[Advaita-l] knower of brahman is brahman

[ramesh badisa]

Namaste. I will be grateful to you if you could explain my following doubt:

 

Yama teaches brahma gyan to Nichiketa in Katha Up. It is well known that knower of Brahman is Brahman. In that case, why Lord Yama is only at the level of gods (or even be under God Indra)? Yama should have merged and become divine. In this Upanishad at 1.22, Nachiketa says that none other than Yama could give him the atma gyan. It means that Yama has experienced this highest truth, and a person who experienced this highest truth can only give it to others. As Lord Yama experienced the highest truth, he could impart this knowledge to Nachiketa. Since Yama has experienced the highest truth, he is a Brahman. But, why he is localized in his abode, unlike absolute divine who is present everywhere at all the times? How can we explain this in terms of knower of Brahman is Brahman concept? A similar case is also found in Ch. Up. 8.7.1 onwards up to end of this Upanishad. In this reference, Lord Brahma gives the knowledge of atma to God Indra. It means that Lord Brahma is also the knower of
 divine and thus he is divine. But how come Lord Brahma is localized in his abode? Because of this localization, God Indra could visit him many times before he was given the final atma gyan by Lord Brahma. How can the concept of knower of Brahman is Brahman is explained in case of Lord Yama and Lord Brahma in these two examples? And how the term sarva vyapi nature of soul, as quoted in Katha Up. 2.22 (second valli) and Gita 2/24 sloka, is extrapolated to the above concept? 

 
Namaste

		
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