Eighteenth Theme: Further Comparison Between What Is Supreme and What Is Not

 

Let’s start with section fifty-one. Assuming the role of the disciple, Sri Jiva raises the question of how it is possible to know the nature of the supreme object of worship. The answer can be found in the famous verse 1.2.11 of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which has already been discussed above. We propose it again:

 

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti

bhagavan iti sabdyate

“Those who have perfect knowledge and who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Brahman is His impersonal or energetic aspect, Paramatma His aspect located in this world and Bhagavan is the Supreme and Ultimate aspect.”

 

In this verse, the word advayam plays an important role, as it indicates the non-duality of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada says:

 

“Absolute Truth is subject and object at the same time and has no qualitative differences. So Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are qualitatively the same.” Therefore, nondual means absolute and omnipresent.

Jiva Gosvami adds: 

“The word jnanam refers to one who has pure consciousness as his essential nature. This is called advayam because there could be no other supreme tattvas whose existence was relative, either homogeneous or inhomogeneous (hypothetical tattvas); this is called advayam because it represents the only support for all His saktis; this is called advayam because without this consciousness as the ultimate substrate, sakti could not even exist.”

 

Hence the expression jnanam advayam is explained. He is the Ultimate Reality, the One and Indissoluble which, although manifested in innumerable aspects, always remains Only and Absolute.

This is a section of the book “Tattva Sandarbha”, in English.

To buy the complete book, click here