2. The concept of God in the Brahma Purana

In the ups., there are passages which give the negative and positive descriptions of Brahman and these two trends have developed into the concepts of higher and lower 3 Brahman. The higher Brahman is attributeless, i indeterminate, faintless, impersonal and pure etc. whereas the lower Brahman is pure and endowed with qualities etc. The Brahma Purana also contains numerous references ascribing both the types of attributes to lord Purusottama. The Brahma Purana in one place, identifies lord Visnu with 'Parabrahma' and states that the whole world is created from him, maintained by him and destroyed by him. This theory is at variance with the popular tradition of calling Brahma as the creator, Visnu as the maintainer and Siva as the destroyer of 3 cf. Niskalam niskriyam....Niravadyam niranjanam tam Isvaranam Paraman mahesvaram tam daivatanam Paraman ca daivatan Patim Patinam Paramam Parastad vidam devam bhuvanesam idyam 1 SQ 6.7 Anandam brahmano vidvan | TU 2.9.1. i

801 the world. Further it states that he is the highest state, from him the whole world consisting of mobile and immobile things emerges, he is the cause of all the rites, the performance of the sacrifice is also done through him and the sacrifice and its fruit are also constituted of his essence. A thing distinct from him does not exist (23.41-44). Regarding the matters of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa, Sabda is the means of proof and in that too the Vedas are the highest authority. The purusa who is eulogised in the Vedas is higher than the high (parat parah) and he is amurta and immortal whereas the other Zone is epara, mortal and murta. This murta form becomes three-fold according to the differences in Gunas and is called by various names as Brahma, Visnu and Siva. The three The one different forms are taken to benefit the world. essence takes three forms in order to undertake three different functions, viz. creation, maintenance and destruction. Thus Brahma creates, Visnu maintains and Siva destroys (130.7- 14,21). This theory is reconciled with the above theory where Visnu is assigned the triple functions in as much as three functions are assigned to three different gods though in reality they are one. Elsewhere also it is stated that one who wants to attain the four purusarthas, freedom from sin and final emancipation (nihsreyas) should realise the oneness of lord Visnu and sive (129.112). At another place

802 Thus it is said that also the unity of gods is established. that which is water is Agni, that which is Agni is Surya, that which is Surya is Visnu, that which is Visnu is Bhaskara, That which is Brahma is Rudra and that which is Rudra is everything. Thus in reality there is only one but it is 4 called by many names in order to create illusion. The The knowledge of Brahman can be attained in two ways, by the study of vedas and by realisation (viveka). ignorance about Brahman is like darkness which should be removed by the light of knowledge obtained through realisation. One who understands Brahman by the study of vedas succeeds in realising him too. Those who desire Moksa should meditate on Brahman which is Avyakta, Ajara, Acintya, aja, avyaya, anirdedya, formless, devoid of hands and feet, all pervading, eternal, the cause of all the beings, the causeless, by whom the whole world is pervaded and the highest state. His status is designated as subtle in the gratis. He knows the utpati, pralaya, the coming and going of all the beings, the vidya and avidya. He is called Bhagavan as he is devoid of Heyagunas and connotes the six elements, viz.: jnana, sakti, Bala, Aisvarya, Virya and Tejas. As he resides in all the 4 Eka evadvayah sambhurindramitragninamabhih Vadanti Bahudha vipra Bhrantopakrtihetave 158.24-27. 1

803 beings and all the beings reside in him, he is called Vasudeva.5 He resides within all the beings and is the Dhata and vidhata of the whole world. He is beyond the Gunas and dosas of all the beings and prakrti. He is beyond the Gunas too. covers the world. He is beyond all the coverings but he himself He is full of all the good qualities. He takes a form of his own liking for the benefit of the world. He is higher than the highest and klesa and other things do not exist in his presence. Isvara is vyastirupa and samastirupa and his nature is Avyakta i.e. unmanifest as well as prakata i.e. manifest. He is the lord of all, the eye of all, the sakti of all and he is known as Paramesvara. He is faultless, Nirmala and Ekarupa. He can be visualised as well as realised (233.70-75). 5 The Mangalasloka eulogises lord Visnu as Purusottama.. Yattadavyaktamajaramacintyamajamavy ay am 11 anirdesyamarupam ca panipadayasamyatam vittam sarvagatam nityam bhutayonimakaranam >> vyapyam vyaptam yatah sarvam tadvai pasyanti surayah | tadbrahma paraman dhama taddheyam moksakamksibhih || srutivakyoditam suksmam tadvisnoh paramam padam utpattim pralayan caiva bhutanamagatim gatim, vetti yidyamavidyam ca sa vacyo bhagavaniti, jnanasaktibalaisvaryaviryatejamsyasesatah " Bhagvatsabdavacyani vina hayairgunadibhih | Sarvani tatra bhutani nivasanti paratmani bhutesu ca sa sarvatna vasudevastatah smrtah 1 (233.63-69)

