Re: Krishna The Supreme Godhead
The term 'parabrahman' does not indicate something beyond Brahman; 'para' as the attribute belongs to Brahman in the sense that Brahman is 'supreme, beyond definition'.
So there is no simple definition of Brahman except that it is 'nirguNa' (without attributes--the attributes that we ascribe are for our own comprehension). Below are some of the approaches by our Smriti (Vedas, Upanishads) towards knowing Brahman:
• satyam, jnAnam, anantam Brahma(n) -- Taittiriya Upanishad
Here 'satyam' denotes that Brahman is the eternal Truth; 'jnAnam' denotes that Brahman is not inert but active consciousness; 'anantam' means that Brahman is not localized in Heaven but infinite.
• a-dvayam, a-dvaitami, a-dvidtiiyam -- Chandogya (6.2.1,6.2.2), Kaivalya (19,23), Brhadaranyaka (4.3.22), Mandukya (7)
That is, "Brahman is One without a second." This statements is expanded in Mandukya Upanishad mantra 7:
"It (Brahman) is not the inward awareness. It is not the outward awareness. It is not the intermediate awareness. It is not the undifferentiated mass of awareness. It is not the knowing awareness. It is not non-awareness. It is unperceivable. It is not accessible to transaction. It cannot be grasped. It is attributeless. It is not accessible to thought. It is not amenable to communication. It is the substratum of the I thought. It is the remainder of the negation (annulment) of the universe. It is changeless. It is auspiciousness. It is the nondual reality. …… That is 'AtmA'.
(na antah-prajnam, na bahih-prajnam, na ubhyatah-prajnam, na prajaana-ghanam na prajnam na aprajnam; adrshtam avyavahaaryam agraahyam alakshanam acintyam avyapadesyam ekatma-pratyaya-saaram prapancopasamam saantam sivam advaitams......sa atma)
• "Subtler than the than the subtlest, greater than the greatest." "Nearer than the nearest, farther than the farthest …… unmoving moving everywhere." -- Kathopanishad I.ii.20, I.ii.21
Brahman is not just a flesh-incarnated avatar of God, not the Holy Ghost or the Father God but in and beyond them all. Brahman is not just in heaven but everywhere, unmoving in nature but moving everything in the world.
• "He is all pervasive, pure, bodiless, without wound, without sinews, taintless, untouched by sin, omniscient, ruler of mind, transcendent, and self-existent." -- Isavasya Upanishad 8
• Finally, Chandogya Upanishad (6.8.7), cryptically summarizes Brahman into three words: tat tvam asi -- That You Are. And you will know it when you realize, "aham brahmAsmi" -- I am Brahman.
This NirguNa Brahman cannot be worshipped, only meditated. When It takes a form it becomes SaguNa Brahman, starting with the Hindu TrimUrtis--the Godforms we worship.
Hindu scriptures refer to Brahman by the term 'Brahma', which is not to be confused with BrahmA, the Creator God among the TrimUrtis.
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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