190908 - 8th September 2019 : Brahma-Vidya

श्री  गणेश  मंदिर   -  शिक्षा वाणी

Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene Sunday Reflections 

8th September 2019 : Brahma-Vidya 

KEYWORDS:: Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Vidya, 

  

Last week we reflected on Bhagavad Gita and drawn a similarity between Gita and Brahma Vidya, and here we shall reflect on Brahma Vidya.  

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु 

om tat sat iti srimad bhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu 

ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे 

brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre sri krishnaarjuna samvaade 

  

Vid ("to know") is the root for Vidya (Knowledge) as per the Vedas. The ultimate Vidya to KNOW THE SELF is Brahma Vidya. Brahma Vidya is the spiritual knowledge of divine faith/God/existence/absolute truth itself. In the Puranas, this is divided into two branches - one dealing with the Vedic mantras called para vidya or former knowledge and the other dealing with the study of the Upanishads called the apara vidya or latter knowledge. Both para and apara vidya constitute brahma vidya. 

  

Brahman is the absolute Reality, pure Consciousness. According to ADVAITA VEDANTA philosophy, Brahman is the Absolute non-dual reality, and its essential nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss. Self and Brahman is one; the difference or duality between Brahman and the Self is a mere illusion. 

  

These days Brahma Vidya is seen as the spiritual path for seekers of ultimate reality, explaining the logic behind experiential and experimental sciences. According to Hindu philosophy Brahma is imperishable. For the imperishable to exist, a perishable object is to be Mundakopanishad says – Brahma vidya is the Sarva Vidyam Pratishtam, the foundation of all kinds of Knowledge. The Indriyas, the base of knowledge is from these sense organs of perception, thought, imagination, which are all managed by the Brahma. Learning and gaining this in all that we do is called Brahma Vidya. 

  

Infinite things around this world are reduced into 5 senses and then is preserved as impression implying that the world is only an impression. That impression in us is understood by the Brahma residing in the center of our heart-cave, shining in the form of the Self with immediacy as 'I'. [https://www.arunachala.org/docs/hrdaya-kuhara-madhye/] 

हृदयकुहर मध्ये केवलं ब्रह्ममात्रम्। 

hṛdayakuhara madhye kevalaṃ brahmamātram। 

  

Brahmavidya Upanishad is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas. The Brahmavidya Upanishad has 110 verses. The key issues dealt with in the scripture are Brahmavidya– the knowledge of Brahman, the character of Brahman, the Om symbol and an individual’s nature of self-consciousness, human attachments and freedom therefrom. 

  

As it says Bhagavad Gita is the essence of Upanishads, Brahma Vidya and Yoga Sasthra, having reflected on Brahma Vidya now, next week we shall reflect Yoga Sasthram. 

  

----- Next Week 8th September 2019 – Yoga Sasthram ------ 

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