Mananam

  When Matter Looks Polluted but Brahman Stays Pure A conversational reflection on a very real doubt in Advaita Vedānta Recently my friend sent me a beautiful, honest question over WhatsApp: “If the entire universe is just nāma–rūpa (name and form) of Brahman, then matter is also Brahman. Everything is Brahman. Then why does it still appear dual when we say, ‘Existence is not a part or property of matter and is not affected by whatever happens to the material world’? It sounds as if matter and Brahman are separate when we say, ‘Brahman pervades matter but is untouched by it,’ while at the same time we also say matter is only name and form of Brahman alone. And further – if matter is not a second thing, how is it that we seem to pollute matter while Brahman remains untainted?” If you’ve spent time with Upaniṣads, Gītā, Taittirīya, Drg-Drśya Viveka, different teachers and commentaries… this kind of “back and forth confusion” is totally natural. Let’s unpack the doubt in si...

Gītā-śāstra-vicāraḥ, Śrī Ācārya-vākyeṣu darśitaḥ  (A reflection on the Gītā-śāstra as revealed through the words of the Ācārya) 1. What is the ultimate purpose ( prayojana ) of the Gītā-śāstra? tasya asya gītā-śāstrasya sa ṃ kṣepata ḥ prayojana ṃ para ṃ ni ḥ śreyasa ṃ sa-hetukasya sa ṃ sārasya atyantoparama-lakṣa ṇ am. The concise purpose of this Gītā-śāstra is parama-ni ḥ śreyasa -the supreme good, characterized by the total cessation ( atyantoparama ) of sa ṃ sāra along with its cause ( sa-hetuka ) – (i.e. ajñāna)   2. How does the Ācārya describe the Gītā’s position among all scriptural teachings? tad ida ṃ gītā-śāstra ṃ samasta-vedārtha-sāra-sa ṅ graha-bhūta ṃ . This Gītā-śāstra is a condensation ( sa ṅ graha-bhūta ) of the essence ( sāra ) of the entire meaning of the Vedas ( samasta-vedārtha ).   3. Who are the true pa ṇḍ itā ḥ that Śrī K ṛ ṣ ṇ a refers to in the Gītā? nānuśocanti pa ṇḍ itā ḥ ātmajñā ḥ | pa ṇḍ ā ātma-viṣayā buddhir yeṣā ṃ...

  śrīmadātmane gu ṇ aika sindhave nama ḥ śivāya dhāmaleśa dhūta kokabandhave nama ḥ śivāya | nāmaśeṣitā namad bhāvasindhave nama ḥ śivāya pāmaretara pradhāna bandhave nama ḥ śivāya || 1 || Why kokabandhu = “sun” Koka often denotes the cakravāka (ruddy goose). A famous poetic conceit: the male and female cakravākas are separated at night and can reunite only when the sun rises. Because the sunrise ends their grief, the sun is called their bandhu (friend/kinsman). Hence kokabandhu (“friend of the koka bird”) becomes a nāmadhēya for the sun. So in this verse, dhāmaleśa-dhūta-kokabandhu poetically says: “the One by whose tiniest ray the sun (friend of the koka-bird) is outshone and driven away.” nāmaśeṣitā = nāma (name, mere word) + śeṣita (made to remain, left over) → “reduced to a mere name / left as nothing but a word” namad = from namat (bending, bowing, one who prostrates) → “of the devotee who bows; of the bo...