[Advaita-l] Does Brahman know?

Venkatesh Murthy vmurthy36 at gmail.com
Sun Nov 28 22:45:14 CST 2010


Yes in Turiya we can say Brahman knows nothing but itself. We can say
also Brahman knows everything is Sarvajna because there is nothing
other than itself. Both can be right.

Interesting question for me is there I feeling in Brahman. I say no
because I say I because there are other things. If there is no other
thing will I say I? There is no I there is no other.

Regards

-Venkatesh

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Sunil Bhattacharjya
<sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Yes. The Lord has described the  Sthiraprajna or Sthitaprajna and neither Arjuna nor the Lord talked about the Sthitaturiya.  Sthiraprajna does have a feel of the Turiya but one has to wait till the body is finally left to be in Turiy permanenetly.  We know that "Prajnanam Brahma" and there is nothing to worry for a Sthiraprajna, who will eventually be in Turiya and attain the silence, when he leaves the body with all the five koshas. Then one will not be different from the Brahman and lose the individual existence.  Then it is not to be asked when He knows Himself or not. Probably the Nasadiya sukta (RS 10.129) will be useful to us to appreciate  the situation.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sunil K. Bhattacharjya
>
> --- On Sun, 11/28/10, Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Does Brahman know?
> To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Date: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 5:59 PM
>
> That Mandukya Karika Mantra has Sarvajna also. Brahman can be Sarvajna
> because other than itself there is nothing to know.
>
> But there is interesting question.
>
> Is Brahman with I consciousness? For I consciousness there must be
> other. If there is no other is there I? Is I consciousness because of
> Ego?
>
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
>
> On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 11:41 PM, V Subrahmanian
> <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> About Turiya they say Kevalam Asti Iti Vaktum Sakyam. We can say only
>>> It is. Knowing something is only at Vyavahara level because there
>>> should be knower and known thing. In Turiya Avastha there is only One
>>> thing There is no knower and no known thing also. There is nothing to
>>> know. Any comments?
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> -Venkatesh
>>>
>>
>>
>> Consciousness, Brahman, can and does exist without any object to be
>> illumined or conscious of.  Nor does It require a knower to validate Its
>> existence. The MaandUkya kArikA 3.36 and Bhagavatpada's bhashya give a fine,
>> crisp description of this nature of Brahman/Turiya:
>>
>> In that kArikA the word crucial for understanding the above nature of
>> Brahman is:    सकृद्विभातम् (sakRd-vibhAtam).  The bhAShyam is:
>>
>> सकृद्विभातं - सदैव विभातं सदा भारूपम् अग्रहण-अन्यथाग्रहण-*
>> आविर्भाव-तिरोभाव-वर्जितत्वात्* । .....*नित्यचैतन्यभारूपत्वा*च्च युक्तं
>> सकृद्विभातमिति ।
>>
>> //..ever illumined, constant effulgence by nature,since It is devoid of
>> non-manifestastion that is consequent on non-perception, and devoid of
>> manifestation that is contingent on wrong perception.  ...since Brahman is
>> by nature the light  that is *eternal Consciousness*,it is but reasonable
>> that It should be constantly effulgent. //
>>
>> The Brihadaranyaka mantra: na hi draShTuH dRShTeH viparilopo vidyate,
>> avinAshitvaat - is also of the above meaning.
>>
>> It would be beneficial to read the bhashyam for the Mundaka mantra 2.1.10 (न
>> तत्र सूर्यो भाति..).
>>
>> In the Taittiriya Bhashyam for the word 'jnAnam' occurring in 'satyam jnAnam
>> anantam Brahma', the word 'jnapti' is given as explanation.
>>
>> Interestingly, this word  सकृद्विभातम् (sakRd-vibhAtam) is found in the
>> SrimadbhAgavatam 4.31.16 too.
>>
>> Regards,
>> subrahmanian.v
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>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
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-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh



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