Mahāvākyas
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The Mahāvākyas (''sing.:'' mahāvākyam, महावाक्यम्; ''plural:'' mahāvākyāni, महावाक्यानि) are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, as characterized by the Advaita school of Vedanta with mahā meaning great and vākya, a sentence. Most commonly, ''Mahāvākyas'' are considered four in number, # ''Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि)'' - traditionally rendered as "That Thou Art" (that you are), (
Chandogya Upanishad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Chāndogyopaniṣad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-16 ...
6.8.7 of the Sama Veda, with '' tat'' in Ch.U.6.8.7 referring to '' sat'', "the Existent"); alternatively translated as "That's how
hus Hus or HUS may refer to: Medicine * Hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a disease characterized by haemolytic anemia, kidney problems and a low platelet count People * Hus (surname) * Hus family, an 18th-century French dynasty of ballet dancers and ac ...
you are," with ''tat'' in Ch.U.6.12.3 referring to "the very nature of all existence as permeated by
he finest essence He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' i ...
# ''Aham Brahmāsmi'' (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि)'' - "I am Brahman", or "I am Divine" ( Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the
Yajur Veda The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
)'' # '' Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म)'' - "Prajñāna is Brahman", or "Brahman is Prajñāna"Encyclopedy of Hinduism, ''Mahavakyas''
/ref> (
Aitareya Upanishad The Aitareya Upanishad (Sanskrit: ऐतरेय उपनिषद् IAST ') is a Mukhya Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It comprises the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second book of Aitareya Aranyaka, which is one of the f ...
3.3 of the
Rig Veda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...
) # '' Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म)'' - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" ( Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda) Those statements are interpreted as supporting the insight that the individual self (''jiva'') which appears as a separate existence, is in essence (''atman'') part and manifestation of the whole (''Brahman'').


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". Other Mahavakyas are: * ''ekam evadvitiyam brahma'' - Brahman is one, without a second ( Chāndogya Upaniṣad) * '' so 'ham'' - I am that (
Isha Upanishad The ''Isha Upanishad'' (Devanagari: ईशोपनिषद् IAST ') is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (''adhyāya'') of the Shukla Yajurveda. It is a ''Mukhya'' (primary, principal) Upanishad, and is known in ...
) * ''sarvam khalvidam brahma'' - All of this is brahman ( Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1) * ''etad vai tat'' - This, verily, is That ( Katha Upanishad) People who are initiated into sannyasa in Advaita Vedanta are being taught the four rincipalmahavakyas as four mantras, "to attain this highest of states in which the individual self dissolves inseparably in Brahman". According to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, the four Upanishadic statements indicate the real identity of the individual ('' jivatman'') as ''sat'' (the Existent), '' Brahman'', consciousness. 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. In later Sanskrit usage, the term ''mahāvākya'' came to mean "discourse", and specifically, discourse on a philosophically lofty topic.Sanskrit Structure
/ref>


Tat Tvam Asi

'' Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7'', in the dialogue between Uddalaka and his son Śvetaketu. It appears at the end of a section, and is repeated at the end of the subsequent sections as a refrain: In ChU.6.8.12 it appears as follows:


