Govinda ‘s way

A debate on the

meaning of the

anandamaya sutra

of the Brahma Sutras

Upa:

Ni:

Sad:

Govinda had finished his studies about the Upanisad from his spiritual master Baladeva Maharaja. During his years of learning He had an attitude which showed the meaning of the Word Upanisad

He always

"sat near his

master" and

listened

carefully to

the

contradictory

statements of

the Upanisad

Near

More

Sit

He also

studied the

Vedanta

Sutra, where

fortunately

the great

sage

Vyasadeva

systematized

these

conflicting

teachings.

1) Īṣa (ŚYV, mukhya)2) Kena (SV, mukhya) 3) Kaṭha (KYV, mukhya)4) Praśna (AV, mukhya)5) Muṇḍaka (AV, mukhya)6) Māṇḍūkya (AV, mukhya) 7) Taittirīya (KYV, mukhya) 8) Aitareya (RV mukhya) 9) Chāndoguia (SV, mukhya)10) Brijad Āraṇiaka (11) Brahma (KYV, sannyāsa)12) Kaivalya (KYV, śaiva)13) Jābāla (ŚYV, sannyāsa)14) Śvetāśvatara (KYV, sannyāsa)15) Haṃsa (ŚYV, yoga)16) Āruṇeya (SV, sannyāsa)17) Garbha (KYV, sannyāsa)18) Nārāyaṇa (KYV, vaiśnava)19) Paramahaṃsa (ŚYV, sannyāsa)20) Amṛtabindu (KYV, yoga)21) Amṛtanāda (KYV, yoga)22) Śira (AV, śaiva)23) Atharvaśikha (AV, śaiva)24) Maitrāyaṇi (SV, sannyāsa)25) Kauśītāki (RV, sāmānya)26) Bṛhajjābāla (AV, śaiva)27) Nṛsiṃhatāpanī (AV, vaiśnava)28) Kālāgnirudra (KYV, śaiva)29) Maitreyi (SV, sannyāsa)30) Subāla (ŚYV, sāmānya)31) Kṣurika (KYV, yoga)32) Mantrika (ŚYV, sāmānya)33) Sarvasāra (KYV, sāmānya)34) Nirālamba (ŚYV, sāmānya)35) Śukarahasya (KYV, sāmānya)36) Vajrasūchi (SV, sāmānya)37) Tejobindu (KYV, sannyāsa)38) Nādabindu (RV, yoga) [1]39) Dhyānabindu (KYV, yoga)40) Brahmavidyā (KYV, yoga)41) Yogatattva (KYV, yoga)42) Ātmabodha (RV, sāmānya)43) Parivrāt (Nāradaparivrājaka)44) Triśikhi (ŚYV, yoga)45) Sītā (AV, śakta)46) Yogachūḍāmaṇi (SV, yoga)47) Nirvāṇa (RV, sannyāsa)48) Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa (ŚYV, yoga)49) Dakṣiṇāmūrti (KYV, śaiva)50) Śarabha (AV, śaiva)51) Skanda (Tripāḍvibhūṭi))52) Mahānārāyaṇa (AV, vaiśnava)53) Advayatāraka (ŚYV, sannyāsa)54) Rāmarahasya (AV, vaiśnava)

