Category:God's Brahman Effulgence
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category clarifies the exact nature and position of the Brahman effulgence (brahmajyoti) within the absolute reality. The Brahman effulgence is not an independent, formless void, nor is it the ultimate source of existence. Rather, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it is simply the spiritual light emanating from the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Just as the sun's rays emanate from the sun planet, the Brahman effulgence expands unlimitedly from the Lord's personal abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and it is the foundation upon which all spiritual and material planets are created. The category also highlights a crucial distinction in spiritual destinations: while pure devotees seek to serve the Supreme Person within His personal abode, jñānīs (philosophical speculators) and even demons killed by the Lord (like Kaṁsa and Śiśupāla) attain the impersonal Brahman effulgence. However, because the soul is naturally active, remaining inactive in this effulgence is considered "hellish" or "suicidal" by pure devotees. Without the engagement of loving devotional service, those who merge into the Brahman effulgence eventually fall back down to the material world.
- The Sun Analogy: The relationship between the Supreme Lord and the Brahman effulgence is identical to the sun planet and its sunshine. The Lord is the localized source, and the brahmajyoti is His expanding, all-pervasive energy.
- The Foundation of Creation: All creation takes place from within the Brahman effulgence. It is the energetic background upon which countless spiritual and material planets rest.
- The Destination of Demons and Jñānīs: Enemies of the Lord who are killed by Him (like Kaṁsa) and philosophers who practice mental speculation (jñānīs) both achieve the same destination: merging into the impersonal Brahman effulgence (sāyujya-mukti).
- The Risk of Falling Down: Attaining the Brahman effulgence is an incomplete realization. Because there is no dynamic, loving service in this impersonal light, the soul's natural active propensity causes it to eventually fall back to the material world to engage in mundane philanthropic activities.
- The Devotee's Prayer: Pure devotees consider merging into the Brahman effulgence to be spiritual suicide. Following the Īśopaniṣad, they pray for the Lord to remove this dazzling light so they can see His true, eternal, personal form.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God's Brahman Effulgence - The Dazzling Light of the Supreme Lord.
Subcategories
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
Pages in category "God's Brahman Effulgence"
The following 39 pages are in this category, out of 39 total.
A
- Actually, in the Brahman effulgence there is no chance for reciprocation of loving ecstasy between the Lord and the devotee
- Although Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are the same and one absolute truth, still devotees like Kamsa or Sisupala could attain only to the Brahman effulgence. They could not have realization of Paramatma or Bhagavan. That is the distinction
- As stated in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.40), the Brahman effulgence emanating from the body of the Supreme Lord creates innumerable planets in both the spiritual and material worlds; thus these planets are creations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
F
- For a devotee, kaivalya-sukha, or merging into the existence of the Lord, is hellish because the bhakta considers it suicidal to lose his individuality and merge into the effulgence of Brahman
- From the Rg Veda we understand, om tad visnoh paramam padam: the original substance is the all-pervading Lord Visnu, who is also Paramatma and the effulgent Brahman
H
- Having thus been welcomed by everyone, Lord Vamanadeva, the best of the brahmacaris, exhibited His Brahman effulgence. Thus He surpassed in beauty that entire assembly, which was filled with great saintly brahmanas
- He (the Lord) gives shelter to the impersonalists in His impersonal Brahman effulgence, whereas He gives shelter to the devotees in His personal abodes known as the Vaikunthalokas
I
- I create after the Lord's creation by His personal effulgence (known as the brahmajyoti), just as when the sun manifests its fire, the moon, the firmament, the influential planets and the twinkling stars also manifest their brightness
- I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has no material qualities but who accepts the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance within this material world. I also offer my respectful obeisances unto the impersonal Brahman effulgence
- In the Isopanisad also, the devotee prays that the glaring effulgence of Brahman may be removed from his eyes so that he can see the real, personal feature of the Lord and thus satisfy himself fully
- In the Upanisads a devotee prays to the Lord to kindly put aside the effulgence, brahmajyoti, so that the devotee may see within the brahmajyoti the actual, eternal form of the Lord
