1. Govinda ‘s way
A debate on the
meaning of the
anandamaya sutra
of the Brahma Sutras

2. Upa: Near
Govinda had
finished his
studies about the
Ni: More
Upanisad from
his spiritual
Sad: Sit
master Baladeva
Maharaja.
During his years
of learning He
had an attitude
which showed
the meaning of
the Word
Upanisad
He always
quot;sat near his
masterquot; and
listened
carefully to
the
contradictory
statements of
the Upanisad

3. 55) Rāmatāpaṇi (AV, vaiśnava)
1) Īṣa (ŚYV, mukhya)
2) Kena (SV, mukhya) 56) Vāsudeva (SV, vaiśnava)
57) Mudgala (RV, sāmānya)
3) Kaṭha (KYV, mukhya)
4) Praśna (AV, mukhya) 58) Śāṇḍilya (AV, yoga)
59) Paiṅgala (ŚYV, sāmānya)
5) Muṇḍaka (AV, mukhya)
He also
60) Bhikṣu (SYV, sannyāsa)
6) Māṇḍūkya (AV, mukhya)
7) Taittirīya (KYV, mukhya) 61) Mahad (SV, sāmānya)
8) Aitareya (RV mukhya) 62) Śārīraka (KYV, sāmānya)
studied the
9) Chāndoguia (SV, mukhya) 63) Yogaśikhā (KYV yoga)
64) Turīyātīta (SYV, sannyāsa)
10) Brijad Āraṇiaka (
11) Brahma (KYV, sannyāsa) 65) Sannyāsa (SV, sannyāsa)
12) Kaivalya (KYV, śaiva) 66) Paramahaṃsaparivrājaka
Vedanta
13) Jābāla (ŚYV, sannyāsa) 67) Akṣamālika (Mālika) (RV, śaiva)
14) Śvetāśvatara (KYV, sannyāsa) 68) Avyakta (SV, vaiśnava)
69) Ekākṣara (KYV, sāmānya)
15) Haṃsa (ŚYV, yoga)
Sutra, where
70) Annapūrṇa (AV, śakta)
16) Āruṇeya (SV, sannyāsa)
17) Garbha (KYV, sannyāsa) 71) Sūrya (AV, sāmānya)
72) Akṣi (KYV, sāmānya)
18) Nārāyaṇa (KYV, vaiśnava)
73) Adhyātmā (SYV, sāmānya)
19) Paramahaṃsa (ŚYV, sannyāsa)
fortunately
74) Kuṇḍika (SV, sannyāsa)
20) Amṛtabindu (KYV, yoga)
75) Sāvitrī (SV, sāmānya)
21) Amṛtanāda (KYV, yoga)
22) Śira (AV, śaiva) 76) Ātmā (AV, sāmānya)
the great
23) Atharvaśikha (AV, śaiva) 77) Pāśupata (AV, yoga)
78) Parabrahma (AV, sannyāsa)
24) Maitrāyaṇi (SV, sannyāsa)
25) Kauśītāki (RV, sāmānya) 79) Avadhūta (KYV, sannyāsa)
80) Devī (AV, śakta)
26) Bṛhajjābāla (AV, śaiva)
sage
81) Tripurātapani (AV, śakta)
27) Nṛsiṃhatāpanī (AV, vaiśnava)
28) Kālāgnirudra (KYV, śaiva) 82) Tripura (RV, śakta)
29) Maitreyi (SV, sannyāsa) 83) Kaṭharudra (KYV, sannyāsa)
Vyasadeva
30) Subāla (ŚYV, sāmānya) 84) Bhāvana (AV, śakta)
85) Rudrahṛdaya (KYV, śaiva)
31) Kṣurika (KYV, yoga)
32) Mantrika (ŚYV, sāmānya) 86) Yogakuṇḍalini (KYV, yoga)
33) Sarvasāra (KYV, sāmānya) 87) Bhasma (AV, śaiva)
systematized
34) Nirālamba (ŚYV, sāmānya) 88) Rudrākṣa (SV, śaiva)
35) Śukarahasya (KYV, sāmānya) 89) Gaṇapati (AV, śaiva)
36) Vajrasūchi (SV, sāmānya) 90) Darśana (SV, yoga)
these
37) Tejobindu (KYV, sannyāsa) 91) Tārasāra (SYV, vaiśnava)
38) Nādabindu (RV, yoga) [1] 92) Mahāvākya (AV, yoga)
39) Dhyānabindu (KYV, yoga) 93) Pañcabrahma (KYV, śaiva)
40) Brahmavidyā (KYV, yoga) 94) Prāṇāgnihotra (KYV, sāmānya)
conflicting
41) Yogatattva (KYV, yoga) 95) Gopālatāpani (AV, vaiśnava)
42) Ātmabodha (RV, sāmānya) 96) Kṛṣṇa (AV, vaiśnava)
43) Parivrāt (Nāradaparivrājaka) 97) Yājñavalkya (SYV, sannyāsa)
teachings.
44) Triśikhi (ŚYV, yoga) 98) Varāha (KYV, sannyāsa)
45) Sītā (AV, śakta) 99) Śāṭyāyani (SYV, sannyāsa)
100) Hayagrīva (AV, vaiśnava)
46) Yogachūḍāmaṇi (SV, yoga)
101) Dattātreya (AV, vaiśnava)
47) Nirvāṇa (RV, sannyāsa)
102) Gāruḍa (AV, vaiśnava)
48) Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa (ŚYV, yoga)
103) Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa (Kali) (KYV, vaiśnava)
49) Dakṣiṇāmūrti (KYV, śaiva)
50) Śarabha (AV, śaiva) 104) Jābāla (S&257;maveda) (SV, śaiva)
105) Saubhāgya (RV, śakta)
51) Skanda (Tripāḍvibhūṭi))
106) Sarasvatīrahasya (KYV, śakta)
52) Mahānārāyaṇa (AV, vaiśnava)
53) Advayatāraka (ŚYV, sannyāsa) 107) Bahvṛca (RV, śakta)
54) Rāmarahasya (AV, vaiśnava) 108) Muktika (SYV, sāmānya)

