Category:Describing Brahman
Theme Analysis
The concept of Brahman is central to Vedic philosophy, representing the Absolute Truth in its various manifestations. According to the scriptures, the most common description of Brahman is the brahmajyoti—the unlimited, unfathomed spiritual effulgence that emanates directly from the transcendental bodies of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The impersonal Brahman is not denied by the Vaiṣṇavas; rather, it is perfectly understood and described as the localized glowing rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which serves as the ultimate destination for impersonal philosophers known as Vedāntists.
Beyond the effulgence, Brahman is fundamentally described as the original source of everything. The Vedānta-sūtra defines Brahman as the supreme cause of all causes, from which the entire cosmic manifestation emanates and into which it is conserved after annihilation. Furthermore, the total material substance—the mahat-tattva—is also described as Brahman in the Vedic literature. This material Brahman is impregnated with the seeds of the conditioned living entities by the Supreme Person, giving rise to the innumerable universes.
Ultimately, the Vedic literature guides the sincere seeker to transcend the impersonal descriptions of Brahman and realize the personal features of Para-brahman. Great authorities like Lord Śiva concentrate their prayers on the personal, transcendental form of the Absolute Truth. To facilitate this realization, the Īśopaniṣad contains a profound prayer requesting the Lord to remove His glaring brahmajyoti so the devotee can behold His real face. Because the Absolute Truth is non-dual, the Vedic literature itself is known as śabda-brahman, meaning there is absolutely no difference between the Supreme Brahman and the transcendental sound vibration describing Him.
- The Glaring Effulgence: The impersonal Brahman is vividly described as the unlimited spiritual effulgence emanating from the body of the Supreme Lord.
- The Cause of All Causes: The Vedānta-sūtra describes Brahman as the summum bonum, the ultimate source from which everything emanates.
- The Material Substance: In Vedic literature, the total material substance (mahat-tattva) is also designated as Brahman, which is impregnated by the Supreme Person.
- Beyond the Impersonal: The ultimate goal is to pierce through the blinding brahmajyoti to realize the personal form of Para-brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Describing Brahman - Understanding the Absolute Truth.
Pages in category "Describing Brahman"
The following 18 pages are in this category, out of 18 total.
B
- Brahma means Vedic literature. Sabda-brahman. The information, the description of God is also Brahman. Brahman is absolute. There is no difference between Brahman and the literature which is describing Brahman
- Brahman is that from whom, or from which, whatever you like, everything is emanated. So that Supreme Source, summum bonum, of everything is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
- Brahman is the resort of the mahat-tattva, which includes all material and spiritual entities. It is described in this connection that the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, is the master of both pradhana and purusa
- By this statement (in SB 3.26.46) of Kapila's it is confirmed that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Brahman, has innumerable forms, which are described in the scriptures
I
- In his prayers, Lord Siva concentrated upon the personal features of Parabrahman, described in personal terms as snigdha-pravrd-ghana-syamam - SB 4.24.45
- It is not that the impersonal Brahman is denied; it is also described, but that Brahman is considered to be the glaring effulgence of the body of Caitanya
T
- The Brahma-samhita clearly describes Brahman, "It flourishes on the strength of Govinda and after annihilation enters into and is conserved in Govinda"
- The Brahma-samhita clearly describes Brahman, "The living entities, space, time and the material elements like fire, earth, sky, water and mind constitute the total cosmic manifestation, known as Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah, which is manifested by Govinda"
- The descriptions of Brahman as the effulgence of Lord Caitanya, the Paramatma as His partial representation, and the SP of Godhead Krsna as identical with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu must be verified by evidence from authoritative Vedic literatures
- The impersonal Brahman, which is the effulgence of the Lord, is described in this verse - SB 6.16.21
- The Isopanisad mantra is a simple prayer to the Lord to remove the brahmajyoti so that one can see His real face. This brahmajyoti effulgence is described in detail in several mantras of the Mundaka Upanisad
- The mahat-tattva, is described as Brahman in the Vedic literature: tasmad etad brahma nama-rupam annam ca jayate. Into that Brahman the seeds of the living entities are impregnated by the Supreme Person. BG 1972 purports
- The previous verses (previous to SB 6.16.25) described the Brahman and Paramatma features of the Absolute Truth. Now this prayer is offered in bhakti-yoga to the Absolute Supreme Person
- The Supreme Personality impregnates that total substance, and thus innumerable universes become possible. This total material substance, the mahat-tattva, is described as Brahman in the Vedic literature. BG 1972 purports
- The Vedanta-sutra describes that Brahman is the cause of everything. Janmady asya yatah - SB 1.1.1
- This spiritual effulgence is the ultimate destination of the impersonalists known as Vedantists. The brahmajyoti is also described as ananta-param, unlimited and unfathomed