तद्धैतत् पश्यन् ऋषिर्वामदेवः प्रतिपेदेऽहं मनुरभवं सूर्यश्चेति।

तदिदमप्येतर्हि य एवं वेदाहं ब्रह्मास्मीति स इदं सर्वं भवति।

तस्य ह न देवाश्च नाभूत्या ईशते। आत्मा ह्येषां स भवति।

 The split is as follows -

तत् ह एतत् पश्यन् ऋषिः वामदेवः प्रतिपेदे "अहं मनुः अभवं सूर्यः च" इति।

तत् इदम् अपि एतर्हि य एवं वेद "अहं ब्रह्मा अस्मि" इति स इदं सर्वं भवति।

तस्य ह न देवाः च न अभूत्या ईशते। आत्मा हि एषां स भवति।

 Word-by-word meaning: 

वामदेवः ऋषिः = The Rishi by name Vamadeva

ह = definitely or certainly(In deed)

तत् एतत् = That Parabrahma as described here

पश्यन् = Having obtained the sAkShAtkAra

प्रतिपेदे = realized as propounded by the sUkta -

"अहं मनुः अभवं सूर्यः च" = This is the sUkta or hymn describing how the deities like Manu and Surya, et al obtained their posts from speial knowledge

इति = in this way

तत् इदम् = That knowledge about Him

एतर्हि = now (At present)

अपि = also

य = One who

एवं = as mentioned here

वेद = knows

अहं = अहेयं = aheyaM = unavoidable (as He is antaryAmi for all) = अहेयत्वात् अहं = aheyatvAt ahaM ; “haM” means avoidable and so “ahaM’ is unavoidable. Nothing can exist without Him and so He is called “aham”.

ब्रह्मा = बृंहितत्वात् ब्रह्मा = bR^iMhitatvAt brahmA  = Infinitely complete;

अस्मि = सर्वदा अस्ति इति मेयं = sarvadA asti iti meyaM = Knowable as One who always existed.

इति = as

स = That person

इदं सर्वं भवति = becomes this Full (meaning achieves Fullness as per their own inherent abilities)

तस्य = For that person (meaning fruits of that person)

अभूत्या = due to lack of inability

देवाः = the gods (are)

न ईशते = not competent to obstruct

ह न  च = certainly not so

स = That Paramatma

हि एषां = only their (gods’)

आत्मा भवति = is the Controller

Meaning : In deed, Vamadeva Rishi, having obtained the sAkShAtkAra of that Parabrahma as described here, realized as propounded by the sUkta in this way-

"अहं मनुः अभवं सूर्यः च" (This is the sUkta or hymn describing how the deities like Manu and Surya, et al obtained their posts from that speial knowledge) One who knows as mentioned here that knowledge about Him, even now, as “Parabrahma is aham(unavoidable, as nothing can exist without Him), BrahmA (Infinitely complete), and asmi(knowable as One who always existed, that person becomes this Full (meaning achieves Fullness as per their own inherent abilities) even now.

Certainly, it is not that the gods are not competent enough to obstruct the fruits of the person(who has developed that knowledge about the Lord). (But they will not obstruct. Why? That is because - ) Parmatma is the controlling Lord of these gods.

(Paramatma loves the devoted jnAni. The gods love their controller, Paramatma and so out of love only, they will not cause any obstruction to the devoted jnAni.)

 

atha yo.anyAM devatAmupAste \"anyo.asaavanyo.ahamasmi\" iti na sa veda |

yathA pashuH | evaM sa devAnAm |

yathA ha vai bahavaH pashavo manuShyaM bhuJNjyurevamekaikaH puruSho devAn bhunakti|

ekasminneva pashAvAdIyamAne priyaM bhavati kimu bahuShu |

tasmAdeShAM tanna priyaM yadetanmanuShyA vidyuH || 10 ||

 

अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्ते "अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मि" इति न स वेद।

यथा पशुः। एवं स देवानाम्।

यथा ह वै बहवः पशवो मनुष्यं भुञ्ज्युरेवमेकैकः पुरुषो देवान् भुनक्ति।

एकस्मिन्नेव पशावादीयमाने प्रियं भवति किमु बहुषु।

तस्मादेषां तन्न प्रियं यदेतन्मनुष्या विद्युः॥ १०॥

The split is as follows - 

अथ यः अन्यां देवताम् उपास्ते "अन्यः असौ अन्यः अहम् अस्मि" इति न स वेद।

यथा पशुः। एवं स देवानाम्।

यथा ह वै बहवः पशवः मनुष्यं भुञ्ज्युः एवम् एक एकः पुरुषः देवान् भुनक्ति।

एकस्मिन् एव पशौ आदीयमाने प्रियं भवति किमु बहुषु।

तस्मात् एषां तत् न प्रियं यत् एतत् मनुष्या विद्युः

Word-by-word meaning:

अथ = For that reason,

यः = One who ;

अन्यां = some other

देवताम् = deity

उपास्ते = worships (by thinking)

"अन्यः असौ = that some other deity is this Supreme All=pervading Lord;

अन्यः =  that some other deity is

अहम् =  अहेयं = aheyaM = unavoidable

अस्मि" = सर्वदा अस्ति इति मेयं = sarvadA asti iti meyaM = Knowable as One who always existed.

