4.1. Akṣarabrahman is not Parabrahman

Akṣarabrahman is a different entity from Parabrahman. We investigate a major clue to the answer in the Vacanāmṛta where Svāminārāyaṇa states:

“Puruṣottama Parabrahman is greater even than Akṣara who is greater than all else.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/64, p.154).

Svāminārāyaṇa explains further that Parabrahman Puruṣottama Nārāyaṇa is different from Akṣarabrahman and is also the cause, support, and inspirer of him.^[1] Parabrahman is, therefore, still superior to Brahman, and the ultimate cause of all, including Akṣarabrahman. Svāminārāyaṇa emphasizes this fact invariably in the Vacanāmṛta. We will take a glance at a few of these in the section on Parabrahman as Akṣarātīta.

As a recapitulation, here is one such declaration:

“This manifest form of Puruṣottama Parabrahman Bhagavān before your eyes is the controller of all, including Akṣara. He is the lord of all īśvaras and the cause of all causes. He reigns supreme.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā III/38, p.664).

The Svāminārāyaṇa Bhāṣyakāra confirms this view through the Prasthānatrayī.

²³⁸ Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/3

In his analysis he indicates that Akṣarabrahman in other ways also, (Akṣarabrahman) is within and without the beings; and also is mobile and immobile. All-pervading all-supporting form of Akṣarabrahman which is within and without universes and beings therein. Akṣarabrahman is eternally the chief among the devout attendants of Lord Puruṣottama; he is the ideal devotee nearest and dearest to Him; he is eternally best personal page and devotee of God, has the enchanting personality with the most attractive-symmetrical limbs, face, etc. In short, he is a formful-personal servant with supreme devotion. He enjoys God’s predilection, love, bliss, favored of God’s sovereign powers to the highest degree; for he embodies nothing but God and God alone fully in his person, from eternity.

Akṣarabrahman is vibhu or infinitive like Nārāyaṇa (Parabrahman). Ontologically and functionally Akṣarabrahman is different from Parabrahman and subordinate to Him; nevertheless, psychologically and lovingly (devotionally) he is one with Him. Though one and only one Without a second, Akṣarabrahman serves Lord. The relationship of Akṣarabrahman to Parabrahman is the eternal relationship of the supreme devotee and the Supreme Godhead. Akṣara is the eternal ‘sevaka’ (attendant), ‘uttama bhakta’ (supreme devotee).

Akṣara is dependent on Puruṣottama, but not the sense in which the jīvas, the īśvaras, and the māyā-prakṛti are. On careful study and examination, we find that they are dependent both on Akṣara and Puruṣottama. Only Akṣara and Puruṣottama are beyond and bereft of māyā-prakṛti from eternity. God is the only redeemer and Akṣara is an eternally free mediator and necessary model to be modeled, for the jīvas and īśvara aspiring to attain freedom. On the contrary, Mūlaprakṛti which is the accessory of God, rests dormant in its contracted (unmanifest) state in the infinitesimal small portion of Akṣara during the state of total dissolution. And Akṣara, being transcendent to Mūlaprakṛti, is always untouched and untainted by it. So, the question of bondage does not arise in case of Akṣara; while jīvas and īśvaras are beginning hardly bound by the fetters of māyā. Akṣara is distinct from and superior to the liberated souls (akṣararnuktas including Mūlapuruṣa) and Mūlaprakṛti. They are like tiny sparks before Akṣara. Akṣara has no desire to be fulfilled and has no will of his own. The will of God (his Master’s) is his will. His will is never different from God’s will.

Since Akṣarabrahman is eternally in communion with Parabrahman by the relationship of supreme love and oneness. Akṣarabrahman is the chief (eternal) among the eternal jīvas and īśvaras and māyā-prakṛti, the conscious among conscious being. When perfect affiliation and oneness (union) with that manifest transcendental form of God occurs through the medium of Akṣara-Guru, the devotee acquires brahmanhood and thus attains the place in His abode. The attainment of Brahmaloka (Akṣaradhāma), is the attainment of the highest (Parabrahman), for both are called paramapada. Of course, Parabrahman, as the transcendental Absolute certainly can yield brahmanhood to jīva even without the intercession (mediation) of Akṣara-Guru.

