Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates ‘The cause of Pramana and Prama’ of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.
4.3.1. The cause of Pramāṇa and Pramā
[Full title: 4.3. The In-contaminate Source of Knowledge (1): The cause of Pramāṇa and Pramā]
Any particular object which is attainable or becomes a subject of knowledge is remained in its state due to the resolution of Parabrahman and Akṣarabrahman.
Bhadreśadāsa explains:
yatsaṃkalpānugaṃ vastubhūtisthityadi sarvadā |
yatsaṃkalpānugaṃ vastusvarūpadharmaniścaya ||[1]“According to whose will the cause, sustenance, and destruction of objects eternally occur; according to whose will the form and qualities of objects are determined.”
At this point, Svāminārāyaṇa aims to give a comprehensive account of obtaining the true knowledge of the supreme reality. When Pūrṇānanda Svāmī asked this question that since Parabrahman transcends māyā how, then can one cultivate the conviction of Parabrahman through the māyic antahakarana? Also, how can one perceive Parabrahman with one’s māyic eyes and other indriyas?[2] Svāminārāyaṇa now disclosing the secret of the most critical issue of Indian epistemology through his answer.
He reveals:
“Out of kind-heartedness for the liberation of the jīvas, Parabrahman gives darśana in a manifested form to all of the inhabitants on this earth. At that time, if a person understands this greatness of Puruṣottama Bhagavāna by profound association with the Sādhu then all of his indriyas and antaḥkaraṇa become divine like Puruṣottama Bhagavāna’s indriyas and antaḥkaraṇa thereafter, through those indriyas and antaḥkaraṇa, he can foster the conviction of that Parabrahman. The conviction of Parabrahman can only be cultivated through Parabrahman. In the same way, the darśana of Parabrahman is also possible only through Parabrahman, but it is not possible through the māyic indriyas and antaḥkaraṇa.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/51, p.125)
In this manner, Parabrahman, who transcends Akṣarabrahman, who is beyond mind and speech, and who is imperceptible -Himself, out of compassion, resolves, ‘May all the enlightened and unenlightened people of earth behold Me. Svāminārāyaṇa brings out this solution to Daharānand Svāmi’s question in the Vacanāmṛta.[3] Thus, Svāminārāyaṇa emphasizes that the supreme knowledge of eternal entities is procured only through the immense grace of Parabrahman. It is also worth noting that by the eternal wish of Parabrahman, Akṣarabrahman is also capable of granting liberation to jīvas and īśvaras. Only these two eternal entities transcend māyā forever.[4]
To understand that Akṣarabrahman is the highest entity after Parabrahman, Svāminārāyaṇa explains:
“There is no greater status than that of an Akṣarabrahman Sādhu after Parabrahman. For example, in a kingdom, the queen’s power is equal to that of the king. In the same manner, that Sādhu holds as much sovereignty as Parabrahman.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/22, p. 445)
As we discussed earlier that Brahman and Parabrahman are the main cause of knowledge. Because by their resolution, any object of this universe remains in its particular state. The conviction of the object is also determined by those two entities. Moreover, the way we are able to see or attain knowledge of any particular object is also provided by Brahman and Parabrahman. In fact, they are knowable and at the same time, they give us the power to know them.
The Bhāṣyakāra puts it in a poetic way:
yaśca prāmāṇyanirṇetā sarvaprāmāṇyakāraṇam |
sarvaprāmāṇyadhīhetuḥ sarvapramāpradaḥ pramī ||
svāminārāyaṇaṃ vande hyakṣarapuruṣottamam |
pramāṇapuruṣaṃ vande pramukhaṃ taṃ guruṃ harim ||[5]“He who is the establisher of truth and the source of the means of knowledge; he who begets both knowledge of truth and true knowledge; and he who is the knower; I offer a bow to this entity, Svāminārāyaṇa, also known as Akṣara Puruṣottama. I also bow to Guru Hari Pramukha Svāmi Mahārāja, the manifest form of validation.”