4. 55) Rāmatāpaṇi (AV, vaiśnava)
1) Īṣa (ŚYV, mukhya)
Vedanta Sutra
2) Kena (SV, mukhya) 56) Vāsudeva (SV, vaiśnava)
57) Mudgala (RV, sāmānya)
3) Kaṭha (KYV, mukhya)
4) Praśna (AV, mukhya) 58) Śāṇḍilya (AV, yoga)
59) Paiṅgala (ŚYV, sāmānya)
5) Muṇḍaka (AV, mukhya)
60) Bhikṣu (SYV, sannyāsa)
6) Māṇḍūkya (AV, mukhya)
7) Taittirīya (KYV, mukhya) 61) Mahad (SV, sāmānya)
8) Aitareya (RV mukhya) 62) Śārīraka (KYV, sāmānya)
Four Adhyayas (Chapter):
9) Chāndoguia (SV, mukhya) 63) Yogaśikhā (KYV yoga)
64) Turīyātīta (SYV, sannyāsa)
10) Brijad Āraṇiaka (
11) Brahma (KYV, sannyāsa) 65) Sannyāsa (SV, sannyāsa)
12) Kaivalya (KYV, śaiva) 66) Paramahaṃsaparivrājaka
13) Jābāla (ŚYV, sannyāsa) 67) Akṣamālika (Mālika) (RV, śaiva)
14) Śvetāśvatara (KYV, sannyāsa) 68) Avyakta (SV, vaiśnava)
69) Ekākṣara (KYV, sāmānya)
15) Haṃsa (ŚYV, yoga)
70) Annapūrṇa (AV, śakta)
16) Āruṇeya (SV, sannyāsa)
17) Garbha (KYV, sannyāsa) 71) Sūrya (AV, sāmānya)
First Adhyaya: 72) Akṣi (KYV, sāmānya)
18) Nārāyaṇa (KYV, vaiśnava)
73) Adhyātmā (SYV, sāmānya)
19) Paramahaṃsa (ŚYV, sannyāsa)
Samanvaya
74) Kuṇḍika (SV, sannyāsa)
20) Amṛtabindu (KYV, yoga)
75) Sāvitrī (SV, sāmānya)
21) Amṛtanāda (KYV, yoga)
22) Śira (AV, śaiva) 76) Ātmā (AV, sāmānya)
23) Atharvaśikha (AV, śaiva) 77) Pāśupata (AV, yoga)
It explains the unity of the 78) Parabrahma (AV, sannyāsa)
24) Maitrāyaṇi (SV, sannyāsa)
25) Kauśītāki (RV, sāmānya) 79) Avadhūta (KYV, sannyāsa)
philosophy of the Upanisads 80) Devī (AV, śakta)
26) Bṛhajjābāla (AV, śaiva)
81) Tripurātapani (AV, śakta)
27) Nṛsiṃhatāpanī (AV, vaiśnava)
28) Kālāgnirudra (KYV, śaiva) 82) Tripura (RV, śakta)
29) Maitreyi (SV, sannyāsa) 83) Kaṭharudra (KYV, sannyāsa)
30) Subāla (ŚYV, sāmānya) 84) Bhāvana (AV, śakta)
85) Rudrahṛdaya (KYV, śaiva)
31) Kṣurika (KYV, yoga)
32) Mantrika (ŚYV, sāmānya) 86) Yogakuṇḍalini (KYV, yoga)
33) Sarvasāra (KYV, sāmānya) 87) Bhasma (AV, śaiva)
Second Adhyaya:
34) Nirālamba (ŚYV, sāmānya) 88) Rudrākṣa (SV, śaiva)
35) Śukarahasya (KYV, sāmānya) 89) Gaṇapati (AV, śaiva)
Avirodha
36) Vajrasūchi (SV, sāmānya) 90) Darśana (SV, yoga)
37) Tejobindu (KYV, sannyāsa) 91) Tārasāra (SYV, vaiśnava)
38) Nādabindu (RV, yoga) [1] 92) Mahāvākya (AV, yoga)
39) Dhyānabindu (KYV, yoga) 93) Pañcabrahma (KYV, śaiva)
It dispels apparent contradictions
40) Brahmavidyā (KYV, yoga) 94) Prāṇāgnihotra (KYV, sāmānya)
41) Yogatattva (KYV, yoga) 95) Gopālatāpani (AV, vaiśnava)
42) Ātmabodha (RV, sāmānya) 96) Kṛṣṇa (AV, vaiśnava)
43) Parivrāt (Nāradaparivrājaka) 97) Yājñavalkya (SYV, sannyāsa)
44) Triśikhi (ŚYV, yoga) 98) Varāha (KYV, sannyāsa)
45) Sītā (AV, śakta) 99) Śāṭyāyani (SYV, sannyāsa)
100) Hayagrīva (AV, vaiśnava)
46) Yogachūḍāmaṇi (SV, yoga)
101) Dattātreya (AV, vaiśnava)
47) Nirvāṇa (RV, sannyāsa)
102) Gāruḍa (AV, vaiśnava)
48) Maṇḍalabrāhmaṇa (ŚYV, yoga)
103) Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa (Kali) (KYV, vaiśnava)
49) Dakṣiṇāmūrti (KYV, śaiva)
50) Śarabha (AV, śaiva) 104) Jābāla (S&257;maveda) (SV, śaiva)
105) Saubhāgya (RV, śakta)
51) Skanda (Tripāḍvibhūṭi))
106) Sarasvatīrahasya (KYV, śakta)
52) Mahānārāyaṇa (AV, vaiśnava)
53) Advayatāraka (ŚYV, sannyāsa) 107) Bahvṛca (RV, śakta)
54) Rāmarahasya (AV, vaiśnava) 108) Muktika (SYV, sāmānya)

