The fruits of spiritual effort promised in the scriptures are not always tangible and are neither immediate, unlike those of many worldly pursuits. This gives room to the sceptic or rationalist to question their validity. It is only individual experience gained by following the path of dharma sastra that can provide the answers, pointed out Swami Vidyashankara Saraswati in a discourse. Sweetness is known by tasting and Brahma Anubhuti is unique and known only by experiencing. No human mind can adequately think about or express its nature or quality in language or words. The Vedas have said the last word on Brahman as that which is beyond thought and word: ‘yata vacho nivartanthe aprapya manasa saha.’
Nevertheless the yearning and search for something higher and subtler, something eternal in this creation that is marked by change, has been natural to human beings since the days of yore. The Upanishad seers undertook this mission by engaging in deep meditation. Some of them who were able to perceive flashes of the eternal truth that was revealed in their inner consciousness tried to convey their findings in the Upanishads. What emerges from these deep reflections is that the very essence of Brahma Jnana is the awareness of the divine presence in each and every aspect of creation.
The lives of saints reveal how devotion is able to fuse the mystical with the practical, social and cultural trends of their times. Sadasiva Brahmendra is so realised that this perception is integral to his personality at all times. He sees only Brahman everywhere Once when his hands were cut off , he just did not feel the impact at all. Likewise, the constant vision of God permeates every aspect of Kanakadasa’s life.
