[Advaita-l] The 'Sarva...' Contemplation

[V Subrahmanian]

The 'Sarva...' Contemplation

There is the teaching of Brahman being free of all limitations. These
limitations are classified as:

1. Desha paricchedaH  (spatial limitation)

2. Kaala paricchedah  (time-wise limitation)

3. Vastu paricchedah   (object-wise limitation)


Since Brahman is also taught as non-different from the Atman (individual
self), a contemplation of Brahman as oneself based on the above concept is
beneficial for the aspirant.

For contemplating that I am free of spatial limitation, desha pariccheda
rahita, we can take the following passage as a sample:

सर्वत्राहं स्थितः /  अहमेव सर्वत्र अस्मि / सर्वगतोऽहम्  The Shruti pramana
for this is:

नित्यं विभुं सर्वगतं सुसूक्ष्मं तदव्ययं   Mundaka Up.1.1.6

‘आकाशवत्सर्वगतश्च नित्यः’ (शत. ब्रा. १० । ६ । ३ । २)

Even though the above is about Brahman, since the jiva is in truth that,
the above passages are authority for such contemplation.

For contemplating that I am free of time-wise limitation, we can adopt this
crisp passage given by Shankara himself:

सर्वदा वर्तमानस्वभावत्वात्    BSB 2.3.7  (we can modify it as   सर्वदा
वर्तमानस्वभावोऽहम्
[I am of ever-existent nature]

For the contemplation that I am free of vastu pariccheda, object-wise
limitation, we have this very Upanishadic passage:

अहमेवेदं सर्वम्’ (छा. उ. ७ । २५ । १)

Shankara has given a fine statement in the Taittiriya bhashya 1.1:   कथं
पुनर्वस्तुत आनन्त्यम् ? सर्वानन्यत्वात् । [How is Brahman free of
object-wise limitation? Since it is non-different from everything.] We can
modify this to suit our contemplation: सर्वानन्योऽहम् / सर्वोऽहम्.

Having understood the above terms and their meanings, we can commit to
memory these three pithy passages for our daily/constant
contemplation: सर्वगतोऽहम्
(sarva-gatoham) (desha/space aparicchinna),  सर्वदा अहम् (sarvadaa aham)
(kaala/time aparicchinna) and  सर्वोऽहम् (sarvoham) (vastu/object
aparicchinna).

Om Tat Sat