Aham Brahmasmi
Aham Brahmāsmi (IAST)Translation: "I Am Brahman / I Am Divine"
From Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Part 1, Chapter 4, Verse 10
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि
Transliteration: Aham Brahmāsmi
Translation: "I Am The Absolute"
Definition: "A Great Saying (Mahāvākya) which occurs in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad of the Yajur Veda.
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad
Part 1, Chapter IV — The Creation and Its Cause
1. In the beginning, this universe was the self (Viraj) alone, in the shape of a person. He reflected and saw nothing else but His self. He first said: "I am He." Therefore, He came to be known by the name I (Aham). Hence, even now, when a person is addressed, he first says: "It is I," and then says whatever other name he may have. And because He, before (purva) the whole group of aspirants, burnt (aushat) all evils, therefore, He is called Purusha. He who knows this verily burns up him who wishes to be Viraj in advance of him.
2. He was afraid. Therefore, people still are afraid when alone. He thought: "Since there is nothing else but Myself, what am I afraid of?" Thereupon His fears were gone; for what was there to fear? Assuredly, it is from a second entity that fear arises.
3. He was not at all happy. Therefore, a person even today is not happy when alone. He desired a mate. He became the size of a man and wife in close embrace. He divided this body into two. From that division arose husband (pati) and wife (patni).
Therefore, as Yajnavalkya said, the body before one accepts a wife is one half of oneself, like the half of a split pea. Therefore, this space is indeed filled by the wife. He was united with her. From that union human beings were born.
4. She reflected: "How can he unite with me after having produced me from himself? Well, let me hide myself." She became a cow, the other (Manu) became a bull and was united with her; from that union cows were born. The one became a mare, the other became a stallion; the one became a she-ass, the other became a he-ass and was united with her; from that union one-hoofed animals were born. The one became a she-goat, the other became a he-goat; the one became a hew, the other became a ram and was united with her; from that union goats and sheep were born. Thus, indeed, he produced everything that exists in pairs, down to the ants.
5. He (Viraj) realized: "Indeed, I am the creation, for I produced all this." Therefore, He became the creation. He who knows this becomes a creator in this creation of Viraj.
6. Then He (Viraj) rubbed back and forth thus and produced fire from its source: the mouth and the hands. Therefore, both the hands and mouth are hairless inside. When they (the priests) speak of particular gods, saying:
"Sacrifice to him," "Sacrifice to that one," they are mistaken; for these are all His manifestations: He Himself is all the gods.
Now, whatever is liquid, He produced from semen; and that is Soma. This universe is indeed this much: food and the eater of food. Soma is food; and fire, the eater of food. This is the highest creation of Viraj, that He projected the gods, who are even superior to Him. This is the highest creation because He, although mortal Himself, manifested the immortal. And he who knows this verily becomes a creator in this highest creation of Viraj.
7. Now, all this universe was then undifferentiated. It became differentiated by name and form: it was known by such and such a name and such and such a form. Thus, to this day this universe is differentiated by name and form; so it is said. "He has such a name and such a form."
This Self has entered into these bodies up to the very tips of the nails, as a razor lies hidden in its case, or as fire, which sustains the world, lies hidden in its source. People do not see the Self, for when viewed in parts It is incomplete: when breathing, It is called the vital breath (Prana); when speaking, the organ of speech; when seeing, the eye; when hearing, the ear; when thinking, the mind. These are merely Its names according to Its functions. He who meditates on one or another of Its aspects does not know, for It is then incomplete: the Self is separated from Its totality by being associated with a single characteristic.
The Self alone is to be meditated upon, for in It all these become unified. Of all these, this Self alone should be known, for one knows all these through It, just as one may find an animal which is lost through its footprints. He who thus knows the Self obtains fame and association with dear ones.
8. This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, because It is innermost. If one holding the Self dear were to say to a person who speaks of anything other than the Self as dear, that he, the latter, will lose what he holds dear—and the former is certainly competent to do so—it will indeed come true.
One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear. He who meditates upon the Self alone as dear—what he holds dear will not perish.
9. They say: "Since men think that by the Knowledge of Brahman they become all, what, pray, was it that Brahman knew by which It became all?"
