In Vishishtadvaita philosophy, the jivatman (individual soul) is characterized as eternal, self-luminous consciousness that is inherently subservient to Paramatman (the Supreme Lord). The jivatman possesses three essential attributes: it is a doer (kartā), a knower (jñātā), and an enjoyer (bhoktā), all of which are granted by Paramatman rather than being inherent qualities. The jivatman is described as extremely subtle (like the tip of a nail divided into 100 parts repeatedly) yet its attributive knowledge (dharmabana) expands everywhere like the sun's rays. While the jivatman's essential nature (svarupa) remains pure and unchanged, its attributive knowledge undergoes contraction and expansion in different states. The jivatman is classified into categories: samsaris (bound by karma), nityas (eternally liberated), and muktas (formerly bound but now liberated). Every individual soul is eligible for liberation through proper spiritual practice and devotion to the Supreme Lord.
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Vishishtadvaita Intro - 10Added:
Let's go.
for.
I welcome you all to this the next section of the introductory course on visha.
[clears throat] Last session we looked at the the second reality among three realities achit and brahman.
We looked about we saw the nature of achita earlier kala and all that. Then we had started to [clears throat] look at the nature of the chit tatwa which is jvatmans the ancient individuals beings. So the main characteristics of jvatman as per the shruti smi pmanas and all that is jatman is a doer.
He is self luminous siam praasha and of the nature of consciousness and also a knower. Surupa and Sabha both are the Brahma. Vadana establishes this as means one who knows he has he is a knower.
He is a knower. So he has the attribute of consciousness. His very substantive nature is also consciousness and they are eternal.
So they are always there is no beginning and end to a jatma and they are innumerable. Everybody has a different individual self in different jat and they are all said to be the modes of Brahman being his shar is a more a technical word that is a shastria [clears throat] told in the smis and all that shar we understand as body with eyes and hands and all that that is not The complete definition of Shar. Shar has a larger definition, broader definition in which every whatever is told as shares, in the Vedas, in puranas etc. Everything should be according to the definition of Shar. So definition of anything should be such that there should be nothing left out of the definition.
So that way we have to define shar anything that we define should be like that. So Shar is defined by in our siddharta as that which has three relationships with respect to the shari or the atma atma shar.
So which is always supported, always controlled and exists for the purpose of or subservient to the atman. These three relations whenever we see we can call it a sharira and it should be a substance a draa it's not a quality it should be a substance.
So [clears throat and cough] that way jvatmans are all said to be rakara vishna rakara is also means vana generally. So first thing important is a doer and an enjoyer ka and bhta which we saw last time also a little bit and this kit of the jatman is not obtained by him by himself.
It is given by paramat to him. So it is Brahma says it is given by it is not his own. He is totally dependent on Paramatman for his very existence.
All his doership, knowership, everything is endured by paramat to all the jatathmans and has given also paramat freedom to will or to do salpar for every work he does.
So if it doesn't give then paramatman will get the blemish of being partial and very cruel and all those things because the jivvatman's one person has got grief one person has happiness one person has a lot of money somebody else doesn't have any money somebody has health somebody is always sick like that we see so many differences in this world so many sufferings and all those things if paramatma himself decides everything by himself.
Why should he cause somebody to suffer, somebody should to enjoy like that? Then he'll be he'll be blamed as having partiality.
He is partial to somebody like that.
They will be he'll be blamed. Paramatma doesn't have any blemish.
He doesn't even have a scent of any blemish. Soatman is completely pure in every sense and nusha and all that. So because of that he uses the karma of the jvatmas to give them the fruits and while doing the karma of the jvatma jvatma is the one who has to do the karma. So Paramatma does not decide on his behalf what he should do or not do but he gives him everything required to make the right decision.
So that have to decide what to do by themselves. So that is called the freedom of the jat. It is there in every act that we do. We go hundreds of acts every day. Every act has got this aspect. So it is a responsibility of the jat only to take the right decisions and he will have to face the consequences.
Whatever one does the consequences have to be faced by that person only experienced by that person only. So if we are suffering somebody else is not to be blamed. our own act that we did some time ago maybe in our previous births or in this birth whatever it is that the fruit of that we are experiencing now.
So we cannot blame anybody and it is our responsibility to take the right decisions and do the right things from now on so that we don't accumulate more and more sins and more and more suffering. So that is how the system is established that is impartiality to paramat and he is not cruel is most compassionate and he's impartial these two are very important so that way everything is properly established as told in the shi all told in the shi itself says very clearly when he does the right thing will get their right benefits. One who does the wrong things will have to suffer.
So the doership of the ja atman is also because the shastra tells Veda is the shastra. It is the guide for us. We cannot seeman to ask him what do you want us to do?
But we are all meant subservient to the paratman only.