1 The Upaniṣad

The Upaniṣads variously, and hence, express Brahman as—

(i) Dhrtmān i.e. the permanent abode of God,

(ii) Sarvottama Sevaka-bhakta i.e. the best devotee-attendant of God coeval with Him from eternity,

(iii) the Akṣara-Guru i.e. the Parama Ekantika Satpuruṣa working as the medium of God’s continuous (ceaseless) manifestation on earth, Akṣarabrahman as the Guru (in perpetuating succession) embodies God fully in his person and God too keeps His manifestation perennial through the person of Akṣara-Gurus in succession. Thus as ‘Pragata Brahmasvarūpa’ (the Akṣara-Gurus) is the inheritor and transmitter of tradition set forth by God Himself, and he works as the fulfiller of His mission and discharger of the duty of purifying the souls and linking them with God to attain final emancipation.

(iv) Sarvadhāra-Cidākāśa i.e., infinite, all-pervading, all-supporting consciousness–space. Thus, out of five ways of expressing or serving God (Parabrahman), Akṣara Brahman’s form may be broadly divided into two main categories.

The first three (aforesaid) forms refer to-(i) Formful-personal (sakṛti / murtam) form of Akṣarabrahman, while (ii) the last -maybe clubbed under a single category of Formless-impersonal (nirakṛti or amurtam) form of Akṣarabrahman.

The Śruti reveals:

etadvai satyakāma paraṃ cāparaṃ ca brahma yadoṅkāraḥ |tasmādvidvānetenaivāyatanenaikataramanveti || Praśna-upaniṣad 5/2 ||

“That which is the sound of Aum, O Satyakāma, is verily the higher and lower Brahman.”

The term ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ varifies the distinction between Parabrahman and (Akṣara)Brahman, certainly when the fruits meditating on ‘Aum’ is described as procuring ‘either’ (ekataram) of them.”

In this way, the Upaniṣads invariably claim about two Brahmans: lower and higher. First, we will ponder upon the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad meticulously.

The mantra is:

akṣarāt parataḥ paraḥ (Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/2)

“Parabrahman is greater even than Akṣara, the greatest.”

Bhadreśadāsa comments:

“tathā ca tādṛśajīveśvaramāyā'kṣaramuktādisarvaparabhūtād akṣarātpūrvaṃ paravidyā'dhigamyatayoktādakṣarākhyadivyatattvādapi hi avaśyameva paraḥ parabhūtaḥ, tādṛśamahimaviśiṣṭabrahmaṇo'pi niyāmakastatsvāmī tatprerakastadādhārastaccharīrī cetyadirarthaḥ | saḥ puruṣaḥ paramātmā'stīti yojyam | itthaṃ brahmaṇo'pi paratvātparabrahmeti paramātmano'nvathaiva saṃjñā | akṣarabrahmaṇaśca tatparabhūtaparamātmānaṃ vihāyaiva, tadatiriktebhyaḥ sarvebhyo yatparatvaṃ tadapi | paramātmecchāyattamiti siddham |” (Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/2, p. 260) 171

To understand this passage from the Bhāṣya, we first provide the background of this Upaniṣad. The Mundaka-upaniṣad 1/1/5 describes the higher knowledge in the form of Akṣarabrahman.

The instantly following verse describes ‘Akṣara’ as

“Invisible, inadmissible, without lineage and without caste, without eyes or ears, and without hands or feet; eternal, pervading, omnipresent and exceedingly subtle.”

In the conclusion:

“That which is immutable, the wise perceive as the source of all beings.” (Mundaka-upaniṣad 1/1/6)

The other remaining verses in this first part of the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad continue to illustrate that ‘Akṣara’.

The Mundaka-upaniṣad again assert the power of creation of Akṣara,

“This is the truth: As from a blazing fire, sparks of like form issue forth by the thousands, similarly, O dear (Śaunaka), beings of various forms issue forth from Akṣara and coming back to it only.” (Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/1)

Instantly thereafter, Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/2 explains that,

“akṣarāt parataḥ paraḥ”

“Than the superior Akṣara Parabrahman is superior.”

