[Advaita-l] The Advaitic Meaning of 'Aham Brahmasmi' alone upheld by Veda Vyasa

[V Subrahmanian]

The Advaita Meaning of 'Aham Brahmasmi' alone upheld in Mahabharata, Narada
Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam

While describing Sage Shuka's characteristics, Veda Vyasa has addressed
them with the epithets Sarvavyapi, All-pervading, and Sarvaatma,
Self-of-All:
महाभारतम्-12-शांतिपर्व-341 Mahabharata:
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/3ip
<https://sa.wikisource.org/s/3ip?fbclid=IwAR0evTm1jik3kdW6hrAcmRNkWxR6TKC12J2vJGQ4qdc8u2oQOKFSFNzPYHk>
शुकः सर्वगतो भूत्वा सर्वात्मा सर्वतोमुखः।
प्रत्यभाषत धर्मात्मा भोःशब्देनानुनादयन्।। 12-341-24
तत एकाक्षरं नादं भोरित्येव समीरयन्।
प्रत्याहरञ्जगत्सर्वमुच्चैः स्थावरजङ्गमम्।। 12-341-25
ततःप्रभृति चाद्यापि शब्दानुच्चारितान्पृथक्।
गिरिगह्वरपृष्ठेषु व्याहरन्ति शुकं प्रति।। 12-341-26

नारदपुराणम्- पूर्वार्धः/अध्यायः ६२ Narada Purana:
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/4zr
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शुकः सर्वगतिर्भूत्वा सर्वात्मा सर्वतोमुखः ।।
प्रत्यभाषत धर्मात्मा भोः शब्देनानुनादयन् ।। ६२-२९ ।।
तत एकाक्षरं नादं भोरित्येवमुदीरयन् ।।
प्रत्याहरज्जगत्सर्वमुञ्चैः स्थावरजंगमम् ।। ६२-३० ।।
ततः प्रभृति वाऽद्यापि शब्दानुञ्चारितान्पृथक् ।।
गिरिगह्वरपृष्टेषु व्याजहार शुकं प्रति ।। ६२-३१ ।।

This recalls the purport of the Aham Brahmasmi passage of the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: 1.4.10:
ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत्तदात्मानमेवावेत् । अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति ।
तस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवत्
Meaning: Brahman realized itself as 'Aham Brahmasmi', 'I am Brahman'. As a
result of such a realization, it 'became' everything.
That is, it realized that it was no longer a finite entity but the very
Self, the essence, of everything in creation.
This is called Sarvatmabhaava. Sage Shuka is thus called Sarvatma in the
Mahabharata, Narada Purana and Sarvabhutahrdayah, the 'heart' of all
beings, in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Following the above Upanishad, in Advaita it is held that this is the
result of one who knows himself directly as verily Brahman. This is what we
see endorsed in Mahabharata, Bhagavata, Narada Purana.
श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण/स्कंध ०१/अध्यायः ०२ Bhagavatam
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/okn
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यं प्रव्रजन्तमनुपेतमपेतकृत्यं
द्वैपायनो विरहकातर आजुहाव ।
पुत्रेति तन्मयतया तरवोऽभिनेदुः
तं सर्वभूतहृदयं मुनिमानतोऽस्मि ॥ २ ॥

This epithet is also attributed to the Aparoksha Jnani in the Bhagavad Gita:

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः ।
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥ ७ ॥ 4.7

Shankaracharya comments on the above:
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा सर्वेषां ब्रह्मादीनां स्तम्बपर्यन्तानां भूतानाम्
आत्मभूतः आत्मा प्रत्यक्चेतनो यस्य सः सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा सम्यग्दर्शीत्यर्थः
This Aparoksha Jnani is the Atma svarupa (Chaitanya) of everything from
Brahma up to the tiniest organism.
Thus, the meaning of the Upanishad Aham Brahmasmi, given by Vedavyasa, has
correspondence only in Advaita.

Om Tat Sat