Paramatman. So we are supposed to do as per his wishes. Whatever he wants, as per whatever pleases him, we are supposed to do. A servant is supposed to please the master all the time. And if the master is pleased by the service, servant also will be happy. That master has accepted my service and I he is pleased. So I servant also will be very happy. So when the very nature of jawat is subservience to paramat has to do as per the wishes of how do we know the wishes of permatan what he wants us to do not to do we cannot see him we cannot ask him so paramat has given us the shastra which is the veda the veda tells us what the each one has to do according to their and ashamas what one has to do one should not And all that is told in the shastrahan Krishna tells Arjuna [clears throat] what is what is what should be done what is should not be done in that what is the pana you have to look at shastra and follow that Krishna says so the shastra tells vidhi Nishada what should be done what should not be done if that vidhi and nishad has to be followed one should have the capability to perform to do the act based on one's own wishes or willing so if I don't have the capacity to decide what I want to do what is the purpose of the shastra it will become waste it'll be futile so shastra is purposeful shastra is telling everyone what to do, what not to do and the benefits can be gained if you follow the shastra. If you don't follow, we will also suffer. So that also shastra sells clearly. So for this the individ individual self should have the capability to decide what to do or not do and based on the decision paramat gives the fruits to them accordingly. do the right things, we get the right benefits like that. And this doership is of course given by permatam. The freedom is also given by he has given it out of his own freedom.
He is satantra. Nobody can question him.
So he has given us the freedom also out of compassion and so that he will not get blamed for what the jivats do. And they also have the choice. If somebody wants only money, they can get money.
Okay. You get money itself and enjoy that. Somebody wants mokia, he will give moka. Somebody doesn't want moka, he will not give. Whatever we want, he will give. So that way he is impartial.
So that is how the shastra is established.
And that is how theatma has to be. Every act has got like I said earlier jana, chikisha and patna. These are very important aspects of jivatasupa. So we have to study this again and again understand it more clearly.
Every act has got three aspects and ghana means knowledge about what we want to do or we don't want to do.
Whether we want to do the desire to do or not to do and pray we start putting effort in that direction. So first we have to get the knowledge something then we decide whether to go ahead with it or not. Then we put start putting effort.
The moment we do that paramatan will help us to complete the effort and gain the fruits. If we decide wrongly that also he will complete and give us the whatever punishment. If we decide properly he will help us to complete that also and give us all the benefits.
He is impartial that way. So that is how it is done. So these three aspects are there.
is already given by that is there nothing but in the shi vedas say what what is right what is wrong and all the knowledge is given by given to us by permat and acharas explain to us what is right what is wrong and all those things if we are not able to understand these things cannot be understood directly by anyone we have to resort to an acharia to understand because it has to come in the parare properly sraha sat It has to come like that. Only then it will be proper knowledge we get. So that knowledge is given to us. Then the decision is in our hands and then we start putting effort. So this is how the everything is established and there is one more factor in the decision. When we want to make a decision arjuna says I don't want to do wrong things but I'm forced to do. Ra also says I am being pulled by some force. I don't know.
[clears throat] He says I know what is great and all these people. I know what is dharma but I am not able to follow it. I know what is but I am not able to avoid that. Some force is pulling me. He says what is that force? It is it is whatever acts we have done in our earlier birth to this current state.
Whatever acts we have done that has created an impression in our attributive knowledge in our knowledge and it forces to do the same thing again and again.
So that force we have to only overcome by taking the proper decision by making a firm decision that I am not going to do this. It is poss [snorts] It's not in our control. We have to tolerate it.
It'll come and it'll go. It'll never be forever.
We have to tolerate that. To tolerate that. Whereas what is born inside our mind is out of our own desires. That we have to control ourselves.
We decide what to do. We decide what I have to do or not to do. It is in our hands. So, but it is influenced by remmon impressions which are very strong, not easy to control but continuous practice help us to control that also. With continuous practice we can overcome the force of our vasana and go in the right direction. And of course we [clears throat] surrender ourselves to Bhagavan to help us do the right things and help us overcome the force of kurvak asana and he will definitely help us to do that. Every act he will help us. He will give us the right knowledge.
So these are all things that we have to know when we as a jaupa they are all they have [clears throat] everything that is needed the body sense organs capability to acquire knowledge to act and then both are there both are there he has given and then they have been given the shastra also jivats which is veda what is right and Acharia also we get to teach and show the right path and we have the freedom to take our own decisions. So with all these it becomes our responsible now next aspect is [snorts] self luminous self luminous to himself jvatma reveals himself to himself doesn't need any other means to know that I exist this is called means being revealed to oneself.
So he reveals himself to directly without the help of without the requirement of any other means to know that I exist. I don't need anything else. [snorts] This is declared as self luminous.
