Prajnanam Brahma
Prajñānaṃ Brahma (IAST)Translation: "Consciousness is The Absolute"
From Aitareya Upaniṣad, Part 3, Chapter 1, Verse 3
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म
Transliteration: Prajñānaṃ Brahma
Translation: "Consciousness is The Absolute"
Definition: "A Great Saying (Mahāvākya) which occurs in the Aitareya Upaniṣad of the Ṛg Veda.
Aitareya Upaniṣad
Part Three
Chapter I — Concerning the Self
- Who is He whom we worship, thinking: "This is the Self"? Which one is the Self? Is it He by whom one sees form, by whom one hears sound, and by whom one tastes the sweet and the unsweet?
- Is it the heart and the mind. It is consciousness, lordship, knowledge, wisdom, retentive power of mind, sense knowledge, steadfastness, thought, thoughtfulness, sorrow, memory, concepts, purpose, life, desire, longing: all these are but various names of Consciousness (Prajñānam).
- He is Brahman, He is Indra, He is Prajapati; He is all these gods; He is the five great elements — Earth, Air, Ākāśa, Water, Light; He is all these small creatures and the others which are mixed; He is the origin—those born of an egg, of a womb, of sweat and of a sprout; He is horses, cows, human beings, elephants—whatever breathes here, whether moving on legs or flying in the air or unmoving. All this is guided by Consciousness, is supported by Consciousness. The basis is Consciousness. Consciousness is The Absolute (Brahman).
- He, having realized oneness with Pure Consciousness, soared from this world and having obtained all desires in yonder heavenly world, became immortal—yea, became immortal.
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
