The ''Mahavakya Upanishad'' (
Sanskrit: महावाक्य उपनिषत्,
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Mahāvākya Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor
Upanishads of
Hinduism.
[Vedic Literature, Volume 1, , Government of Tamil NaMNok jpa , Madras, India, page 497] It is attached to the ''
Atharvaveda
The Atharva Veda (, ' from ' and ''veda'', meaning "knowledge") is the "knowledge storehouse of ''atharvāṇas'', the procedures for everyday life".Laurie Patton (2004), Veda and Upanishad, in ''The Hindu World'' (Editors: Sushil Mittal and G ...
'', and is classified as one of the 20 Yoga Upanishads.
The text describes the nature of
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, soul) and
Brahman (ultimate reality), then asserts that they are identical and liberation is the state of fully understanding this identity.
[
]
History
Gavin Flood dates this text, along with other Yoga Upanishads, to be probably from the 100 BCE to 300 CE period. In the Telugu language anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
of 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon, narrated by Rama to Hanuman, it is listed by Paul Deussen
Paul Jakob Deussen (; 7 January 1845 – 6 July 1919) was a German Indologist and professor of philosophy at University of Kiel. Strongly influenced by Arthur Schopenhauer, Deussen was a friend of Friedrich Nietzsche and Swami Vivekananda. In 1 ...
– a German Indologist and professor of philosophy, at number 92.
The title of the text refers to Mahavakya, which refers to great summary sentence or sacred utterances found in the Upanishads.[
]
Contents
The ''Mahavakya Upanishad'' is a short text that discusses nature of Atman (self, soul) and Brahman (metaphysical reality), their oneness, and the nature of knowledge and ignorance.[ The text asserts that Yoga and introspection is the way to spiritual knowledge, with the help of a guru. The Upanishad is notable for characterizing Vedic rituals and chasing sensual pleasures as a mark of darkness within, that this darkness can be shed with the radiance of knowledge, the discovery of self as light. This, states the text, is why yoga is started with Gayatri mantra and yogins assert " hamsa-so'ham" (I am he, he is I). Supreme self is satcitananda, or "truth-consciousness-bliss", states the Upanishad. There is no other means to liberation other than realizing the identity of Atman and Brahman, asserts the text.
The Upanishad asserts that Samadhi while being a yogic accomplishment is not Self-knowledge and moksha, nor is it the dissolution of mind to external objects. The highest state is, translates Ayyangar, oneness with the inmost Brahman. This is when, asserts the text, the yogin fully feels and understands "the radiant knowledge of sun is in me, Shiva is within me, this transcendent radiance in the universe is in me", and such is the conviction with which he attains the union with Mahavishnu within. This is liberation, nothing less, states the ''Mahavakya Upanishad''.
The state of singular self-awareness and consciousness described in ''Mahavakya Upanishad'', states Laurence Rosan, is similar to those found in '']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 ...
'', ''Atmabodha Upanishad
Atmabodha Upanishad ( sa, आत्मबोध उपनिषत्) () or Atmabodhopanishad ( sa, आत्मबिधोपनिषत्) is one of the 108 Upanishadic Hindu scriptures, written in Sanskrit. It is one of the 10 Upanishads a ...
'', ''Maitreya Upanishad
The Maitreya Upanishad (Sanskrit: मैत्रेय उपनिषत्, IAST: Maitreya Upaniṣad) is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. Composed in Sanskrit, it is one of the 16 Upanishads that belongs to the Samaveda, is classified ...
'', ''Maha Upanishad
The ''Maha Upanishad'' ( sa, महा उपनिषद्, IAST: Mahā Upaniṣad) is a Sanskrit text and is one of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. The text is classified as a Samanya Upanishad.
The text exists in two versions, one attach ...
'', ''Subala Upanishad
The ''Subala Upanishad'' (सुबाल उपनिषत्, IAST: Subāla Upaniṣad), also called ''Subalopanishad'' (सुबालोपनिषत्), is an Upanishad written in Sanskrit. It is attached to the ''Shukla Yajurveda'', an ...
'', ''Adhyatma Upanishad
Adhyatma Upanishad () or Adhyatmopanishad is one of the 108 Upanishadic Hindu scriptures, written in Sanskrit. It is one of the 19 Upanishads under the Shukla Yajurveda or White Yajurveda. It is classified as a '' Samanya'' (non-sectarian) Upanis ...
'', '' Brahmavidya Upanishad'' and '' Tejobindu Upanishad''. These ideas are also found in Greek Neoplatonic philosophy, states Rosan, particularly the works of 5th-century Proclus
Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor ( grc-gre, Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers ...
.
See also
*'' Nirvana Upanishad''
* Yoga (philosophy)
*'' Yoga Vasistha''
*'' Yoga Yajnavalkya''
References
Bibliography
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{{Mukhya Upanishads
Upanishads