Etymology and translation

''Tat Tvam Asi'' ( Devanagari: तत्त्वमसि, Vedic: ''tát tvam ási'') is traditionally translated as "Thou art that," "That thou art," "That art thou," "You are that," "That you are," or "You're it," though according to Brereton and others the proper translation would be "In that way thusare you, Svetaketu," or "that's how you are": * ''tat'' - "it," "that"; or alternatively "thus," "in that way," "that's how." * ''tvam'' - you, thouShankara
''Chandogya Upanishad Bhasya - Chapter 6 (Tat Tvam Asi)''
/ref> * ''asi'' - are, 'art' In Ch.U.6.8.7 ''tat'' refer to '' Sat'', "the Existent," Existence, Being. ''Sat'', "the Existent," then is the true essence or root or origin of everything that exists, and the essence, ''Atman'', which the individual at the core is.Max Muller
Chandogya Upanishad 6.1-6.16
The Upanishads, Part I, Oxford University Press, pages 92-109 with footnotes
As Shankara states in the ''
Upadesasahasri ''Upadesasahasri'' (''Upadeśasāhasri''), which literally means "a thousand teachings", is an 8th-century CE Sanskrit text of Adi Shankara. Considered a Prakaraṇa grantha, the ''Upadesasahasri'' is considered among Shankara's most important ...
'': While the Vedanta tradition equates ''sat'' ("the Existent") with Brahman, as stated in the Brahma Sutras, the Chandogya Upanishad itself does not refer to Brahman. According to Brereton, followed by
Patrick Olivelle Patrick Olivelle is an Indologist. A philologist and scholar of Sanskrit Literature whose work has focused on asceticism, renunciation and the dharma, Olivelle has been Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Religions in the Department of Asian Studi ...
and Wendy Doniger, the traditional translation as "you are that" is incorrect, and should be translated as "In that way thusare you, Svetaketu." ''That'', then, in ChU.6.8.12 refers to "the very nature of all existence as permeated by
he finest essence He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' i ...
" and which is also the nature of Svetaketu. Lipner expresses reservations on Brereton's interpretation, stating that it is technically plausible, but noting that "Brereton concedes that the philosophical import of the passage may be represented by the translation "That you are," were ''tat'' as "that" would refer to the supreme Being (''sat/satya'')."


Interpretation

Major Vedantic schools offer different interpretations of the phrase: * Advaita - absolute equality of 'tat', the Ultimate Reality, Brahman, and 'tvam', the Self,
Atman Atman or Ātman may refer to: Film * ''Ātman'' (1975 film), a Japanese experimental short film directed by Toshio Matsumoto * ''Atman'' (1997 film), a documentary film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo People * Pavel Atman (born 1987), Russian hand ...
. * Shuddhadvaita - oneness in "essence" between 'tat' and individual self; but 'tat' is the whole and self is a part. * Vishishtadvaita - tvam denotes the Jiva-antaryami Brahman while Tat refers to Jagat-Karana Brahman. * Dvaitadvaita - equal non-difference and difference between the individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat'. *
Dvaita Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST:Tattvavāda), is a sub-school in the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. The term Tattvavada literally means "arguments from a realist viewpoint". The Tattvavada (Dvaita) Vedanta su ...
of Madhvacharya - “Sa atmaa-tat tvam asi” in Sanskrit is actually “Sa atma-atat tvam asi” or “Atma (Self), thou art, thou art not God”. In refutation of Mayavada (Mayavada sata dushani), text 6, 'tat tvam asi" is translated as "you are a servant of the Supreme ( Vishnu)" *
Acintya Bheda Abheda Achintya-Bheda-Abheda (अचिन्त्यभेदाभेद, ' in IAST) is a school of Vedanta representing the philosophy of ''inconceivable one-ness and difference''.pp. 47-52 In Sanskrit ''achintya'' means 'inconceivable', ''bheda' ...
- inconceivable oneness and difference between individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat'.


Aham Brahma Asmi

''Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi'' ( Devanagari: अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि), "I am Brahman" is in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the
Shukla Yajurveda The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
:


Etymology

* ''Aham'' (अहम्) - literally "I" * ''Brahma'' (ब्रह्म) - ever-full or whole (ब्रह्म is the first case ending singular of Brahman) * ''Asmi'' (अस्मि) - "am," the first-person singular present tense of the verb ''as'' (अस्), "to be." ''Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi'' then means "I am the Absolute" or "My identity is cosmic," but can also be translated as "you are part of god just like any other element."


Explanations

In his comment on this passage Sankara explains that here Brahman is not the conditioned Brahman (saguna); that a transitory entity cannot be eternal; that knowledge about Brahman, the infinite all-pervading entity, has been enjoined; that knowledge of non-duality alone dispels ignorance; and that the meditation based on resemblance is only an idea. He also tells us that the expression ''Aham Brahmaasmi'' is the explanation of the mantra He explains that non-duality and plurality are contradictory only when applied to the Self, which is eternal and without parts, but not to the effects, which have parts. The ''aham'' in this memorable expression is not closed in itself as a pure mental abstraction but it is radical openness. Between Brahman and ''aham-brahma'' lies the entire temporal universe experienced by the ignorant as a separate entity (duality). Vidyāranya in his Panchadasi (V.4) explains:


Prajñānam Brahma

''Aitareya Upanishad'' 3.3 of the ''Rigveda'':