These verses indeed explain the entire epistemology of the Svāminārāyaṇa School. Akṣarabrahman and Parabrahman along with the Guru, are determinants and cause of all pramāṇa and pramā (knowledge), they are the cause of intellect that obtains knowledge and provide the knowledge to a seeker, and are knowable. The supreme end of philosophical knowledge is the Parabrahman Darśana; the realization of the supreme entity in one’s life. It consists of going from empirical sense-perception to the inner eye of reason by the antaḥkaraṇa and finally, divine self sight blessed by Parabrahman himself. It is with this divine soul sight that one can behold Parabrahman as Parabrahman with all his transcendental greatness, glory, and divinity. No other means are worthy of knowing him thoroughly in order to attain ultimate liberation. Because this Parabrahman is not to be attained through discourses or delivering the speeches on the scriptures, through intellect, the mere use of logic or through much of hearing of scriptures. That who is selected as an eligible devotee for His grace that alone devotee attains Parabrahman.
To such a one, this Parabrahman reveals its true nature.[6] 60
“Paramātman cannot be attained by instruction, nor by intellectual power, nor even through much hearing [i.e. learning). He is attained only by the one whom Paramātman chooses. To such a one, Paramātman reveals his own form.”
Bhadreśadāsa explains while commenting this verse:
“tarhi kathaṃ labhya ityata āha eṣaḥ paramadayāsāgaro'kṣaradhāmādhipatiḥ sahajānando mahāprabhuḥ yaṃ svaikaniṣṭhamu pāsakaṃ vṛ ṇu te kṛpayā svīkaroti, yasmin prīto bhavatītyarthaḥ | tenaiva paramātmakṛpābhājanenopāsakena eṣa paramātmā labhyaḥ sākṣātkartuṃ śakyaḥ | yataḥ eṣaḥ kṛpānidhiḥ ātmā paramātmā tasya svadivyapraṇayapātrasyopāsakasya kṛte tasmā ityarthaḥ | svāṃ tanuṃ svaṃ divyaṃ svarūpaṃ, vivṛṇute prakāśayati sākṣātkārayatītyarthaḥ ||”
“Then how can one able to know the form of Parabrahman? The answer to this question is to whom Parabrahman chooses would be able to conceive his divine form. Since Parabrahman is the ocean of mercy, He Himself becomes pleased on the seeker. So through only grace of Him, one can attain or have the sākṣātkāra of Parabrahman. Parabrahman reveals his own self for the seeker afterward he or she can know Him.”
The Svāminārāyaṇa Bhāṣya clarifies: ‘tatra mukhyasādhanamāha’ the prominent endeavor to have a sākṣātkāra is Parabrahman.
“etena paramātmā na svataḥkalpitasādhanasādhyo'pi tu tatkṛpaikasādhya iti siddhāntitam |” (Mundaka-upaniṣad 3/2/3, p.293)
“Parabrahman thus remains 'Kṛpā Sādhya', attainable by grace alone. This is the ultimate principle.”
This same mantra is also located in the Kaṭha-Upaniṣad; hence, it is commented on in the same way.[7]
The theme of distinction here is the supremacy of Parabrahman’s will and love for His devotees. His compassion sees no limitations in them, and thus, He wills to disclose His transcended divine form (nature) before them. And when He wills so graciously, He becomes one like a human and manifests before them as incarnate Parabrahman, enabling them to know. He also brings about a conversion in their being (in their perception). Therefore, affectionate-caring-accessibility and His most benevolent will (Kṛpā-saṃkalpa) are the only factors that make Parabrahman’s knowledge and realization in the lives of His devotees a fact of experience. When Parabrahman wills -Let I be known and approached by my seekers, nothing prevents a seeker from realizing or knowing Him and enjoying His Company.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/51
[3]:
Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/78, p.196
[4]:
Vac. Gaḍh. 1/7, 3/10
[5]:
Svāminārāyaṇa Siddhāntasudhā Kārikā, p.146