5. Third Adhyaya?
Sadhana
It describes the means to attain
the Supreme

6. Fourth Adhyaya:
Phala
It indicates the goal
The
Supreme
Brahman

7. It is not easy to study
this great literature
because the sage
Vyasadeva chose to
explain the different
aspects of Brahman in
the way of sutras or
aphorisms, which are
essential sentences
with few letters as
possible.

8. But the concise aspect Sutra I, 1, 12
Sutra I, 1, 12: €nandamayo 'bhy€s€t
of the sutras is not the Purvapaksha:
€nandamayo 'bhy€s€t
only difficulty that the Argument or Antithesis
mayaƒ : “full of “ or “modification”
Division Padas and
student of the Vedanta €nanda - bliss; mayaƒ - full of ;
Adhyayas unanimity of is
Sutra encounters, Baladeva: - becauseanandamaya
abhy€s€t Because1,of repetition
Sutra I, 13
there are several described as aopinion must refer to the
person it
Vik€ra-•abd€n neti cen na pracury€t
conditionedword €nandamaya (full of
The Adhikharana in a material
spirit soul residing
other reasons body.:
bliss) used in the Vedic literaturesfrom
vikara - transformation; •abdät -
that make its approach Sankara:No unanimity referes to
The Ananda Maya
the must refer to the Supreme - if;
word; na - not; iti - thus; cet
difficult and which make Brahman, for itand not because of
Brahman is repeatedly used
to Jiva
na - not; pracury€t –
it easy to give them to describe Him.
abundance.
different interpretations.
The necessity of having The unanimity of opinion
to supply words to (in regarding to) the
complete the meaning of division of adhikarana
a sutra
The identification of the
The ambiguous
real purva paksa
meaning of the words
of a sutra
And others…

9. Govinda had
studied the
Baladeva
Vidhyabhusana
commentary,
which
establishes the
vaisnava
siddhanta.
his commentary explains the
rahman as the Supreme
ersonality who is the source
f all ananda or pleasure.