- It is not very difficult to merge into the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, Brahman, if one has satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- It is said that the living entity is one ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair. Therefore the living entity is localized. Living entities rest on the Brahman effulgence, the bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that the Lord is the support of the Brahman effulgence. Originally He is the root cause of everything
J
- Jnanis want to become one with the Brahman effulgence, yogis want to realize Paramatma, and devotees want to develop Krsna consciousness and transcendental loving service to the Lord. That loving service is the perfect stage of sense control
- Just as the sun is a localized planet with the sunshine expanding unlimitedly from that source, so the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead with His effulgence of energy, Brahman, expanding unlimitedly
N
- Neither those engaged in the self-realization of appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, nor those engaged in devotional service while accepting the S P of Godhead as master are now playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys
- Nor does the Lord become a formless entity at any time, for ultimately He is the eternal form, the primeval Lord. His impersonal aspect, or Brahman effulgence, is but the glow of His personal rays, just as the sun's rays are the glow of the sun-god
O
- One cannot be sure of entrance into the spiritual realm - in either the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord or the Vaikuntha planets within that Brahman effulgence - unless he is surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord
- One who is dazzled by the effulgence of the impersonal brahma-jyotir cannot know the personal transcendence; therefore in the Isopanisad it is prayed that the Lord shift His dazzling effulgence so that the devotee can see the real reality
S
T
- The Brahman effulgence is also the energy of the Supreme Lord. It is the same whether one remains in the Brahman effulgence or in the material energy because in neither is there spiritual activity
- The Brahman effulgence is only the bodily rays of Narayana, and because you are always absorbed in ecstatic thought of Krsna and Balarama, what pious activity remains for you to perform?
- The demons and impersonalists are awarded the facility of merging in the brahmajyoti effulgence of the Lord, whereas the devotees are admitted into the spiritual planets
- The impersonal Brahman effulgence is beyond this material world, and this is called param padam. Aruhya krcchrena param padam. Merging into the impersonal effulgence of the Lord is called param padam
- The impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Absolute Truth consists of the bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The impersonalist rises to the Brahman effulgence and enters into that effulgence, he has no engagement in the service of the Lord, and therefore he is again attracted to materialistic philanthropic activities
- The impersonalist wants to attain the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Lord, but that is not at all congenial to the living sparks, parts and parcels of the Lord. Therefore, the impersonalists again fall down and get material forms
- The jnana-yoga system aims at the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and the hatha-yoga system aims at the localized personal aspect, the Paramatma feature of the Absolute Truth
- The one Absolute Truth, Bhagavan, pervades all by His material cosmic manifestation, the spiritual Brahman effulgence, and His personal existence as the Supreme Lord
- The personified Vedas continued, "In other words, both the yogis and the great, wise philosophical speculators ultimately attain the impersonal Brahman effulgence, which is automatically attained by the demons who are regular enemies of the Lord"
- The universal form of the Lord and the formless Brahman effulgence of the Lord, being invisible, are inferior features
- This theory cannot be supported either, because the Lord Himself says in the Bhagavad-gita that the Brahman effulgence rests on His personality
- Those who are engaged in self-realization, appreciating the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, and those engaged in devotional service, accepting the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master, are now playing with the Lord in friendship as cowherd boys
W
- We can understand from Brahma-samhita that the brahma-jyotir, or the Brahman effulgence, emanates from the body of the Supreme Lord. And from the Brahman effulgence, all creation takes place
- We can understand from Brahma-samhita that the brahmajyoti, or the Brahman effulgence, emanates from the body of the Supreme Lord. And from the Brahman effulgence, all creation takes place
- We hear from the Vedic version that the Supreme Brahman exhibits His effulgence and therefore everything is illuminated
- Within the sun itself resides the sun-god, and similarly within the supreme spiritual planet, Goloka Vrndavana, from which the brahmajyoti effulgence is emanating, the Lord enjoys His eternal pastimes, as verified in the Brahma-samhita