Brahmananda Valli – Anuvaka 1 with Sankara Bhasya
Anuvaka 1 of the Brahmananda Valli in the Taittiriya Upanishad lays the foundation for understanding Brahman as the ultimate reality, and Sankara’s bhasya (commentary) emphasizes that liberation is attained solely through the knowledge of Brahman, not through rituals. The verse “satyam jnanam anantam brahma” defines Brahman as existence, consciousness, and infinitude—not as mere attributes but as its essential nature. Sankara highlights that Brahman resides in the guha (cave of the heart), meaning the intellect, and can be realized only through introspective inquiry. The realization leads to supreme fulfillment, described as attaining all desires in union with Brahman, the all-knowing. Furthermore, the creation sequence beginning from Brahman shows It as both the material and efficient cause of the universe. Thus, this Anuvaka, supported by Sankara’s insights, unveils the non-dual, infinite, and self-luminous nature of Brahman, knowable only through direct self-realization. For More Information Click Here
Brahmananda Valli – Anuvaka 1
1. “Om brahmavid apnoti param” – The knower of Brahman attains the Supreme
Sankara’s Commentary:
- “brahmavit iti samsarabandhavimuktiphalatvat paramam brahma prapnuyat”
- The knower of Brahman (brahmavit) attains liberation (moksa), which is the highest goal (param).
- Brahman is not a means to an end but the very end itself.
- “na karmaṇa phalam, kintu jnanenaiva” – Liberation is not a result of rituals (karma) but of Self-knowledge.
Key Point:
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Sankara establishes jñāna-mārga (path of knowledge) as the only direct means to moksa. The mantra sets the purpose of the Upanishad: knowledge of Brahman for liberation.
2. “Satyam jñānam anantam brahma” – Brahman is Reality, Knowledge, Infinity
Sankara’s Commentary:
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“satyam” – Not changing, ever-existent, independent reality.
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“jñānam” – Svaprakāśa-chaitanya (self-luminous consciousness), not intellectual knowledge.
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“anantam” – Infinite, without spatial, temporal, or object-based limitation (desha-kāla-vastu-paricchēda-rahitam).
“satyatva-jñānatva-anantatvena lakṣaṇam brahmaṇaḥ svabhāvalakṣaṇam”
These are not attributes added to Brahman, but its very essential nature (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa).
Key Point:
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Brahman is the non-dual substratum of all existence — not a deity or person, but pure Being-Consciousness-Infinity.
3. “Yo veda nihitaṁ guhāyām parame vyoman” – He who knows this Brahman hidden in the cave of the heart
Sankara’s Commentary:
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“guhāyām” – The intellect (buddhi) is called the cave; Brahman resides there as the innermost Self (Ātman).
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“parame vyoman” – In the supreme space of consciousness — not physical space but the spiritual dimension.
“guhāyāṁ hṛdayākāśe nihitaṁ guptam iti arthaḥ”
The knowledge of Brahman is an inner realization, not a perception through sense organs.
Key Point:
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Realization happens through introversion and contemplation, not through objectifying Brahman.
4. “Saḥ aśnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā” – He attains all desires along with the all-knowing Brahman
Sankara’s Commentary:
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“aśnute” – He experiences or attains complete fulfillment.
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“sarvān kāmān” – Not worldly desires but parama-puruṣārtha (highest spiritual fulfillment).
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“saha brahmaṇā” – In unity with Brahman, the omniscient being, he becomes one with Brahman.
“brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati” – The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman itself.
Key Point:
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Fulfillment is not in acquiring objects but in realizing one’s identity with Brahman, where all desires dissolve.
5. “Tasmād vā etasmād ātmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ…” – From this Self, space was born…
Sankara’s Commentary:
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This begins the creation sequence (sṛṣṭi-krama):
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From Ātman, space (ākāśa) → air (vāyu) → fire (agni) → water (āpaḥ) → earth (pṛthivī) → beings.
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“ātmanaḥ sambhūtaḥ” – All elements emerge from Brahman as the material and efficient cause.
“ātmaiva kāraṇam nānābhāvaḥ kāryam”
Just as a spider produces the web from itself, Brahman projects the universe without losing its non-dual nature.
Key Point:
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Brahman is both the source and the substance of the universe, affirming non-duality (advaita) even in the apparent diversity.
Adi Shankaracharya’s Vision in Brahmananda Valli Anuvaka 1: The Path to Liberation through Self-Knowledge
Through this Anuvaka, Adi Shankaracharya emphasizes that Brahman alone is real, and realizing it as one’s true Self is the sole path to liberation. He clarifies that rituals and actions cannot grant moksha; only Self-knowledge can. By describing Brahman as satyam, jnanam, anantam, he establishes it as the unchanging, conscious, and limitless substratum of all. Sankara urges seekers to look within, as Brahman dwells in the cave of the heart, not in the external world. Attaining this knowledge results in complete fulfillment, as the knower becomes Brahman itself. Ultimately, he guides us from duality to non-dual awareness, the very essence of Advaita. For More Information Click Here
Conclusion
In conclusion, Anuvaka 1 of the Brahmananda Valli, enriched by Sankara’s bhasya, reveals that Brahman is the infinite, conscious reality from which all creation emerges and into which all returns. Liberation is not achieved through action but through the direct knowledge of this Brahman, hidden in the intellect. By realizing one’s unity with Brahman, one transcends all desires and attains the highest fulfillment. This profound teaching marks the beginning of a deeper exploration into the bliss of the Self, which is the essence of the Brahmananda Valli.
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