Verse 2.331

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

अदृश्येऽनात्म्य इत्येवं पूर्वोत्तरविरुद्धता ।
न स्यादाकारवत्त्वाद्धि अस्ति नास्तीति संशयः ॥ ३३१ ॥

adṛśye'nātmya ityevaṃ pūrvottaraviruddhatā |
na syādākāravattvāddhi asti nāstīti saṃśayaḥ || 331 ||

English translation of verse 2.331:

(Since Brahman will be described in the sequel as) imperceptible, incorporeal, there wili be contradiction between the earlier and later statements, (if the ānandamaya is explained as Brahman). Since the ānandamaya has form, there can be no doubt whether it exists or not.

Notes:

This verse adduces two other reasons to show that the ānandamaya is not Brahman.

If the ānandamaya which is described here as having a definite form is interpreted as Brahman, it will contradict a subsequent text occurring in the seventh anuvāka (II, vii) which says that Brahman is imperceptible, incorporeal, inexpressible, etc. If Brahman has a definite form, it should not be described as imperceptible (adṛśya), incorporeal (anātmya), inexpressible (anirukta). If, on the other hand. Brahman is imperceptible and so on, then it should not be thought of as having a definite form possessing head and other limbs.

There is also another point to be considered here. In a subsequent section of this Upaniṣad (II, vi) there is the Mantra text which refers to the possibility of doubt with regard to the existence of Brahman. If Brahman were identical with the ānandamaya which is endowed with head and other limbs, there cannot be any room for doubt whether it exists or not. In view of the fact that this possibility of doubt with regard to Brahman is admitted, the ānandamaya which is saviśeṣa and which is immediately.experienced cannot be the supreme Brahman.