[Chaturamnaya] Swarupa Ashtakam - 8

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
Verse 7
अनन्तं विभुं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं शिवं सङ्गहीनं यदोंकारगम्यम् ।
निराकारमत्युज्ज्वलं मृयुहीनं परं ब्रह्म नित्यं तदेवाहमस्मि ॥
 
The Infinite, all-pervading, desire-less, action-less, auspicious, attachment-less, attainable through the Pranava Om, formless, resplendent, immortal,
supreme, eternal Brahman – I am that
 
Some more descriptions of Brahman are given in this verse which can be understood if we remember the previous descriptions we had namely Brahman is
Karana, Eka, Saara, Nitya, Satya, and Ananda.
•    Anantam – infinite, limitless (already explained in verse #2, line #3 as Parccheda Heenam)
•    Vibhum – Any Karanam is called Vibhu:
 
Karanam alone appears in the form of varieties of Karyam. Vividham bhavati iti vibhu:
•    Nirvikalpam – Without any division. Consciousness is all-pervading like space. According to Vedanta, we cannot even have the division in the
form of consciousness and matter i.e. Atma and Anatma. Even though we make this division in the initial stages (Adhya Ropa Prakaranam), in the final stages
(Apavada prakaranam) of Vedanta, this division is negated. Actually matter does not exist separate from Consciousness – ‘Consciousness and matter’ is a
wrong expression. Matter is nothing but misunderstood Consciousness. Understood matter is consciousness. In the eyes of a wise person, there is no world
other than Consciousness. Therefore, ‘Nirvikalpam.’
•    Nireeham – Iha has got two meanings – desire (Kama) and action (Karma), Brahman is free from desire and action.
•    Shivam – Means ‘Mangala Swaroopam’ (as per Mandukya Upanishad, Shantam-Shivam-Advaitam) Brahman is of the nature of auspiciousness.
•    Sangaheenam – free from all contacts or relations. Why Brahman does not have any contact or relationship? Simple logic is that there is no
second thing to Brahman, so there is no question of striking a relationship.
•    Yat Omkara Gamyam – that which is revealed by meditating on Omkara. In Mandukya Upanishad, Om is split into four components – A, U, M and silence.
A represents wakeful state, U represents dream state and M represents deep sleep. The silence that follows represents Turiyam or the Avastha Traya Sakshi.
Thus through Omkara Vichara, Brahman is revealed. Omkara gamyam = Turiyam.
•    Nirakaram – Shapeless or formless, all-pervading like space, Chidakasha Roopa.
•    Ati Ujjwalam – brilliant, revealer of everything. This we can understand in the following manner. Consciousness, first reveals the mind.
When I wake up, I become aware of my mind. Consciousness lends sentiency to the insentient mind. Then, the mind with borrowed consciousness reveals the
sense organs, and sense organs become sentient. Light of the Atma first goes to the mind, and from there to the sense organs, and from the sense organs
to the world. Therefore, I am aware of the mind first, then I am aware of the sense organs, and then I am aware of the world through the sense organs.
Therefore, consciousness is said to be the light of all lights or ‘Ati Ujjwalam’.
•    Mrtyu heenam – immortal-eternal-free from death. By claiming my immortality and accepting the body’s mortality, I overcome the fear of death.
 
 
(To be Continued)