Changes

: वेदान्तमते ‘वस्तु सच्चिदानन्दाद्वयं ब्रह्म तथा अज्ञानादिसकलजडसमूहोऽवस्तु ।’ ‘ब्रह्मैव नित्यं वस्तु तदन्यदखिलमनित्यम् ।’<ref name=":0" />  

: वेदान्तमते ‘वस्तु सच्चिदानन्दाद्वयं ब्रह्म तथा अज्ञानादिसकलजडसमूहोऽवस्तु ।’ ‘ब्रह्मैव नित्यं वस्तु तदन्यदखिलमनित्यम् ।’<ref name=":0" />  

: vedāntamate ‘vastu saccidānandādvayaṁ brahma tathā ajñānādisakalajaḍasamūho'vastu ।’ ‘brahmaiva nityaṁ vastu tadanyadakhilamanityam ।  

: vedāntamate ‘vastu saccidānandādvayaṁ brahma tathā ajñānādisakalajaḍasamūho'vastu ।’ ‘brahmaiva nityaṁ vastu tadanyadakhilamanityam ।  

==व्युत्पत्तिः॥ Etymology ==

==व्युत्पत्तिः॥ Etymology ==

Brahman (ब्रह्मन्) is derived from the dhatus बृहँ and बृहिँ in the meaning of वृद्धौ (vrddhi)<ref name=":0">Shabdakalpadruma ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82 See ब्रह्म])</ref> - बृंहति वर्द्धते निरतिशयमहत्त्व-लक्षणवृद्धिमान् भवतीत्यर्थः - to expand, grow, enlarge, one which is beyond comparison. It is used to explain the concept of the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality, Supreme force which is attributeless.     

Brahman (ब्रह्मन्) is derived from the dhatus बृहँ and बृहिँ in the meaning of वृद्धौ (vrddhi)<ref name=":0">Shabdakalpadruma ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82 See ब्रह्म])</ref> - बृंहति वर्द्धते निरतिशयमहत्त्व-लक्षणवृद्धिमान् भवतीत्यर्थः - to expand, grow, enlarge, one which is beyond comparison. It is used to explain the concept of the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality, Supreme force which is attributeless.     

* whether our personality survives death?

* whether our personality survives death?

* where does man go after death?

* where does man go after death?

* is there existence of life in a world called heaven?  

* is there existence of life in a world called devalokas/brahmaloka?  

* does he ever return to this world?

* does he ever return to this world?

* what is the final goal of life?

* what is the final goal of life?

Any doctrine or siddhanta about Brahman involves theories explaining certain common groups of questions  

Any doctrine or siddhanta about Brahman involves theories explaining certain common groups of questions  

* emergence, sustenance and dissolution of the world (ontology)

* emergence, sustenance and dissolution of the world (ontology)

* what is real and the principles applying to Universe, Atman, Brahman etc (metaphysics)

* what is real and the principles applying to Jagat, Atman, Brahman etc (metaphysics)

* nature of things - sentient and insentient things, Brahman and others.  

* nature of things - sentient and insentient things, Brahman and others.  

* study of means of understanding knowledge, example Pramanas (epistemology)  

* study of means of understanding knowledge, example Pramanas (epistemology)  

In me alone is everything born, in me does everything rest and in me is everything dissolved. I am that Brahman, advayam or secondless.<blockquote>न पुण्यपापे मम नास्ति नाशो न जन्म देहेन्द्रियबुद्धिरस्ति । न भूमिरापो न च वह्निरस्ति न चानिलो मेऽस्ति न चाम्बरं च ॥ २३ ॥ (Kaiv. Upan. 23)</blockquote><blockquote>एवं विदित्वा परमात्मरूपं गुहाशयं निष्कलमद्वितीयम् । समस्तसाक्षिं सदसद्विहीनं प्रयाति शुद्धं परमात्मरूपम् ॥ २४ ॥ (Kaiv. Upan. 24)<ref>Kaivalya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D Complete])</ref></blockquote>For Me there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether. Thus realising the Paramatman, who lies in the cavity of the heart, who is without parts, and without a second, the Witness of all, beyond both existence and non-existence - one attains the Pure Paramatman Itself.<ref>The Kaivalya Upanishad Translated by Swami Madhavananda. Kolkata : Advaita Ashram</ref>

In me alone is everything born, in me does everything rest and in me is everything dissolved. I am that Brahman, advayam or secondless.<blockquote>न पुण्यपापे मम नास्ति नाशो न जन्म देहेन्द्रियबुद्धिरस्ति । न भूमिरापो न च वह्निरस्ति न चानिलो मेऽस्ति न चाम्बरं च ॥ २३ ॥ (Kaiv. Upan. 23)</blockquote><blockquote>एवं विदित्वा परमात्मरूपं गुहाशयं निष्कलमद्वितीयम् । समस्तसाक्षिं सदसद्विहीनं प्रयाति शुद्धं परमात्मरूपम् ॥ २४ ॥ (Kaiv. Upan. 24)<ref>Kaivalya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D Complete])</ref></blockquote>For Me there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether. Thus realising the Paramatman, who lies in the cavity of the heart, who is without parts, and without a second, the Witness of all, beyond both existence and non-existence - one attains the Pure Paramatman Itself.<ref>The Kaivalya Upanishad Translated by Swami Madhavananda. Kolkata : Advaita Ashram</ref>