Though he self luminous, why are we not seeing another body that jat is self luminous? He should not should he not reveal us reveal to us? It is not known like that because first of all our karma is blocking our view. We don't see the parathatman who is in ours body only. We don't see him. How do we see jatman in some other body? We are not able to see our karma is blocking us. So it is because of his paramat salpa.
That karma if we get if we end then we will be able to see everything directly perceive everything.
So ja atma knows everything other than himself through his attributive knowledge which is inseparably associated with him and eternally inseparably associated with him that is called the attributive knowledge.
So this self luminosity of jatanhata it is told in science is present all the time. It's a very important aspect here which is different in various das this is projected in a different way whereas in vishad the same exists all the time and also is all the time they eternal eternally inseparably associated with jatma whether he's in the waking state or dream state or deep sleepup whatever it The deep sleep also we say that I don't know anything where I had gone where I have no completely no memory of anything in deep sleep.
So shastra says is united with Brahmani we are united with Brahman. United we don't go and merge into Brahman then we cannot wake up at all. If we were to Brahman intake says whoever goes to deep sleep the same person wakes up.
Same person has to wake up.
says even animals have. So it gives examples of animals only like that a lion tiger whoever it is whoever goes to the same person wakes up otherwise what happens there will be total confusion otherwise if I sleep get up as a different person what happens total confusion will be there does not happen like that means we have not merged into we are united with we are united with and then we come out and then wake up. And this is happening due to tamas increasing in our body.
Body is made of praerti and tamas. In that tamas increases, we go to deep sleep also sleep and dream state and all this happens because of tamas increasing tamas.
So that is a defect for jatma. All these states are defects only for bad ja waking state, dream state, deep sleep and fainting. All these are defects for the jatman.
They are not nowhere there is experience of paramatman or his own self also. Our jivatman also we don't experience. We don't experience paramat also. What is the use of such a state? It is a defect.
say that these are all defects for inhip at all is the question. He has no airship but there is nothing to know. So if I go into a dark room or if I go into a brightly lit room which doesn't have any object to be seen it doesn't mean I have lost my sight int Also it is like nothing to be seen. So he doesn't see anything because we say I did not know anything.
Here is known that I am there. Otherwise I cannot address that as I. I did not know anything. I know that I am the one who went to deep sleep. I only have woken up. I did not know anything. I may know after waking up but I still know that I am the one who did not know. So that I is there a which is a self luminosity of the jvatman which proves that it is even there but there's nothing to be known.
So jatman's knowership was very much there.
always there. Only thing is it contracts and expands in the bound state badha samsara when we are there we gain knowledge newly we lose knowledge we we forget things we learn new things so these are all showing that our I have acquired some new knowledge I have lost some knowledge means my dhmutagana has expanded or contracted that's what it means but dhmutana is always there it never become become zero it is still there always it will there so it'll be less or it'll be more and moyas everything we can perceive like brahmatma directly and jivatma also know that is one I am only one I know not many jas are there in my body I know that [clears throat] I am one atman isupa nature of consciousness So this is called in some means the meaning of the word or the object denoted by the word aam is jvatman. It's called aa it shines forth by itself is a knower.
Jathman can know himself.
The most essential character is only that is the most essential character characteristic of awedana itself in many places.
That which is extremely is the most important characteristics of an object.
We can address the object by that characteristic itself.
If we go to a shop, we want to buy a cloth. Let's say there is a white cloth and black cloth, red, white and all that. We can say give me that red one.
We are only telling red. Red is only a color. It's not an object. But red is the prominent characteristic of that object. So we can we need not say red shirt. We can say the red one. Give me get me the red one. If you say that he will give us the red object. But we are using the word only red there. It is a quality. It's not a substance.
So, but that is a prominent characteristic of that object.
Similarly, jatman also being the prominent characteristic ghana can be used to address a vigana itself does the vigana doesn't do. The one who has the hea like that should have been there but doesn't say like that itself does the work who has to do knowledge itself cannot do but knowledge is being the most prominent characteristic of jatan he can be addressed as nana itself that is how This is it.
This is also told like that Brahma says Brahma is only an unlimited is Brahman not itself anupand maya. So like that most important characteristic is no airship. No airship is the most important characterist. That is why it is very important to understand that and everything happens through this no airship only. [clears throat] This is the most fundamental characteristic of the jata.
No airship only gives him the various other things he does throughout everything is a form of only it's a form of knowledge only all are a form of knowledge. So says it says jatma says means one who sees one who touches one who hears one who smells one who tastes One who can think about meditates.
One who gets knows knowledge means he is of the nature of consciousness. He also has the knowership and he's also of the nature of consciousness. Both are told.
Vyanatma is substantive knowledge. Moda is attributive knowledge. Both are told.
