mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām | Chaitanya Charan Prabhu: Is Krishna Brahman or Parabrahman? @mad-bhaktimlabhateparam2592 | Uploaded April 2020 | Updated October 2024, 10 hours ago.
No copyright infringement intended. My channel is not monetised in any way. Just sharing for the upliftment of others. Video source: youtu.be/5QlsSShNC6w
More about the term 'Aham Brahmasmi' ('I am Brahman')
bit.ly/2XlvN3P
bit.ly/2Vm9qZg
Chaitanya Charan Das' website (The Spiritual Scientist)
thespiritualscientist.com
TRANSCRIPTION:
Hare Krishna!
Question: Is Krishna Brahman or Parabrahman?
Answer: Krishna is referred to by both the names in the scriptures. When the soul is to be distinguished from Krishna, at that time the reference 'Parabrahman' may be used for him. So in that sense He is the Supreme Spiritual Reality (‘Brahman’ means ‘spirit’, ‘’bṛhate’, that which expands). So, Brahman is the standard reference used for the Absolute Truth in the Vedanta Sutra.
Therefore, one should not think that only the word Parabrahman refers to Krishna. Most of the time, when the word Brahman is used, it can also refer to Krishna. We can see in the Bhagavad-gita that the word brahman is used to refer to the soul. It also refers to the Supreme Lord and sometimes it may even refer to the material nature (prakriti) for example, in Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 14. Verse 3, ‘mama yonir mahad brahma’ (the total material substance, called brahman).
The important point and differentiation between Brahman and Parabrahman is that we are not the Absolute Truth. We are parts of the Absolute Truth. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita 15.7, ’mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutaḥ sanatanaḥ’ (translation: the living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts). It means that we are parts of Krishna and that too, eternal parts. Even after we become liberated, we remain parts of Krishna.
So Krishna is both Brahman and Parabrahman and the soul is a finite, limited, infinitesimal part of that Supreme Reality. Often the term ‘aham Brahmasmi’ is used to refer to the point that we are spirit, this is not an equalisation of the soul with God. Neither is the word Brahman a monopoly of the impersonalists. The word Brahman does not necessarily mean only Brahmajyoti or the all-pervading effulgence of the Lord. In general, it refers to the Absolute Truth and there are many verses in the scriptures which indicate that it also refers to the personal Absolute Truth.
So we have to look at the context, to see what is being referred to by a particular term. And not just the context, we also have to look at the Acharya’s commentaries (commentaries of the spiritual preceptors) the we can understand if the word Brahman is referring to the soul (atma) or the Supersoul (Paramatma).
If at all we want to contrast between Brahman and Parabrahman, then we can say that Krishna is the highest reality as explained in Bhagavad-gita 7.7 ‘mattaḥ parataram nanyat’ (there is no truth higher than me, and no truth beyond me’). So in that sense we can say that Krishna is the Parambrahma, the highest reality.
Also, in the Srimad Bhagavatam (08.03.04) Krishna is referred to as ‘parat parah brahman’, or He who is transcendental to transcendence. So people think of transcendence as the all-pervading Brahman effulgence. But Krishna is transcendental to even that, because the Brahmajyoti, which is considered as transcendence, comes from Him, as is explained in Bhagavad-gita 14.27 ’brahmano hi pratisthaham’ (I am the basis of the impersonal brahman). So in that sense we can say Krishna is Parabrahman.
Thank you, Hare Krishna!
No copyright infringement intended. My channel is not monetised in any way. Just sharing for the upliftment of others. Video source: youtu.be/5QlsSShNC6w
More about the term 'Aham Brahmasmi' ('I am Brahman')
bit.ly/2XlvN3P
bit.ly/2Vm9qZg
Chaitanya Charan Das' website (The Spiritual Scientist)
thespiritualscientist.com
TRANSCRIPTION:
Hare Krishna!
Question: Is Krishna Brahman or Parabrahman?
Answer: Krishna is referred to by both the names in the scriptures. When the soul is to be distinguished from Krishna, at that time the reference 'Parabrahman' may be used for him. So in that sense He is the Supreme Spiritual Reality (‘Brahman’ means ‘spirit’, ‘’bṛhate’, that which expands). So, Brahman is the standard reference used for the Absolute Truth in the Vedanta Sutra.
Therefore, one should not think that only the word Parabrahman refers to Krishna. Most of the time, when the word Brahman is used, it can also refer to Krishna. We can see in the Bhagavad-gita that the word brahman is used to refer to the soul. It also refers to the Supreme Lord and sometimes it may even refer to the material nature (prakriti) for example, in Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 14. Verse 3, ‘mama yonir mahad brahma’ (the total material substance, called brahman).
The important point and differentiation between Brahman and Parabrahman is that we are not the Absolute Truth. We are parts of the Absolute Truth. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita 15.7, ’mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutaḥ sanatanaḥ’ (translation: the living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts). It means that we are parts of Krishna and that too, eternal parts. Even after we become liberated, we remain parts of Krishna.
So Krishna is both Brahman and Parabrahman and the soul is a finite, limited, infinitesimal part of that Supreme Reality. Often the term ‘aham Brahmasmi’ is used to refer to the point that we are spirit, this is not an equalisation of the soul with God. Neither is the word Brahman a monopoly of the impersonalists. The word Brahman does not necessarily mean only Brahmajyoti or the all-pervading effulgence of the Lord. In general, it refers to the Absolute Truth and there are many verses in the scriptures which indicate that it also refers to the personal Absolute Truth.
So we have to look at the context, to see what is being referred to by a particular term. And not just the context, we also have to look at the Acharya’s commentaries (commentaries of the spiritual preceptors) the we can understand if the word Brahman is referring to the soul (atma) or the Supersoul (Paramatma).
If at all we want to contrast between Brahman and Parabrahman, then we can say that Krishna is the highest reality as explained in Bhagavad-gita 7.7 ‘mattaḥ parataram nanyat’ (there is no truth higher than me, and no truth beyond me’). So in that sense we can say that Krishna is the Parambrahma, the highest reality.
Also, in the Srimad Bhagavatam (08.03.04) Krishna is referred to as ‘parat parah brahman’, or He who is transcendental to transcendence. So people think of transcendence as the all-pervading Brahman effulgence. But Krishna is transcendental to even that, because the Brahmajyoti, which is considered as transcendence, comes from Him, as is explained in Bhagavad-gita 14.27 ’brahmano hi pratisthaham’ (I am the basis of the impersonal brahman). So in that sense we can say Krishna is Parabrahman.
Thank you, Hare Krishna!
