[Advaita-l] How can prANa be Brahman?

[H S Chandramouli]

Sri Ravi Kiran Ji,



The highest goal in advaita sidhanta and the goal to be sought after by
every sAdhaka is to be in the state of jivanmukti.



Yagnavalkya, the best of jnanis, desires to take to sanyAsa at the end of
the debate in Janakasabha only for this purpose.



In Taittariya Upanishad Brahmananda valli we have the ananda mimamsa which
mentions श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य । (shrotriyasya chAkAmahatasya |).
श्रोत्रिय (shrotriya ) refers to a jnani and अकामहतः (akAmahataH) refers to
one practicing VK and MN. At the highest level, the state corresponds to a
jivanmukta. That is the state to be aimed for.



Sri Bhagavatpada in his यतिपञ्चकम् (yatipa~nchakam) states
कौपीनवन्तःखलुभाग्यवन्तः (kaupInavantaHkhalubhAgyavantaH) (The one with just
a loin cloth is indeed a blessed one)  (we may perhaps add “under a banyan
tree”)  while referring to a jivanmukta.



Swami Sadashiva Brahmendra Saraswati has composed a very beautiful work
आत्मविद्याविलास (AtmavidyAvilAsa) consisting of just about 63 verses almost
exclusively devoted to describe the state of a jivanmukta and extolling
that state. It is really well worth reading. Just beautiful.



In short the goal of every advaita sAdhaka should be to be a jivanmukta.



Regards