Verse 58
अखण्डानन्दरूपस्य तस्यानन्दलवाश्रिताः ।
ब्रह्माद्यास्तारतम्येन भवन्त्यानन्दिनोऽखिलाः ॥ ५८॥
AKHAND-AANANDA ROOPASYA
TASYA AANANDA LAV-AASHRITAAH
BRAHMAADYAAH TAARATAMYENA
BHAVANTI AANANDINAH AKHILAAH
[The Lord’s nature is unbroken (infinite) Bliss. Depending on
just a small particle of that Bliss do the Creator and other Deities
proportionately become blissful with their share of that particle.]
Swami Chinmayananda says, “A relative picture
has been drawn here to give us a wild quantitative measure of the infinite
(bliss) in terms of a finite yardstick.”
Then that small particle is sized down even
further as it is proportionately enjoyed by all the billions of creatures from
Brahma down to the least significant ant on earth. Proportionate enjoyment
refers to the varying capacities to enjoy the presence of God according to the
degree of evolution of the being.
There are five categories of creatures:
those possessing one sense, two senses, etc. up to all five senses. Each of
these categories has different means available to enjoy the presence of bliss
in creation. Nothing is said about the 99.9% that is left ‘un-enjoyed’ by
creation. This leaves one in awe of the magnitude of the Bliss of the Self!
Only the man of realization can have a true
idea of what this bliss really means. To the rest of mankind, it remains only
in the realm of conjecture to ponder over this state.
The Taittiriya Upanishad has an entire
Anuvaka (chapter) on “Relative Joy” enjoyed by the Devatas down to the human
being. It, too, has the same purpose – to give us some idea of infinite Bliss
of the Self.
The additional step the Upanishad emphasizes
is that our enjoyment of bliss is proportional to our degree of renunciation.
The relevant English translation of the verse
in this Upanishad is given below.
“Now this is an inquiry regarding the Bliss.
Suppose there is a young man—a noble young
man—versed in vedas, the best of rulers, firm in body and strong and possesses
the whole world, full of wealth, that is one measure of human bliss.
This human bliss, multiplied one hundred
times, is one measure of the bliss of the human gandharvas, as also of a man
versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
This bliss of the human gandharvas,
multiplied one hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the celestial
gandharvas, as also of a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
This bliss of the celestial gandharvas,
multiplied one hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the Manes, who
dwell in the long—enduring world, as also of a man versed in the Vedas and free
from desires.
This bliss of the Manes who dwell in the
long—enduring world, multiplied on hundred times, is one measure of the bliss
of the Gods born in the Ajana heaven, as also of a man versed in the Vedas and
free from desires.
The bliss of the Gods born in the Ajana
heaven, multiplied one hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the
sacrificial gods who have attained to divinity by means of sacrifices, as also
of a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
The bliss of the sacrificial Gods, multiplied
one hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of the Gods, as also of a man
versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
The bliss of the Gods, multiplied one hundred
times, is one measure of the bliss of Indra, as also of a man versed in the
Vedas and free from desires.
The bliss of Indra, multiplied one hundred
times, is one measure of the bliss of Brihaspati, as also of a man versed in
the Vedas and free from desires.
The bliss of Brihaspati, multiplied one
hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of Prajapati, as also of a man
versed in the Vedas and free from desires.
The bliss of Prajapati, multiplied one
hundred times, is one measure of the bliss of Brahma, as also of a man versed
in the Vedas and free from desires.
He who is here in man and he who is in yonder
sun—both are one. He who knows this, after dying to this world, attains the
self which consists of food, attains the self which consist of the vital
breath, attains the self which consists of the mind, attains the self which
consists of intellect, attains the self which consists of bliss.”
Acharya here is explaining the Brahman which
is verily bliss by giving a relative picture. It is difficult for a limited
intellect to even imagine the vastness of the unlimited bliss of reality. Hence
Acharya here is explaining that the devas like the creator Brahma himself
tastes only a particle of that limitless and unbroken bliss.
This limitless joy is not measured here but
we are only shown here how the ethereal joy of even the Gods is but negligible
compared to it.
As learnt in the previous slokas also, this
is the supreme bliss after attaining which there remains a desire for nothing.
Shruti explains the absoluteness of Brahmananda in Brihadaranyaka upanishad.
4.3.32 as:
ESHHASYA PARAMA GATIR
ESHHASYA PARAMA SAMPAD
ESHHO.ASYA PARAMO LOKA
ESHHO.ASYA PARAMA ANANDA
ETASYAIVA.A.ANANDASYANYANI BHUTANI MATRAMUPAJIVANTI
(This is its supreme attainment, this is its supreme glory, this is its
highest world, this is its supreme bliss. On a particle of this very bliss
other beings live.)
The greater the renunciation, the greater the bliss. The practical side
of the verse is that we should learn to see God even in the most insignificant
things around us. Yes, of course He is there in the grandest part of His
creation, but let us not ignore Him in the least of His creation.
By this practice, we can begin to taste the bliss “drop by drop”, until
we gather the capacity to taste the whole ocean ful in due course.
Love
