Mahāvākyas

The Mahāvākyas (''sing.:'' , ; ''plural:'' , ) are "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads, with mahā meaning great and vākya, a sentence. The ''Mahāvākyas'' are traditionally considered to be four in number, though actually five are prominent in the post-Vedic literature:The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
Mahāvākya
Oxford University Press
# () – literally translated as "That Thou Art" ("That is you" or "You are that"), appears in Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda, with '' tat'' in Ch.U. 6.8.7 referring to *''sat'', "the Existent," and contextually understood as "That's how husyou are," with ''tat'' in Ch.U. 6.12.3 referring to "the very nature of all existence as permeated by he finest essence"
# () - "I am Brahman", or "I am absolute" (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)''
# () - "Prajñāna is Brahman", or "Brahman is Prajñāna"Encyclopedy of Hinduism, ''Mahavakyas''
/ref> ( Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda)
# () - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda)
# - "All this indeed is Brahman"

Mahāvākyas are instrumental in Advaita Vedanta, as they are regarded as valid scriptural statements that reveal the self (), which appears as a separate individual existence (), is, in essence, non-different (not two-ness) from Brahman, which, according to Advaita, is nirguna. In contrast, these statements are less prominent in most other Hindu traditions, which emphasize a qualified or dualistic relationship between the self and Brahman, whom they regard as saguna, often identified with Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, etc.

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)
* ''sarvam khalv idam 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"; although 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". From ''tat'' an absolutive derivation can be formed with the suffix ''-tva'': ''tattva'', 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'; compare ''tathātā'', "suchness", a similar absolutive derivation from ''tathā'' - 'thus', 'so', 'such', only with the suffix ''-tā'', not ''-tva''.
* ''tvam'' - you, thouShankara
''Chandogya Upanishad Bhasya - Chapter 6 (Tat Tvam Asi)''
/ref>
* ''asi'' - are, 'art'

In Ch.U.6.8.7 ''tat'' refers 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'':

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 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, 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', where ''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.
* 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 of Madhvacharya - ''tat tvam asi'' is read as ''atat tvam asi'', meaning "that (parama) Aatma is the essence of all, you are not Him," or "''Atma'' (Self), thou art, thou art not God."
* Acintya Bheda Abheda - inconceivable oneness and difference between individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat'.

Aham Brahma Asmi

''Aham Brahmāsmi'' (Devanagari: अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि), "I am Brahman" is in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Shukla Yajurveda:
Aham Brahmasmi is the core philosophy in advaita vedanta, indicating absolute oneness of atman with brahman.

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'', translation Olivelle:

Etymology and translation

Several translations, and word-orders of these translations, are possible:

Prajñānam:
* ''jñāna'' means "understanding", "knowledge", and sometimes "consciousness"
* '' Pra'' is a prefix which could be translated as "higher", "greater", "supreme" or "premium", or "being born or springing up", referring to a spontaneous type of knowing.

''Prajñānam'' as a whole means:
* प्रज्ञान, "prajñāna",Sanskrit Dictionary, ''prajnanam''
/ref>
** Adjective: prudent, easily known, wise
** Noun: discrimination, knowledge, wisdom, intelligence. Also: distinctive mark, monument, token of recognition, any mark or sign or characteristic, memorial
* "Consciousness"
* "Intelligence"
* "Wisdom"

Related terms are ''jñāna'', ''prajñā'' and ''prajñam'', "pure consciousness". Although the common translation of ''jñānam'' is "consciousness", the term has a broader meaning of "knowing"; "becoming acquainted with",Sanskrit Dictionary, ''jnanam''
/ref> "knowledge about anything", "awareness", "higher knowledge".

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

Ayam Atma Brahma () is a Mahāvākya which is found in the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharvaveda.Robert Hume
Mandukya Upanishad
Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford University Press, page 370-371Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 2
Mandukya Upanishad
Oxford University Press, page 34-35 According to the Guru Gita, "Ayam Atma Brahma" is a statement of practice.MAHAVAKYAS, Ayam Atma Brahma: Self is Absolute Entity
www.classicyoga.co.in (ইংরেজি ভাষায়)

Etymology and meaning

The Sanskrit word ayam means 'it'. Ātman means ‘Atma’ or 'self'. Brahman is the highest being. So "Ayam Atma Brahma" means 'Atma is Brahman'.

Source and Significance

The Mahavakya is found in the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharva Veda. It is mentioned in the Mundaka Upanishad 1-2,

In Sanskrit:

The Mundaka Upanishad, in the first section of the second Mundaka, defines and explains the Atma-Brahma doctrine.

It claims that just as a burning fire produces thousands of sparks and leaps and bounds in its own form, so the living beings originate from Brahman in its own form. Brahman is immortal, except the body, it is both external and internal, ever generated, except the mind, except the breath, yet from it emerges the inner soul of all things.

From Brahman breath, mind, senses, space, air, light, water, earth, everything is born. The section expands on this concept as follows,

The Mundaka Upanishad verse 2.2.2 claims that Atman-Brahman is real. Verse 2.2.3 offers help in the process of meditation, such as Om. Verse 2.2.8 claims that the one who possesses self-knowledge and has become one with Brahman is free, not affected by Karma, free from sorrow and Atma-doubt, he who is happy.Eduard Roer
Mundaka Upanishad
Bibliotheca Indica, Vol. XV, No. 41 and 50, Asiatic Society of Bengal, pages 142-164Mundaka Upanishad
in Upanishads and Sri Sankara's commentary - Volume 1: The Isa Kena and Mundaka, SS Sastri (Translator), University of Toronto Archives, pages 138-152 The section expands on this concept as follows,

Etymology and translation

* ''sarvam etad'' - everything here, the Whole, all this
* ''hi'' - certainly
* ''brahma'' - Brahman
* ''ayam'' - thisSanskrit Dictionary
''ayam''
/ref>
* ''ātmā'' - Atman, self, essence
* ''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.

- "All this indeed is Brahman"

See also

* Advaita Vedanta
* Jiva
* Monism
* Soham (Sanskrit)
* Vakya Vritti
* Ajativada
* I Am that I Am
* Al-Hallaj

Notes

References

Sources

Printed sources

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Web-sources

Further reading

* S. Radhakrishnan: '' The Principal Upanishads''

External links

Chandogya Upanishad

Chandogya Upanishad
* Swami Sivananda
''Tat Tvam Asi''''Right Significance of TAT TVAM ASI''
* Ram Chandran


Mahavakyas


Mandukhya Upanishad – Sanskrit Text, sanskritdocuments.org, Encoded by M. Giridhar giridhar at chemeng.Isc.ernet.in Proofread by John Manetta

Lecture on Atman by Swami Sarvapriyananda
(Video)

Mandukhya Upanishad with Gaudapada Karika and Sankara Bhashya-Swami Nikhilananda

Tattva Bodha-Swami Gurubhaktananda

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Hindu philosophical concepts
Advaita Vedanta

pl:Mantra#Mahawakja