55) Rāmatāpaṇi (AV, vaiśnava)56) Vāsudeva (SV, vaiśnava)57) Mudgala (RV, sāmānya)58) Śāṇḍilya (AV, yoga)59) Paiṅgala (ŚYV, sāmānya)60) Bhikṣu (SYV, sannyāsa)61) Mahad (SV, sāmānya)62) Śārīraka (KYV, sāmānya)63) Yogaśikhā (KYV yoga)64) Turīyātīta (SYV, sannyāsa)65) Sannyāsa (SV, sannyāsa)66) Paramahaṃsaparivrājaka67) Akṣamālika (Mālika) (RV, śaiva)68) Avyakta (SV, vaiśnava)69) Ekākṣara (KYV, sāmānya)70) Annapūrṇa (AV, śakta)71) Sūrya (AV, sāmānya)72) Akṣi (KYV, sāmānya)73) Adhyātmā (SYV, sāmānya)74) Kuṇḍika (SV, sannyāsa)75) Sāvitrī (SV, sāmānya)76) Ātmā (AV, sāmānya)77) Pāśupata (AV, yoga)78) Parabrahma (AV, sannyāsa)79) Avadhūta (KYV, sannyāsa)80) Devī (AV, śakta)81) Tripurātapani (AV, śakta)82) Tripura (RV, śakta)83) Kaṭharudra (KYV, sannyāsa)84) Bhāvana (AV, śakta)85) Rudrahṛdaya (KYV, śaiva)86) Yogakuṇḍalini (KYV, yoga)87) Bhasma (AV, śaiva)88) Rudrākṣa (SV, śaiva)89) Gaṇapati (AV, śaiva)90) Darśana (SV, yoga)91) Tārasāra (SYV, vaiśnava)92) Mahāvākya (AV, yoga)93) Pañcabrahma (KYV, śaiva)94) Prāṇāgnihotra (KYV, sāmānya)95) Gopālatāpani (AV, vaiśnava)96) Kṛṣṇa (AV, vaiśnava)97) Yājñavalkya (SYV, sannyāsa)98) Varāha (KYV, sannyāsa)99) Śāṭyāyani (SYV, sannyāsa)100) Hayagrīva (AV, vaiśnava)101) Dattātreya (AV, vaiśnava)102) Gāruḍa (AV, vaiśnava)103) Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa (Kali) (KYV, vaiśnava)104) Jābāla (S&257;maveda) (SV, śaiva)105) Saubhāgya (RV, śakta)106) Sarasvatīrahasya (KYV, śakta)107) Bahvṛca (RV, śakta)108) Muktika (SYV, sāmānya)

Vedanta Sutra

Four Adhyayas (Chapter):

1) Īṣa (ŚYV, mukhya)2) Kena (SV, mukhya) 3) Kaṭha (KYV, mukhya)4) Praśna (AV, mukhya)5) Muṇḍaka (AV, mukhya)6) Māṇḍūkya (AV, mukhya) 7) Taittirīya (KYV, mukhya) 8) Aitareya (RV mukhya) 9) Chāndoguia (SV, mukhya)10) Brijad Āraṇiaka (11) Brahma (KYV, sannyāsa)12) Kaivalya (KYV, śaiva)13) Jābāla (ŚYV, sannyāsa)14) Śvetāśvatara (KYV, sannyāsa)15) Haṃsa (ŚYV, yoga)16) Āruṇeya (SV, sannyāsa)17) Garbha (KYV, sannyāsa)18) Nārāyaṇa (KYV, vaiśnava)19) Paramahaṃsa (ŚYV, sannyāsa)20) Amṛtabindu (KYV, yoga)21) Amṛtanāda (KYV, yoga)22) Śira (AV, śaiva)23) Atharvaśikha (AV, śaiva)24) Maitrāyaṇi (SV, sannyāsa)25) Kauśītāki (RV, sāmānya)26) Bṛhajjābāla (AV, śaiva)27) Nṛsiṃhatāpanī (AV, vaiśnava)28) Kālāgnirudra (KYV, śaiva)29) Maitreyi (SV, sannyāsa)30) Subāla (ŚYV, sāmānya)31) Kṣurika (KYV, yoga)32) Mantrika (ŚYV, sāmānya)33) Sarvasāra (KYV, sāmānya)34) Nirālamba (ŚYV, sāmānya)35) Śukarahasya (KYV, sāmānya)36) Vajrasūchi (SV, sāmānya)37) Tejobindu (KYV, sannyāsa)38) Nādabindu (RV, yoga) [1]39) Dhyānabindu (KYV, yoga)40) Brahmavidyā (KYV, yoga)41) Yogatattva (KYV, yoga)42) Ātmabodha (RV, sāmānya)43) Parivrāt (Nāradaparivrājaka)44) Triśikhi (ŚYV, yoga)45) Sītā (AV, śakta)46) Yogachūḍāmaṇi (SV, yoga)47) Nirvāṇa (RV, sannyāsa)48) Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa (ŚYV, yoga)49) Dakṣiṇāmūrti (KYV, śaiva)50) Śarabha (AV, śaiva)51) Skanda (Tripāḍvibhūṭi))52) Mahānārāyaṇa (AV, vaiśnava)53) Advayatāraka (ŚYV, sannyāsa)54) Rāmarahasya (AV, vaiśnava)

