Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates 鈥楶arabrahman in Human-Like Form鈥� of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
5.4.2. Parabrahman in Human-Like Form
[Full title: 厂腻办腻谤补: Parabrahman as Having Form (2): Parabrahman in Human-Like Form]
Convincingly, it is not enough to know that Parabrahman has a definite and divine form.[1] It is necessary to know what that eternal form is like, for even objects such as pots and pans and creatures such as cows and horses have 鈥榓 form鈥�. So, what does Parabrahman look like? This enticingly simple yet bold question is at the heart of many spiritual discussions and disputes. Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 is unambiguous in his description: Parabrahman is in human-like shape (尘补苍耻峁腻办腻谤补 form). Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 points out a fully normal human form by mentioning that Parabrahman possesses two-arms (dvibhuja).
He declares in Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 III/38:
鈥淭he form of Parabrahman in Ak峁radh膩ma and the form of the muktas-the attendants of Parabrahman -are all real, divine, and extremely luminous. Also, the form of that Parabrahman and those muktas is two-armed like that of a human.鈥� (Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 III/38, p.664)[2]
He collects more detail about that form that before the bliss of the form of that Parabrahman, the sensorial pleasures of this realm and the higher realms pale into insignificance. Such is the form of Parabrahman and that form always has two arms.[3] As if in answer to our very own question above, Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 points out anticipating a follow-up question about other extraordinary forms of Parabrahman, he quickly clarifies that but by Parabrahman鈥檚 own wish, He may appear to have four arms, or sometimes to have eight arms, or He may even be seen as having a thousand arms.[4]
Moreover, in Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 II/13, Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 discloses the most vivid sketch of all the aspects regarding the human form of Parabrahman.
鈥淭he form is dark, but due to the intensity of the light, it appears to be rather fair, not dark. The form has two arms and two legs, not four, eight or a thousand arms, and its appearance is very captivating. The form is extremely serene. It appears like a human in shape and is youthful. Sometimes that form in the divine light is seen standing, sometimes sitting, at other times, it is seen walking around.鈥� (Vac.Ga. 2/13, pp. 418-419)
In this way, this human-shaped form is eternal; Parabrahman looks like a human when he manifests on earth, just as he does in Ak峁radh膩ma, even at the time of final dissolution.[5] The ancient Indian texts also describe the extremely luminous form of Parabrahman present within the extremely luminous divine light of his abode.[6]
In the 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补, the 叠丑腻峁补办腻谤补 carries a longer aforementioned discussion[7] of the subject matter of 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 XII mantra 1/6/7 and concludes with the exact translation of Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 II/13 and 1/37:
