[Advaita-l] 'Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma' in the Bhagavatam

[V Subrahmanian]

'Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma' in Bhagavatam


The well-known hymn in the Bhagavad-gita is:
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्.
24 तेन गन्तव्यं 244.24 ।।
It is the verse that states that everything in creation is Brahma,
that is, the Brahma. This is the vision of the intuitionist. To relate
this, in the Gita, a metaphor of Yajna is declared as Brahman, which
is also known as the cognitive awareness.


In the Yajna, the rituals, the householder, the wife, the homa kunda,
the fire, the substance of which is to be offered, the mantra, the act
of offering, are all Brahman itself. This is the result of that samyag
darshana. That is, the realization that everything is Brahman. This
awareness is the knowledge that liberates one from bondage.
Prior to this realization, everything was seen with ignorance. Now,
owing to the teaching of the Shruti and the practice, everything has
changed: vicharena viparyeti.

This metaphor can also be found in the Srimad Bhagavatam:
देश: काल: पृथग्द्रव्यं मन्त्रतन्त्रर्त्विजोऽग्नय:।
देवता यजमानश्च क्रतुर्धर्मश्च यन्मय:॥ ४८
विष्णुर्योगेश्वरेश्वर एव भगवान् विष्णुर्योगेश्वरेश्वर विष्णुर्योगेश्वरेश्वर:।
जातो यदुष्वित्याश ृण्म ृण्म. ४ ९ 10.23.47,48.
Krishna enacted this leela with the Gopa boys. He sent the boys  to
the altar where a Brahmin group was performing a Vedic sacrifice and
had them beg food. However, they were  ignored by the Brahmins who
were there. Later they realized their folly.

All the elements of the Yajna here are enumerated and it is stated
that all of them are Vishnuyama, verily Vishnu, appearing as all
these. This is the correct vision expressed in the Bh.Gita. It is a
representation of many such shadic scriptural phrases such as 'Sarvam
Vishnuvayam Jagat', 'Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma', 'Purusha Evedam
Sarvam', 'Atmaivedam Sarvam' and 'Idam Sarvam Yadayamatma'.

Om Tat Sat