This seemingly simple phrase, Bhadreśadāsa argues, holds the key to solving a correct, consistent reading of the entire Muṇḍaka and perhaps other texts too.

Describing ‘Akṣara’that also is an adjective that qualifies Puruṣa and means ‘high’. and that ‘parataḥ’, an indeclinable adjective also meaning ‘high’. The word ‘Akṣara’ has been taken from the verb ‘ksin’ meaning ‘to wane’ or ‘to perish’. The negating ‘a’ prefix thus indicates “Akṣara ‘imperishable”. But even so, the term can equally serve as an adjective and a proper noun, just as ‘green’, for example, English can refer to the actual color green, the quality describing something of brown color and Mr. Green, respectively. Which of these applies to ‘Akṣara’ in the phrase above? The Mundaka-upaniṣad declares Brahman as a different entity. This appears to be a straight translation of the phrase in Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/2. 172

2 The Brahmasūtra

Interestingly, the Adṛśyatvādhikaraṇa (Brahmasūtras 1/2/21–24) asserts,

“‘yattadadreśyamagrāhyam’ (Mundaka-upaniṣad 1/1/6) iti vedāntavākyasya paramātmabhinne akṣarabrahmaṇi eva divyatattve samanvayaṃ sādhayāmāsa trisūtryā iti sarvaṃ samañjasam |” (Brahmasūtra 1/2/24, p.79)

“That which is invisible and inadmissible, etc., are the qualities of Akṣarabrahman which is divine and distinct from Parabrahman. We have synchronized with the starting point trisūtraya.”

It takes its cue from the opening of Mundaka-upaniṣad 1/1/6. Akṣarabrahman and Parabrahman are concluded here as imperishable, invisible, omniscient, and the cause of the universe, yet Akṣarabrahman is different from Parabrahman.

Bhadreśadāsa remarks on those who do not know about the entity of Akṣarabrahman and hence have a weakened knowledge of the actual words of the sacred texts.

“sakalaprapañcaparabhūtād akṣaraśabdavācyād brahmaṇopi paraḥ puruṣaśabdavācyaḥ puruṣottamastato bhinna eveti hi tatratyaḥ siddhāntaḥ |” (Brahmasūtra 1/1/1, p.6)

“Parabrahman referred here with the word ‘puruṣa’ is distinct from Brahman who is mentioned with the word ‘akṣara’. It is the foremost principle scripted in the Mundaka-upaniṣad 2/1/2.”

When we ponder upon the subject matter of the Brahmasūtra, and look at a semantically consistent interpretation, throughout the Upaniṣad mantras, which possibly reveal only the principles of the Svāminārāyaṇa tradition, because they believe that Akṣarabrahman is distinct from Parabrahman and subordinate to him. Sequentially, for the Svāminārāyaṇa tradition, the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad and other Upaniṣads^[2] help canonically valid this distinction between Akṣarabrahman and Parabrahman. Along with this, the ubhayavyapadeśādhikaraṇam (Brahmasūtras 3/2/26-29, pp. 302-304) and parādhikaraṇam (Brahmasūtras 3/2/30-35, pp.304-310) elaborate the ontological distinction of these two entities.

²³⁹ Katha-upaniṣad 3/11, 6/8; Taittiriya-upaniṣad 2/1/1, Praśna-upaniṣad 5/2 etc. 173

3 The Bhagavad-Gītā

The Bhagavad-Gītā also reflects the distinction of the above-mentioned two entities. There are two factors that I was allured to investigate the eighth chapter of the Bhagavad-Gītā for our subject matter of Akṣarabrahman as a distinct entity from Parabrahman; first, the Bhagavad-Gītā has Brahmavidyā as its running theme; and second, the eighth chapter is focused on Akṣarabrahman, hence titled ‘Akṣarabrahmayoga’.

The chapter starts with Arjuna’s questions is:

“kiṃ tad brahma?” (Bhagavad-Gītā 8/1)

“What is ‘Brahman’?”

