So It is also Anantam and so indivisible or purnam. Since all transactions require both Sat & Chit, they have to be present everywhere. The first one is Sat or Satyam and the second is Chit or Jnanam. In every transaction we experience both the 'is-ness' and the 'known-ness' of objects. In all the living beings Brahman is available, not only as existence principle, but also as Consciousness, because of which alone all transactions are possible. Here also are given four features - Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam, Brahma, or pure Existence, pure Consciousness, Limitlessness & All-pervasiveness.īrahman is available as the existence principle in all the inert objects of the creation. We have to resort to the swarupa lakshanam wherein the nature of Brahman is defined. But what really is that essence? So now begins the exercise to specify, identify or locate that Brahman in the entire universe. We thus have a superficial knowledge that Brahman is nithyam and is the essence of the whole universe. Thus it is clear that Brahman is jagat karanam endowed with the four features of ekatvam, saratvam, nityatvam & satyatvam. ' Tasmatva etasmat atmana akasa sambutah', 'So kamayata bhahusyam prajayeti', (II.i.1), & 'Yatova imani bhutani jayante yena jathani jivanti. This jagat karanam Brahman is revealed in the two chapters, namely two & three. Finally Brahman exists independently, whole the the world is only names & forms and is dependent on Brahman for existence and so is (the only) Satyam. Brahman exists in all the three periods of time and hence is Nithyam. Brahman was there before the creation was there it is there while the creation exists it will be there even after the the creation resolves. Being the cause, it is not confined to any location it is inherent in the whole universe. As cause it pervades the effect, the whole universe. So being the cause of the entire universe it is one, Ekam. While gold, the example is the cause of only the ornaments, Brahman happens to be the cause of the entire universe. They don't have substantiality of their own. Gold, the cause, is the only reality and ornaments are only names & forms. Gold has existed before the ornaments were made, it exists as gold in the ornaments and even after the ornaments are melted gold continues to exist. Gold being the source of all ornaments, it is the essence or saram. Though the products, namely ornaments are many, the cause, gold, is one or ekam. The features of the cause are ekam, saram, nithyam & satyam. This would be analogous to gold & ornaments, where gold is the cause or karanam and ornaments are the effect or product or karyam. The indirect definition or thadasta lakshanam of Brahman is Jagat karanam Brahma or the ultimate cause of the world - both intelligent & especially the very material - is Brahman. The other four features will help us in identifying and 'locating' Brahman. The first four features learned through the indirect definition will give us the direction to identify Brahman. Through the indirect definition we come to know of four features of Brahman through direct definition we know another four features. Brahman has been defined in two ways in this Upanishad - indirect or thadasta lakshanam & direct or swarupa lakshanam.īoth these definitions are equally important. Vyasacharya, in his Brahma Sutra, has relied upon these for his definition of the Ultimate Reality. Both these chapters define Brahman clearly. Here the Vedantic teaching given in the earlier chapter is consolidated and represented in a beautiful way. ' Brighur vai varunih' so starts the third valli of this Upanishad and hence known as Brighu Valli.