鈥�itthamiha param膩tmaiva s膩k峁泃ikatvena 苍颈谤奴辫颈迟补岣� | s膩k峁泃iko'pi na yena kenacidapy膩k膩re峁嚹�'pi tu divyakaracara峁嚹乨ikara峁嘺yutapuru峁Ｄ乲膩ra eveti 鈥�辫耻谤耻峁岣�鈥� ityanena siddh膩ntitam | sa ca punardvibhuja肠补谤补峁嘺 eva | caturbhuj膩ditva峁� tu dvibhuja肠补谤补峁嘺sya sata eva tasya nimittavi艣e峁nibandhana峁� svai艣varyayogajanita峁� na sarvak膩likam | sa ca 蝉补诲腻 ki艣oram奴rtirghana艣y膩mo'pi divyatejo'ti艣ay膩ddhira峁噈ayatvena 惫补谤峁噄迟补岣� | sa ced峁沢vidho'ya峁� svadivy膩'k峁radh膩gni divyasi峁僪膩sanar奴岣峢a岣� sanneva tadr奴pamajahadeva svasa峁卥alpam膩trata岣� k峁沺ay膩 m膩nu峁Ｄ乨ir奴pe峁嚹�''virbhavat墨t墨h膩mu峁asarvatras膩k峁泃ika岣� | 辫谤补濒补测腻'惫补蝉迟丑补测腻尘补辫颈 办腻濒腻'sp峁涐梗峁璷'ya峁� naikako峁瓂ak峁ramuktair墨k峁am膩峁噊 vir膩jata iti dar艣anena d峁浥泍膩k膩rasiddhi岣� |鈥�[8] (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 1/1/21, p. 46)
鈥淚n this way, Parabrahman is defined as having a definite form. This form or shape is not other shaped like but that form always has two arms. The form is dark, but due to the intensity of the light, it appears to be rather fair, not dark. The form has two arms and two legs, not four, eight or a thousand arms, and its appearance is very captivating. The form is extremely serene. It appears like a human in shape and is youthful. Even at the time of the final dissolution, unaffected from the kaal, He remains surrounded by the countless liberated souls, who are indulged in the constant darshan of Parabrahman in divine Ak峁radh膩ma, from where Parabrahman takes birth on the earth by His own wish.鈥�
The 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 XII also confirms that human-shaped Parabrahman:
鈥�tadapi divyadvikaradvicara峁嚹乨iyutapuru峁Ｄ乲膩rameveti 辫耻谤耻峁 ityanenoktamato na 苍颈谤腻办腻谤补岣� sa kad膩pi kutr膩p墨ti j帽eyam |鈥� (颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 XII 1/6/7, p.39)
鈥淭hat form of Parabrahman has two hands, two legs, and a perfect divine human form. In this manner, he would never be considered as formless either in this world or in his abode.鈥�
As far as the shape or form of Parabrahman is concerned, we have to discuss two more aspects which are very important to understand the nature of Parabrahman. They are 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 and 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 forms. Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 describes this in Vaca苍腻m峁泃a K膩riy膩n墨 8 as Parabrahman鈥檚 鈥榦riginal form鈥� (尘奴濒补 蝉惫补谤奴辫) and these two forms. In this discourse, he first expounds Parabrahman鈥檚 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 form as being 鈥榮ubtler than that which is subtle鈥�, because he indwells and ensouls all of the material elements and spiritual beings, including Ak峁rabrahman. He then portrays Parabrahman鈥檚 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 aspect as being tremendously vast.
He states:
鈥淏efore the vastness of Parabrahman 笔耻谤耻峁迟迟补尘补 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍, countless millions of 产谤补丑尘腻苍诲补蝉, which are encircled by the eight barriers (i.e., earth, water, etc.), appear extremely minute, like mere atoms. Those 产谤补丑尘腻苍诲补蝉 do not become smaller, but before the vastness of Parabrahman, they appear small. In this way, the extreme vastness of the form of Parabrahman is the 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 aspect of Parabrahman.鈥� (Vaca苍腻m峁泃a K膩riy膩n墨 8, p.267)
Here, we can anticipate a natural question that, then, in his 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 form, Parabrahman is subtler than the extremely subtle, and in His 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 form, He is vaster than the extremely vast. What, then, is the original form of Parabrahman -who assumes both of these forms鈥搇ike?
Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 resumes:
鈥淭he answer to that is that the manifest form of Parabrahman visible in a human form is the eternal and original form of Parabrahman. His 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 and 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 aspects are the special, divine powers of that form.鈥�
The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 also explain Parabrahman as:
鈥淪maller than the smallest, larger than the largest.鈥� (Svet膩艣vatara-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 3/20, Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 2/20),
The 叠丑腻峁补办腻谤补 asserts this fact:
蝉补驳耻峁嘺峁� 苍颈谤驳耻峁嘺峁� ceti 辫补谤补峁� brahma nir奴pitam |
蝉补驳耻峁嘺峁� tu gu峁嘺ughatv膩nmahattv膩t sarvatastath膩 || Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 Siddh膩ntasudh膩 碍腻谤颈办腻 209 ||
nirgu峁嘺mapi tajj帽eya峁� 艣奴nyatv膩nm膩yikairgu峁嘺i岣� |
蝉奴办峁腻'tis奴k峁at膩y膩艣ca yajj帽膩苍腻mmucyate'艣ubh膩t || 210 ||鈥淚n His 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 form, Parabrahman is subtler than the extremely subtle, and in his 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 form, He is vaster than the extremely vast. In another meaning, when Parabrahman is called 蝉补驳耻峁嘺 means He is with all divine qualities. On the other hand, He is called 苍墨谤驳耻峁嘺 that reflects that He is beyond all the 尘腻测颈肠 辩耻补濒颈迟颈别蝉.鈥�
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Panc膩l膩 7 217
[2]:
Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Vart膩l 2
[3]:
Vacanamrut Loy膩 18
[4]:
Vacanamrut Loy膩 18, In addition, Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 mentions in several other sermons the 鈥榟oly feet鈥� (肠补谤补峁嚹乺惫颈苍诲补', or simply 鈥�肠补谤补峁嘺鈥�) of God (Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 I/71, Gadh. 1/74, Loy膩.13, Loy膩.17, Gadh. 3/4, Gadh. 3/7, Gadh. 3/9, Gadh. 3/11, Gadh. 3/13), often as being worshipped in Ak峁radh膩ma by countless millions of liberated souls (Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 III/31; also Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 II/25, Gadh. 3/39). Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺 also cites descriptions from the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 that describe Parabrahman as 'seeing', and thereby argues that God has eyes and indeed all sense organs (Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 I/45, Pan.7). Together, these statements create a strong, clear image of Parabrahman as having a fully formed human shape, with two arms, feet, eyes and other sense organs, etc.
[5]:
Vaca苍腻m峁泃a Gadhad膩 I/37
[6]:
Aitareya-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 1/1, Brhad膩ra峁噛aka-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 1/2/5, 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 XII 6/2/3, 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补1/1/5
[7]:
础苍迟补蝉诲丑补谤尘腻诲丑颈办补谤补峁嘺; see 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补s-厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺-产丑腻峁补 1/1/21, pp. 45-6. See also MuU-厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺-产丑腻峁补 3/1/3, pp. 283-284 and Sv膩mi苍腻r膩ya峁嘺-产丑腻峁补 2/3/6, pp. 116-119 where Purusa' denotes Parabrahman, and also 莫艣a-耻辫补苍颈峁诲-厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺-产丑腻峁补 16, p. 24 for elaboration of 鈥�谤奴辫补尘'.
[8]:
耻办迟补峁� ca s峁涐梗峁璱prakara峁噀 '膩tmaivadamagra 膩s墨t 辫耻谤耻峁vidha岣� '(产峁�. 1/ 4/ 1) ityadi | ittha峁� s膩k峁泃ikatvani艣caye nir膩k膩ratvoktayo'sya svetarasamastavailak峁峁噛apratip膩danat膩tparyakatvena pr膩k峁泃膩''k膩rani峁dham膩tra峁� bruvant墨ti vij帽eyam | yaccokta峁� 'tasya yath膩 kapy膩sam' (肠丑腻. 1/ 6/ 7) iti jaghanyopam膩na艣rutiriti tadasya vaktureva jaghanyadh墨tvamiti ki峁� kha峁囜笉anena | etanmantr膩rtha艣ca tadbh膩峁膩davagantavya岣� | tath膩 c膩'tra '腻诲颈迟测补惫补谤峁嘺峁� 迟补尘补蝉补岣� 辫补谤补蝉迟腻诲补 '(tai. 苍腻. 1/ 8), '测补诲腻 辫补艣测补岣� pa艣yate rukmavar峁嘺m' (mu. 3/ 1/ 3) ityady膩stats膩k峁泃ikatvapar膩岣� 艣rutayo yojy膩岣� | eva峁� '别峁'苍迟补谤腻诲颈迟测别 丑颈谤补峁噈补测补岣� 辫耻谤耻峁岣�' (肠丑腻. 1/ 6/ 6) iti param膩tmaiveti siddham || 1/ 1/ 21 ||