July 2015 \ Arts & Entertainment \ Special Column
Defining God — A Vedic Interpretation

By Gauri Shankar Gupta

Ishopanishad

Om that is infinite, this is infinite; Infinite has come out of infinite; Take away infinite from infinite; What remains is also infinite.

(Preamble to Ishopanishad)

Whatever conscious and non-conscious that exists in this universe, is nothing but a manifestation of Brahman and is owned by Him. Keeping this in mind continue to live and enjoy in the spirit of renounced detachment. Since nothing belongs to you, do not have lust and attachment.

(Verse 1)

He is one and static, still He is swifter than the mind. He is primeval and the source of all knowledge. Even the gods (meaning devata or sectoral powers like the Sun, the Wind etc.) could not understand Him. While static, He overtakes all those running. He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.

(Verse 4)

He does not move still He moves. He is nearest to you still He is far away. He resides in everybody and everything still He is beyond the entire creation.

(Verse 5)

Mundaka Upanishad

He is beyond intellect and understanding and beyond grasp. He has no color, no attributes, no eyes, no ears, no hands and no legs. He is eternal, omnipresent, the subtlest of subtle, imperishable, primeval and source of all beings.

(1/1/6)

As the spider sends forth and spreads its web and then withdraws it back, as a large variety of plants and herbs grow on the Earth, as from every living human innumerable hairs spring forth from head and body, the same way everything arises in the Universe from the Brahman, the indestructible.

(1/1/7)

The immortal Brahman is in the front; that same Brahman is behind. The Brahman is on the left and the right as also above and below. The entire creation is Brahman alone. He is the best.

(2/2/11)

Shvetashvatara Upanishad

Brahman supports all this creation; the perishable nature and the non-perishable soul. He supports both the manifested and the non-manifested. The human soul is bound by the fruits of sense gratification; however, once the soul realizes the nature of Brahman, it is freed from all the fetters.

(1/8)

His feet and hands are everywhere. His eyes, head and mouth are everywhere. His ears are everywhere. He stands encompassing the entire universe.

(3/16)

He is the cause of each and everything; He is the quality and form of all the elements. He transforms all these elements into various forms and shapes and He alone rules and resides in all of them.

(5/5)

He first created the perishable nature, then the non-perishable spirit. Thereafter through the combination of the two He created the entire universe, time and the subtle individual soul.

(6/3)




Tags: God, Spirituality

Comments.