55) Rāmatāpaṇi (AV, vaiśnava)56) Vāsudeva (SV, vaiśnava)57) Mudgala (RV, sāmānya)58) Śāṇḍilya (AV, yoga)59) Paiṅgala (ŚYV, sāmānya)60) Bhikṣu (SYV, sannyāsa)61) Mahad (SV, sāmānya)62) Śārīraka (KYV, sāmānya)63) Yogaśikhā (KYV yoga)64) Turīyātīta (SYV, sannyāsa)65) Sannyāsa (SV, sannyāsa)66) Paramahaṃsaparivrājaka67) Akṣamālika (Mālika) (RV, śaiva)68) Avyakta (SV, vaiśnava)69) Ekākṣara (KYV, sāmānya)70) Annapūrṇa (AV, śakta)71) Sūrya (AV, sāmānya)72) Akṣi (KYV, sāmānya)73) Adhyātmā (SYV, sāmānya)74) Kuṇḍika (SV, sannyāsa)75) Sāvitrī (SV, sāmānya)76) Ātmā (AV, sāmānya)77) Pāśupata (AV, yoga)78) Parabrahma (AV, sannyāsa)79) Avadhūta (KYV, sannyāsa)80) Devī (AV, śakta)81) Tripurātapani (AV, śakta)82) Tripura (RV, śakta)83) Kaṭharudra (KYV, sannyāsa)84) Bhāvana (AV, śakta)85) Rudrahṛdaya (KYV, śaiva)86) Yogakuṇḍalini (KYV, yoga)87) Bhasma (AV, śaiva)88) Rudrākṣa (SV, śaiva)89) Gaṇapati (AV, śaiva)90) Darśana (SV, yoga)91) Tārasāra (SYV, vaiśnava)92) Mahāvākya (AV, yoga)93) Pañcabrahma (KYV, śaiva)94) Prāṇāgnihotra (KYV, sāmānya)95) Gopālatāpani (AV, vaiśnava)96) Kṛṣṇa (AV, vaiśnava)97) Yājñavalkya (SYV, sannyāsa)98) Varāha (KYV, sannyāsa)99) Śāṭyāyani (SYV, sannyāsa)100) Hayagrīva (AV, vaiśnava)101) Dattātreya (AV, vaiśnava)102) Gāruḍa (AV, vaiśnava)103) Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa (Kali) (KYV, vaiśnava)104) Jābāla (S&257;maveda) (SV, śaiva)105) Saubhāgya (RV, śakta)106) Sarasvatīrahasya (KYV, śakta)107) Bahvṛca (RV, śakta)108) Muktika (SYV, sāmānya)

First Adhyaya:

Samanvaya

It explains the unity of the

philosophy of the Upanisads

Second Adhyaya:

Avirodha

It dispels apparent contradictions

Third Adhyaya?

Sadhana

It describes the means to attain

the Supreme

Fourth Adhyaya:

Phala

It indicates the goal

The

Supreme

Brahman

It is not easy to study

this great literature

because the sage

Vyasadeva chose to

explain the different

aspects of Brahman in

the way of sutras or

aphorisms, which are

essential sentences

with few letters as

possible.

But the concise aspect

of the sutras is not the

only difficulty that the

student of the Vedanta

Sutra encounters,

there are several

other reasons

that make its approach

difficult and which make

it easy to give them

different interpretations.

The identification of the

real purva paksa

The necessity of having

to supply words to

complete the meaning of

a sutra

The ambiguous

meaning of the words

of a sutra

The unanimity of opinion

(in regarding to) the

division of adhikarana

And others…

Sutra I, 1, 12

€nandamayo 'bhy€s€t

€nanda - bliss; mayaƒ - full of ;

abhy€s€t - because of repetition

The word €nandamaya (full of

bliss) used in the Vedic literatures

must refer to the Supreme

Brahman, for it is repeatedly used

to describe Him.

Sutra I, 1, 12: €nandamayo 'bhy€s€t

mayaƒ : “full of “ or “modification”

Sutra I, 1, 13

Vik€ra-•abd€n neti cen na pracury€t

vikara - transformation; •abdät - from

the word; na - not; iti - thus; cet - if;

na - not; pracury€t – because of

abundance.

