PARABRAHMA SUTRAS (30-32)

30. Nopameyadoshopamaanam tadupaadhivaachyam.

Translation: There is no worldly item that can be perfectly compared to God. Hence, any simile has defect in the case of God. God can be said to be the item if God enters that due to identification.

Explanation: All the worldly items have dimensions of the space and hence are not beyond space. If the items are beyond space, they will be also unimaginable. But all the items of the world are imaginable only. No imaginable item can be a simile to the unimaginable God. Hence, a complete simile for God is absent in this world. A simile among the worldly items also is never perfect in all aspects. The face is compared to the moon. Moon increases and decreases in the month but the face has no such increase and decrease. An imaginable item cannot be a perfect simile to another imaginable item in the world. Then, how can you bring a perfect simile from the imaginable items to the unimaginable God? Of course, God enters into an imaginable item as medium. In that case the medium itself is said to be God as the live wire is said to be the current itself. Here also the medium is treated as God but actually the medium is not God directly.

31. Upamaanapratibimbamaatmaa vachyopi kashchit.

Translation: Atman, the soul, is a simile or a reflection of God in certain aspects. Sometimes God enters a specific soul and in such case such specific soul can be treated and said as God.

Explanation: The soul or Atman in the above Vedic statement that says the space is generated from Atman, is a simile or reflection of God. As said above, the simile is always incomplete and cannot have all the aspects. Shankara said that the soul is the reflection of God. Even here, the aspects are not totally covered. The Sun is very hot. But his reflection in the water is not hot. Therefore, there is no difference between simile and reflection. But, when God enters a specific soul like Krishna, Krishna is treated as God, because the unimaginable God cannot be directly mentioned and can be mentioned only through a medium in which God exists.

32. Kaaryam tu na tarkyam vinodaaya putrijaayaarthe shrutagitam.

Translation: This creation is generated from God and hence can be treated as daughter. In the world, any effect gets the qualities of its cause. But the imaginable world gets no quality of unimaginable God. Hence, the creation is a separate individual entity giving entertainment to God and can be treated as wife. God is beyond worldly logic of cause and effect.

Explanation: It is said that Brahma married His own daughter, Sarswati. The inner meaning is not understood. The daughter means that the world is created by God. In the world any product gets the qualities of its cause. The color of gold is seen in its chain. But in the world the cause and effect are imaginable items. But, though the world is imaginable, God, its cause, is unimaginable. Hence, this case of God and world is beyond the normal logic of the worldly cause and effect. Hence, though world is effect, since it is generated from God, it is also not the effect, since the qualities of cause have not entered the effect. Therefore, from the second angle the world can be treated as an independent entity giving entertainment to God like wife. Veda and Gita are authorities for both the concepts of world being the product of God and also not getting any quality of God. Veda says that world is produced by God (Yato vaa…). Gita also says the same (Aham sarvasya jagatah…). Veda says that no item in the world is God, which is completely different from God (Neti Neti…). Gita also says the same (Natvaham teshu…).