Both are told forat. So the six words all these tell about various ways of knowing atma means atma is ghana.
This is the most important characteristic of a jatma and through attributive knowledge he knows everything.
So the essential nature consciousness is called dhikana is self luminous and dhmagana is attributive knowledge. Dhmana is substantive knowledge. So this is how atmasa is defined and atmas are eternal.
They are eternal and indestructible.
says we cannot be destroyed and all that says Gita also says that atman the essential nature and the attributive nature both are consciousness jvatman is atomic what is the size of the jvatma is the next aspect is it all pervading or is Is it subtle?
Actually though it is told atomic jatma is a spiritual entity. He can he doesn't have a measure like a material entity. A material entity has breadth and height and weight and all those things. A spiritual entity does not have any of these characteristics. Atma does not have weight or height or length or breadth or anything. He is spiritual. is [clears throat] ghana. So he is told as subtle very very subtle is the word used. But how to explain to somebody what is subtle? So for that gives a an example from the worldly point of view what we understand from that point of view. Shri gives an example.
means the tip of a nail is also there. The tip of a hair, the tail in the cow of the cow that is also told take the tip of the nail break it into 100 parts. Take one part of that further break it into 100 parts. That one part is the size of the jat. This is what says like that. So that means he is so subtle. Sukma is how we have to understand. He does not have length and bread and weight all those things but he has to very very subtle very how to explain that to us gives this kind of an example 100 part of a 100 part of a tip of a nail is the size of the it says so this is how it is and he becomes he becomes all pervading says means unending all pervading How is it possible? Means it is through his dharmutana not swarupa. Swarupa is very subtle like a dot. Dhmabyana expands everywhere like sun is in one place in the sky. We see his rays expand all over the world everywhere like that. Jivatman is one small dot of Ghana self luminous and his dhabana expands all over in moka not here in the bound state it is limited by the body and the senses in the liberated state it is all pervading he becomes all pervading is dhmagana his swupa is only subtle so he exists only in one place he cannot exist exist everywhere at a time like a muktma for example in paraphabagana is here also it is all pervasive they can perceive everything everywhere being in one place like that substantive supa is very subtle attributive knowledge expands everywhere and in the bound state is limited by the body and the sense organs. So that is why we are not able to perceive what is there in the next room. I cannot know sitting here. I cannot see directly because my knowledge is limited by my side. So here in the bound body it is limited. Whereas when we get liberated sitting in one one place being there we can know everything everywhere like that it becomes. So that is why it's called says. So there are different views to this. Some people say all etc. which is not supported by because this clearly says he subtle.
So this shows very subtle and he also moves from body to body. If he's all pervading he cannot move from body to body. within the body also he moves the yoga shastra it is said that you can meditate on the jvatman in between your eyebrows like that he will be you will come he'll be positioned there and you have to meditate like that and all so jvatma moves within the body also it is established and in the shruty itself it is told [clears throat] so that is one aspect of jvatma which is very important and since they are eternal birth and death is nothing but associ Association and dissociation with body means association with the body and getting dissociated from the body. This is called that's all like that only just like he says when we told when old cloths are there we just throw the old cloth and wear a new cloth take a new cloth and wear it like that when this body becomes old we throw it and take a new body from body to body we are going to experience the fruits of our kmas and it is possible to get rid of this complete completely by performing the means to attain liberation.
So he is said to be the heart of the body. One super say that is ina is in the heart it says and it can move around inside the body of satma can be moving around is located at one point jvatma is aware of every part of the body just like the sun's rays are spreading our dmabutagana is spreading all over our body entire body it is pervading here we are bound by the body here whereas In moia it will not be there. Body will not be there.
This shar won't be there. So it'll be all pervasive.
So through the attributive knowledge only atman pervades every part of the body throughout.
So that is how the same example is also given in the Bhagawat Gita etc. And jvatmans are innumerable.
Everybody has a jaw atman.
Whether it is a body of a bacteria or a bird or a tree or whatever it is, it has so atmans are real many and different from each other. Each atma is different from the other. It is not that only one atman exists in all the bodies. No, all each body has a different jat. But what is important they are of the same nature. All of the all are of the nature of consciousness. Ghana each individual self experiences happiness, sorrow etc. unique to that person. The experiences of each person is uniqueness unique and this is well known in the world. So from that we can infer also shastra is also telling There are many many eternal sensients at truthy says and we can also infer that somebody's experience is different from my experience. So there has to be a different there. So the knowledge of one person is also different from of that of the another. So we cannot say there is only one atman. This cannot be inferred also. And birth and death of beings also shows there are many and different.
