Brahma Jyoti

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

Gurudev mentioned about 'brahma-jyoti' in one of his mails recently

and I find the following in Bhagavad Gita, which I find very

revealing. I am repeating it in entirety in case some of you are

interested.

 

 

>>Chapter 14. The Yoga of the Supreme Person

 

TEXT 27

 

brahmano hi pratisthaham

amrtasyavyayasya ca

sasvatasya ca dharmasya

sukhasyaikantikasya ca

 

SYNONYMS

 

brahmanah--of the impersonal brahmajyoti; hi--certainly;

pratistha--the rest; aham--I am; amrtasya--of the immortal;

avyayasya--of the imperishable; ca--also; sasvatasya--of the eternal;

ca--and; dharmasya--of the constitutional position;

sukhasya--happiness; aikantikasya--ultimate; ca--also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the

constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal,

imperishable and eternal.

 

PURPORT

 

The constitution of Brahman is immortality, imperishability,

eternity, and happiness. Brahman is the beginning of transcendental

realization. Paramatma, the Supersoul, is the middle, the second stage

in transcendental realization, and the Supreme

Personality of Godhead is the ultimate realization of the Absolute

Truth. Therefore, both Paramatma and the impersonal Brahman are within

the Supreme Person. It is explained in the Seventh

Chapter that material nature is the manifestation of the inferior

energy of the Supreme Lord. The Lord impregnates the inferior material

nature with the fragments of the superior nature,

and that is the spiritual touch in the material nature.

When a living entity conditioned by this material nature begins the

cultivation of spiritual knowledge, he elevates himself from the

position of material existence and gradually rises up to the Brahman

conception of the Supreme. This attainment of the

Brahman conception of life is the first stage in self-realization. At

this stage the Brahman realized person is transcendental to the

material position, but he is not actually perfect in Brahman

realization. If he wants, he can continue to stay in the Brahman

position and then gradually rise up to Paramatma realization and then

to the realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are

many examples of this in Vedic literature. The four Kumaras were

situated first in the impersonal Brahman

conception of truth, but then they gradually rose to the platform of

devotional service. One who cannot elevate himself beyond the

impersonal conception of Brahman runs the risk of

falling down. In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that although a person

may rise to the stage of impersonal Brahman, without going further,

with no information of the Supreme Person, his intelligence is not

perfectly clear. Therefore, in spite of being raised to the Brahman

platform, there is the chance of falling down if one is not engaged in

the devotional service of the Lord. In the Vedic language it is also

said: raso vai sah; rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati: "When one

understands the Personality of God, the reservoir of pleasure, Krsna,

he actually becomes transcendentally blissful." The Supreme Lord is

full in six opulences, and when a devotee

approaches Him, there is an exchange of these six opulences. The

servant of the king enjoys on an almost equal level with the king. And

so, eternal happiness, imperishable happiness,

eternal life accompany devotional service. Therefore, realization of

Brahman, or eternity, or imperishability is included in devotional

service. This is already possessed by a person who is

engaged in devotional service. The living entity, although Brahman

by nature, has the desire to lord it over the

material world, and due to this he falls down. In his constitutional

position, a living entity is above the three modes of material nature,

but association with material nature entangles him in the

different modes of material nature, goodness, passion and

ignorance. Due to the association of these three modes, his desire to

dominate the material world is there. By engagement in devotional

service in full Krsna consciousness, he is

immediately situated in the transcendental position, and his unlawful

desire to control material nature is removed. Therefore the process of

devotional service beginning with hearing,

chanting, remembering--the prescribed nine methods for realizing

devotional service--should be practiced in the association of

devotees. Gradually, by such association, by the influence of the

spiritual master, one's material desire to

dominate is removed, and one becomes firmly situated in the Lord's

transcendental loving service. This method is prescribed from the

twenty-second to the last verse of this chapter.

Devotional service to the Lord is very simple: one should always

engage in the service of the Lord, should eat the remnants of

foodstuffs offered to the Deity, smell the flowers offered to the

lotus feet of the Lord, see the places where the Lord had His

transcendental pastimes, read of the different activities of the Lord,

His reciprocation of love with His devotees, chant always the

transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna,

Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,

and observe the fasting days commemorating the appearances and

disappearances of the Lord and His devotees. By

following such a process one becomes completely detached from all

material activities. One who can thus situate himself in the

brahma-jyoti or the different varieties of the Brahman conception is

equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in quality.

 

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Fourteenth Chapter of

the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of the Three Modes of

Material Nature.<< (Published by ISCON, commentary by Sri Srila

Prabhupada)

 

 

Regards,

viswanadham

 

 

 

>

> OM SRI GURAVE NAMAH

> Dear Lakshmi,

> The Gayatri mantra is given by Maharishi Vishwamitra at RV III.62.10

and

> reads

> Tat Savitur Varenyam

> Bhargo Devasya Dhi-mahi

> Dhi-yo yo nah prachodayaat.

> For more details refer to VRA. I am taking this for the Jyotish

News. You

> people are doing a marvellous job. At this rate the Brahma Jyoti

will come.

> Best Regards

> Sanjay Rath