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What is Brahm, Adhyatm, Karma? || Acharya Prashant, on Bhagavad Gita (2020)
Scriptures and Saints
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1 year ago
Brahman
Adhyatma
Karma
Adhibhut
Adhideva
Adhiyajna
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Self-inquiry
Description

Acharya Prashant explains the concepts of Brahman, Adhyatma, Karma, Adhibhut, Adhideva, and Adhiyajna as presented in the eighth chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He describes Brahman as the Supreme Indestructible reality that is beyond the world of characteristics and time. Brahman is not a mere concept but the utmost need of the mind, which seeks perfect security and rest that the ephemeral world cannot provide. The proof of Brahman lies in the words and lives of saints and scriptures, which contain insights far beyond normal human intelligence. Adhyatma is defined as the honest exploration and inquiry into one's own mind and daily life. It is not about esoteric rituals but the simple curiosity to understand one's actions, thoughts, and relationships in real-time. While Adhyatma is the process of inquiry, Brahman is the endpoint where the inquiry and the inquirer both vanish. Karma, in the highest sense, is defined as sacrifice or right action that reduces the inessential self and liberates one from inner weaknesses. It is the positive intent to get rid of the useless elements discovered during self-inquiry, much like Shri Krishna urging Arjun to fight his inner attachments on the battlefield. Regarding the physical and divine planes, Adhibhut refers to the primal elements and the unconscious world of objects. Adhideva is explained as consciousness itself, the 'shining person' that observes the unconscious. Finally, Adhiyajna refers to the Supreme Truth or Brahman, the ultimate recipient of all sacrifices and actions. Acharya Prashant clarifies that when Shri Krishna says, 'I am Adhiyajna,' He is referring to His identity as the Supreme Brahman, the immeasurable ocean into which all offerings eventually vanish.