3.3: Akṣarādhikaraṇam - Akṣara, the imperishable
Akṣara is the Lord, because He supports all material elements, up to the ether, and also because He is defined as the controller. Because the passage describes His attributes, this excludes any other
« Vedānta-sūtra: The Govinda-bhāṣya of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Topic 3: Akṣarādhikaraṇam - Akṣara, the imperishable
Akṣara does not refer to the material element.
akṣaram ambarānta-dhṛte, sā ca praśāsanāt, anya-bhāva-vyāvṛtteś ca
“Akṣara is the Lord, because He supports all material elements, up to the ether, and also because He is defined as the controller. Because the passage describes His attributes, this excludes any other possibility.”
Sūtra 1.3.10 - Akṣara is the Lord
akṣaram ambarānta-dhṛteḥ
akṣaram: the eternal; ambara: with sky; anta: at the end; dhṛteḥ: because of being the support.
Akṣara is the Lord, because He supports all material elements, up to the ether.
Commentary: In the first pāda, there were two discussions about the meaning of the word ākāśa, or ether. Now, there is a discussion about the meaning of the word akṣara, which is the support for the element ether, serving as the ultimate resting place for all material elements.
This is a discussion based on the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.7-8:
kasmin nu khalv ākāśa otaś ca protaś ceti
etad vai tad akṣaram gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanty asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam adīrgham alohitam asneham acchāyam“In what is this ākāśa woven? O Gārgī, those who know Brahman declare that this is indeed akṣara, the imperishable. He is not big or small, not short or long, without material qualities, without material attachment, and without a material form.”
This text again brings up the analogy of all material manifestations, starting from the gross material elements, being woven into a cosmic fabric of which the Lord is the ultimate sustenance. This particular verse mentions how the element ether is supported by something else, called Akṣara. This Akṣara is described as not having material dimensions and not having a material body.
Who is this Akṣara? Some could argue that Akṣara must be pradhāna, while others could argue that Akṣara is the jīva. To this, Vyāsadeva answers: akṣaram ambarānta-dhṛteḥ. Akṣara is the Lord because He is the one who supports all material elements, from earth up to ether, including all material manifestations created from them.
This is confirmed in several passages, starting from Bhagavad-gītā 7.7, where Kṛṣṇa says: “O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.”
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.24.19) explains this point in more detail, mentioning that: “The material universe may be considered real, having nature as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Viṣṇu, and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.”
As explained in this verse, the material energy, or prakṛti, is both the ingredient and the final state for the whole material manifestation. It is the ingredient because all material objects, including the universes and the bodies of all living beings, come from it, and it is also the final state because when the universes are annihilated at the end of the life of Brahmā, there is again only prakṛti left. This prakṛti, in turn, has its resting place on Lord Mahā-Viṣnu, who at the beginning of creation impregnates prakṛti through his transcendental glance, and at the end absorbs it inside His transcendental body. This glance becomes Lord Sadāśiva, who carries all the jīvas who desire to participate in the material manifestation, as well as the time energy, which puts prakṛti into movement. The Lord is thus the ultimate cause and support, and prakṛti is just His energy.
Pradhāna is in turn the same as prakṛti, as mentioned by Prabhupāda on SB 3.26.10. The term “pradhāna” is usually used when referring to the unmanifested form and “prakṛti” when it becomes active, but in general, the terms are interchangeable.
Trying to attribute the meaning of akṣara to something else creates many contradictions and ultimately doesn’t make sense. Even if one would accept akṣara as meaning pradhāna, still pradhāna is nothing more than the energy of the Lord, who is thus the ultimate support. Accepting pradhāna as the ultimate support is only possible if we accept that there is no God and the energy works automatically, as believed in the atheistic Sānkhya and by modern scientists. This doesn’t find support in the Vedic literature.
Accepting the jīva as the ultimate support is only possible if the jīva is made one with the Supreme Brahman, as propagated by Māyāvādis. This is, however, contradicted in many other passages, as discussed previously.
Sūtra 1.3.11 - He controls everything
sā ca praśāsanāt
sā: that; ca: and; praśāsanāt: because of his command.
And also because He is defined as the controller.
Commentary: Apart from contradicting other passages of the scriptures and general logic, the idea that the word akṣara means pradhāna or the jīva contradicts the text itself.
The very next verse of the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, after the previous passage (3.8.9), mentions:
etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāvā-pṛthivī vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ
etasya vā akṣarasya sūryā-candramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ.“Under the strict control of this Akṣara, the sun and the moon remain fixed in their positions, just as the heavens and earth.”
Here, it is described that Akṣara controls everything. The passage continues, describing that He controls not only the sun and moon, heavens and earth, but the very passage of time, the flow of the rivers, and so on. The verse thus describes akṣara as the order-giver. It’s because of His command that the whole creation moves as it should.
We can see that this fits perfectly the description of SB 11.24.19: “The material universe may be considered real, having nature as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Viṣṇu, and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth, which accepts the Lord as the ultimate cause and support of the material manifestation.”
