Parmatmaprakasha and Yogsara

SR No.: 001876
Original Sutra Author: Yogindudev
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Paramshrut Prabhavak Mandal
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 550
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 13 MB

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40
Paramatma-prakafa
prayer; so Brahman later on came to represent a mighty power that creates, pervades and upholds the whole range of universe. Though repeatedly attributes are denied of him, no doubt Brahman is conceived as a pure Being absolute, Infinite, Immutable and eternal from whom everything else derives its reality. Thus Brahman in turn is Atman, Infinite, ageless and eternal, 1
Yogindu's Super-spirit Compared with Upanisadic Brahman-Joindu's reflections on Atman and Paramatman which have been constructively summarised above, deserve to be compared with Upanisadic utterances whose spirit is sufficiently imbued by our author, even though his details are set in the metaphysical frame-work of a heterodox system like Jainism. The word Brahman has a consistent history in Vedic literature; and in the Upanisads Brahman is conceived as the Absolute, one without a second. Joindu freely borrows that word and repeatedly uses it in this wotk. Even Samantabhadra, a staunch propagandist of Jainism, uses the word Brahman in its generalised sense, viz., the highest principle, when he says: ahimsa bhatanam jagatt viditam brahma paramam. In the Upanisads the word Paramatman. is not of so much frequent occurrence as the word Brahman, though both are taken as synonyms in texts like Nrsimhattaratapani In Indian philosophical texts identity of words may not necessarily imply the identity of their sense-content. Brahman and Paramatman are used as synonyms, because they represent the concept of an ultimate reality. According to Jainism, Paramatman is a super-spirit representing the ultimate point of spiritual evolution of Atman by gradual destruction of Karman through penances, etc. Each Atman becomes a Paramatman and retains his individuality. The Upanisadic Brahman is a cosmic principle, which idea is not associated with the Jaina conception of Paramatman. Brahman is one and one only according to Upanisads. Jo1ndu, however, speaks of many Brahmans, ie., Paramatmans, which represent a type and therefore should not be distinguished from each other (II. 99). According to Jainism Paramatman has nothing to do with the world beyond that he knows and sees it, because it is his nature to see and to know; while Brahman according to the Upanisads is the very source and support of everything else. Though many attributes are common between Upanisadic Brahman and Jaina Paramatman their implications often differ. The word Svayambha, for instance, means self-created and self-existent in the case of Brahman, but in the case of Paramatman it means self-become, i.e., the Atman has become Paramatman.+ 1 ERE. various articles on Atman Brahman, etc. Paul Deussen: The Philosophy of the Upanisads; Hume: The Thirteen Principal Upanisads, Intro.: R. D. Ranade: A Constructive Survey of Upa. Phil.; etc. etc.
2 Bṛhat-Svayambhu-stötra 119
3 G. A. Jacob: Upanisad-vakyakōtah under Paramatman.
4 See my Intro. to Pravacanasara p. 92. foot-note 2