Etymology and translation

Several translations, and word-orders of these translations, are possible: Prajñānam: * '' jñāna'' means "understanding", "knowledge", and sometimes "consciousness"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). * ''pra-'' is a
prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the Word stem, stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy'' ...
meaning "forth"; it may refer to a spontaneous type of knowing. '' Prajñāna'' as a whole means: * Adjective: well-known; wise * Noun: knowledge, "consciousness", "intelligence", "wisdom" Brahman: * "The Absolute"; "infinite"; "the highest truth" Meaning: Most interpretations state: "Prajñānam (noun) is Brahman (adjective)". Some translations give a reverse order, stating "Brahman is Prajñānam", specifically "Brahman (noun) is Prajñānam (adjective)": "The Ultimate Reality is wisdom (or consciousness)". Sahu explains: And according to David Loy,


Ayam Ātmā Brahma

Mandukya Upanisha 1-2 of the Atharva Veda: In Sanskrit:


Etymology and translation

* ''sarvam etad'' - everything here, the Whole, all this * ''hi'' - certainly * ''brahma'' - Brahman * ''ayam'' - thisSanskrit Dictionary
''ayam''
/ref> * ''ātmā'' -
Atman Atman or Ātman may refer to: Film * ''Ātman'' (1975 film), a Japanese experimental short film directed by Toshio Matsumoto * ''Atman'' (1997 film), a documentary film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo People * Pavel Atman (born 1987), Russian hand ...
, self * ''brahma'' - Brahman * ''so 'yam ātmā'' - "this very atman" * ''catuṣpāt'' - "has four aspects" While translations tend to separate the sentence in separate parts, Olivelle's translation uses various words in adjunct sets of meaning: * सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्म ''sarvam hyetad brahma'' - "this ''brahman'' is the Whole" * ब्रह्मायमात्मा ''brahma ayam atma'' - "''brahman'' is ''ātman''" * ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा ''brahman sah ayam atman'' - "brahman is this (very) self" The Mandukya Upanishad repeatedly states that ''Om'' is ''ātman'', and also states that '' turiya'' is ''ātman''. The Mandukya Upanishad forms the basis of Gaudapada's Advaita Vedanta, in his
Mandukya Karika Gauḍapāda (Sanskrit: गौडपाद; ), also referred as Gauḍapādācārya ("Gauḍapāda the Teacher"), was an early medieval era Hindu philosopher and scholar of the ''Advaita'' Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. While details o ...
.


See also

* Advaita Vedanta * Jiva * Monism *
Soham (Sanskrit) ''Soham or Sohum'' ( ') is a Hindu mantra, meaning "I am He/She/That" in Sanskrit.Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999), Hindu Spirituality, GB Press, , page 129 In Vedic philosophy it means identifying oneself with the universe or ultimate reality. The ...
*
Vakya Vritti ''Vakya Vritti'' is a Vedantic textbook, a small treatise, that concerns itself with the detailed and elaborate explanation of two Mahāvākyas – aham brahmāsmi and tat tvam asi which great Sruti sentences are intended to give a direct per ...
* Ajativada *
I Am that I Am "I Am that I Am" is a Bible translations into English, common English translation of the Hebrew language, Hebrew phrase (; )– also "I am who (I) am", "I will become what I choose to become", "I am what I am", "I will be what I will be", "I crea ...
* Al-Hallaj


Notes


References


Sources


Printed sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Web-sources


Further reading

*
S. Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (; 5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975), natively Radhakrishnayya, was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He served as the 2nd President of India from 1962 to 1967. He also 1st Vice President of India from 1952 ...
: ''
The Principal Upanishads ''The Principal Upanishads'' is a 1953 book written by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975), then Vice President of India (and later President of India), about the main Upanishads, which carry central teachings of the Vedanta. Originally publis ...
''


External links


Chandogya Upanishad

Chandogya Upanishad
*
Swami Sivananda Sivananda Saraswati (or Swami Sivananda; 8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963) was a yoga guru, a Hindu spiritual teacher, and a proponent of Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He stu ...

''Tat Tvam Asi''''Right Significance of TAT TVAM ASI''
* Ram Chandran


Mahavakyas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahavakyas Hindu philosophical concepts Advaita Vedanta pl:Mantra#Mahawakja