Because akṣara commands, this means He is a person and has supreme power. This further contradicts the idea of akṣara being pradhāna or the jīva, because pradhana is just inert energy, and the jīva doesn’t have the capacity to create or maintain everything simply by his command. The concept of a supreme controller can be attributed only to the Supreme Lord.
Sūtra 1.3.12 - His attributes are described
anya-bhāva-vyāvṛtteś ca
anya: different; bhāva: nature; vyāvṛtteḥ: because of the exclusion; ca: also.
Because the passage describes His attributes, this excludes any other possibility.
Commentary: Other verses in this passage from the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad better describe Akṣara, attributing to Him qualities that can’t be attributed to any other being, including powerful demigods, or energies like the pradhāna. In text 3.8.11, for example, it is mentioned:
tad vā etad akṣaram gārgy adṛṣṭam draṣṭṛ aśrutam śrotṛ
“O Gārgī! Indeed, this imperishable sees everything, but remains unseen. He hears everything, but remains unheard.”
Here, it’s mentioned that Akṣara can see and hear everything. Pradhāna can’t see because it is inanimate energy. Regular jīvas, including demigods, are not omniscient and therefore can’t see and hear everything. Because this and other descriptions are applicable only to the Supreme Lord, the word akṣara can be attributed only to Him.
In his purport to Bg 13.15, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this point further: “That is the distinction between the conditioned soul and the Supersoul. He has no material eyes, but He has eyes – otherwise, how could He see? He sees everything – past, present, and future. He lives within the heart of the living being, and He knows what we have done in the past, what we are doing now, and what is awaiting us in the future. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā: He knows everything, but no one knows Him.”
The timeless debate of Yājñavalkya and Gārgī
The context of the passage quoted by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa in this section is Yājñavalkya being questioned by the different sages at the court of King Janaka. At a certain point, after defeating several of the other sages, he is questioned by Gārgī Vācaknavī, the great woman sage, who shoots two “arrows” at him, in the form of two questions.
First, she asks what is the thing in which everything else is woven into. Yājñavalkya answers that ether is the substance on which everything is woven. Ether is the most subtle of the elements, the cause of all the other elements, and the whole cosmic manifestation. Everything rests on ether, which is unlimited. Gārgī then, testing the limits of his knowledge, asks on what this ether is woven:
sa hovāca – yad ūrdhvam gārgi divo yad avāk pṛthivyā yad antarā dyāvāpṛthivī ime yad bhūtam ca bhavac ca bhaviṣyac cety ācakṣata ākāśa eva tad otam ca protam ceti, kasmin nu khalv ākāśa otaś ca protaś ceti
“O Yājñavalkya, you said that everything that exists, be it above heaven, beneath the earth, or in between, everything that exists in the past, present, and future, all of this is woven upon space (ether). But in what, then, is that unlimited ether woven? (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.7)
Yājñavalkya answers:
sa hovāca – etad vai tad akṣaram gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanty asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam adīrgham alohitam asneham acchāyam atamo ’vāyv anākāśam asangam arasam agandham acakṣuṣkam aśrotram avāg amano ’tejaskam aprāṇam amukham amātram anantaram abāhyam, na tad aśnāti kim cana, na tad aśnāti kaś cana
Yājñavalkya shows such a mastery of the subject of Brahman that his speech is almost incomprehensible to anyone who is himself not familiar with the topic. He lists the qualities of Akṣara as a series of negatives (not gross, not short, not tinged, not moist, etc.) The explanation appears to suggest some impersonal object that has no material characteristics, but in the context of the previous answers of Yājñavalkya (and in the context of the previous chapters of the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad), it was already established that the absolute truth is personal. One is faced thus with the intellectual challenge of conceiving a being who has no material form, untouched even by ether, without organs of the senses or even vital airs, but that can think, desire, live, etc., showing unlimited potency.
Translated literally, the verse sounds as:
“This is akṣara, O Gārgī. Those who know Brahman describe it as neither gross nor minute, neither short nor long, colorless, not moist, shadowless; without darkness, air or space; unattached, tasteless, scentless; without eyes, ears, speech, mind; without radiance, breath, mouth, measure; having neither within nor without. It consumes nothing, and nothing consumes it.”