The reply begins with a brief solution in Bhagavad-Gītā 8/3.

The answer was: “akṣaraṃ brahma paramam” In this verse, with ‘parama’ means ‘greatest’. This adjective of Brahman appears everywhere in the text. Similarly, Parabrahman is mentioned as the greater than the greatest Akṣarabrahman. This authenticates Parabrahman and Akṣarabrahman as two distinct entities and that the former is superior to the latter.

In this context, Bhadreśadāsa firstly explains in Bhagavad-Gītā 8/3 that:

“The entire Gītā is instilled with (the siddhānta of) Brahman and Parabrahman.”

After analyzing the ‘Akṣarabrahmayoga’ we discuss now ‘Puruṣottamayoga’. It reveals:

dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca |
kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho'kṣara ucyate || Bhagavad-Gītā15/16 ||

This means there are two types of persons (Puruṣa) in this world -‘kṣara’ and Akṣara’. All beings are kṣara (literally, perishable) whereas ‘Akṣara’ is said to be immutable (kūṭastha; immovable, as if braced on or like an anvil) the uttama Puruṣa (highest person) is different (from the above two). This highest person is described in the next verse. He -is Parabrahman, also known as Parabrahman supports the entire universe. He the greatest; greater than both ‘kṣara’ and ‘Akṣara’ again, we find sermons in the Vacanāmṛta that closely agree with the metaphysical description and juxtaposition from the Bhagavad-Gītā verses above.

For example:

“And what is Puruṣottama like? He transcends both kṣara and Akṣara.” (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā III/31, 174 p.647).

Bhadreśadāsa argues simply that Puruṣottama is:

“akṣarād api pūrvoktasarvavidhabaddhamuktajīveśvaramāyādibhyo'pi sadaiva'tyantotkṛṣṭāt sākṣādakṣara-brahmaṇo'pi uttamaḥ utkṛṣṭaḥ” (Bhagavad-Gītā 15/18, p.316)

“Parabrahman transcendent jīva, māyā, īśvara, and Brahman due to his highest supremacy among all others.”

Parabrahman is always accompanied by Akṣarabrahman, and when He descends on earth, Akṣarabrahman: the supreme servitor too is together with Him. In short, wherever Svāminārāyaṇa is there, whether we speak of Him as a resident in highest abode, or as Antaryāmīn in the heart of all as their Inner Self, or as the incarnate God on earth or in the form of Icon; He is together with Akṣarabrahman and hence, legitimately the ‘Svāminārāyaṇa’ mantra implies ‘Akṣara with Puruṣottama’.

Puruṣottama Parabrahman does not exist without (away and apart from) Akṣarabrahman: the best devotee-attendant; and Akṣarabrahman cannot be conceived away and apart from Parabrahman-Puruṣottama. The two icons (murtis) of Akṣara and Puruṣottama seen in the central shrines of Akṣara-Puruṣottama Svāminārāyaṇa temples are likely to give an impression of a belief in ‘combined worship’ of both. But Svāminārāyaṇa Vedanta does not advocate the concept of dual or composite worship, because the supreme object of worship is Puruṣottama alone both here and hereafter. As such the maximum that one can attain is the similarity (sādhdrmya) with Akṣara, but one can never become perfectly equal or identical to Puruṣottama because of the attributes and excellence of God’s transcendence exclusively rests with Him alone eternally.

One who serves the supreme devotee with honor and devotion equal to God attains his spiritual goal quicker by the grace of God. Just as one pleases a child and having pleased his father; in the like manner you please the choicest devotee of God, and the Puruṣottama is pleased all the more. With this understanding in view, Akṣara and Puruṣottama are devoutly tended and propitiated together, because Puruṣottama has promised to cut asunder the ties of bondage much faster, which otherwise would take several births to get rid of. This is the reason why, Puruṣottama, the only object of worship is honored and adored along with His best and closest companion-devotee, who is the ideal like whom every seeker of God likes to become.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/3

[2]:

Katha-upaniṣad 3/11, 6/8; Taittiriya-upaniṣad 2/1/1, Praśna-upaniṣad 5/2 etc. 173