[Advaita-l] 'Aham Brahma Asmi' and Rope-snake analogy in Bhagavatam

[V Subrahmanian]

'Aham Brahma Asmi' and Rope-snake analogy in Bhagavatam

In the Srimadbhagavatam 4.22.37 and 38 verses there is a teaching of
aparoksha jnana. See the image below. Sridhara Swamin's commentary is also
appended.

Aparoksha Jnanam as 'I am He' - Aham Brahma asmi: jivo brahmaiva naaparaH
SB 4.22.37
तत्त्वं नरेन्द्र जगतामथ तस्तुषां च
देहेन्द्रियासुधिषणात्मभिरावृतानाम् ।
यः क्षेत्रवित्तपतया हृदि विश्वगाविः
प्रत्यक्चकास्ति भगवांस्तमवेहि सोऽस्मि ॥३७॥

Sanat-kumāra advised the King: Therefore, my dear King Pṛthu, try to
understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is living within
everyone’s heart along with the individual soul, in each and every body,
either moving or not moving as 'I am He'. The individual souls are fully
covered by the gross material body and subtle body made of the life air and
intelligence.

Rope-snake analogy [Brahma satyam jagan mithya]:

SB 4.22.38
यस्मिन्निदं सदसदात्मतया विभाति
माया विवेकविधुति स्रजीवाहिबुद्धिः ।
तं नित्यमुक्तपरिशुद्धविशुद्धतत्त्वं
प्रत्यूढकर्मकलिलप्रकृतिं प्रपद्ये ॥३८॥

The Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as one with the cause
and effect within this body, but one who has transcended the illusory
energy by deliberate consideration, which clears the misconception of a
snake for a rope, can understand that the Paramātmā is eternally
transcendental to the material creation and situated in pure internal
energy. Thus the Lord is transcendental to all material contamination. Unto
Him only must one surrender.

The commentary of Sridhara Swamin is crisp and clear as he is bringing out
the straightforward meaning of the verses. The non-advaitic commentaries
have much to say to deny the straightforward meaning and give a completely
diluted purport of the Bhagavatam verses.

See also a post here:
https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/aham-brahma-asmi-in-the-bhaagavatam/

For Sridharaswamin's commentary see image here:

https://www.facebook.com/subrahmanian.vaidyanathan/posts/2368634179816596

Om Tat Sat