Sunday, January 17, 2021

What is Brahman and Its implication to Covid Virus

Who is Brahman? Veda says someone who is సత్యం (truth) and అనంతం(infinite). These two adjectives, among others, establish the identity of Brahman to some extent. Why so? No matter which కల్పము (recreation of universe) we are in, those two words among others, will persist. To generalize this, any meta concept will prevail in all creations. To give another concrete example, we can say a "red rose is beautiful". The word "rose" is a flower which is everlasting. In other words, a flower is capable of reproduction of some living things (called జాతి or species) that is required in every recreation. One can ask what if a universe is created without trees? True, it can happen but the concept of reproduction remains the same because even the Brahman has to create a universe with reproduction without having to create every being with his hands. Take another word "DNA". Can a universe exist without DNA? When one analyzes it, DNA is a fundamental unit of all living things. Therefore it has to exist in all universes.

For us mortals, only Vedas are meant as ప్రమాణం (standard). We take every sentence in Veda as a standard. The ancient rishis used a language that is meant as a universal standard that applies to every universe. Hence it is in Sanskrit which few people can understand and interpret in a colloquial language (example తెలుగు (Telugu)). We are limited to some words and rules of grammar. This is called వాఙ్మయం (the sum total of a language). We cannot escape from it.

Brahman is the creator. In one particular universe he provides self-sustaining beings. They can be trees or rocks that have ప్రాణం (life). Since he has infinite knowledge, it can be the kind of beings that we cannot conceive at this time (Star Trek series can be used for reference but it too will fall short by humanizing (anthropomorphism) the strange beings encountered on a different planet).

My favorite definition of Brahman is that which surrounds the visible universe and goes beyond. Astronomers could map the visible universe and even find out that the universe is expanding. My question, what is the universe expanding into? For example, when you blow a balloon it is expanding into the space surrounding it. We can cognize it as a physical process. What about the space surrounding the visible universe?

I would like to hint that the fundamental particles physicists have found out like quarks are also the building blocks of any universe Brahman would create. There have to be atoms, of which quarks are resident, in every universe the Brahman would do. They may not be called atoms and quarks but their epistemology stays the same.

Going into Hinduism where the 3 murtis: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara are considered as the creator, ruler and destroyer respectively. They were assigned those roles by Brahman based on a దేశ (spatial coordinates) and కాల (time coordinate). Every universe Brahma could create must have these Gods who attained that status by పుణ్యం (good deeds). If they fail to do their jobs, Brahman would demote them and replace them with another set of Gods. I also have this revelation that when we pray to these Gods, we are given knowledge that applies to their character and personality. For example, when Lord Rama went to the forest, he was ordered to do so by his father Dasaratha. Since Rama is an obedient son he obeyed the order. Brahman could have wished that everyone should learn this principle.

I would like to elaborate on ధర్మ (duty) and the purpose of creation. Dharma is considered as the fundamental principle whereby the veracity of things and actions are adjudged. Every universe must have this to balance good and bad deeds. In the current universe, on Earth, some people either don't understand or don't follow this resulting in considerable unhappiness. The Brahman created this universe so that his dharma would prevail.

Apparently there is no goal for the universe except to entertain the Brahman. Our puny bodies are subjected to Karma, which is an eternal law that all universes should have, whereby we are forced to have multiple births.

Finally, I would like to mention the Covid virus that is ravaging the earth. Why should an ordinary and tiny virus dispatch so many humans, some of them innocent of any crime or sin, to the nether world? Also the virus mutates making it tough or impossible to eliminate it entirely. Perhaps this is an aberration in the Brahman's creation where he could not anticipate the universe going astray. Some Hindus said the virus was discharging the duty of Eeswara by punishing the sinners and in the process affecting the good people whose only sin is befriending them.

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