10. Namaste!
Where are
you going?
Why are you
so happy?
To finish his studies, Govinda came out
looking for Anandamaya, the Supreme
Brahman.
In his way He met Shambu, a
student too, but from the monism
school of Sripada Sankaracarya.

11. Namaste! I'm
travelling through the Yes. This is an
path where I can important search.
ultimately reach Everyone needs
anandamaya. first reach
anandamaya to
then attain the
Brahman.

12. I learned that Anandamaya is
the Brahman himself. The
Vedanta Sutra establishes it
with the Sutra anandamaya
bhyasat: anandamaya (is the
Supreme Brahman) because it
is the word that is being
repeated (bhyasat).
Where it is
repeated?
In the Taittiriya Upanisad II. 6: 1:
quot;He who knows the
Brahman
as non-existing becomes himself none
existing. He who knows the
Brahman
as existing, know existing”

13. quot;Different from this (vijñana maya) which
consists of understanding, is the other inner
self which consists of bliss(anandamaya), the
former is (filled by this).It also has the shape
of a man. Like the human shape of the
former is the human shape of the latter. Joy
But the verse of the
is its head. Satisfaction its right arm. Great
Upanisad which describes
satisfaction is its left arm. Bliss is its trunk
anandamaya said…
and…
And here it is said very
Brahman is the tail or clearly that Brahman is
only the tail or support of
support.quot; anandamaya and no
Ups!
anandamaya itself.

14. But, there is something
Anandamaya to Anandamaya.
superior
In the last verse of this
Vijñanamaya sequence It is said:
The procession of verses
quot;joy is its head, satisfaction is
of Taittiriya Upanisad Jñanamaya wing, delight is its
its right
takes us from annamaya
left wing and… Brahman is
up to anandamaya in a Manomaya tail and support!quot;
its
progressive way. In this
Due to the fact that Brahman
Ups! He is
description there is Pranamaya
is named at the end of the
right!
nothing superior to
sentence it is more suitable to
What do I
Anandamaya, therefore it Annamaya this is the main topic
assume
say now?
must be the Supreme
instead of anandamaya.
Brahman.
quot;Different from this (vijñana maya) which consists of
understanding, is the other inner self which consists of bliss,
the former is (filled by this).It also has the shape of a man.
Like the human shape of the former is the human shape of
the latter. Joy is its head. Satisfaction its right arm. Great
satisfaction is its left arm. Bliss is its trunk and…
Brahman is the tail or support.quot;

15. I think your conclusions
are more based in suppositions due
to argumentative logic than the obvious truths
that the very author of Vedanta Sutra expresses.
Moreover, the word
For example, he clarifies in the Sutra I. 1.13:
maya means
There it is explained that one could conclude that
modification,
anandamaya does not refer to Brahman because
therefore it is
the word maya means quot;modificationquot;
impossible that
and the Brahman is immutable
anandamaya refers
to Brahman because
it is immutable. Now, he
is
defeated
Sutra I. 1.13:
Vic€ra-•abd€n neti cen na
pracury€t
vik€ra - transformation;
•abd€t - from the word; na - not;
iti - thus; cet - if; na - not;
pracury€t - because of
abundance.

16. How is it possible that in
the former verses from
Taittiriya Upanisad, when
the word quot;maya is added
to anna, prana, manas and
vijñana, means
modification and suddenly
it changes to abundance in
the last verse?
Do you remember the
analogy of the arundhati
star? I'm sure that you
know it, because Sankara
explains it in his bhasya.

