Mahāvākyas
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The Mahavakyas (sing.: mahāvākyam, महावाक्यम्; plural: mahāvākyāni, महावाक्यानि) are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, as characterized by the Advaita school of Vedanta.
Most commonly, Mahavakyas are considered four in number,[1][2]
- Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म)
- Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म)
- Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि)
- Aham Brahma Asmi (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि)
The four principal Mahavakyas
Though there are many Mahavakyas, four of them, one from each of the four Vedas, are often mentioned as "the Mahavakyas".[3] According to the Vedanta-tradition, the subject matter and the essence of all Upanishads are the same, and all the Upanishadic Mahavakyas express this one universal message in the form of terse and concise statements.[citation needed] In later Sanskrit usage, the term mahāvākya came to mean "discourse", and specifically, discourse on a philosophically lofty topic.[web 1]
According to the Advaita Vedanta tradition the four Upanishadic statements indicate the ultimate unity of the individual (Atman) with Supreme (Brahman).[citation needed]
The Mahavakyas are:
- prajñānam brahma - "Prajñāna[note 1] is Brahman"[note 2], or "Brahman is Prajñāna"[web 3] (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda)
- ayam ātmā brahma - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda)
- tat tvam asi - "Thou art that" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda)
- aham brahmāsmi - "I am Brahman", or "I am Divine"[7] (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)
People who are initiated into sannyasa in Advaita Vedanta are being taught the four [principal] mahavakyas as four mantras, "to attain this highest of states in which the individual self dissolves inseparably in Brahman".[8]
Other Mahavakyas
- ekam evadvitiyam brahma - Brahman is one, without a second - Chāndogya Upaniṣad
- so 'ham - I am that - Isha Upanishad
- sarvam khalvidam brahma - All of this is brahman - Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1
- etad vai tat - This, verily, is That - Katha Upaniṣad
Prajñānam Brahma
Several translations, and word-orders of these translations, are possible:
Prajñānam:
- jñā can be translated as "consciousness", "knowledge", or "understanding."[9]
- Pra is an intensifier which could be translated as "higher", "greater", "supreme" or "premium",[10] or "being born or springing up",[11] referring to a spontaneous type of knowing.[11][note 3]
Prajñānam as a whole means:
Related terms are jñāna, prajñā and prajñam, "pure consciousness".[12] Although the common translation of jñānam[12] is "consciousness", the term has a broader meaning of "knowing"; "becoming acquainted with",[web 8] "knowledge about anything",[web 8] "awareness",[web 8] "higher knowledge".[web 8]
Brahman:
Most interpretations state: "Prajñānam (noun) is Brahman (adjective)". Some translations give a reverse order, stating "Brahman is Prajñānam",[web 3] specifically "Brahman (noun) is Prajñānam (adjective)": "The Ultimate Reality is wisdom (or consciousness)".[web 3]
Sahu explains:
Prajnanam iti Brahman - wisdom is the soul/spirit. Prajnanam refers to the intuitive truth which can be verified/tested by reason. It is a higher function of the intellect that ascertains the Sat or Truth in the Sat-Chit-Ananda or truth-consciousness-bliss, i.e. the Brahman/Atman/Self/person [...] A truly wise person [...] is known as Prajna - who has attained Brahmanhood itself; thus, testifying to the Vedic Maha Vakya (great saying or words of wisdom): Prajnanam iti Brahman.[13]
And according to David Loy,
The knowledge of Brahman [...] is not intuition of Brahman but itself is Brahman.[14]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Meditation on Mahavakyas". www.sivanandaonline.org. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "Mahavakyas: Great Contemplations of Advaita Vedanta". www.swamij.com. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ Saraswati 1995, p. 4.
- ^ a b c d Grimes 1996, p. 234.
- ^ a b Sivaraman 1973, p. 146.
- ^ a b Braue 1984, p. 80.
- ^ Baue 1984, p. 80.
- ^ kamakoti.org, The Upanisads
- ^ See, e.g., Monier-Williams (1899), "jña," p. 425 (retrieved 14 Aug. 2012 from "Cologne U." at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/MWScanpdf/mw0425-jehila.pdf).
- ^ See, e.g., Monier-Williams (1899), "prā," p. 652 (retrieved 14 Aug. 2012 from "Cologne U." at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0659-prajalpana.jpg)
- ^ a b Loy 1997, p. 136.
- ^ a b Raṅganāthānanda 1991, p. 109.
- ^ Sahu 2004, p. 41.
- ^ Loy 1997, p. 62.
Sources
Published sources
- Braue, Donald A. (1984), Māyā in Radhakrishnanʾs Thought: Six Meanings Other Than Illusion, Motilall Banarsidass
- Grimes, John A. (1996), A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English, SUNY Press
- Loy, David (1997), Nonduality. A Study in Comparative Philosophy, Humanity Books
- Raṅganāthānanda, Swami; Nelson, Elva Linnéa (1991), Human Being in Depth: A Scientific Approach to Religion, SUNY Press
- Sahu, Bhagirathi (2004), The New Educational Philosophy, Sarup & Sons
- Saraswati, Chandrasekharendra (1995), Hindu Dharma: The Universal Way of Life, Bhavan's Book University, ISBN 81-7276-055-8
- Sivaraman, K. (1973), Śaivism in Philosophical Perspective: A Study of the Formative Concepts, Problems, and Methods of Śaiva Siddhānta, Motilall Banarsidass
Web-sources
- ^ Sanskrit Structure
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jiddu Krishnamurti, Saanen 2nd Conversation with Swami Venkatesananda 26th July 1969
- ^ a b c d e Encyclopedy of Hinduism, Mahavakyas
- ^ Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888—1975)
- ^ Ashok Vora, Radhakrishna's notion of intuitive knowledge: a critique
- ^ [DR. SIR S. RADHAKRISHNAN, Intellect and Intuition in Sankara's Philosophy]
- ^ a b c Sanskrit Dictionary, prajnanam
- ^ a b c d Sanskrit Dictionary, jnanam[permanent dead link]