Prajnanam Brahma

Prajnanam Brahma (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म, IAST: Prajñānam Brahma), a Mahāvākya, is found in Aitareya Upanishad of the Rigveda.[1][2] The other Mahāvākyas are "Aham Brahman Asmi", "Tat Tvam Asi" and "Ayam Atma Brahma".[3][4][5]

Etymology and meaning

The Sanskrit word Prajna means "Jñāna or Chaitanya (consciousness)", [6][7] and spontaneous concept[8][note 1]. Brahman is the Absolute,[9][Web 4] Consciousness,[9] Infinite[Web 4] and "Supreme Truth".[Web 4] Especially "Brahman is Jñāna"; "The ultimate reality is Prajna".[Web 5] "Prajnanam Brahma" means "Brahma-Chaitanya" or "Brahma-Jñāna".

Source and significance

The Mahāvākya is found in the Aitareya Upanishad of Rigveda.[1][10] It is mentioned in Aitareya Upanishad 3.3,

[1] Who is this self (ātman)? - that is how we venerate. [2] Which of these is the self? Is it that by which one sees? Or hears? Smells [etc...] But these are various designations of cognition. [3] It is brahman; it is Indra; it is all the gods. It is [...] earth, wind, space, the waters, and the lights [...] It is everything that has life [...] Knowledge is the eye of all that, and on knowledge it is founded. Knowledge is the eye of the world, and knowledge, the foundation. Brahman is knowing.

— Aitareya Upanishad, 3.3[11]

The third chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad discusses the nature of the Ātman. It declares that Chaitanya (consciousness) is what defines man, the source of all intellectual and moral theory, of all gods, of all living beings, whatever. The Upanishad then claim that the key to the puzzle of the universe is its own underlying.[12] To know the universe, know yourself. Become immortal as you are, Aitareya Upanishad advises.[12]

According to Sahu,

"Prajnanam iti Brahman" - wisdom is the Self. 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/Existent in the Sat-Chit-Ananda or truth/existent-consciousness-bliss, i.e. the Brahman/Atman/Self/person [...] A truly wise person [...] is known as Prajna - who has attained Brahman hood itself; thus, testifying to the "Vedic" "Maha Vakya" (great saying or words of wisdom): "Prajnanam iti Brahman".[13]

According to David Loy,

The knowledge of Brahman [...] is not intuition of Brahman but itself is Brahman.[14]

Notes
  1. Compare Radhakrishnan's notion of "intuition". See [Web 1][Web 2][Web 3]

References
  1. Sanskrit: ऐतरेयोपनिषद् Wikisource English Translation:Max Muller, Aitareya Upanishad 3.3.7, also known as Aitareya Aranyaka 2.6.1.7 Oxford University Press, page 246
  2. Prajñānam Brahma, Encyclopedia.com
  3. Saraswati 1995, p. 4.
  4. "Meditation on Mahavakyas". www.sivanandaonline.org. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  5. "Mahavakyas: Great Contemplations of Advaita Vedanta". www.swamij.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  6. 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).
  7. 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 Archived 6 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine)
  8. Loy 1997, p. 136.
  9. Grimes 1996, p. 234.
  10. Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म महावाक्य), www.bhaktibharat.com (ইংরেজি ভাষায়)
  11. Olivelle 2008, p. 198-199.
  12. Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1468-4, pages 13–20
  13. Sahu 2004, p. 41.
  14. Loy 1997, p. 62.

Sources

Printed sources
  • Grimes, John A. (1996), A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English, SUNY Press
  • Olivelle, Patrick (2008) [1996], Upanisads. A new translation by Patrick Olivelle, Oxford University 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
  • Loy, David (1997), Nonduality. A Study in Comparative Philosophy, Humanity Books

Web-sources
  1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888—1975)
  2. Ashok Vora, Radhakrishna's notion of intuitive knowledge: a critique
  3. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Intellect and Intuition in Sankara’s Philosophy, Triveni, July-August, 1933
  4. Jiddu Krishnamurti, Saanen 2nd Conversation with Swami Venkatesananda 26th July 1969
  5. Encyclopedy of Hinduism, Mahavakyas
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