Bhagavan is Sarva Shaktiman – Part 2
In part 1, we had a brief look at the omnipotence paradox. Omnipotence paradox questions if God can create a task that God will not be able to perform.
Brahman and Isvara.
Let us take the two terms Brahman and Isvara / Bhagavan as Vedic definition of God.
Brahman:
Taittriya Upanisad defines Brahma(n) as Satyam, Jnanam and Anantham. Brahma is one of the trinities and considered as the creator of this universe. We are not talking about that Brahma, but Brahman who is substratum of everything.
Brahman is
- Satyam – the only real vastu (stuff, thing or entity); Truth or existence.
- Jnanam – consciousness that enlivens everything; Chit; Omniscience.
- Anantham – is everywhere; omnipresence.
Brahman is Sat, Chit, Anantha. We want to carefully avoid using Ananda (Bliss) as a charecteristic of Brahman.
If one understands Brahman, the entire teachings of Veda, upanisads and the scriptures is complete. There is nothing more to learn. Further studies and elaborations are required only when this understanding is incomplete.
Isvara:
All our prayers praise the attributes of Brahman and Isvara. Vishnu sahasranama, Lalitha Sahasranama, Rudram (Namakam) list and praise the attributes of Isvara. Brahman is without name, form or any attributes. Isvara is with name, form and attributes. Brahman is nirguna (without gunas), whereas Isvara is saguna (with gunas).
Sahasranamas constantly switch between nirguna and saguna, thus providing a very interesting material for chanting, singing, analysis, study and meditation.
The trinities – Siva, Vishnu and Brahma are Isvara. We want to use a common term, Isvara for all the three functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution.
Isvara is the deity to which we pray. We invoke that formless Brahman on a lump of tumeric as Ganesha and pray to remove all our obstacles.
Brahman is Omnipotent
Brahman is Chit or Gnanam. That principle of Chit illuminates and gives the power of knowledge and awareness to all living beings. My awareness and all knowledge is due to Brahman’s Chit or gnana shakthi. When Brahman shines on my mind and intellect, I get my personal awareness and personal knoweldge.
A mathematically challenged person is absolutely certain that 3 + 2 = 6. A mathematical genius knows that this is wrong. The very same Chit illuminates both the correct and wrong knowledge of each. We saw various arguments on God’s omnipotence. Brahman as a non dual entity without a second, illuminates all these arguments. Can God create a task that it cannot perform? Any arguments in favour or against God is witnessed and made possible only by Brahman’s gnana shakthi. Is the paradox silly or an argument on semantics? Who is correct? The believer or the non-believer?
The beauty of Vedic vision, the vision of vedanta is that all things that are possible and all things that are not possible are only Brahman. In this universe, a logical concept exists. An illogical concept does not exist. Sat principle of Brahman provides existance to all logical concepts as well as the existance to the concept that ‘an illogical concept does not exist’.
Bhagavan
Let us define Bhagavan now, which is an alternate term for Isvara.
Bhagavan is the one who has bhaga, the six-fold virtues in absolute measure.
भगः अस्य अस्ति इति भगवान्
bhagaḥ asya asti
The one who has bhaga is called bhagavan. It is said in the Vishnu Purana (6.5.74)
ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशसः श्रियः।
ज्ञान-वैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा॥
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ |
jñāna-vairāgyayoścaiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīraṇā ||
Total and absolute overlordship, power, wealth, dispassion, fame and knowledge are known as bhaga. These are: all knowledge, jnana; total dispassion, vairagya; the capacity to create, sustain, and resolve, virya; absolute fame, yasas; all wealth, sri; and overlordship, aisvarya.
Bhagavan is omnipotent
From the above definition of Bhagavan, we find that Bhagavan is sarva shaktiman. Bhagavan is in the form of iccha shakthi (power to desire), gnana shakthi (power of knowledge and awareness), kriya shakthi (power to create, sustain and resolve). All these bhaga or six fold virtues are present in Bhagavan in absolute measure.
The model of vyashti and samashti is also useful in discussions. Vyashti is at individual level. A tree, wave is an individual item – vyashti. Whereas a forest, ocean is samashti – sum total, universal or cosmic level. Bhagavan is the samashti – sum total of everything that there is. Whereas the individual (jiva) is a vyashti in this Jagat (universe).
Thus we may arrive at a conclusion that saguna Isvara (saguna - with attributes) is also all powerful, because scriptures say so and Isvara is samashti – sum total of all manifestations, unmanifestation, logical, illogical, possible, impossible, past, present, future, etc.
Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent
Any one of the three characteristics imply the other two. An entity cannot be omnipotent without being omnipresent or omniscient. An entity which is present everywhere must be formless, exist in three periods of time and can not have a location.