Re: Aham Brahmasmi -2 - Discussion on Scriptures
namaste everyone.
A look at the words derived from the direct root Ish and the allied roots of the name IshA, reveal the all-inclusive nature and stature of Brahman:
iSh--to desire, choose, seek, assent, be favourable; iShaH--one possessed of sap or strength (so the essence), the mouth; iShi or iShI--reed, rush, arrow; iShiraH--fire; iShu: an arrow; and iShudhiH--a quiver (case for holding arrows).
Ish--rule, be master of; have power; own, belong to; IshaH--lord, master; Ishvara--powerful, capable, rich, wealthy;
ISh--to fly away; IShat--a little; IShikA--a painter's brush
vashIkara--making anyone subject to one's will; vashitva--freedom of will, mastery of one's self, power or dominion over, subduing by magical means.
The four verses of IshA upaniShad that Devotee has quoted in his OP, establish the nature and characteristics of Self, juxtaposing contradictory terms:
Verse 4: The Self is
• anejat--unmoving (the root ejr, implies shaking); yet manaso javIyaH--(moves) faster than mind.
• ekam--one, yet there are devAH--gods (here it means the senses), manas--mind, and mAtarishvA--wind, air.
• tiShThat--stands motionless in one place but pervades everything (as stated in verse 1), yet stimulates apaH--activities (literally, water), tasmin--within it, by the mAtarishvA--wind, which it dachAti--supports or allots.
Devotee, anyAn=others, as you have translated, and antyeti=overtakes (ChinmayAnanda)--(derived from atyeSh--to glide over).
"According to ShrI Shankara, mAtarishvA refers to the individuality (jIva), and water (apaH) here means karma. Then it would mean that all activities of all individualised personalities are always within the Self."--ChinmayAnanda
This verse uses a figure of speech (anvarthasaMjnA?) which similar to the oxymoron of the English language, where words contradictory in meaning are juxtaposed to bring out the intended effect, as this famous quote from Tennyson shows:
"His honour rooted in dishonour stood,
And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true."
The modern analogy of the movie and the screen can help us understand the apparently dual nature of the Self.
The movie screen is unmoving (emotionally too), but it plays moving pictures on the screen. The actions might move and shift swiftly from place to place, with the pace of the mind which is the fastest, yet the screen is already there to display the scene. The screen stands motionless, all pervading, and yet supports all actions within itself, creating the atmosphere of the scenes of action. The viewer's senses can never reach the screen, so they are aware of the action only through the mediating mind, and yet the senses perceive only because of the supporting medium of the screen. The mind can reach the screen beyond the action, but is too busy to miss all the action that is taking place.
рд░рддреНрдирд╛рдХрд░рдзреМрддрдкрджрд╛рдВ рд╣рд┐рдорд╛рд▓рдпрдХрд┐рд░реАрдЯрд┐рдиреАрдореН ред
рдмреНрд░рд╣реНрдорд░рд╛рдЬрд░реНрд╖рд┐рд░рд░рддреНрдирд╛рдвреНрдпрд╛рдВ рд╡рдиреНрджреЗ рднрд╛рд░рддрдорд╛рддрд░рдореН рее
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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