Division Padas and

Adhyayas unanimity of

opinion

Adhikharana

No unanimity

Purvapaksha:

Argument or Antithesis

Baladeva: Because anandamaya is

described as a person it must refer to the

conditioned spirit soul residing in a material

body.:

Sankara: The Ananda Maya referes to

Brahman and not to Jiva

Govinda had

studied the

Baladeva

Vidhyabhusana

commentary,

which

establishes the

vaisnava

siddhanta.

This commentary explains the

Brahman as the Supreme

Personality who is the source

of all ananda or pleasure.

To finish his studies, Govinda came out

looking for Anandamaya, the Supreme

Brahman.

In his way He met Shambu, a

student too, but from the monism

school of Sripada Sankaracarya.

Namaste! Where are you going? Why are you so happy?

Namaste! I'm travelling through the path where I can ultimately reach anandamaya.

Yes. This is an important search. Everyone needs first reach anandamaya to then attain the Brahman.

I learned that Anandamaya is the Brahman himself. The

Vedanta Sutra establishes it with the Sutra anandamaya bhyasat: anandamaya (is the

Supreme Brahman) because it is the word that is being

repeated (bhyasat).

Where it is repeated?

In the Taittiriya Upanisad II. 6: 1:"He who knows the

Brahmanas non-existing becomes himself none

existing. He who knows the

Brahmanas existing, know existing”

But the verse of the Upanisad which describes

anandamaya said…And here it is said very clearly that Brahman is

only the tail or support of anandamaya and no anandamaya itself.

"Different from this (vijñana maya) which consists of understanding, is the other inner

self which consists of bliss(anandamaya), the former is (filled by this).It also has the shape

of a man. Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Joy is its head. Satisfaction its right arm. Great satisfaction is its left arm. Bliss is its trunk

and…

Brahman is the tail or support."

Ups!

The procession of verses of Taittiriya Upanisad

takes us from annamayaup to anandamaya in a progressive way. In this

description there is nothing superior to

Anandamaya, therefore it must be the Supreme

Brahman.

But, there is something superior to Anandamaya.

In the last verse of this sequence It is said:

"joy is its head, satisfaction is its right wing, delight is its left wing and… Brahman is

its tail and support!"Due to the fact that Brahman

is named at the end of the sentence it is more suitable to assume this is the main topic

instead of anandamaya.

Ups! He isright!

What do I say now?

"Different from this (vijñana maya) which consists of understanding, is the other inner self which consists of bliss, the former is (filled by this).It also has the shape of a man. Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Joy is its head. Satisfaction its right arm. Great

satisfaction is its left arm. Bliss is its trunk and…

Brahman is the tail or support."

Anandamaya

Vijñanamaya

Jñanamaya

Manomaya

Pranamaya

Annamaya

Moreover, the word maya means modification, therefore it is

impossible that anandamaya refers to Brahman because

it is immutable. Now, he is

defeated

I think your conclusions are more based in suppositions due

to argumentative logic than the obvious truths that the very author of Vedanta Sutra expresses.

For example, he clarifies in the Sutra I. 1.13:There it is explained that one could conclude that anandamaya does not refer to Brahman because

the word maya means "modification" and the Brahman is immutable

Sutra I. 1.13:

Vic€ra-•abd€n neti cen na

pracury€t

vik€ra - transformation;

•abd€t - from the word; na - not;

iti - thus; cet - if; na - not;

pracury€t - because of

abundance.

How is it possible that in the former verses from

Taittiriya Upanisad, when the word "maya is added

to anna, prana, manas and vijñana, means

modification and suddenly it changes to abundance in

the last verse?

Do you remember the analogy of the arundhati

star? I'm sure that you know it, because Sankaraexplains it in his bhasya.

The same way, the Upanisad show us first

anna, prana, manas and vijñana maya in order to help people to identify

the Brahman

Anna y pranamaya

manamaya

jñanamayavijñanamaya

anandamaya

It is InmmutableIt is Inconcebible

It is far and It is very near

Yes, I know this analogy; my master taught it to me. But the verses that begin with annamaya

form one sequence; hence, how is it that only

the last verse refers to Brahman while the other

refers to pradhana?

