[Advaita-l] Brahman was (Re: Pramanas - Sruti vs. Anubhava)

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Sat, 28 Apr 2007, Siva Senani Nori wrote:

>
> * And I will further go with you in assuming that Brahman = Sruti
>   (though I am not sure it is so).

One can make a definite case that this was an ancient belief.  Consider 
the various definitions of Brahmana (masculine):

1.  The parts of the Vedas which are not mantras (vedo dvividhaH
     mantrarUpo brAhmaNarUpashcheti - mImAMsA paribhAShA)

2,  The specific "books" of the Vedas which deal with the application of
     mantras e.g. shatapatha brahmana, aitereya brahmana etc.  A subset of (1)

3.  A member of the varna whose occupation is the learning and teaching of
     Brahmana defined as (1) and (2) i.e the Vedas.

4.  The supervising priest (3) of a shrauta yajna who should know
     Brahmana (1) and (2) ideally all four or some say Atharvaveda.

5. The knower of Brahman (neuter) in the Vedantic sense.

So you can see that from the beginning the overlap between brahmana as 
text and  brahmana as experience (and experiencer) was there.  The 
Vedantic overlap between shruti and anubhava is a natural progression.


-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>