Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates ‘Brahmabhava (Introduction)’ 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. Brahmabhāva (Introduction)
Brahmabhāva is the most prominent spiritual endeavor in the Svāminārāyaṇa tradition. Brahmabhāva encompasses all spiritual endeavors.
Bhadreśadāsa cites:
yadvaibhavāt parā śāntiḥ karmā'lepo'pyavāpyate | sukaraḥ karmayogaśca dehabhāvanivāraṇā ||
svajane mamatā'bhāvaḥ strīviṣayādināśanam | parabhaktyadhikāritvaṃ jīvanmuktyanubhāvanam ||
divyabhāvo'kṣaraprāptirityadi sahajaṃ bhavet | ihocyate brahmabhāvo brahmasaṅgaprabhāvitaḥ || SSS p.307 ||“Upon attaining brahmabhāva through the association of Brahman (Guru), an aspirant attains ultimate peace. The bondage of karma and the affection towards his body dissolve. Karmayoga becomes easy. The sense of I-ness, my-ness, and attraction towards the opposite gender are removed. He attains the ability for ultimate devotion and experiences divinity and the abode of Parabrahman in this very life.”
What exactly is this brahmabhāva? Bhadreśadāsa answers the question in the SSS: Brahmabhāva means to acquire oneness with Brahman. One who attains this brahmabhāva state is identified as being brahmarūpa. Here oneness means to acquire the virtues of Brahman, which are indispensable for attaining ultimate liberation.[1] Svāminārāyaṇa invariably states the importance of brahmabhāva: For utmost devotion—
“Only one who is brahmarūpa has the right to offer bhakti to Puruṣottama.” (Vacanamrut Loyā 7, p.303)
To attain the highest level of nirvikalpa faith—
“One possessing the highest level of ‘nirvikalpa faith’ realizes that countless millions of brahmāndas, each encircled by the eight barriers, appear like mere atoms before Akṣara. Such is the greatness of Akṣara, the abode of Puruṣottama Nārāyana. One who worships Puruṣottama realizing oneself to be akṣararup can be said to possess the highest level of ‘nirvikalpa faith.” (Vacanamrut Loyā 7, p.324)
Moreover, to become an ekāntik bhakta (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/11), to procure firm conviction of Parabrahman (Vacanāmṛta Sārangpur 12), to attain wisdom (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/56), to achieve nirvikalpa samādhi (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/40), to accomplish yogayajna (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/8), to eradicate māyic bondage (Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā II/30) etc., brahmabhāva is indispensable.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
SSS, p.308