Om brahmane namaha, Salutations to the Sun who is Brahman, the ultimate Reality.
glossary
brahman, brahma San. N. the impersonal Absolute – a supreme, unmeasurable and transcendent essence that exists simultaneously with all of creation; the ultimate Reality, the Source, Consciousness not aware of itself, all-pervasive and self-existent. Brahman envelopes and permeates everything: ‘Brahman is all there is’ (sarvam brahman-mayam). Creation is but a reflection in brahman. Originally, in the Rigveda, the word brahman was used for the expression of the Mother-goddess, the divine female force that first revealed itself as the Word (logos), the basis of creation.
brahmam-the Supreme Lord
brahmam-acceptance of the Vedas
brahmam-Vedic instruction
brahmam astram-hymns of the brahma (nuclear) weapon
The millions of Hindu Gods and Goddesses represent the various aspects of the Supreme Being – Brahman. In Hinduism, Brahman is the supreme soul of the universe, self-existent, absolute and eternal, from which all living and non-living emanate, and to which all return.
When a Hindu climbs up the ladder of knowledge, the concept of gods and goddesses begins to vanish and he/she will finally merge with the Brahman. So, in reality, there are no gods and goddesses in Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism. This is because the gods, goddesses and devotee all merge into the Brahman
Avadhuta Gita on Brahman
Free from subject and object am I, How can I be self-realizable? Endless is my nature, naught else exists. Truth absolute is my nature, naught (not anything) else exists.
Atman by nature, the supreme Reality am I, Neither am I slayer nor the slain.
On the destruction of a jar, the space therein unites with all space. In myself and Shiva I see no difference when the mind is purified.
Brahman alone is, as pure consciousness. In truth there is no jar, and no jar-space, no embodied soul, nor its nature.
There are no worlds, no Vedas, no Devas, no sacrifices, no castes, no family tribes, no nationalities, no smoke path, no shining path.
Some there are that prize non-dualism, others hold to dualism. They know not the Truth, which is above both.
How can the supreme Reality be described, since It is neither white nor any other color, has no qualities such as sound, and is beyond voice and mind?
King Janaka and Yagnavalka
During the Vedic period, King Janak used to go to the forest to study under his Guru, the great seer Yajnavalkya. The sage always had a seat in front reserved for the King. The other disciples of Yajnavalkya, which included several hardcore ascetics, used to feel jealous of the king. They thought that their Guru was either afraid of the King or partial to the King. Yajnavalkya who knew about the discontent among his disciples said nothing and continued to reserve a special seat for the King.
One day, while the students and the Guru was discussing the truth of Brahman, the reality of existence. Suddenly a messenger came running with the message that the Kingdom of Janaka is burning and fire is spreading into the forest. All the students started running to save their belongings. Only King Janak Maharaj stayed seated and quiet and continued his discussion.
Yajnavalkya turned to the students who were running and said, ‘This is the difference between him and you. His whole kingdom is burning but his attention is on Brahman, whereas you are running after meager possessions! You think you have given up the world but in reality you have not!’
Know the Brahmam
“Give up the idea that you are the doer and that you are the beneficiary. You can do this by dedicating both deed and fruit to the Lord. Then no sin can affect you, for you are not the doer and the deed must perforce be holy. Like oil on tongue, collyrium on the eye, lotus leaf on water, the deed is with you, but of you. Whatever you do or hear or see, you remain unaffected, devoid of deeds, innocent of listening or seeing. The joy derived from the external world opens the gateways of grief; it is fleeting; but you are eternal, the very source of bliss, above and beyond all this, the Atma swarupa (very form of the soul) itself. That is your genuine nature. You are unrelated to these activities that are called deeds and these consequences which you now mistake as real. You are not the doer; you are just the witness, the see-er! All your perplexity has arisen from the delusion that you are the doer, from your ego and the sense of ‘mine’. Know the Brahmam; take up all tasks but renounce the consequences; giving up the fruit of activity is far superior to the giving up of activity itself. Karma-yoga (action done as One with the Divine) is far superior to Karma-sanyasa (action done as a renunciate).”
Download 108 Names of Surya, the Sun
