[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Yet another Mahavakya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

[Vinodh]

Namaskaram,

Thank you for sharing this "mahavakya".

This brings up the following question in my mind: what makes a vakya a
"mahavakya"?

For example, the Taittiriya Upanishad contains something very similar to
what is described in the vakya mentioned above in two different places:

In Sikshavalli, 6th Anuvaka:
sa ya eṣo'ntarhṛdaya ākāśaḥ | tasminnayaṃ puruṣo manomayaḥ | amṛto
hiraṇmayaḥ || 1 ||
स य एषोऽन्तर्हृदय आकाशः । तस्मिन्नयं पुरुषो मनोमयः । अमृतो हिरण्मयः ॥ १ ॥
1. Here, in this bright space within the heart, is He, that Soul who is
formed of thought, undying, full of light.

In Brahmanandavalli, 1st Anuvaka:
तदेषाऽभ्युक्ता । सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म ॥ २ ॥
tadeṣā'bhyuktā | satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ brahma || 2 ||
2. On that, this has been chanted: “Real, Consciousness, Infinite is
Brahman;....”

“ .... यो वेद निहितं गुहायां परमे व्योमन् । सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान् सह ।
ब्रह्मणा विपश्चिता ॥” इति ॥ २ ॥
“ .... yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ parame vyoman | so'śnute sarvān kāmān saha |
brahmaṇā vipaścitā ||” iti || 2 ||
2. “....Whoso knoweth the one hid in the cave in the highest heaven attains
all desires together, as Brahman, as the Wise.”

Similar to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mantra 4.4.22, the above two also
describe the Purusha hidden inside the space (cave) of the heart
(hrdaya-akasha). Likewise, one of them (from Sikshavalli) describes this
Purusha as being manomaya and the other (from Brahmanandavalli) says jnanam
is a defining characteristic of Brahman, and these two descriptions appear
to be equivalent to the part about the Jiva being vijnanamaya in the quote
from Br. Up because they talk about the this Purusha or Brahman having the
fundamental characteristic of consciousness (because of which it is
manomaya or vijnanamaya and can cognize things (jnanam)). Therefore, both
the above vaakyas from the Taittiriya Upanishad are also essentially
pointing to the conscious entity that is in the hrdaya-akasha.


On Fri, Oct 22, 2021 at 3:37 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> In the Brahmasutra Bhashya 4.3.43 there is a discussion about the status
> of the entity that experiences sleep/transmigrates (exits the body upon
> death). As part of this discussion, Shankara cites the following passage
> Br.Up.4.4.22/
>
>
> Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mantra 4.4.22:
>
> स वा एष महानज आत्मा योऽयं विज्ञानमयः प्राणेषु य एषोऽन्तर्हृदय
> आकाशस्तस्मिञ्छेते सर्वस्य वशी सर्वस्येशानः सर्वस्याधिपतिः स न साधुना कर्मणा
> भूयान्नो एवासाधुना कनीयानेष सर्वेश्वर एष भूताधिपतिरेष भूतपाल एष (only a
> part of this very lengthy mantra is cited here.  One could read the entire
> mantra, translation, the bhashya translation (by Swami Madhavananda,
> Advaita Ashrama.)
>
> 22. That great, birthless Self which is identified  with the intellect and
> is in the midst of the organs, lies in the ether that is within the heart.
>
> Bhashya of the above passage: स इति उक्तपरामर्शार्थः ; कोऽसौ उक्तः
> परामृश्यते ? तं प्रतिनिर्दिशति — य एष विज्ञानमय इति —
> अतीतानन्तरवाक्योक्तसंप्रत्ययो मा भूदिति, यः एषः ; कतमः एषः इत्युच्यते —
> विज्ञानमयः प्राणेष्विति ; उक्तवाक्योल्लिङ्गनं संशयनिवृत्त्यर्थम् ; उक्तं हि
> पूर्वं जनकप्रश्नारम्भे ‘कतम आत्मेति योऽयं विज्ञानमयः प्राणेषु’ (बृ. उ.
> ४ । ३ । ७)
> <https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V07&hl=%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%81> इत्यादि ।
> एतदुक्तं भवति — योऽयम् ‘विज्ञानमयः प्राणेषु’ इत्यादिना वाक्येन प्रतिपादितः
> स्वयं ज्योतिरात्मा, *स एषः कामकर्माविद्यानामनात्मधर्मत्वप्रतिपादनद्वारेण
> मोक्षितः परमात्मभावमापादितः — पर एवायं नान्य इति ; एष सः साक्षान्महानज
> आत्मेत्युक्तः ।* योऽयं विज्ञानमयः प्राणेष्विति यथाव्याख्यातार्थ एव । य
> एषः अन्तर्हृदये हृदयपुण्डरीकमध्ये य एष आकाशो बुद्धिविज्ञानसंश्रयः,
> तस्मिन्नाकाशे बुद्धिविज्ञानसहिते शेते तिष्ठति ; अथवा सम्प्रसादकाले
> अन्तर्हृदये य एष आकाशः पर एव आत्मा निरुपाधिकः विज्ञानमयस्य स्वस्वभावः,
> तस्मिन् स्वस्वभावे परमात्मनि आकाशाख्ये शेते ;
>
> Hence the words, 'That great,' etc., recapitulating what has been stated.
> That refers to something already mentioned.What is it? It is pointed out by
> the words, 'Which is identified with the intellect,' etc., which are
> intended to preclude any reference to the Self just mentioned
> (verse 20). Which one is meant then? The answer is: Which is identified
> with the intellect and is in the midst of the organs. The passage is quoted
> for settling the doubt, for at the beginning of Janaka's questions it has
> been stated, 'Which is the self?-This (infinite
> entity) that is identified with the intellect and is in the midst of the
> organs,' etc. (IV. iii. 7). The idea is this: *By the demonstration of
> desire, work and ignorance as attributes of the, non-Self, the
> self-effulgent Atman that has been set forth in the passage in question is
> here freed from them and transformed into the Supreme Self, and it is
> emphatically stated, 'It is the Supreme Self, and nothing else'; it is
> directly spoken*
> *·Of as the great, birthless Self. The words, 'Which is identified with
> the intellect and is in the midst of the ·organs,' have been already
> explained and have the same meaning here.* Lies in the ether that is
> within the lotus of the heart, the ether (Akasa) that is the seat
> of the intellect. The Atman lives i.n that ether conltaining the
> intellect. Or the meaning may be that theBy the demonstration of desire,
> work and ignorance...as attributes of the, non-Self, the self-effulgent
> Atman that has been set forth in the passage in question is here freed from
> them and transformed into the Supreme Self, and it is emphatically stated,
> 'It is the Supreme Self, and nothing else'; it is directly spoken
> ·Of as the great, birthless Self. The words, 'Which is identified with the
> intellect and is in the midst of the ·organs,' have been already explained
> and have the same meaning here.
>
> To put the Mahavakya in a crisp manner: योऽयं विज्ञानमयः प्राणेषु ...स वा
> एष महानज आत्मा [That consciousness, jiva, that is situated amidst the
> organs...he alone is the Great unborn Self.]
>
> Sri Mani Dravid Sastrigal said that this mantra Br.Up.4.4.22 is a
> mahavakya while explaining the Brahma Sutra Bhashya.
>
> From the mantra too we can appreciate that it is with a view to realize
> this self that one renounces all. The Neti Neti is also part of this
> mantra.
>
> Thus, we have an unambiguous mahavakya here. 'Aham Brahmasmi' of 1.4.10 of
> this very Upanishad is quite a popular one indeed.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
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