All atmans are similar in the sense that they are all of the nature of consciousness. So there is similarity of atmans not identity similarity of nature of in the nature of the this is called samatwa is there that is why when a yogi is told a yogi yogi sees all at the same nature that is what he perceives in the yoga state of yoga so that is called samatwa similarity that is called Samya Samya yoga it is told the bhagat the difference in experience here is due to karma of each individual. Why should there be difference? Because of the karma of the of each individual self it is different and atmans are all subservient to the god. This is a very important aspect of jivatmans that it is called subservience. It's called we say though the jivat is a distinct entity is not all independent subservient to the lord as a mode of the supreme inseparably associate we are all inseparably associated with brahman we don't realize it here but we are all inseparably associated with brahman we cannot exist independent of brahman at any time whether in the liberated state or the bound state or any state we cannot exist independently of Brahman.
Anything cannot exist. Everything can supported by Brahman only. So Brahman is the inner self of all things including the individuals says is told very clearly. It is told He controls being inner controller of everything.
It is told exists as an inseparable attitude attribute of Brahman. [clears throat] Shuty says jivats are the body of the supreme is supported controlled by and exists for the sake of Brahman all the time subservient to Brahman controlled by Brahman and supported by Brahman. So we cannot exist independently at any point of time. This is a very important thing. This is told very clearly in the opanishads. I'm not bringing all the oponyish statements here but generally giving the characteristic of a jatman and there are types of jatmans.
There are different types of jivats basically classified into two parts samsari and asamsari. Samsari means the cycle of birth and death is samsara taking body to body. Samyaki he keeps moving from body to body. Body to body this is called samsara. Samsara means only moving from body to bodys.
He does not bound in this world. He is liberated.
And among the liberated there are two categories Nityas and Mktas. Nitya is eternally liberated. Mukta is one point of time they were in the samsara. They were bound by karma. They perform the means to get rid of the karma and they are liberated with the grace of the lord. So they are mktas. This is the two category nitya and mkta. These are all as per shrana only we will know. We cannot infer that there are nityas mtas and all those things. We can know all these because they all super sensorist of things. We cannot know it or we cannot infer also. Inference is also through direct perception only. We have to see something and infer something through that based on the relationship between what we see and what we don't see. We infer that which we don't see.
That is called anuman inference.
We see smoke. We don't see fire but we see only smoke. But we know that there is a definite relationship between smoke and fire. Smoke is created by fire only.
generated by fire only. We know that relationship. So when we see smoke, we can infer that there has to be fire there which we do not see also. But we have to see smoke. Without seeing smoke we cannot infer that there is fire. So so inference is through direct perception only. We see something perceive something through that we infer something based on the relationship between the two. There has to be a definite relation between what we see and what we infer which we do not see.
That is called vati that has to be there otherwise we cannot see. We cannot infer. So whether nityas are there or not we don't perceive directly and we cannot infer also mtas also we cannot infer for all these shastra only is the vedas are only pana for this and samsari is one who is in this cycle of birth and death. There are some people who keep on doing only wrong things and they stay for a very very long time. They are called nity samsaris. It is not that they will never come out of samsara but they are in such a long time they will be there. That is why it is used the word nitya is used like that means they stay here for a long time very very long time. It is like telling gods are amas means they don't die at all. It is not true. It is only relative. We may live 100 years. God may live for every year of us is one day for them. So like that they live 100 years.
That's why they are told eternals. They are not gods are like Indra, Vuna and all are not eternal in the sense they are not liberated ones. They are also having body association with the body.
They also die. They also get another body. They keep going from samsara only like us only. But they have they have drunk ama so they have become amitas means what? They don't have death means what they do all death also. But it's relatively they stay they live for a long time compared to us. That is why they say they are Amaras. They are amas means they don't have death at all. That is not in the real sense. It only tells relative like that. Nity samsari is also told like that in our siddhanti samsari means the one who is performed the means to liberation and then he will get liberated. They are called samsara.
So these are the categories told by clearly in his word in his work called he gives this kind of a classification.
So atmans are grouped into those who are caught in this cycle of birth and death called samsara. Those who are not in the samsara asamsari among asamsaris some have never come in contact with this cycle known as nityas eternally liberated. Those who were in samsara and then got liberated is they called mktas.
Among samsaris there are some who keep doing bad things again and again continue to be very very long time called nity samsaris.
So they are not by nature nity samsaris but by by fact of doing bad things they are called nityamsaris that's all they also have an option to come out of that so those who are on the right path and get liberated are called bhavi samsari viraa even the nity samsaris can escape this cycle if they do the right kmas so knowingly unknowingly if they do some right thing will grace them to get liberated to do the right things for a period of time and perform the means to liberation and get liberated. So that is how it is told. But there are people who have been there for a very very long time keep doing the wrong things only because of the previous practices they have so much they have done wrong things that that was very very strong they're unable to overcome they continue for a very long time called nity samsaris. So very important to know in the sedanta is that every individual self is eligible for liberation in the system of philosophy.