इति = as

स = That person

न वेद = does not know

यथा पशुः = Just as an animal does not know.

 

Note that the word “pashu” has many meanings - of those two most used are “animal contemptuously used for man” and “a beneficial cow that yields milk” and so symbolically yielding happiness. So there is a technique in Sanskrit called “tantra=nyAa”, where an expression is used twice to handle contrasting thoughts.

 

(On the other hand if a wise man thinks that the All-Supreme One alone is always Sarva-antaryAmi, then, he will be like a good cow and yields happiness to all the gods, who all worship Him and they want men also should worship Him.)

यथा पशुः = Just as a cow yields happiness

एवं = in the same manner

स = that wise man (who knows the distinction between the All-Supreme and te rest)

देवानाम् = (gives happiness) for gods also.

यथा = Just as

ह वै = most certainly

बहवः = many

पशवः = cows

मनुष्यं भुञ्ज्युः = feed and make men happy

एवम् = same way

एक एकः = just one

पुरुषः = person

देवान् भुनक्ति = feeds (meaning make happy) gods

एकस्मिन् एव पशौ आदीयमाने = when one cow is brought

प्रियं भवति = becomes dear

किमु बहुषु = what to speak of when many are brought (If many men adopt the wise path, the gods will be pleased)

तस्मात् = For that reason

एषां = for these gods

तत् न प्रियं = that is not dear

यत् एतत् = which is this

मनुष्या = men

विद्युः = know (as wrong one)

 

(Basically trying to explain both the right knowledge and wrong knowledge. Right knowledge is that All-Supreme One is the only one who is Independent and unavoidable, Infinitely complete, and known to exist that way always. Wrong knowledge is that any one else is also like that. The act of worshiping All-Supreme with right knowledge pleases gods. The act of worshiping other gods as All-Supreme due to wrong knowledge does not please gods. Important note that there is no issue at all in worshiping other gods, but they have to be worshiped as parivAra devatas, meaning that they are also subservient to All-Supreme one. As they are also appointed authorities, the lower ones have to respect the higher ones.)

Final Conclusion: 

Now let us see the logical reasoning as to why this kind of interpretation is to be made and why the popular advaitic interpretation of “I am Brahman” can not be done.

 

If “ahaM” is used to convey First Person of “I”, then it is sufficient to say -

तत्  = That Brahman

अवेत् = knew 

अहं = अहेयं = aheyaM = unavoidable (as He is antaryAmi for all) = अहेयत्वात् अहं = aheyatvAt ahaM ; “haM” means avoidable and so “ahaM’ is unavoidable. Nothing can exist without Him and so He is called “aham”.

ब्रह्मा  = बृंहितत्वात् ब्रह्मा = bR^iMhitatvAt brahmA  = Infinitely complete;

अस्मि = सर्वदा अस्ति इति मेयं = sarvadA asti iti meyaM = Knowable as One who always existed.

इति = as

That Brahman knew as “I am Brahman”.

There is no need for using the word “AtmAnam” (Himself) which is karma (object).

In Sanskrit, it would not be meaningful to say - That Brahman knew Himself as “I am Brahman”. So, what the Advaitins did was that they stripped “That Brahman knew Himself as” and simply said “I am Brahman” and as if every one is saying that. So, multiple flaws - Stripping part of sentence and quoting that, giving the superficial meaning and projecting that every Jiva should think that way.

Thus the following only is meaningful.

 तत्  = That Brahman

आत्मानम् = Himself

एव = only

अवेत् = knew 

अहं = अहेयं = aheyaM = unavoidable (as He is antaryAmi for all) = अहेयत्वात् अहं = aheyatvAt ahaM ; “haM” means avoidable and so “ahaM’ is unavoidable. Nothing can exist without Him and so He is called “aham”.

ब्रह्मा  = बृंहितत्वात् ब्रह्मा = bR^iMhitatvAt brahmA  = Infinitely complete;

अस्मि = सर्वदा अस्ति इति मेयं = sarvadA asti iti meyaM = Knowable as One who always existed.

इति = as

He knew about Himself always as “unavoidable (being antaryAmi for all)”, “Infinitely complete” and “Known as One who Always existed as Independent one.”

 

Shri Krishnarpanamastu !!

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