SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 13 Text 5
rsibhir bahudha gitam
chandobhir vividhaih prthak
brahma-sutra-padais caiva
hetumadbhir viniscitaih

rsibhih--by the wise sages; bahudha--in many ways; gitam--described; chandobhih--by Vedic hymns; vividhaih--various; prthak--variously; brahma-sutra--of the Vedanta; padaih--by the aphorisms; ca--also; eva--certainly; hetu-madbhih--with cause and effect; viniscitaih--certain.

TRANSLATION

That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings. It is especially presented in Vedanta-sutra with all reasoning as to cause and effect.

JOURNAL:

Near the end of his purport Srila Prabhupada explains Brahman realization a little more in depth; As stated in the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.9), brahma puccham pratistha. There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord's energy known as anna-maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is a materialistic realization of the Supreme. Then, in prana-maya, after realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in food, one can realize the Absolute Truth in the living symptoms or life forms. In jnana-maya, realization extends beyond the living symptoms to the point of thinking, feeling and willing. Then there is Brahman realization, called vijnana-maya, in which the living entity's mind and life symptoms are distinguished from the living entity himself. The next and supreme stage is ananda-maya, realization of the all-blissful nature. Thus there are five stages of Brahman realization, which are called brahma puccham. Out of these, the first three--anna-maya, prana-maya and jnana-maya--involve the fields of activities of the living entities. Transcendental to all these fields of activities is the Supreme Lord, who is called ananda-maya.