Tat Tvam Asi - a different interpretation

Namaste,

Tat Tvam Asi - "That You are" - is one of the most famous Vedic statement or mahA vAkya. The complete vedic sentence is Sa ya esho anima aitadatmyam idam sarvam, tat satyam, sa atmAtattvamasi, svetaketo, iti;.

In Advaita :

The mahA vAkya is split as  AtmA + tat + tvam + asi, Swetaketu = That Atma (all pervading Brahman) you are, Swetaketu. 

So the oneness of the individual self / jiva with Brahman is taught. 

In Dvaita:

It is split as AtmA + atat + tvam + asi, Swetaketu = That Atma (all pervading Brahman/Self) is NOT you, Swetaketu.

It is also interpreted as AtmA + tat + tvam (tad adheeno) + asi + Swetaketu.

Meaning:  Atma or the indwelling controller Spirit Self or God is THAT and you are subservient  to / controlled by THAT, Swetaketu. 

The above interpretations of Advaita and Dvaita appears to be opposed to each other and both are grammatically correct. It should be noted that in both traditions, the word 'tvam' refers to Swetaketu - the student, who is the embodied jiva. 

So which one is correct? The disagreement or contradiction seems to be never ending.

In V.Advaita:

It is split as AtmA + tat + tvam + asi = That Atma (all pervading Brahman/Self) you are.

The above split seems to be the same/similar to Advaita! But the difference is the word 'Tat' and 'tvam' both refers to Brahman established as the inner Self of the jagat and jiva respectively, as opposed to Advaita and Dvaita where tvam refers to the jiva only. Brahman that is pervading the universe is Tat and the same Brahman indwelling in the  body/jiva/Swetaketu is tvam. Jiva and Jada are in the form of body and identification of the body always culminates in the soul/self/Brahman. This identification of one entity through another entity is called sAmAnAdhikaraNyam - concomitant co-ordination. 

The difference and oneness in the form of body and soul/self is established here. This seems to reconcile / integrate the apparent difference between Advaita and Dvaita.

Here is some detailed analysis from the V. Advaita point of view:

Tat = Brahman as the universal Self pervading and supporting the universe as it's body

Tvam = Brahman indwelling in Swetaketu/jiva, pervading and supporting his body.

The meaning of AtmA + tat + tvam + asi + Swetaketu  is:

That Brahman which is the all pervading Atma/Spirit Self of the universe is the spirit Self of you, Swetaketu. Another way of saying the same thing is - "You are having THAT as your Atma, Swetaketu".

The identification of the body always culminates in the Soul. So the identification of Swetaketu is culminating in the all pervading Brahman. There is no separate identification of the jiva / jada apart from Brahman. 

The essential teaching is that Brahman which is the Atma / Spirit Self pervading / sustaining the entire universe is the spirit Self that is indwelling / sustaining / supporting the body/jiva/Swtaketu.

Brahman that abides in all as the inner Self is One or Advaita or non-dual. 

The identification of jada/Tat and jiva/tvam, identifies those particular entities and also culminating in Brahman that pervades both. This meaning of integral oneness of everything, seems to satisfies all views.

But an objection still remains!! :  

If the word tvam refers to the indwelling Brahman, then to whom the Veda is teaching? It cannot be teaching to Brahman ! The name Swetaketu refers to the jiva only and so it is obvious that the teaching is delivered to the jiva. So the word tvam must point to jiva/Swetaketu and not Brahman!

So how do we answer this objection? Or is there any other interpretation? Here is a humble attempt:

My personal view :

1) The word Tat refers to the VishwantaryAmi Brahman (pervading the universe), who is Vishnu. The word tvam refers to jivantaryAmi Brahman who is Rudra/Shiva. The inseparable oneness of these two deities is taught in this Vedic statements. Jiva and Brahman (Atma / paramAtma) are inseparably one and they exist in each other. There is no separate identification between the self and the universe. Every individual / Atman should remain / exist / move in Brahman which is everywhere. That is the literal meaning of Brahmacharya - remaining in Brahman. It is the constant location of oneself in Brahman who is everywhere which is an endless tapasya. This view may help to unite all view points. 

The following mantra which occurs in the Shatarudreeya supports the above claim and I think all Hindus from all traditions should be able to chant this mantra:

"Om namo bhagavate rudrAya visNave mrutyurme pAhi"

2) Tat = Universe = Everything = Vishesha = Sarveshwara = Saguna = Narayana 

    Tvam = Self = Non-dual = sAmAnya = Sarveshwareshwara = Nirguna = Shiva. 

Sri Adi ShankarAchArya also teaches umteen number of times, the oneness of Saguna and Nirguna Brahman, in his Brahma Sutra bhAshya. The oneness of Saguna and Nirguna simply means, sakala kalyani guna Brahman with no dosha or blemishes.

Here is another explanation:

One of the avatAra of Vishnu in the form Nara and Narayana is very much relevant here. Tat stands for Narayana (teacher) and tvam stands for nara (student). When the teacher is teaching tat tvam asi - he is identifying or realizing the nara roopi Brahman tvam in the form of the student. When the student repeats the mantra "tat tvam asi" he is realizing Narayana roopi Brahman in the form of his teacher. So the oneness or inseparable oneness of the teacher, taught and the teaching, continues as unbroken chain of teacher-student tradition or parampara which makes Dharma sanAtana.

Vedic Brahman is an entity that is commonly present in all and so is the greatest equalizer and unifier. So the viewpoints of Advaita, Dvaita and V.Advaita must be complimentary and not contradictory to each other.

Namaste

Suresh