[Advaita-l] How can prANa be Brahman?

[H S Chandramouli]

Dear Sri Sujal Ji,



Pranams.



Reg  << Do you mean to say taht by praNava upAsanA, one attains brahmaloka
and then attains Jnana at the end of kalpa? >>,



That is right.  There are several upAsanAs prescribed by the Srutis by
following any one of which the sAdhaka can attain Brahmaloka and then
attain “moksha’ through jnAna there itself. Pranava upAsana is one of them.
But pranava is considered the highest type of sAdhana because of one unique
feature namely that it is the only sAdhana through which the sAdhaka can
attain either apara Brahman or para Brahman. The Katha Up 1-2-17 reads



एतदालम्बनं श्रेष्ठमेतदालम्बनं परम् ।

etadAlambanaM shreShThametadAlambanaM param |



Translation Swami Gambhirananda (This medium is the best; this medium is
the supreme (and the inferior) Brahman)



Part of the Bhashya reads



यत एवम्, अत एव एतत् ब्रह्मप्राप्त्यालम्बनानां श्रेष्ठं प्रशस्यतमम् ।
एतदालम्बनं परम् अपरं च, परापरब्रह्मविषयत्वात् ।



(yata evam, ata eva etat brahmaprAptyAlambanAnAM shreShThaM prashasyatamam
| etadAlambanaM param aparaM cha, parAparabrahmaviShayatvAt |)



Translation : (Since this so, therefore, among all the mediums, for the
attainment of Brahman, this medium is the highest-the most praiseworthy.
this medium is supreme Brahman as well as the inferior Brahman, since it
relates to both the inferior Brahman and the superior Brahman).



Apara Brahman is attained through pranava upAsana while para Brahman is
attained through pranava jignAsa or vichAra.



Pranams and Regards