Yogi means connecting, and brahma-siddhaye... Brahma-siddhaye means self-realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply to know that "I am spirit soul" is not sufficient. It must be further advanced. Then it will be siddha, perfection, brahma-siddhaye. To realize "I am Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi," that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Just like to become feverless... Suppose one is suffering from fever. So medicine is given and the no more fever, fever stops. That is not sufficient. Not only fever should stop, but you should get strength, you should get appetite, you should have normal life. Then it is perfect cure of the disease. Similarly, brahma-siddhaye, to realize that "I am spirit soul," is not sufficient. You have to be engaged in the spiritual activities. That is bhakti.
Brahma-siddhaye means
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
That knowledge and renunciation are never perfect unless joined by devotional service is explicitly explained here. Na yujyamānayā means "without being dovetailed." When there is devotional service, then the question is where to offer that service. Devotional service is to be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul of everything, for that is the only reliable path of self-realization, or Brahman realization. The word brahma-siddhaye means to understand oneself to be different from matter, to understand oneself to be Brahman. The Vedic words are ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma-siddhi means that one should know that he is not matter; he is pure soul. There are different kinds of yogīs, but every yogī is supposed to engage in self-realization, or Brahman realization. It is clearly stated here that unless one is fully engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead one cannot have easy approach to the path of brahma-siddhi.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Those who are too much materially interested, sense gratification, they are not very much interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not very much interested. So don't be disappointed that many people are not coming. It is a, it is a subject matter which is not for many people. Only selected. Just like if you enquire how many fools are there, you will find only, you will find practically everyone is fool, but if you want to see how many M.A.'s are there, it will be very difficult to find out.
So it is by Kṛṣṇa's, mean, Lord Caitanya's mercy that we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and the fortunate, those who are very, very fortunate, they are coming to it. Otherwise, it is not very easy thing that people are interested in brahma-siddhaye. And brahma-siddhaye means complete self-realization, or perfect self-realization. That is called brahma-siddhi. To understand first of all Brahman... Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. That is also bhakti-yuktena. In previous verse we have discussed that,
- jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena
- bhakti-yuktena cātmanā
- paripaśyaty udāsīnaṁ
- prakṛtiṁ ca hataujasam
- (SB 3.25.18)
To be less influenced by the material modes of life, one has to come to this platform of jñāna, vairāgya and bhakti. Otherwise it is not possible.
So if we can develop that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti, then our life, successful life, brahma-siddhaye, complete self-realization, will be possible. Therefore it is said, sadṛśaḥ asti śivaḥ panthā: "No. There is no other alternative." If you... Brahma-siddhaye. Brahman, Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. Brahma-siddhaye means to understand what is the relationship... "I am Brahman." That's all right. Pratijāne. But what is your relation with the Parabrahman? That is brahma-siddhi. Brahman and Parabrahman, there are two Brahmans. Why there is...? Ātmā and paramātmā, īśvara and parameśvara. So living being and the Supreme Being. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the Vedic information. There are two, always two. Ātmā, paramātmā, brahman, parabrahman. So... And brahma-siddhaye means not only to understand that "I am Brahman," but I must understand what is my relationship with Parabrahman. That is brahma-siddhi.
That means we must know what is Parabrahman. That Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one..." Brahman and Parabrahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Parabrahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small. The Vedic instruction is not ahaṁ parabrahma. Never says it is. Ahaṁ brahma, that is all right. But you cannot say, "I am Parabrahman." Nobody says. There is no such maxim in the Vedic literature. Parabrahman is one, kaivalya. Kaivalya means there is no alternative. There is no duplicate. There is no equal. There is no greater than. That is kaivalya. So nobody can be equal to Parabrahman, and nobody can be greater than Parabrahman. That is Parabrahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Parabrahman. That is brahma-siddhi.
So for brahma-siddhi, for self-realization, people are trying in so many ways. First of all, the business of human life is only meant for this purpose, brahma-siddhaye. So long we are... athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. Brahman... Because, unless you become inquisitive, then how there can be brahma-siddhi? Therefore, this human life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā.
| Page Title: | Brahma-siddhaye means |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Kanupriya, Vaishnavi |
| Created: | 24 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 4 |