Guest guest Posted February 11, 2001 Report Share Posted February 11, 2001 --Dum Durgam Devim Saranam Aham Prapadye-- Dear Friends, Thanks for sending your welcome messages. I pray to Shri Shantidurga to bless you all. This is the first article I wish to publish and it is about the four Mahavakyas or four great declarations. This was created first as a PDF document which was intended to send as an attachment but since the rules of the groups did not allow the attachments, I am sending the text as main document. The translation may have errors and ommissions, which may please be noted and informed to me so that I can be careful about it. The quintensense of the Vedantic philosophy is found in the four great declarations or Mahavakyas of the four vedas. They are ranked in the ascending order in four upanishads belonging to four vedas. 1. PRAGNANAM BRAHMA -- 'Consciousness is brahman' -- This belongs to the Aithareya Upanishad of Rgveda 2. TAT TWAM ASI -- 'That thou art' -- of Chhandogya upanishad of Sama Veda 3. AYAM ATMA BRAHMA -- 'This self is brahman' -- Mandookya Upanishad of Atharva Veda 4. AHAM BRAHMA ASMI -- 'I am Brahman' --Brihadharanyaka Upanishad of Yajurveda The first vakya gives an objective definition of the Eternal Truth, It declares that the Consciousness, the spiritual core which makes one's personality layers, dynamic and active, is the consciousness that pulsates in all beings and pervades everything and everywhere. The second Mahavakya is addressed by a Guru to a disciple, after having defined the consciousness. He declares the greatest truth 'Tat Twam Asi'. Oh! desciple! that brahman which you are seeking is nothing but consciousness, is not yonder in the clouds to be achieved as a posthumous reward, but it is right here and now to be experienced as the Atman within your own real self. After having the definition of Brahman and after having understood from his guru that he is, in essense, nothing other than Brahman, the sishya (desciple or seeker) goes to a quite place; shutting off from wordly matters and cares, to meditate upon the objective truth that 'Self is Brahman' . Ere long he realises that 'This self is brahman' .. Havind decided for himself from his own personal solitary and tranquil meditation that Atman is Brahman; the student comes back to the guru and to the looks of enquiry of Guru, answers with the cheer that beams out of his limpid eyes of peace and serenity, that he had initiately experienced the truth and he is living with the constant awareness of the truth ' I am Brahman' ' Aham Brahmasmi'. Thus the first two mahavakyas we find the definition of truth and relationship between truth and man. The other two gives an assurance that truth is realised not partially but totally. The first two are therefore termed as 'upadesa vakyas' and the last two are 'anubhava vakyas'. Stopping here for further articles, There are a lot of articles has come in connection with the term 'Advaita' . So I suggest you all to deal with the other terms relating to the Sanatana Dharma such as the four pronged caste system (Varnashrama Dharma), etc. Your suggestions and comments are solemnly welcomed. May God Bless you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2001 Report Share Posted February 12, 2001 Dear Sri Shastryji: Harih Om! Please send the PDF file as an attachment to me or any of our moderators. We will store it on our Advaitin list files area. I also extend this invitation to all our list members to send if they have any articles in formatted text (i.e. MS-WORD, PDF etc.) to me. We will store it on the files area. How ever, List moderators will reserve the right to review the article before storing it on the site. Thank you. I remain yours, Madhava > > svshastry [svshastry] > Monday, February 12, 2001 9:05 AM > advaitin > mahavakyas-- > > > --Dum Durgam Devim Saranam Aham Prapadye-- > Dear Friends, > Thanks for sending your welcome messages. I pray to > Shri Shantidurga to bless you all. This is the first article I wish > to publish and it is about the four Mahavakyas or four great > declarations. This was created first as a PDF document which was > intended to send as an attachment but since the rules of the groups > did not allow the attachments, I am sending the text as main > document. The translation may have errors and ommissions, which may > please be noted and informed to me so that I can be careful about > it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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