Guest guest Report post Posted October 1, 2005 Hare Krishna and all glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga I need some help understanding a verse from the Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad (1.4.10): brahma va idam agra asit, tad atmanam evavet, aham brahmasmiti: tasmat tat sarvam abhavat, tad yo yo devanam pratyabudhyata, sa eva tad abhavat, tatha rsinam, tatha manusyanam. taddhaitat pasyan rsir vama-devah pratipede, aham manur abhavam suryas ceti, tad idam api etarhi ya evam veda, aham brahmasmiti sa idam sarvam bhavati; tasya ha na devas ca nabhutya isate, atma hy esam sa bhavati. atha yo anyam devatam upaste, anyo' sau anyo' ham asmiti, na sa veda; yatha pasur, evam sa devanam; yatha ha vai bahavah pasavo manusyam bhunjyuh, evam ekaikah puruso devan bhunakti; ekasminn eva pasav adiyamane'priyam bhavati, kim u bahusu? tasmad esam tan na priyam yad etan manusya vidyuh. This is one of the most "famous" verses of the Upanishads, because it contains the "Aham Brahmasmi" phrase. The "Aham Brahmasmi" part of the verse has been explained many times by Srila Prabhupada and various other Vaishnava acaryas. My question is really regarding the rest of the verse. This verse, in really straight-forward language (unusual for an Upanishad!), clearly states, that you must consider yourself Brahman,(Aham Brahmasmi), AND if you regard God as Someone other than you, then you are like an animal bound to a peg for sacrifice, and you are a victim. Now, as I said, the Aham Brahmasmi phrase of this verse has been explained very well. But the rest of the verse creates some confusion in my mind. This verse clearly states, in the beginning there was God, who was full of and with Himself. And it is this fullness and knowledge that we must develop and (the troubling part) not consider any difference between us and Him. Further, it goes on to specify that IF we consider ANY difference between us and Him, then we are fools. any help would be greatly appreciated! Haribol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sumedh 0 Report post Posted October 2, 2005 Hare Krishna please accept my pranams The verse is spoken by Brahman Himself, not by anyone else -- see the context in 1.4: so applying this to jivas would be arbitrary. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
