Saccidananda
Saccidānanda (IAST)Translation: "existence-consciousness-bliss"
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: सच्चिदानन्द
Transliteration: Saccidānanda
Translation: "existence / knowledge / bliss; Existence Absolute, Consciousness Absolute, Bliss Absolute"
Definition:
- According to theistic Vedānta schools and Śaivite schools, they are the attributes of God (Brahman).
- According to Advaita Vedānta, it is the very essence of the Absolute (Brahman).
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
sat/chit/ananda, also Saccidānanda, three Sanskrit terms combined to refer to the Highest Reality as ‘existence, intelligence, bliss’. The later thinkers of Advaita Vedānta, such as Shankara, used the term to denote the Absolute, Brahman, a state of oneness of being, of pure consciousness and of absolute value or freedom. These are not to be taken as attributes or accidents that qualify Brahman but terms that express its essential nature as experienced by human beings. Sat (being, existence) is also Satyam (truth), affirming that Brahman is experienced as being itself, not a being over against another. Cit is pure consciousness, consciousness without object, and Ānanda is the experience of unlimited freedom and universal potentiality as well as satisfaction and the bliss that transcends both all that is pleasurable in the world and release from the bondage of Saṃsāra. Hindu theists understand sat/chit/ananda as the qualities of the supreme god.
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Audi, Robert (1999). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Second Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press
