Aham Brahmasmi

[Guest guest]

Dear All

 

What is Aham Brahmasmi?

 

Thanks

Sangeetha

[Guest guest]

Dear Srimathi Sangeetha :

 

You have asked the question:

What is " aham BrahmAsmi " ?

 

It is one of the four MahA Vaakyams from

BruhadhAraNyaka Upanishad belonging

to Yajur Vedam .

 

The other three are : " Tath Tvamasi "

from ChaandhOgya Upanishad , Prj~nAnam Brahma from

ItrEya Upanishad belonging to RG Vedam and

"AyamAthmaa BrahmA " from Atarva Vedam .

 

Each one of them have been intrepreted differently

by Adhi Sankara ( Adhvaitha Darsana SthApakar ) ,

AchArya RaamAnuja ( VisistAdhvaitha Darsana

SthApakar ) and MaadhvAchArya ( Dhvaitha Darsana

SthApakar ).

 

Based on their views on the nature of Brahman and

its relationship to Jeevan derived from the intrepretation

of the meanings of these MahA Vaakyams , they established

great VedAnthic fortresses.

 

Adhi Sankara bases his Adhvaitham doctrines on

the strength of his views that Brahman is

identical(abEdha ) with Jeevan .That position

is valid only on the basis of the soundness of

the doctrine of MaayA or avidhyA developed by

Adhi Sankara . VisishtAdhvaitha and Dhvaitha

AchAryAs have soundly established with the power

and support of Brahma SoothrAs that Brahman

( Iswaran) and Jeevan are distinct and different .

 

You can get a flavor of these discussions

in Saranagathy Journal Volume 3.04 , where

Sriman M.S.Hari discusses the remifications

of the meanings of "Tatthvamasi " , one of

the MahA Vaakyams from the position of

AchArya RaamAnuja .

 

These central issues of vedantha VichAram

have to be learnt at the sacred feet of

AchAryAs . The monographs of Dr.SMS CHari

( The Philosophy Of the Upanishads and

the easy to read monograph on Vaishnavism)

are very valuable to get an idea of the differences

between the different VedAnthic Schools .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

It will be difficult to compress the many

interpretations given to it by different

darsana sthApakAls like AchArya RaamAnuja ,

Adhi Sankara , MadhvAchArya and others .

 

The subject matter is Brahman , the ultimate reality ,

its true nature and Brahman's relationship to Jeevan .

 

-

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<Oppiliappan>

Friday, October 08, 2004 8:22 AM

Aham Brahmasmi

 

 

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> Dear All

>

> What is Aham Brahmasmi?

>

> Thanks

> Sangeetha

>

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