It is like describing certain parts of body of

a young lady and partly of a old lady

PranamayaAnnamaya

manomaya

Jñanamaya

vijñanamaya

Anandamaya ??

I agree with you in that these verses constitute a sequence,

therefore, we have to understand them with the same logic that they are explained. Next to each

verse where annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya , vijñanamaya are presented, there are

other verses where the Taittiriya Upanisaddescribes entirely each maya and not only their tail, arm, wing, etc.

This is given after annamayaverse and it refers to

pranamaya:

Different from this(annamaya), is the otherinner self, which consist of breath (…)Prana is its head, Vyana is its rigth arm. Apanais its left arm. Ether is itstrunk. The earth is its seat(support)

The devas breathe afterbreath (prana) so do man and cattle. Breath is the life of beings, therefore it is calledsarvayusha (all enlivining)

This is given after pranamayaverse and it refers to

manomaya:

Different from this (pranamaya), is the other inner self, whichconsist of mind (…)Yajus is itshead, Rik is its rigth arm. Samanis its left arm. The doctrine is itstrunk. The atharvangiras is itsseat (support)

He who knows the bliss of thatbrahman from whence allspeech, with the mind, turnsaway unable tu reach it, he never fears. Trhe embodied selfof this (consisting of mind) is thesame as that of the former

This is given after vijñanamaya verse and it refers to

anandamaya:

"Different from this (vijñanamaya) which consists of

understanding, is the other inner self which consists of

bliss, the former is (filled by this).It also has the shape of

a man. Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of the latter. Joy is its head. Satisfaction

its right arm. Great satisfaction is its left arm.

Bliss is its trunk and Brahman is the tail or

support.“

"He who knows the

Brahmanas non-existing becomes himself none

existing. He who knows the

Brahmanas existing, know existing”

But if we accept the Brahman as ananda we must understand it as saguna Brahman! If

Brahman had joy and happiness it would be

opposed to nirvisesa or nirguna Brahman!

This is your problem not mine. I accept Vyasa’s conclusions as

he describes them and I don’t try to manipulate their words to confirm my pre-invented

concepts. He mentions in the Sutra I.1:14: tad-hetu vyapadesat, where He differentiates

Brahman from the jiva. Here he establishes the former is the cause of ananda of the latest.

That is the reason why I have taken this way

Sutra I.1:14tad-hetu-vyapade•€t ca

tat - of that; hetu - the origin;

vyapade•€t - because of the

statement; ca - also.

Excuse me, but you are speaking about duality jiva-brahman, which is

only fantasized inside of avidya. I´m sorry, but if

you find some ananda in your way I must tell you that the only thing You

will get is goodness happiness, because as long as You think in

dual concepts, You will be inside of avidya.

I´m sorry to you! The Sutra I.1:17 said: bheda vyapadesat.

This means that jiva is different from Brahman even in his

liberated state, because he becomes the perceiver,

and Anandamaya the perceived.

Sutra I.1:17bheda-vyapadeçäc ca

bheda - difference; vyapadeçät -

because of the statement; ca - also.

(The Supreme Personality of

Godhead and the individual spirit soul

are) different, because the Vedic

literature teaches this fact.

Govinda and Shambu continued discussing a little

more. They could not reach the same

conclusion. Who can say to have the true and only conclusion?

I can´t accept your conclusions, these are against the Br 3,7,23

which said: "there is no other seer or hearer

than the highest Lord". Besides, Br. IV. 4.6 describes how jiva become one after

reaching Brahman"

Actually, these statements mean that the jiva becomes "like"

Brahman and not actually Brahman.The different words which

are used to describe this event are: Eva, vava, Yatha,

Tatha and Iva, which means similarity

and no fusion.

What is the canon to say that my argument is better?

The best logic? The best analogy?

The best textual acceptation of the author?

What happened if the truth is beyond theses criterion?

The Upanisad and Vedanta sutra describe with many

(or not so many) words a special destination.

Perhaps, the best and only thing that we can do is to choose one of

these special destinations, explained in some of the bhasyas, and take on this way as Govinda

did.

Thank you!