Every individual self is eligible. This is the only system of philosophy which propounds this aspect. No other system of philosophy says every individual is eligible for liberation.
Vantis I am telling. So there are there are certain conditions for liberation for a person who performed the means in other systems. Adikara should be there.
But in our vishadic system what our acharas have established in Bhagat Ramja and others have established very clearly is that every individual is eligible for liberation. They can get liberated.
So that is a very great contribution of this system the whole world and moka can be attained only through the means taught in the pedas.
There are some cells known as nityas who have been always liberated that we have established with the pana. These are all known by vea pmana only we cannot infer this. The essential nature of jvatman is very pure. The sorupa is aikari. It does not get tainted in any way in any state.
Even in the bound state our sarupa is very pure. It is not tainted. But our swabhava which is dhabutagana under go modification contraction and expansion.
That is a defect in the swabhava of the jvatma not swarupa nature of the jvatman but not in the substantive part. So there are two parts like I said any object swarupa and sabha. So the swarupa of the jatman is very pure all the time.
It never gets any defect. It is completely defectless at all states whether bound state or liberated state.
The sorupai is same.
Why? But the dharmabana expands and contracts. In the bound state it is contracted. In the liberated state it is expanded. It is in its natural state. But sura remains the same all through everywhere and the essential this is told and for the samsar is attributive knowledge under goes contraction and expansion. So that is about the briefly about the nature of the jatma. So we told about the doership is there enjoyership is there all those things are there and we when we go to the means karm yoga and all those things we are going to talk about later that time we will know how to actually understand this and all those things in a little more detail but we know he now that the nature of jawat is ghasupa he has kwa and everything he is subservient to the Lord. His very existence is dependent on the Lord and whatever he does is out of the grace of the Lord only. His doership is also given to him by Lord and Lord has given him also Brahman the freedom to take decisions in every act.
So one one has one is responsible for one's own acts. We cannot blame Paramatman for anything that we suffer or whatever gains we get. We cannot blame anybody else. We have to face the consequence of our own actions. And out of these there are some who are doing always wrong things. They stay for a long time. But everybody can get liberated by doing the right things.
[clears throat] And knowingly, unknowingly, if they have done the some right thing, they will get the grace of Lord and they will do the right things later and get liberated.
And jatma is of the the size of a giatma is said to be very subtle. Sukshma is very minute but his attributive knowledge expands everywhere.
So all these are told in the upanishes and there are many jatans innumerable jatmans. They are all eternal. The attributive knowledge is also eternal inseparably associated with jvatman.
And whenever there is something to be shown, it'll reveal that to the jatma.
When there's nothing to be revealed, it will not reveal like that. Jatman knows everything other than himself through his attributive knowledge. These are all the essential characteristics of a jvatman as established in vishadic system based on the pmana of shruti [clears throat] prismati and all that.
Now we are going to study the nature of the paramatan supreme Brahman. Supreme entity Brahman Shrimarayana is the deity specific deity who is the supreme Brahman.
So the nature of the supreme Brahman is very clearly told by Bhagat Raman in the mangalashloka of his celebrated work Shrihashia which is a very elaborate commentary on the Brahma Sutras of Badana.
So this mangala explains the nature of the Brahman very clearly.
is the Bangladesh.
There are many words which are in the case is one phrase is another phrase in the locative case is another one is another one another one is the other. So all these things these words denote the nature of these words tell us about the nature of Brahman as established in the Brahma Sutras as and as elaborated and clearly established in the Vishtad Vic system and Shushi Bhakti tells about the nature of the means. Similarly, Vinata also tells about the nature of means. The word Vinata and Shushi Bhakti they tell about the means to attain Brahman. [clears throat] And who is a person to be attained?
Mama.
Mama. Every individual is a person who is who is who is addressed here.
So this is a and the important aspect here is shushi means ghana btupa means of the nature of loving devotion.
So knowledge of the nature of loving devotion is the means is told. Vin also tells about it is tell about it tells about the one is the other means of the means for attaining liberation. Now world means the entire not leaving anything. Jma means creation. Thema means sustenance.
The bhanga means dissolution, creation, sustenance and dissolution.
And it is all a to be a leela, a sport for the paramat. It is told as sport.
Leela is explained by our acharas as an act of compassion. Da is told later.