17. anandamaya
vijñanamaya
jñanamaya
manamaya
The same way, Anna y pranamaya
the Upanisad show us first
anna, prana, manas and
It is Inmmutable
vijñana maya in order to
It is Inconcebible
help people to identify
It is far and
the Brahman
It is very near

18. Yes, I know this analogy;
my master taught it to
?? me. But the verses that
Anandamaya
begin with annamaya
form one sequence;
vijñanamaya
hence, how is it that only
the last verse refers to
Brahman while the other
Jñanamaya
refers to pradhana?
manomaya
Pranamaya
Annamaya
It is like describing
certain parts of body of
a young lady and
partly of a old lady

19. quot;He who knows the
Brahman
as non-existing becomes himself none
I agree with you in that
these verses constitute a sequence, existing. He who knows the
This is given after pranamaya
This is given after vijñana
Brahman
therefore, we have to understand them with the This is given it refers to
verse and after annamaya
maya verse and it refers to
same logic that they are explained. Next to each manomaya:
verse and it refers to
as existing, know existing”
anandamaya:
verse where annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya , pranamaya:
vijñanamaya are presented, there are Different from this (pranamaya),
quot;Different from this (vijñana
other verses where the Taittiriya Upanisad is the other inner self, which
Different from this
maya) which consists of
describes entirely each maya and consist of mindis the other its
(annamaya), (…)Yajus is
understanding, is the other
not only their tail, arm, wing, etc. head, Rik is its rigthconsist of
inner self, which arm. Saman
inner self which consists of
is its left arm. The doctrine is its
breath (…)Prana is its head,
bliss, the former is (filled by
trunk. The atharvangiras is its
Vyana is its rigth arm. Apana
this).It also has the shape of
seat (support) Ether is its
is its left arm.
a man. Like the human
trunk. The earth is its seat
shape of the former is the
He(support)
who knows the bliss of that
human shape of the latter.
brahman from whence all
Joy is its head. Satisfaction
speech,devas the mind, turns
The with breathe after
its right arm. Great
away unable tu reach it,man and
breath (prana) so do he
satisfaction is its left arm.
never fears. Trheis the life ofself
cattle. Breath embodied
Bliss is its trunk and
of this (consisting ofit is called
beings, therefore mind) is the
Brahman is the tail or
same as that of(all enlivining)
sarvayusha the former
support.“

20. This is your problem not mine.
I accept Vyasa’s conclusions as
he describes them and I don’t try to manipulate
their words to confirm my pre-invented But if we accept the
concepts. He mentions in the Sutra I.1:14: tad- Brahman as ananda we
hetu vyapadesat, where He differentiates must understand it as
Brahman from the jiva. Here he establishes the saguna Brahman! If
former is the cause of ananda of the latest. Brahman had joy and
That is the reason happiness it would be
why I have taken this way opposed to nirvisesa or
nirguna Brahman!
Sutra I.1:14
tad-hetu-vyapade•€t ca
tat - of that; hetu - the origin;
vyapade•€t - because of the
statement; ca - also.

21. Excuse me, but you are
speaking about duality
Govinda and jiva-brahman, which is
only fantasized inside of
avidya. I´m sorry, but if
Shambu continued
I´m sorry to you!
you find some ananda in
The Sutra I.1:17 said:
your way I must tell you
bheda vyapadesat.
This means that jiva discussing a little that the only thing You
is different
will get is goodness
from Brahman even in his
liberated state, because They could not
more. happiness, because as
long as You think in
he becomes the perceiver,
the perceived.reach the same
dual concepts, You will
and Anandamaya
be inside of avidya.
conclusion. Who can
Sutra I.1:17
say to have the true
bheda-vyapadeçäc ca
bheda - difference; vyapadeçät -
and only conclusion?
because of the statement; ca - also.
(The Supreme Personality of
Godhead and the individual spirit soul
are) different, because the Vedic
literature teaches this fact.

22. What is the canon to say thatyour I can´t accept
my argument is better? Br 3,7,23
conclusions, these are
against the
which said: quot;there is no
The best logic?than theseer or hearer
Actually, these statements other
mean that the jiva becomes quot;likequot; highest Lordquot;.
The different words which analogy?
The best
Brahman and not actually Brahman. Besides, Br. IV. 4.6
describes how jiva
are used to describe
The best textual acceptationafter become one
this event are: Eva, vava, Yatha, reaching Brahmanquot;
Tatha and Iva,
which means similarity author?
of the
and no fusion.
What happened if the truth is
beyond theses criterion?

23. The Upanisad and Vedanta sutra
describe with many
(or not so many)
words a special destination.
Perhaps, the best and only thing
that we can do is to choose one of
these special destinations,
explained in some of the bhasyas,
and take on this way as Govinda
did.

24. Thank you!