God Is Brahman - The All-Pervading Spiritual Effulgence of the Supreme
The term Brahman is central to all Vedic philosophy, yet it is frequently misunderstood by mundane scholars. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the impersonal Brahman is not a formless void, but rather the all-pervading, glowing spiritual effulgence emanating directly from the eternal, transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Progressive Realization of the Absolute
Understanding God is a progressive journey. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the nondual Absolute Truth is realized in three distinct phases, with the realization of the impersonal Brahman being the initial, partial understanding of the Supreme.
- The Absolute Truth is always to be understood from three angles of vision as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Unlike the objects of the material world, however, the Absolute Truth is always one and always the same.
- The Absolute Truth is explained as Brahman, the all-pervading spiritual effulgence; as Paramatma, the localized Supersoul; or as Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Understanding these is what Vedanta-sutra means when it says, athato brahma jijnasa.
- Brahman is His transcendental bodily effulgence, and Paramatma is His partial representation. As such, Brahman or Paramatma realization of the Absolute Truth is but a partial realization.
- After many, many births understanding the Brahman . . . Brahman understanding is certainly transcendental, but because Brahman is only partial realization of the Absolute Truth, only the eternity.
The Source of the Cosmic Manifestation
The material universe is not an accident; it has a supreme origin. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the famous Vedānta-sūtra aphorism janmādy asya yataḥ, confirming that Brahman is the Absolute Truth from which everything emanates, is maintained, and ultimately rests.
- Janmady asya yatah (SB 1.1.1). This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Supreme Person, Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is the source from whom everything emanates.
- Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me." The same conclusion is also given in Vedanta-sutra, wherein it is stated, janmady asya yatah - Brahman is He from whom everything emanates.
- According to the injunction of the Upanisads ("the Supreme Absolute Truth is He from whom everything emanates"), it is understood that the whole cosmic manifestation emanated from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth.
- In the sruti-mantra it is stated that the absolute whole, or Brahman, is the ultimate source of everything. Everything emanates from Him, everything is maintained by Him, and at the end everything enters into Him again. That is the law of nature.
Refuting the Māyāvādī Misconceptions
Philosophers who rely strictly on mental speculation often misunderstand the nature of Brahman. Śrīla Prabhupāda heavily critiques the Māyāvādī idea that the Absolute Truth is ultimately a formless void and that one must imagine a material form for the sake of worship.
- The Mayavadis say that Brahman has no rupa, no form, and they suggest that we imagine some form. This is not the case with Krsna. Krsna is present in His original form, and He is described in Vedic literatures. We have recounted these descriptions before.
- According to Svetasvatara Upanisad, although Brahman has no material hands and legs, He nonetheless walks in a very stately way and accepts everything that is offered to Him. This suggests that He has transcendental limbs and is therefore not impersonal.
- The sun's heat and light are nondifferent from the sun. In the same way, the unlimited potencies of Govinda are nondifferent from Govinda Himself. Therefore the all-pervasive Brahman is the all-pervasive Govinda.
- Simply realizing Brahman, realizing one's identity as spirit soul, is insufficient. We must realize that Bhagavan is everywhere.
- They (mayavadis) say jagad mithya, and take sannyasa, and for some days they remain meditation or aloof from any worldly affairs, but later on, when they do not find Brahman, they come again to this maya to open hospitals, schools, as sannyasi.
The Purpose of Human Life
Unlike animals, human beings have the unique intelligence required to inquire about their spiritual origin. Śrīla Prabhupāda stresses that the true purpose of human civilization is not to secure better food and shelter, but to earnestly inquire about the Absolute Truth—athāto brahma jijñāsā.
- This human form of life is meant for understanding what is Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. The cats and dogs cannot inquire about what is Brahman. That is not possible.
- Hog civilization is to work hard day and night to find out where is food, where is shelter, where is sex and where is defense. Wrong type of civilization. The human civilization means "Where is Brahman, the Absolute Truth?" Athato brahma jijnasa.
- To inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being.
- Whoever understands Brahman is called a brahmana, and when a brahmana engages in the Lord's devotional service, he is called a Vaisnava.
- In the human form of life one should become a brahmana, which means that one should understand the constitutional position of the Absolute Truth, Brahman, and then engage in His service as a Vaisnava.
Seeing Brahman in Practical Service
Knowledge of Brahman is not meant to be kept abstract; it has profoundly practical applications. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when material energy is directly engaged in the service of the Lord, it ceases to be material and is practically realized as Brahman.
- We are now dictating into a microphone and recording on a dictating machine, and thus we are finding how the machine can be connected to the Supreme Brahman. Since we are using this machine in the service of the Lord, it is Brahman.
- Everything is preserved. Karya karanam, cause and effect. In the effect, the cause is there. Therefore Veda says, "Everything is Brahman." Because the cosmic manifestation is the effect of the cause, energy of God, therefore in the effect there is God.
- Brahma means Vedic literature. Sabda-brahman. The information, the description of God is also Brahman. Brahman is absolute. There is no difference between Brahman and the literature which is describing Brahman.
- It is clearly stated here (in BG 8.13) that om, Brahman, and Lord Krsna are not different. The impersonal sound of Krsna is om, but the sound Hare Krsna contains om.
- To understand that Brahman, the Supreme, is conscious is not sufficient. One must know how He consciously acts through His different energies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda comprehensively explains the true nature of the Absolute Truth through the concept of Brahman. According to the Vedānta-sūtra and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the nondual Absolute Truth is realized progressively: first as the impersonal Brahman effulgence, then as the localized Paramātmā, and ultimately as Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal Brahman is not an independent, formless void, as falsely claimed by the Māyāvādī philosophers; rather, it is the brilliant, all-pervading spiritual effulgence emanating directly from the transcendental body of Lord Kṛṣṇa, just as light emanates from the sun. The defining aphorism janmādy asya yataḥ establishes that this Brahman is the original source from which the entire cosmic manifestation emanates, by which it is maintained, and into which it ultimately enters. Recognizing this fact is the primary duty of human life. Unlike animals or those trapped in a "hog civilization" of basic survival, an intelligent human being adopts the principle of athāto brahma jijñāsā—inquiring into the nature of the Absolute Truth. One who successfully understands Brahman becomes a qualified brāhmaṇa. However, realization remains incomplete until that brāhmaṇa actively engages in the devotional service of the Supreme Person, thereby becoming a pure Vaiṣṇava. When the conditioned soul utilizes everything—even material objects like microphones—in the service of the Lord, they practically realize that everything is Brahman, thus achieving the ultimate perfection of spiritual knowledge.
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