PARABRAHMA SUTRAS (49-51)

49. MahaavaakyatrayaBrahma na tat jnanavargottamatvaat.

Translation: The three great statements of Vedas speak about the soul to be Brahman and here Brahman is not God. The soul being greatest in the items of the creation due to its characteristic of knowledge is called as Brahman.

Explanation: The first three great statements of Vedas (Mahavaakyas) say that the soul in the first person, second person and third person is Brahman. As already said, Brahman stands for the greatest item in a category. The soul is greatest among all the items of the creation due to its special characteristic of knowledge and can be called as Brahman. As already said, Brahman means God as well as any greatest item in a category. Hence, the word Brahman here need not be taken as God because the soul being greatest in the entire category of items of the creation due to its specific characteristic knowledge, is called as Brahman. Therefore, these great statements cannot be taken as authority for the soul to be God.

50. Kramavruddhau prajnaanamapyaatmaa gitah tadagrahyam.

Translation: The soul is knower and the capacity of knowledge gradually develops and reaches climax, where the soul is charged with God. Even such charged soul is ordinary soul only on analysis. God, the charger, cannot be grasped.

Explanation: The fourth great statement speaks that the soul having special knowledge is Brahman. Here the soul charged by God can alone give the special knowledge. Such soul can be called as God since God can be indicated through such medium only. Hence, the word Brahman here can mean God. At the same time, this word can also stand for the soul because the soul is also called as Brahman. In this angle, since God is beyond imagination and is not grasped in such charged soul also, only the ordinary soul is grasped. This means even the soul charged by God is also ordinary soul if you analyze it. In Gita, Krishna, charged by God, also told that even He is also an ordinary soul that exists in any human being (Ahamaatmaa…). This means that though the soul of Krishna is special and different from other souls due to God in it, if you analyze, even such special soul looks like an ordinary soul only because the unimaginable God existing in such charged soul is not grasped.

51. Annashravanaat dehopyaatmaa tat vishishte sprashtum.

Translation: Veda says that even the gross body constituted by food is God in human incarnation. The body can be also called as soul.

Explanation: Veda says that food is God. Food indicates gross body, which can be also called as soul or Atman. Here the context is human incarnation. God charges not only the soul but also the body if required for the devotees wishing to touch God. The entry of God, through a medium into this world is only to satisfy the desire of intensive devotees. The word food indicates gross body, which is also greatest among the materialized and designed items of the creation. Hence, it can be called as Brahman or greatest in this sense also. Even in human incarnation, the gross body denoted by Brahman as greatest item also looks like any other gross body since God in it is not grasped.