Page 24 - Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 21st Century ISBN

21oha “krkCnh esa vkpk;Z fouksck Hkkos dh izklafxdrk

answer probably intended to hint at a deeper significance. It may mean that Vinoba does not want to
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encourage in the questioner the tendency to indulge in idle metaphysical speculation.” Vinoba believes
that Brahman is quite beyond human powers of speech, description or comprehension. He, therefore,
remarks, “To get involved in a ‘dispute’ about absolute monism, is to provide an unmistakable proof of

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dualism.” Again, “Some say: ‘God is unknowable.’ If unknowable, how can they say ‘He is’? And if
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He is, how can they say that He is unknowable?” Though Vinoba does not speak about the nature of
Brahman he accepts It as true, “Brahma Satyam.” In certain ways he differs from Sankara and
Ramanuja about the nature and status of Brahman. According to Sankara, Brahman has no

homogeneous, heterogeneous and internal differences. It is nirguna or qualitiless. But at practical
level, we accept Brahman as creating the world which has all good qualities and is known as Isavara.

Ramanuja subscribes to internal differences of Brahman and accepts it as saguna. Vinoba does not
like to think of Brahman as both nirguna from metaphysical point of view and saguna from practical

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point of view, at the same time as Sankara does, because according to him, nirguna and saguna
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complement each other; they are not imcopatible. According to him, Brahman is neither saguna nor
nirguna. It is beyond any expression but can be represented by any phoneme from “A” (a) to “Z” to
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(jn) . (Vinoba gives four meanings of the word: (1) Everything from A to jn is Brahman. By it is meant
first to last all letters are symbols of Brahman but A and jn are special symbols of Brahman. 3 (2)
Brahman is Ajn means Brahman is Anasakta Jnana (Unattached knowledge). Thus, Anasakta Jnana

is in general as well as special knowledge. It is scientific and easily understandable. (3) Brahman is Ajn
also means Brahman is incarnation of speech (Vangmaya Murti). So Brahman includes not only

letters or words or sentences but it includes literature of all kinds. (4)Brahman is Ajna also means
Brahman is Saguna as well as Nirguna)

Vinoba has tried to understand Brahman from three points of view. The following table may
be useful in understanding his first point of view: Brahman can be classified into Inconceivable and

Conceivable. ConceivableBrahman can be classified into Imperceptible and Perceptible and the
Perceptible can be further classified into Incorporeal and Corporeal. 10

The conceivable Brahman is both perceptible as well as imperceptible. Perceptible Brahman
can be experienced by incorporeal thoughts or by corporeal things. So Brahman is not the Sunya

‘Void’ of the Buddhists. Brahman is inconceivable, imperceptible and incorporeal. The inconceivable,
imperceptible and incorporeal is its inner form, the conceivable, perceptible and corporeal is the outer.

Internally, it is nirguna, outwardly saguna and the two together is infinite nirguna Brahman.
Vinoba presents his second point of view regarding Brahman in Nyaya terminology. The

Universe - Pratyaksa Brahman, i.e., Concrete, perceptible Brahman God - Anumana Brahman,
i.e., Inferential Brahman The Vedas - Sabda Brahman, i.e., Sound Brahman. The Soul - Brahman. 11

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