Use of word Brahman & Para Brahman

[dattaswami2]

Use of word Brahman & Para Brahman

 

Athaatah Parabrahma Vyakhyaasyaamah. -–Sutra.

 

(Then and therefore, we will discuss about Parabrahman)--Translation of Sutra.

 

The word Brahman is used for God and for non-God items also, which are greatest among their categories. Hence, confusion about the meaning of the word Brahman arose, which led to a number of splits in the arguments. After this confusion (then) and since the confusion is to be solved (therefore), the word Para Brahman is introduced by the author of these sutras, Shri Datta Swami, to mean God only and not the other non-God items.--- Explanation of Sutra.

 

Praamanikaabhyaam Prayujyate .

 

(The word Parabrahman is used by two authorities i.e., Krishna and Shankara)

 

Krishna used this word in Gita (Anaadimat Param Brahma….) and Shankara also used in His prayer (Maunavyaakhyaa Prakatita Para Brahma…) and hence this word is quite ancient. You need not reject this word because it is used by a modern person like Datta Swami. Generally, people give value to the ancient sages and not to the modern preachers. However, this is not correct. We should analyze the concept and decide its value. A modern preacher like Sri RamaKrishna Paramahamsa is a good authority. The ancient sage, Charvaka, is not an authority, who propagated atheism. The author tries to satisfy the blind psychology of people regarding their taste for ancient sages through this Sutra, though analysis of the concept is the real ultimatum.

 

Brahman means greatest according to its root word

 

Param Bhede Shreshthapunarukteh.

 

(The word Param in Gita means different and not great, since the latter results in the mistake of repetition)

 

The word Param in Gita is generally interpreted to mean great. But this interpretation is not correct, because the word Brahman already means greatest among the category. If you say that the word param again means great, it results in the mistake of repetition of same sense of the word Brahman. Brahman means greatest according to its root word. Hence, here, the word param means different. Param has both the meanings. Here the word Brahman is restricted to imaginable greatest items in their respective categories. The word Para Brahman means the unimaginable greatest God, who is different from the imaginable greatest items, which are represented by the word Brahman. The word Para Brahman is also a combination of two words- Param and Brahman. Both these words combined become the single word Para Brahman. Hence, in Gita the two words are separately represented which can be combined to give the word Para Brahman.