804 By meditating on him one gets liberation which is dhruva He is Nitya, Vibhu, Niscala, Nityanandaand prapancarahita. maya, Prasanna, Amala, Savesvara, Nirguna, beyond Vyakta and Avyakta, Vibhu, Ajara, the cause of the destruction of Samsara, and the bestower of liberation. Here also the triple function e of creation, sustainance and destruction are assigned to him (1.1-2). Various philosophical epithets and attributes are assigned to different gods.. They are dealt with in the description of various gods in the chapter VI on 'Mythology' but here some of them are discussed with a view to give a clear idea of the Brahma-Purana regarding the philosophical nature of god. Thus it is said that the secret knowledge of Sun is avyakta, avacya and parama guhya. He is suksma, avijneya, avyakta, acala, dhruva, beyond the domain of senses and objects of senses, and all the beings. He is the Antaratman of all the beings and is called ksetrajna. He is purusa and is beyond the three gunas. Ho is called Hiranyagarbha. In the yoga philosophy he is called the great pradhana. In samichya as well as in yoga, he is called by many names. He is three-formed, the Atman of the whole world, sarva, holding the three worlds by his own power, though bodiless living in all the bodies. of all and cannot be grasped by others. He is the witness He is saguna, nirguna

805 and attainable through jnana. His hands, feet, eyes, head and face are everywhere and he exists pervading the whole earth. He is the head, eyes, hands, nose and feet of the whole world. He is called ksetrajna because he knows the pain and pleasure of the ksetras. As he sleeps in a pura (pure sete) which is avyakta, he is called purusa. As he has many forms, he is called Visvarupa. He creates himself by his own self just as the water falling from the sky gots different tastes on account of the different qualities of land with which it comes in contact, just as the Vayu though one gets five names according to the five functions it performs in the body, just as on account of the differences in place of lighting the fire though one gets five names according to the functions it performs, occasions. Similarly, he gets different names on different Just as a lamp though one can light other thousand similarly thousand forms emerge from him though he is one. He is called Aksaya, a prameya and sarvaga. From him the avyakta having three gunas is created The Brahman lamps who is sadasadatmaka is the yoni of the prakrti which exists in the avyakta and vyakta. There is no one higher than him and he should be known by Atman (30.57-80). The highest form of lord Visnu is said to be kutastha, acala and dhruva. Even lord Brahma and others are not able to know him. His nature is Suddha. He is nitya, higher than

806 Prakrti, Avyakta, Sasvata, endless, all-pervading, aja, vibhu, avyaya. He is the akasa and is very tranquil. He is nirguna and niranjana (55.32-35). The vedantic epithets are noteworthy. Once lord Siva is said to create, protect and destroy the whole world. He is one, independent, non-dual and sukhatmaka (129.68). Brahman is said to be beyond the six types of feelings and it is to be known by conquering the self (178.92). Again lord Visnu is eulogised by both the types of attributes. Thus he is said to be sarvavyapi, Jagannatha, the lord of all the worlds, the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction of the world, the bestower of pleasures to the world, indestructible, eternal, nirlepa, nirguna, suksma, nirvikara, niranjana, devoid of all the limitations, manifesting only through satta, avikari, vibhu, nitya, sanatana, acala, nirmala, vyapi, nityatrypta, nirasraya, though avyakta manifesting into vyakta, Narayana, Anantatma, Prabhava, Avyaya, etc. (179.67-75). Once again the samkhya and vedantic thoughts mix together in the description of lord Visnu. Thus it is said that lord Visnu is tanmatrarupin, acintyamahimna, vyapin, having one as well as many forms, sabdarupa, unthinkable, vijnanarupa, higher than prakrti, the atman of all the beings, senses and pradhana, He is the Atman and Paramatman and resides in five forms. He is ksara as well as aksara and is called by various names as Brahma, Visnu and siva. His nature,

807 purpose and name cannot be known. He is beyond name, jati He is the atman of all and devoid of all and imagination. the modifications. He is Brahma, Pasupati, Aryama, Vidhata, Again Dhata, Wind, Fire, lord of water, and wealth, and Yama and though one protects the world in different forms (192.48-56). lord Visnu is said to be gunatmaka consisting of senses and intellect, beyond the duals of sita, usna, etc. beyond the limitations like length, width etc., uncontaminated by the feelings of birth and others, etc. (203.6-9). At one place it is said that the vedas are the means of proof in matters having forms but the highest essence is formless (130.7,8). At one place, it is stated that the state of equi. librium of the three gunas devoid of increase and decrease is called prakrti or pradhana and it is the cause of the whole world. Thus this whole prakrti is avyakta and vyakta and the vyakta form merges into the avyakta form. The purusa who is different from prakrti,is Suddha, Aksara, nitya and all-pervad -ing and he is a part of Paramatman. That who exists merely by satta, who is jneya, jnanatma, who is beyond the conglomeration of body, Atman, etc. and beyond the imagination of nama, jati etc. is Paramabrahma, Paramatman and Paramesvara. He is lord Visnu attaining whom one has not to come back to this world. The prakrti and purusa both merge in this Paramatman. He is the resort and lord of all the beings. He is praised in the

808 vedas and vedantas. One meditates on Visnu by both the types of karmans belonging to pravrtti- karmayoga and nivrtti The followers of pravrttimarga praise him by samkhyayoga. Ros, Yajus and samans; and those of the nivrttimarga worship That which cannot be attained by brasva, in him by jnanayoga. dirgha and pluta svaras and which is not object of speech is lord visnu himself. Ile is vyakta as well as avyakta and is the Parmatman of the whole world (232.33-47). is in consonance with that of the epic sankhya. This treatment The above survey testifies that the concept of godhead in the Brahma Purana is in consonance with that of the upanishad- 6 -ic Brahman. The opposite attributes like gross and subtle attributed to god above are in consonance with Vallabhacarya's doctrine of Viruddhadhamasrayatva of Brahman. And the above survey also shows that the concept of godhead in the Brahma Purana is 7 similar to that in the other Puranas.