ATMA BODHA 58

 

ATMA BODHA 58

“AKHANADANANDA-RUPASYA TASYA-ANANDA-LAVA-ASRITAH

BRAHMADYAH-TARATAMYENA BHAVANTI-ANANDINO AKHILAH.”

“EVEN DEITIES LIKE BRAHMA AND OTHERS TASTE ONLY A PARTICLE OF THE UNLIMITED BLISS OF BRAHMAN AND ENJOY  IN PROPORTION THEIR SHARE OF THAT PARTICLE.”

None is capable of enjoying the total Bliss of Brahman. Absolute Bliss is the Truth and it is endless.The quantity of Bliss enjoyed is proportional to the capacity of the individual. It is immaterial if the person is an ordinary mortal or a man of merit or a righteous individual or a Deva. Even Indra, King of Gods can enjoy an infinitesimal part of the Infinite. Brahma the creator can taste only a particle of this limitless Bliss which is called Brahmananda.

The entire world depends on this small portion of Absolute Bliss. It is absolutely impossible for the mind and intellect to measure the magnitude of this immeasurable depth of ‘ swaroopananada.’ It is clear that even the celestial joy enjoyed by the creator is only a negligible fraction borrowed from that limitless Truth. A relative picture is given here of the Infinitude in terms of finite yardstick.

For example, if the management were to wind up their reports stating that the entire amount  budgetted for spending is but a mere 2% of the total profits, there will be no protests as everybody gets  a clear picture of the total profits made. This is the method adopted by Sankara in this stanza. An ordinary student cannot understand the quantitative concept of the Brahmananda. But every living being has its own share of limited enjoyment. If all the moments of joy were to be added up, the joy of all living creatures from the creator down to the blade of grass, would be the total joy (vishayananda) in the universe. This sum total of experienced joys by all living creatures, from the day of creation till today is “but an infinitesimal portion ( lava) of this Absolute Bliss. The student can get a rough idea of the Absolute Bliss when this much is told. This is the only available method for the teacher to impress the student  and offer a vague intellectual notion of the Infinite Bliss experienced by a man of realization who has transcended  all the limitations of his mortal existence.

 SIXTH ANUVAKA of BHRUGU VALLI of Taittiriya Upanishad clarifies what Brahmananda is. The renowned sage Bhrugu performed penance and found that Anna, Prana, Mano and Vignanamaya kosas do not fully qualify themselves to be called  the Brahman.  At lengthy, through his penance he recognized the all inherent ANANDA  or BLISS as the real BRAHMAN.