==== States of Brahman ====

==== मूर्तामूर्तस्थितिः ॥ Two States of Brahman ====

Brhdaranyanka Upanishad is one of the earliest texts mentioning the existence of the two states of Brahman<blockquote>द्वे वाव ब्रह्मणो रूपे । मूर्तं चैवामूर्तं च, मर्त्यं चामृतं च । स्थितं च यच्च । सच्च त्यं च ॥ बृह. २,३.१ ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 2.3.1)<ref name=":12">Brhadaranyaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_2p Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>Indeed, there are two forms of Brahman, gross (मूर्तं) and subtle (अमूर्तं) (with form and formless), mortal and immortal (changing and unchanging), finite and infinite, defined and undefined (existent and beyond (existence)).<ref name=":0222" />

Brhdaranyanka Upanishad is one of the earliest texts mentioning the existence of the two states of Brahman<blockquote>द्वे वाव ब्रह्मणो रूपे । मूर्तं चैवामूर्तं च, मर्त्यं चामृतं च । स्थितं च यच्च । सच्च त्यं च ॥ बृह. २,३.१ ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 2.3.1)<ref name=":12">Brhadaranyaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_2p Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>Indeed, there are two forms of Brahman, gross (मूर्तं) and subtle (अमूर्तं) (with form and formless), mortal and immortal (changing and unchanging), finite and infinite, defined and undefined (existent and beyond (existence)).<ref name=":0222" />

Brahman or the Supreme Self has but two forms, through the superimposition of which, by ignorance, the formless Supreme Brahman is defined or made conceivable. Which are those two forms? The gross and subtle. The other phases of the gross and subtle are included in them; so they are counted as two only. Here, the gross or Defined (Saguna), having particular characteristics that distinguish it from others and Undefined, the opposite of that, which can only be distantly referred to, as something unknown. The subtle is immortal not subject to destruction. This 'being' is the perfection of the two subtle elements (air and ether), because they emanate from the undifferentiated in order to form the subtle body of Hiranyagarbha (Brhd. Upan. 2.3.2-3).

Brahman or the Supreme Self has but two forms, through the superimposition of which, by ignorance, the formless Supreme Brahman is defined or made conceivable. Which are those two forms? The gross and subtle. The other phases of the gross and subtle are included in them; so they are counted as two only. Here, the gross or Defined (Saguna), having particular characteristics that distinguish it from others and Undefined, the opposite of that, which can only be distantly referred to, as something unknown. The subtle is immortal not subject to destruction. This 'being' is the perfection of the two subtle elements (air and ether), because they emanate from the undifferentiated in order to form the subtle body of Hiranyagarbha (Brhd. Upan. 2.3.2-3).

== Brahman as in Different Sampradayas ==

== Brahman as in Different Sampradayas ==

Everyone of the vedantic system-builders - Sri Shankara, Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya and others-has followed his own standpoint in his commentary of the Upanishads, bringing a mind illumined, directed by his own individual spiritual experience and interpreted all the passages to uphold his position and popularize the system of thought he expounded.<ref>Swami Ghanananda author of The Dawn of Indian Philosophy (1958) ''The Cultural Heritage of India, Volume 1 : The Early Phases (Prehistoric, Vedic and Upanishadic, Jaina and Buddhist).'' Calcutta : The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. (Pages 333-344)</ref> The [[relationship of Atman and Brahman]] is the primary basis of defining the various vedanta schools, for example, Advaita school is so named as it posits that Atman and Brahman are one and the same.  

Everyone of the vedantic system-builders - Sri Shankara, Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya and others-has followed his own standpoint in his commentary of the Upanishads, bringing a mind illumined, directed by his own individual spiritual experience and interpreted all the passages to uphold his position and popularize the system of thought he expounded.<ref>Swami Ghanananda author of The Dawn of Indian Philosophy (1958) ''The Cultural Heritage of India, Volume 1 : The Early Phases (Prehistoric, Vedic and Upanishadic, Jaina and Buddhist).'' Calcutta : The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. (Pages 333-344)</ref> The [[relationship of Atman and Brahman]] is the primary basis of defining the various vedanta schools, for example, Advaita school is so named as it posits that Atman and Brahman are one and the same, while Dvaita school maintains that Atman and Brahman are distinctly two entities.  

While fundamentally in agreement regarding the existence of Brahman various Vedantic schools differ as in following aspects

While fundamentally in agreement regarding the existence of Brahman various Vedantic schools differ as in following aspects

|Who is Brahman

|Who is Brahman

|Attributeless without Name and Form

|Attributeless without Name and Form

|Vishnu is Supreme Deity

|Vishnu or Krishna is Supreme Deity

|Brahman or Narayana (Purushottama)  

|Brahman or Narayana (Purushottama)  

|-

|-