10. This self was indeed Brahman in the beginning. It knew itself only as "I am Brahman." Therefore, it became all. And whoever among the gods had this enlightenment, also became That Brahman. It is the same with the seers (rishis), the same with men. The seer Vamadeva, having realized this self as That, came to know: "I was Manu and the sun." And to this day, whoever in a like manner knows the self as "I am Brahman," becomes all this universe. Even the gods cannot prevent his becoming this, for he has become their Self.
Now, if a man worships another deity, thinking: "He is one and I am another," he does not know. He is like an animal to the gods. As many animals serve a man, so does each man serve the gods. Even if one animal is taken away, it causes anguish to the owner; how much more so when many are taken away! Therefore, it is not pleasing to the gods that men should know this.
11. In the beginning, this (the kshatriya and other castes) was indeed Brahman, one only without a second. He, being one, did not flourish. He projected, further, an excellent form, kshatriyahood—those kshatriyas (rulers) among the gods: Indra, Varuna, Soma (Moon), Rudra, Parjanya, Yama, Mrityu (Death) and Isana. Therefore, there is none higher than the kshatriyas. Thus, at the Rajasuya sacrifice, the brahmin sits below and worships the kshatriya. He confers that glory on kshatriyahood alone. But brahminhood is nevertheless the source of kshatriyahood. Therefore, even though the king is exalted in the sacrifice, at the end of it, he resorts to brahminhood as his source. He who slights a brahmin strikes at his own source. He becomes more evil, as one who slights his superior.
12. Yet He (Viraj) did not flourish. He projected the Vaisya caste—those classes of gods who are designated in groups: the Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Visve-devas and Maruts.
13. Still, He did not flourish. He projected the sudra caste—Pushan. This earth is Verily Pushan (the nourisher); for it nourishes all that exists.
14. Yet, He did not flourish. He projected, further, that excellent form, justice (dharrna). This justice is the controller of the kshatriya. Therefore, there is nothing higher than justice. So, even a weak man hopes to defeat a stronger man through justice, as one does with the help of a king. Verily, that which is justice is truth. Therefore, if a man speaks the truth, they say he speaks what is just and if he speaks what is just, they say he speaks the truth; for justice alone is both these.
15. So these four castes were projected: the brahmin: the kshatriya, the vaisya, and the sudra. Among the gods, Prajapati became a brahmin as fire, and among men He became the brahmin. He became a kshatriya among men through the divine kshatriyas, a vaisya through the divine vaisyas, and a sudra through the divine sudras. Therefore, people desire to attain the results of their rites among the gods through fire and among men as a brahmin. For Prajapati directly projected Himself as these two forms.
Now, if a man departs from this world without realizing his own World (the Self), It, being unknown, does not protect him—as the Vedas, unrecited, or as a deed unaccomplished, do not protect him. Nay, even if one who does not know It (the Self) should perform here on earth a great many meritorious acts, those acts will in the end surely perish for him. One should meditate only upon the World called the Self. He who meditates upon the World called the Self—his work does not perish; for from this very Self he projects whatever he desires.
16. Now, this self (the ignorant person) is an object of enjoyment (lokah) to all beings. In so far as he offers oblations in the fire and performs sacrifices, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the gods. In so far as he studies the Vedas, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the rishis. In so far as he makes offerings to the Manes and desires children, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the Manes. In so far as he gives shelter and food to men, he becomes an object of enjoyment to men. In so far as he gives fodder and water to the animals, he becomes an object of enjoyment to the animals. In so far as beasts and birds and even ants find a living in his home, he becomes an object of enjoyment to these. Just as one wishes no injury to one's body, so do all beings wish no injury to him who has this knowledge. All this, indeed, has been known and well investigated.
17. In the beginning, this aggregate of desirable objects was but the self, one only. He cherished the desire: "Let me have a wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites." This much, indeed, is the range of desire; even if one wishes, one cannot get more than this. Therefore, to this day, a man who is single desires: "Let me have a wife, so that I may be born as the child; and let me have wealth, so that I may perform rites." So long as he does not obtain each one of these, he thinks he is incomplete.
Now, his completeness can also come in this way: The mind is his self, speech his wife, the vital breath his child, the eye his human wealth, for he finds it with the eye; the ear his divine wealth, for he hears it with the ear; the body his instrument of rites, for he performs rites through the body. So this sacrifice has five factors—the animals have five factors, men have five factors and all this that exists has five factors. He who knows this obtains all this.
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Nikhilananda, Swami (1956). The Upanishads: Volume III - Aitareya and Brihadāranyaka. New York, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
