Ajnanatimirintasyajnananjanasalakaya Cakshurunmilitam yena tasmai srigurave namah ADVAITA VEDANTA D APPENDIX
7 Notes No.49 – 50 Note No 49 – Flowing eternity In Advaita Vedanta., there is a concept of flowing eternity, as distinguished from absolute eternity. Brahman, being infinite and beyond time is absolutely eternal. But we have to have a term for entities that operate in time but the beginning of which cannot be traced. This is called “pravaaha nityam”. The cycle of srshti, sthiti, laya, the chain birth and death of jivatma, karma and karmaphalam and Maya would fall in this category. Note No. 50. Who is a Brahmana? Brahadaranyaka Upanishad says that only a person who utilizes the human birth to try to gain knowledge of jiva braha-aikyam is a braahmana. In Gita, Krishna talks of jaati braahmanas, persons born in a family of the brahmana caste, karma braahmanas, persons who are engaged in noble actiivites and guna btraahmanas, the seekers or accomplishers of jivabrahma-aikya jnaanam. There is no virtue in being merely a jaati braahmana; the karma brahmanas deserve respect; the highest aspiration is to be a guna braahmana. |