So one who is responsible for the who does the creation responsible for the sustenance and dissolution of this whole world one who has all these as his support or has his act of compassion is parabrahan the first attribute of those who surrender unto him all the beings means the beings which are the individual cells having a body. The word buddha in shastra means an individual cells having a body that is a being. So there are different types of beings in this world. They saw and within each there are so many varieties are there and the host of all these things and what is his whole own purpose only one sole purpose of money is to protect them only his sole purpose is only to protect he has taken a vow to protect all the beings who surrender unto him that is his sole purpose and how do we know him is vedasi is the like the head is the important part or the most important part of the veda is so he is told in theata very clearly completely not that is there is no mention of Brahman in the earlier part of The Vedas, the earlier part of the Vedas also tells everything which is very the most important valid mantra which comes in the earlier part of the Veda only the Aronika but in the upanishads completely expound the nature of Brahman completely and in more in great detail. So he can be known only from the very clearly he is said to be Brahman.
One who is very huge. Brahma means by his nature by his qualities in always he is the most supreme and he is a specific deity nasa.
Shri is Mahalakmi. He is associated with Mahalakshmi eternally and he is shinasa and the deity in thiruma what we go and pray to and he is paras brahmani is the supreme brahman and towards him let me have let me develop devot loving devotional knowledge towards him is the prayer of ramanja in theasha Mangalashloka and this explains the nature of Brahman in detail that we will let us go through that in detail in the next sessions with that I I conclude today's session and leave the class open for any questions I open mute [clears throat] I enabled you can ask question Yeah, that's very good. Excellent.
>> Uh again, >> ah tell me.
>> Um so uh you mentioned in a deep sleep uh the jvatma unites with uh Brahman.
>> Correct.
and uh also uh mentioned that uh jatma can never exist uh like uh not inseparable from Brahma.
>> Correct. Correct.
>> Uh I >> how to how to understand this?
>> Yeah, >> that's a that's a good question. So the jatma that is it's a very technical explanation is required for that. Okay.
That is very technical explanation is required for that. It is explained in the upanishad basha by rangja and also explained by shasha commentary. So the permatma who is with him jatma goes and unites here though he is there he he doesn't realize and he goes and unites with him that means he leaves out this nama rupa all those things are not known to him that I don't know I am a I am a man I am a brahmin whatever it is my name is so and so I am born with such and such parent all those things I forget a jivatma who is devoid of all these characteristics will be united with permat is the it is how it is explained. It is a little bit very technical. You have to look at the commentary to understand it in more detail. I'll try to bring the statements next time and explain it a little bit more.
>> Thank you so much.
>> It requires it requires more explanation. Yeah.
>> Okay. Okay.
>> Commentary has to be >> okay. And one more thing connected to this uh you said like the state of waking up deep sleep all these are like um defects.
>> Yes.
>> Because he doesn't experience Brahman.
There is no experience of bliss in any of these states. Yeah. Waking state or sleep state or deep sleep or dream state or death. Marina ora all these all these cases are there no experience of bliss for the jatma.
In death also in praa also all are defects for jatma.
Only in moa he experience bliss that is only is the pura.
Oh >> okay. Okay. Yeah.
>> Thank you sir.
Um I also have a question Mahaya.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Um so if the ja is >> guata >> so um and you say that knowledge of paramatma only comes through Vedas. The ja even does not know that there is a paramatma inside.
So if the ja who doesn't know anything about god and he sees the impressive nature the vast the nature and sky and stars and all these luminaries can he infer that there must be a god and I am >> we cannot we cannot we cannot infer directly as the taking the inference as the prime valid means because tells We can infer because of fruity. By seeing this also we can infer but without the without knowing about what is told in fruity because if you look at the vast sky and motion and all these things are created by somebody. If you look at the mount Everest for example such a wonderful nature. So we can infer that somebody has to be there should be there to infer this. But what is the nature of that person? How do you know whether is one person or many? How do you know whether he is a karmavisha or not? He is bound state or not? How do you know that he when he creates, how he creates, why he should create? All these things cannot be inferred.
So inference always has element of the example and the what we are going to infer they have to be of the same nature.
So in the logicians they try to infer the existence of say he has to be all knowing that is he is they say because everything he should know the world is a effect so somebody should have created this world if I have a mobile in front of me somebody should have created that otherwise it will not come there like that the whole world is existing somebody should have created that so we can infer that somebody should have been there but These mobile and other things what we see in this world are created by humans who are or dwas whoever it is who are karmosas who are subjected to karma. So the what we infer also will be according to that a karma only you will you can achieve you cannot achieve somebody who is different and distinct from all these whom we are taking as example in inference that is a limitation in inference >> and it is said that the ja is praash and also uh I guess Bhagavan and Bhagavan's name is also praash Ash >> Bhagavan is also Sai Praasha. Yes.
>> Yeah. And his name which is >> name is not S Praasha. Name is the only a word [clears throat] Bhagavan's nature is Praasha a substance.
