Badarayana Vyasa, in Brahma Sutras, describe Brahman as that "from which proceed the origin, the substance, and the dissolution" of the universe. We read in Upanishads that :"All is indeed Brahman", "The Soul is Brahman", " Brahman is Conciousness and Bliss", "There is no multiplicity whatsoever".
Brahman has two aspect: devoid of any qualifying charateristics(nirvisesha) and endowed with qualities(Saravishesha). Nirvishesha Brahman is Para Brahman, while Sarvishesha is Apara Brahman.
The Brihadaranyanka Upanishad describes the 2 forms as Gross and Subtle, mortal and immortal, limited and unlimited, defined and undefined.
Shankaracharya says in Brahma Sutra I.i.2 - Brahman is apprehended under two forms - first as qualified by limiting conditions owing to multiformity of evolutions of name & form, and free from all limiting conditions wherever. The finite is mortal, the infinite is immortal. Example is Rama avatar of Narayan who is mortal and Narayana himself who is immortal. Brahman takes the form with qualified qualities. Althought the Upanishads speak of both Nirguna and Suguna Brahman, the goal of the scriptures is to uphold the Nirguna Brahman.
Brahman has been described in two ways or point of views:a) Vyavahrika - empirical and ordinary b) Paramarthika - real and transcendental.
Vyavahrika is Brahman with Maya, its own inscrutable power, is the creator of the Universe - like Brahma/Maheswar or Bhagwan.
Paramarthika is the non-dual Consciousness, which is knower of Truth describes as the reality(tattvam), is also Brahman and the Supreme Soul(Paramatma) and God (Bhagavan).
Now we will look at what Shankaracharya though his Prasthantreyis say about Brahman.
The Upanishads describe two types of ways to reach or attain Brahman - Jnana Marga and Bhakti Marga. The Bhagvata Gita further divides them into 3 or 4 ways called - Jnana Marga, Bhakti Marga, Dhyana and Karma Marga. Yoga/Marga/Pada are interchangeable in context.
Jnana - the path of Knowledge
Bhakti - the path of Devotion
Dhyana - the path of Meditation
Karma - the path of duty and samsara
There is another way called Kaivalya Marga which is complete isolation of Purusha from Pakriti. It is very prevalent philosophy in Sri Jagannath Cult of worship of Jnana Misrita Bhakti marga.
(Patanjali is his yogashutras furthers classifies them into 34 types.)
Atman is devoid of qualities and when there is no adjunct qualities it is Paramatman.
That, O Gargi, which is above heaven and below the earth, which is heaven and earth as well as what between them and which they say is, and will be, is pervaded by the unmanifested Akasa(Brahman) - Br. Upanishad III,viii.7.
So Adaviatins believe that Brahman is Niguna, Nirupadhika and Unknowable is beyond description and is the one, Consciousness and Self. It is Sat-chita-ananda. Sat(Existence,Reality) Chita(Knowledge, Consciousness) and Ananda(Bliss). Brahman is Reality, Consciousness and Infinity. Brahman is Knowledge. But we see this only in the minor Upanishads that Satchitanada occurs as an epithet of Brahman. This is only meant to apply to the unconditioned Nirguna Brahman. Sat, Chita, Ananda is not attributes of Brahman but its very essence. Brahman is not endowed with them: Brahman is Existence, Consciousness and Bliss itself.
In the 12th-15th century AD the Bhakti era gave rise to the Suguna/Aparabhakti movements of Jayadeva, Ravidas, Tukaram, Sarala Das, Nanak, Chaitanya and the Panchashkas of Jagannath Cult.
While the Gaudiya Vaishnavas who followed Sri Chantainya Mahaprabhu believed in Shuddha Bhakti or Raganuga Bhakti as ideal and the only way, Utkaliya Vaishnavas prefered a more Vedantic way of Jnana misra Bhakti Yoga. The Jagannath Dham became the epicenter or the churning of ocean by many sages who converged and it gave rise to a many great ideas. The reason Puri was the host to Govardhana Peetham which is a CoE of Rig Veda and Brahmasutras.
Most of the Advaitins here describe Bhakti to be Jnana misra Bhakti to be Paramarthika.
They profess that:
- Jnana is not contradictory to Bhakti, and without Bhakti there would be no Jnana
- Bhakti has 2 stages - Apara or Dvaita Bhakti that leads to mental purification and Para or Advaita Bhakti leads to Atma-Jnana(Kaivalya Chetna)
- It is for this reason Adi Shankara calls Bhakti as the most important tools for Moksha
- Without Bhakti there cannot be surrendering, and there can't be no destruction of Passions like lust, etc.
- Hence the first stage of Bhakti constitutes Upasana & Swadharma leads to Chitta-shudhi and Vairagya.
- The secong stage of Bhakti is nothing but Self Equiry/Atma Vichara that leads to Atma-Sakshatkara or Moksha
Hence Bhakti is not contradictory to Jnana but is inevitable to attain Jnana. Infact, Para-Bhakti is non-different form path of Jnana(termed as Vichara)
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