Mahvkyas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahvkyas[04/10/2014 9:11:39 AM]

Mahvkyas
Part of a series on
Advaita Vedanta
V T E
This article contains Indic text.
Without proper rendering support,
you may see question marks or
boxes, misplaced vowels or
missing conjuncts instead of Indic
text.
Part of a series on
Hindu philosophy
V T E
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mahavakyas (sing.: mahvkya,
; plural: mahvkyni,
) are "The Great Sayings" of
the Upanishads, as characterized by the Advaita
school of Vedanta.
Contents [hide]
1 The four principal Mahavakyas
1.1 Other Mahavakyas
1.2 Prajnam Brahma
2 See also
3 Notes
4 References
5 Sources
5.1 Published sources
5.2 Web-sources
6 External links
The four principal Mahavakyas
[edit]
Though there are many Mahavakyas, four of them,
one from each of the four Vedas, are often mentioned
as "the Mahavakyas".
[1]
According to the Vedanta-
tradition, the subject matter and the essence of all
Upanishads is 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 mahvkya 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:
[note 1] [note 2] [web 3]
Main articles [show]
Subschools [show]
People [show]
Neo-Advaita [show]
Practices [show]
Scriptures [show]
stika Schools [show]
Nstika Schools [show]
Personalities [show]
Article Talk Read Edit Vie
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
Print/export
Languages
Deutsch
Franais
Polski

Edit links
Create account Log in
Search
Go
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81v%C4%81kyas
Mahvkyas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahvkyas[04/10/2014 9:11:39 AM]
1. prajnam brahma - "Praja is Brahman" , or "Brahman is Praja"
(Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda)
2. ayam tm brahma - "I am this Self (Atman) that is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad
1.2 of the Atharva Veda)
3. tat tvam asi - "Thou art That" (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda)
4. aham brahmsmi - "I am Brahman", or "I am Divine"
[5]
(Brhadaranyaka 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".
[6]
Other Mahavakyas [edit]
Brahma satyam jagan mithya - Brahman is real; the world is unreal - Vivekachudamani
Ekam evadvitiyam brahma - Brahman is one, without a second - Chndogya Upaniad
Soham - You are the same as I am - Soham (Sanskrit)
Sarvam khalvidam brahma - All of this is brahman - Brahman
Prajnam Brahma [edit]
See also: Prajna
Several translations, and word-orders of these translations, are possible:
Prajnam:
j can be translated as "consciousness", "knowledge", or "understanding."
[7]
Pra is an intensifier which could be translated as "higher", "greater", "supreme" or
"premium",
[8]
or "being born or springing up",
[9]
referring to a spontaneous type of
knowing.
[9][note 3]
Prajnam as a whole means:
, "prajJ Ana",
[web 7]
Adjective: prudent, easily known, wise
[web 7]
Noun: discrimination, knowledge, wisdom, intelligence. Also: distinctive mark, monument,
token of recognition, any mark or sign or characteristic, memorial
[web 7]
"Consciousness"
[2][web 2]
"Intelligence"
[3][4]
"Wisdom"
[web 3]
Related terms are jnana, prajna and prajnam, "pure consciousness".
[10]
Although the common
translation of jnanam
[10]
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:
"The Absolute"
[2][web 2]
"Infinite"
[web 2]
"The Highest truth"
[web 2]
Most interpretations state: "Prajnam (noun) is Brahman (adjective)". Some translations give a
Mahvkyas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahvkyas[04/10/2014 9:11:39 AM]
reverse order, stating "Brahman is Prajnam",
[web 3]
specifically "Brahman (noun) is
Prajnam (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.
[11]
And according to David Loy,
The knowledge of Brahman [...] is not intuition of Brahman but itself is Brahman.
[12]
See also [edit]
Advaita Vedanta
J iva
Monism
Soham (Sanskrit)
Vakya Vritti
Ajativada
Hadith
Analects
Notes [edit]
1. ^ "Consciousness",
[2][web 2]
"intelligence",
[3][4]
"wisdom"
[web 3]
2. ^ "The Absolute",
[2][web 2]
"infinite",
[web 2]
"the Highest truth"
[web 2]
3. ^ Compare Radhakrishnan's notion of
"intuition". See
[web 4][web 5][web 6]
References [edit]
1. ^ Saraswati 1995, p. 4.
2. ^
a

b

c

d
Grimes 1996, p. 234.
3. ^
a

b
Sivaraman 1973, p. 146.
4. ^
a

b
Braue 1984, p. 80.
5. ^ Baue 1984, p. 80.
6. ^ kamakoti.org, The Upanisads
7. ^ See, e.g., Monier-Williams (1899), "ja,"
p. 425 (retrieved 14 Aug. 2012 from
"Cologne U." at http://www.sanskrit-
lexicon.uni-
koeln.de/scans/MWScan/MWScanpdf/mw042
jehila.pdf ).
8. ^ See, e.g., Monier-Williams (1899), "pr,"
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 )
9. ^
a

b
Loy 1997, p. 136.
10. ^
a

b
Raganthnanda 1991, p. 109.
11. ^ Sahu 2004, p. 41.
12. ^ Loy 1997, p. 62.
Mahvkyas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahvkyas[04/10/2014 9:11:39 AM]
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Developers Mobile view
This page was last modified on 30 March 2014 at 18:24.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site,
you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipediais a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.,
a non-profit organization.
Sources [edit]
Published sources [edit]
Braue, Donald A. (1984), My in Radhakrishnans Thought: Six Meanings Other Than Illusion,
Motilall Banarsidass
Grimes, J ohn 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
Raganthnanda, Swami; Nelson, Elva Linna (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), aivism in Philosophical Perspective: A Study of the Formative Concepts,
Problems, and Methods of aiva Siddhnta, Motilall Banarsidass
Web-sources [edit]
1. ^ Sanskrit Structure
2. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h
J iddu Krishnamurti, Saanen 2nd Conversation with Swami Venkatesananda 26th
July 1969
3. ^
a

b

c

d

e
Encyclopedy of Hinduism, Mahavakyas
4. ^ Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (18881975)
5. ^ Ashok Vora, Radhakrishna's notion of intuitive knowledge: a critique
6. ^ [DR. SIR S. RADHAKRISHNAN, Intellect and Intuition in Sankara's Philosophy]
7. ^
a

b

c
Sanskrit Dictionary, prajnanam
8. ^
a

b

c

d
Sanskrit Dictionary, jnanam
External links [edit]
Categories: Hindu philosophical concepts