>> Okay. And Bhagavan's name like you know when we do japa of his name so his name is also the same quality of being swam praash. No the name what is the purpose of Japa is when we chant his names Bhagavan will remember us that oh this person is remembering me he will remember us and he will grace us if we lovingly remember him if we lovingly remember him by through his names he will also grace us that is how we get bliss and we get benefits name itself doesn't give the person who is associated with the graces us that >> okay >> and the mantras have the capability to invoke the deity directly. So that dity whom we meditate on that dity is invoked through the mantra and that dity is the one who graces us with whatever we pray by chanting the mantra.
>> So what does it mean for us that bhagavan is swam praash? I mean that we >> is revealed to himself.
His nature is revealed to himself >> and uh to us he is being revealed by the Veda [clears throat] and Achara.
>> Yeah, it reveals the nature of the Bhagavan but it doesn't show us.
See praasha is I know I exist now but tells us that I am subtle in nature. I am subservient to the lord. These things I cannot realize myself directly. These things I know through shy. Similarly shy is telling you about bhagavan that bhagavan has this kind of a form. He has this characteristics. He has this qualities and all those things. But we don't perceive the form of the lord through that. We only know understand the nature of the Brahman. Brahman has to reveal himself to us by giving divine vision so that we can see him. Otherwise we cannot see him. When we get liberated we will be able to see him because there we don't have karma which is blocking our vision our knowledge.
Will only tell us the explain the nature of the Brahman in words.
It cannot bring Brahman in front of us and show us.
Words cannot create direct perception.
If I say an elephant, we don't see an elephant. We only know the nature of an elephant. I can explain in words. But to see an elephant, I have to go and see one object elephant. Otherwise, we cannot know. In words, I can only know the nature of that. That is that is indirect. That is not direct perception.
And the knowledge to surrender to Bhagavan and invoke his name with love and devotion this knowledge comes through.
>> Yes. Yes.
Whatever we do based on the invoking those mantras it will give us bring us in contact with the Brahman and Brahman will grace us though we don't see him that mantra has the capability to connect us with the lord with the dity whoever we are praying it could be either agni or vana indra whoever it is the mantra has the power the futi mantra has the power to connect us to the deity. The dity will be invoked.
We may not see the dity but we will get the benefit.
Tell me sir uh this very concept of moka the overall aim and objective of every being >> is to attain moka sir how will the ji know that he or she because we have to leave this word he or she still how will the jvatma will ever know that it has attended moka for example my parents were very pious very spiritual very devoted and all and all so I take it for granted that my parents have attained moka if they have attained moka then why should I do and then tarpana and that is one >> these are all yeah these are all different aspects see one thing is that we don't No, we cannot directly see whether they have attained moka or not.
We assume we believe in shastra. So they have attained moka. They have done propy whatever let us say. But why should I do now? Sha means for me what is ordained in the veda I have to follow here. As long as I am associated with my body I have to follow the shastra. I have to follow the vedas. Veda ordains that for your departed parents you have to do this this and this. We have to do that.
That is the order of paramat. We can know only from the veda what we have to do we should not do and veda is telling us to do we have to do. We are not we are not to question whether why should I do and things like that. Veda cannot be questioned. It is said to bear unquestionable validity is unquestionable validity. You cannot question that because it nobody has created it. If somebody has created you can go and question that person why did you write like this but it is a existing eternally it is ultimate means and does not have require any other means to prove what is require what is told in the veda because is beyond the reach of any other means like anana cannot reach super sensible aspects they have no access to super sensible aspects Prataka what is told has to be believed to your departed parents you have to do this we have to do it no questions cannot be asked there it's our duty as we are living to do that you follow the shastra we are not to question whether they have gone to moa or not why should we do and all those things it is not in our hands to question that there is a book by Ranga Priya Swami on Shraha Vivea that book is written it's available in yoga vigan can purchase that book there are lots of questions regarding he has answered very clearly you can see that book it'll help you guru giad again physician. We always see uh patients coming with autism.
Adian always wonders what happens to these people. They don't do they even accumulate karmmas because someone else is taking care of them. They have no sensory perceptions whatsoever. Uh they can recognize their own parents. They recognize me because I associated with them for some time. But other than that, you know, they don't they don't what happens to these uh pure souls. They are right. I mean, they have no >> they all they're all basically experiencing the fruits of their kmas only. But uh they basically will definitely have they definitely will have belief and faith in their parents.
Okay. Every offspring has a belief and affection towards parents whether we see it or not it will be there. So on behalf of them parents can do propati and they will get liberated. This is told in the shastra is told in the shastra. So you can go to an acharia and request an acharia to do properly for your children. It is possible you can do that and they will get liberated also.
>> Yes.
>> They themselves don't have to have >> not necessary not necessary. Even a small child can be propati can be done by parents.
You can contact and he will do prophetic. Yeah.
>> Okay.
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