"Shree Vishnu-Tatva-Nirnaya" by OM Vishnupad Shree MadhvAcharya, Khanda 65: Interpretation of Shruti - ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मैव भवति [brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati]***
***Note by Vishnudut1926: This is the Vakya from "Shree Mundaka-Upanishad", it is always used by advaitins (mayavadins) who fraudulently try to prove the so-called "jiveshvaraikya", that is "jiva = Vishnu, Narayana" false concept or the identity of jiva and Brahman (Bhagavan Shree Vishnu).
OM VishnuPad Shree MadhvAcharya gives the right, anti-mayavadik and not false interpretation of this Vakya below:
Sanskrit:
Translation: The passage "One who knows Brahman will become Brahman only" (ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मैव भवति - brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati) means that "jiva attains greatness" (it does not mean that jiva will attain identity with Brahman).
This passage has to be understood like the statement that "a sudra who worships a brahmana with devotion will become a brahmana". A sudra who worships a brahmana will not become the same brahmana.
All jivas are called Brahma, the liberated jivas are called ParaBrahma, Prakrti i.e., MahaLakshmi is called ParamaBrahma and Lord Achyuta (Vishnu) is called ParamamahadBrahma:
Therefore, neither the liberated nor Prakrti i.e., MahaLakshmi has the Glory of Lord Vishnu. He Alone is independent, infinite and has the 6 attributes (ShadGunas).
"Shree Narayana-Shruti" statement:
You are infinite with an immeasurable form. They cannot achieve Your Greatness. The Supremacy that cannot be achieved by the Chaturmukhabrahma, Shiva is yours. It is very natural to You.
Just as all other luminaries, though distinct from the great luminary the Sun, are not visible in his presence, the liberated jivas, though distinct from the Bhagavan Shree Vishnu, are not observed in His Presence. This kind of unobservedness is called Apyaya.
This expression does not convey the identity.
Thus says Narayana Shruti. Therefore, the idea of "jiveshvaraikya" i.e., the identity of jiva and Brahman is against all scriptures.
Explanation 01. In this section it is pointed out that certain passages like ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मैव भवति [brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati] do not support जीव - ब्रह्मैक्य [jIva - brahmaikya] .
Expressions like these only say that the liberated jivas attain a certain amount of glory. But never attain The Glory of the Supreme God (Bhagavan Shree Narayana), much less an identity with Him.
Expanation 02. For this reason the passage ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मैव भवति [brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati] in reality means that "he who knows Brahman will attain Brimhitatva only, that is certain amount of Lord Vishnu's Greatness" - ब्रह्मशब्दः बृंहणयोगनिमित्तकः [brahmashabdaH bRRiMhaNayoganimittakaH]
This passage could be interpreted in another way also. The jiva who knows Brahman will remain jiva only (even after knowing Him):
Explanation 03. In the passage ब्रह्माणि जीवाः सर्वेऽपि [brahmANi jIvAH sarve.api] etc., the expression ब्रह्म [brahma] is used with reference to जीव [jIva], while परब्रह्म [parabrahma] with reference to मुक्त जीव [mukta jIva].
परमब्रह्म [paramabrahma] with reference to Prakrti i.e., Shreemati MahaLakshmi-Devi, while and परममहद् ब्रह्म [paramamahad brahma] with reference to The Supreme Lord Narayana.
Cited from VISHNUTATVAVINIRNAYAH
[VISHNU-TATVA-NIRNAYA]
by ~OM VishnuPad Shree MadhvAcharya~
#transl by prof K T Panduranagi# [Dvaita Vedanta] 1991
English-Sanskrit OCR by Vishnudut1926, Moscow, December 2017
