Commentary on the Panchadasi: 22. Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday 10, December 2025, 19:30.
BOOKS
UPANISHAD 
Commentary on the Panchadasi: 22. 
Chapter 1: Tattva Viveka – Discrimination of Reality.
Mantras 44-55
Mantras - 47,48,49,50.
SWAMI KRISHNANANDA
Post-22.

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Mantram - 47.

"So'ya mityā divākyeṣu virodhāt tadi danta yoḥ, tyāgena bhāgayo reka āśrayo lakṣyate yathā." (47)

means that Devadatta of Bombay is this Devadatta in Rishikesh. We have avoided the association of Bombay and Rishikesh, and identified the person as one single individual. In a similar manner, the identity of Brahman in the individuality of the jiva should be affirmed by the dissociation of factors which are secondary, and not essential.

Mantram: 48.

Māyā'vidye vihā yaivam upādhī para jīvayoḥ, akhaṇḍaṁ saccidā nandaṁ para brahmaiva lakṣyate (48). 

As mentioned, by dissociating consciousness from its apparent connection with maya in the cosmic sense and avidya in the individual sense, we will feel that, freed from these adjuncts or upadhis of cosmicality and individuality, what remains would be only indivisible Satchidananda Parabrahma.

We must free our consciousness from the association of the definitions of omnipresence, omniscience, omni- potence, etc. These definitions have meaning only so long as there is space, time, and externality. Due to space, time and objectivity being visible to our eyes, we associate Brahman with such factors as omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, etc. God by Himself is more than omnipotence, and is also more than omniscience and omnipresence. Also, He is not a particular individual.

Thus, the particularity of the individuality of a person, and the universality of the omnipresence, etc., of God, are only factors arisen on account of perception through space and time. If these screens of space, time and objectivity are lifted, the individual merges into Brahman in one instant.

Mantram: 49.

Savi kalpasya lakṣyavte lakṣyasya syāda vastutā, nirvi kalpasya lakṣyatvaṁ na dṛṣṭaṁ na ca sambhavi (49). 

This is a kind of logical cliché that the author introduces here by saying that Brahman is either savikalpa or nirvikalpa. Savikalpa is associated with name and form, which is conceivable through the mind. If we say that Brahman is associated with nama-rupa—that is, name and form—we are also associating Brahman with space and time. In that case, this lakshya, or the supreme target of our concentration, will become a finite individual. Brahman will become a personality like ourselves—maybe a large personality, yet nevertheless a personality only—because we have limited this concept of Brahman to perceptibility, cognisability, in terms of finitude created by space, time and objectivity. Therefore, Brahman should not be considered as cognisable through the mind, and also not as definable in terms of name and form. Else, Brahman will become non-existent, avastu, a non-entity, because it has become a finite entity like any other finite individual.

Nirvi kalpasya lakṣyatvaṁ na dṛṣṭaṁ na ca sambhavi. But can we say that Brahman has no qualities at all? We cannot conceive of anything that has no attributes at all. All things that we can conceive in the mind have some character. So a quandary is being raised here, that we cannot conceive Brahman either with attributes or without attributes. If it is with attributes, it becomes finite. If it is without attributes, it becomes inconceivable. Here is the difficulty in conceiving Brahman through the human intellect or understanding.

Mantram: 50.

Vikalpo nirvi kalpasya savilpkasya vā bhavet, ādye vyāhati ranyatrā navasthā'tmā śrayā dayaḥ (50). 

Concept is possible either of the finite or of the infinite. But, the infinite cannot be conceived; and if we start conceiving the finite, we will enter into some peculiar logical quandaries in argument. That is, a finite thing is that which is associated with certain conceptual categories. That is to say, there cannot be a finite object or anything that is finite unless it has already been cast into the mould of conceptual categories. Now, to conceive a finite object which is already cast into the mould of a conceptualisation would be to argue in a regressus ad infinitum, or anavastha dosha, as they call it; and many other logical fallacies will follow, such as circular reasoning, called chakraka, or atmashraya, which means begging the question. We start assuming something which is yet to be proved, and so on, are the difficulties that will arise if we start conceiving a thing that is already conceived to be finite. So God cannot be conceived as finite. Nor is it possible to conceive the infinite. This is a peculiar diversion that has been introduced here to make us feel how difficult it is for us to contact Brahman in any way whatsoever with our finite faculties. No contact with Brahman is possible, ordinarily.

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Next
Mantram-51."Idaṁ guṇakriyā jāti dravya sambandha vastuṣu, samaṁ tena svarūpasya sarva meta ditīṣyatām."  
Continues

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