However, when interpreted inside the context, the words describing a transcendental person who has no material qualities, but is at the same time fully potent and active, his answer sounds as follows:
“O Gārgī! Those who know Brahman declare that this is indeed akṣara, the imperishable. He is not big or small, not short or long. His form has no color, is neither moist nor dry, and doesn’t project a shadow. He is untouched by darkness or air. Even the ether itself, which is supported by Him, can’t touch Him. He is free from all contact with matter and beyond all attachment. He has no taste and no smell. He can see without eyes, hear without ears, speak without a voice, desire without a mind, and live without being supported by the vital airs. He has no sense organs, no measure, no interior or exterior. He doesn’t consume anything and is not consumed by anyone.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.8)
He then continues describing His control over everything that exists:
etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi sūryacandramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāvāpṛthivyau vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi nimeṣā muhūrtā ahorātrāṇy ardhamāsā māsā ṛtavaḥ samvatsarā iti vidhṛtās tiṣṭhanti, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi prācyo ’nyā nadyaḥ syandante śvetebhyaḥ parvatebhyaḥ pratīcyo ’nyā yām yām ca diśam anu, etasya vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dadato manuṣyāḥ praśasanti yajamānam devā darvīm pitaro ’nvāyattāḥ
“O Gārgī! Under the strict control of this akṣara, the sun and the moon remain fixed in their positions, just as the heavens and earth! Only because of Him does the time flow in all measures, from nimeṣās (instants) to years. Rivers flow in their respective directions only because of Him, and because of him, men and demigods perform all kinds of beneficial activities.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.9)
yo vā etad akṣaram gārgy aviditvāsmin loke juhoti yajate tapas tapyate bahūni varṣa-sahasrāṇy antavad evāsya tad bhavati yo vā etad akṣaram aviditvā gārgy aviditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa kṛpaṇaḥ, atha ya etad akṣaram gārgi viditvāsmāl lokāt praiti sa brāhmaṇaḥ
“O Gārgī! Those who, without knowing this imperishable Brahman, perform sacrifices, austerities, and penances, even if for thousands of years, attain only limited and temporary results. They depart from this world as kṛpaṇas, pitiable. men. However, one who realizes this akṣara departs from this world as a knower of Brahman. These are the true Brāhmaṇas.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.10)
tad vā etad akṣaram gārgy adṛṣṭam draṣṭraśrutam śrotramatam mantravijñātam vijñātṛ, nānyad ato ’sti draṣṭṛ, nānyad ato ’sti śrotṛ, nānyad ato ’sti mantṛ, nānyad ato ’sti vijñātṛ, etasmin nu khalv akṣare gārgy ākāśa otaś ca protaś ca
“O Gārgī! Indeed, this imperishable Supreme Lord sees everything, but remains unseen. He hears everything, but remains unheard. He understands everything, but no one can understand Him. He knows everything, but remains unknown. Know that there is no other seer, no other hearer, no other examiner, no other knower. Verily, O Gārgī, in this very imperishable, Supreme Self, is space itself woven, warp and woof.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.11)
Understanding the weight and depth of this explanation, Gārgī is struck. She admits that Yājñavalkya is truly the most qualified amongst the great sages present at the sacrifice, and falls silent.
sā hovāca – brāhmaṇā bhagavantas tad eva bahu manyadhvam yad asmān namaskāreṇa mucyedhvam, na vai jātu yuṣmākam imam kaścid brahmodyam jeteti, tato ha vācaknavy upararāma
“Gārgī said, ‘Revered Brāhmaṇas, consider yourselves fortunate that you can pay your debts for the knowledge he is giving us by just offering humble obeisances. Truly, none of you will ever be able to defeat him in describing the Supreme Brahman.’ After that, she fell silent.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.12)
Other sages continue to challenge Yājñavalkya, but his spiritual realization is such that he easily defeats them.
Exercise
Now it’s your turn. Can you answer the following arguments using the ideas from this section?
Opponent: “We all know that Lord Viṣnu has a form with a dark-blue complexion, with four hands, and many beautiful ornaments. He is the foundation of everything that exists and the ultimate goal of life. However, the passage from the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad describes a qualityless being that is neither gross nor minute, neither short nor long, colorless, not moist, shadowless, etc. This being without a form or attributes is the foundation for all material elements, starting from ether.
From the description, we can clearly see that this is not Viṣnu, since it’s clearly described that Viṣnu has a form. It must thus be concluded that this akṣara described in the passage is pradhāna, the unmanifested material energy. We can see that it fits the description perfectly, being unmanifest and without material attributes. Pradhāna is unlimited, just as akṣara is described, and it is the foundation of the whole cosmic manifestation, since, as we well know, the creation starts with pradhāna, and proceeds with mahā-tattva, and then the five elements, starting with ether, followed by all other material manifestations.
Another possibility is that akṣara may be the jīva. This may sound very contradictory at first, but we should not forget that in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.3), Kṛṣṇa Himself refers to the jīva as akṣara in the passage akṣaram brahma paramam, svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate, which can be translated as “This transcendental particle, the akṣara is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self”. Here, the word akṣara explicitly describes the individual soul, and not Bhagavān.
If the akṣara from the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad is taken as the jīva, this could be explained in the sense that the jīva is the resting place of all inanimate objects that come within its perception. In other passages, the jīva is described as very subtle and without a material form; therefore, the description of the passage also fits the jīva. The akṣara can thus be either pradhāna or the jīva, but certainly not Viṣnu due to the negation of a personal form.“
Description: This pūrvapakṣa represents a Vaiṣnava who worships Lord Viṣnu (like a Śrī Vaiṣnava), and finds it difficult to come to terms with the description of the text, concluding that the description must apply to someone else, postulating that it may be pradhāna or the jīva. All four Vaiṣnava ācāryas interpret akṣara in this passage as meaning the Lord, but this doesn’t prevent individual devotees from having misconceptions.
What is your answer to this challenge?
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