Summary:
Atman Bodha, Verse 60: Brahman is the substratum of everything – neither a submarine below nor zeppelin above. It's beyond all attributes (neither small/big, short/long), without birth or change, free from color/attributes/positions/name. Don't discard mithya, as wherever mithya exists, satyam is present. Even the term “Brahman” is provisional.
Atman Bodha, Verse 61: Brahman is that by which even the sun is illumined, while itself remaining unillumined by anything. As self-evident, self-revealing presence, it inheres in intelligence, sun, and all objects. Brahman is the light of all lights, the source of all manifestation.
Atman Bodha, Verse 62: Like fire pervading a red-hot iron ball (anyonya–adhyasa), Brahman pervades everything inside and out. Just as the iron ball gains redness from fire and fire seems to take the ball's shape, body gains sentiency from Consciousness while Awareness seems to take on body's limitations.
Atman Bodha, Verse 63: All forms are pervaded by all-knowledge-power (Ishvara), which has its being in unchanging Brahman. Unlike a scientist who recognizes “all is atoms” while excluding himself, a Vedantin includes both subject and object in recognizing “all is Awareness.” Nothing exists apart from Brahman – if anything appears separate, it's unreal like a mirage.
Verse 60: Brahman is beyond all attributes
अनण्वस्थूलम् अह्रस्वम् अदीर्घम् अजम् अव्ययम् ।
अरूपगुणवर्णाख्यम् तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
anaṇu asthūlam ahrasvam adīrgham ajam avyayam |
arūpa guṇa varṇa ākhyam tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||
Neither small nor big, neither short nor long; without birth and without change, free from color, attributes, position or name. Understand clearly that is Brahman.
Brahman is substratum of everything:
Don’t make Brahman submarine (somewhere at bottom). Nor zeppelin (where everything is drsya, and I’m final overseer-drk on top). Don’t discard every mithya as mithya, because wherever mithya, there satyam is.
That’s why shastra reminds Brahman is (to prevent mind imagining):
- Neither small nor big.
- Neither short nor long.
- Without birth, change: If Awareness changed, you wouldn’t find it right now.
- Free from color, attributes, positions, name: Brahman lends attributes, while remains free of attributes. Even term “Brahman” is a concession (provisional).
Verse 61: Brahman is the source of all light
यद्भासा भास्यते अर्कादि भास्यैः यत् तु न भास्यते ।
येन सर्वम् इदम् भाति तत् ब्रह्म इति अवधारयेत् ॥
yadbhāsā bhāsyate arkādi bhāsyaiḥ yat tu na bhāsyate |
yena sarvam idam bhāti tat brahma iti avadhārayet ||
By the light of which the sun, etc, are illumined but which is not illumined by those luminous (objects); that by which all this shines, understand clearly that is Brahman.
Sun illumines objects. But does it illumine Brahman? No. Because Brahman is that because of which sun is what it is. Sun is one of manifestations of all-knowledge-power, which has it’s being in Brahman.
Meaning, Brahman (self-evident, self-revealing presence) inheres in intelligence, sun, objects.
Brahman is the light of all lights.
Verse 62: Brahman illumines the universe (Anyonya-adhyasa — Mutual superimposition)
स्वयम् अन्तर्बहिः व्याप्य भासयन् अखिलम् जगत् ।
ब्रह्म प्रकाशते वह्निप्रतप्तायसपिण्डवत् ॥
svayam antar bahiḥ vyāpya bhāsayan akhilam jagat |
brahma prakāśate vahni prataptā yasa piṇḍavat ||
Pervading everything inside and outside, Brahman illumines the entire universe; Brahman shines like the fire permeates a red hot iron ball.
Analysis:
Iron Ball gained it’s redness from the fire. From standpoint of the iron-ball, the fire seems to have a shape. The hotness-redness and ball have a mutual mix-up, called anyonya adhyāsa (mutual superimposition).
Iron-ball: cold > pervaded by fire, becomes hot & shiny.
Body: inert, insentient > pervaded by Consciousness — becomes sentient/conscious.
Fire: Has no shape > pervading the iron-ball, takes it’s shape.
Awareness: Has no size > pervading the body-mind — becomes big, strong, weak, smart/dull.
Conclusion:
Ascertaining what is what — is difficult due to this intimate mix up. That’s why seeker needs Pramana which shows: All-pervasive Awareness is what allows you to be aware of both internal experiences and the external world. The very fact that you can know anything, indicates presence of all-pervading consciousness.
Verse 63: Nothing exists apart from Brahman
जगद्विलक्षणम् ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणः अन्यत् न किञ्चन ।
ब्रह्म अन्यत् भाति चेत् मिथ्या यथा मरुमरीचिका ॥
jagat vilakṣaṇam brahma brahmaṇaḥ anyat na kiñcana |
brahma anyat bhāti cet mithyā yathā maru marīcikā ||
Brahman is other than the universe. There exists nothing whatsoever that is not Brahman. If any object other than Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal like the mirage [in desert].
There exists nothing whatsoever that is not Brahman:
When you are born, your eyes see the world of forms, which are Ishvara’s design. With Pramana, two more realities are revealed.
All forms are pervaded by all-knowledge-power (Ishvara), which is manifesting as different forms, which then become upadhis for you, as you fail to recognize Intelligence making those forms what they are. While All-knowledge-power is changing to keep producing the universe, it has its being in unchanging Brahman (which is self-evident to you as choiceless Awareness).
Thus wherever you see forms, you (cognitively) also understand Ishvara and Brahman is there. Therefore we don’t have to keep thinking Brahman all the time.
Meaning the form doesn’t have to be negated to bring out the presence of Ishvara and Brahman.
For example, a scientist understands all that is here are atoms, but continues seeing the world as normal, because eyes are made to see forms.
What's the the difference between a Scientist and a Vedantin?
The scientist recognizes, “all that is here are atoms”.
Vedantin recognizes, “all that is here is Awareness”.
If it’s a cognitive understanding for both, then what’s the difference?
The scientist didn’t include oneself in the statement. The ego/knower remains intact. The scientist excluded himself, reminiscent of the 10th man story.
Whereas for Vedantin, both the subject (the inquirer who made the statement) and the object are included within the understanding. The subject isn't excluded out of the word “reality”.
If any object other than Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal (tuccham / asat):
If you see anything other then Brahman, then haven’t captured the Pramana's intention. Thus can’t say, “I've understood Brahman, but I’m attempting to retain it”. Brahman is in-and-through every form.
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Recorded 17 Jan, 2025