Hinduism: Mahavakyas of the RgVeda Flashcards
Meaning of the word Mahavakyas
Maha = great vakyas = utterances
Mahavakyas or the Rigveda or Great Utterances of the Rigveda
The 4 main themes in the Hindu creation myths
There are numerous hindu creation myths, not just a singular story, but amongst them, 4 main themes emerge
Dismemberment theme
Transmutation theme
Incest theme
Heat theme
Monistic worldview
All things are one, and related to one another
Dismemberment theme
God dismembers himself to create the world.
The Parusha Man
extract from the RgVeda 10.90.11-14
“11.When they divided Purusha how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
- The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya , from his feet the Sudra was produced.
- The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth; Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vayu from his breath.”
Here it is important to note that creation only constitutes one fourth of god, and so there is an aspect of god that transcends creation. This view is more in line with Panentheism than Pantheism
Transmutation theme
Prajapati
Creates the heavens and the earth and then Divides himself into two beings, male and female, after which they created the other gods and mortals. Prajapita then creates time, and becomes the embodiment of time itself.
In the rest of the story, prajapati endlessly transforms himself into various animals, insects, and every aspect of creation.
Creation becomes the result of Prajapati’s various transmutation.
Where did the Hindu gods come from, and what are the origins of the Universe
According to the Prajapati creation myth. The gods came AFTER creation, meaning they were a part of creation, and are therefore created beings. The beginning of the Prajapati myth makes it clear that the origin of the universe is unknown and perhaps even unknowable
The 4 Mahavakyas are”
The Mahavakyas are:
prajñānam brahma - “Prajñāna is Brahman”, or “Brahman is Prajñāna” (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda)
ayam ātmā brahma - “This Self (Atman) is Brahman” (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda)
tat tvam asi - “Thou art That” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda)
aham brahmāsmi - “I am Brahman”, or “I am Divine” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Yajur Veda)
Mahavakya 1. प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म | Prajnanam Brahma
Meaning : Consciousness is Brahman
Brahman is that which is Absolute, fills all space, is complete in itself, to which there is no second, and which is continuously present in everything, from the creator down to the lowest of matter. It, being everywhere, is also in each and every individual. This is the meaning of Prajnanam Brahma occurring in the Aitareya Upanishad.
Mahavakya 2. अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म | Ayam Atma Brahma
Meaning : This self is Brahman
This Self is Brahman, which is the substance out of which all things are really made. That which is everywhere, is also within us, and what is within us is everywhere. This is called ‘Brahman’, because it is plenum, fills all space, expands into all existence, and is vast beyond all measure of perception or knowledge. On account of self-luminosity, non-relativity and universality, Atman and Brahman are the same. This identification of the Self with Absolute is not any act of bringing together two differing natures, but is an affirmation that absoluteness or universality includes everything, and there is nothing outside it.
Mahavakya 3. तत् त्वम् असि | Tat Tvam Asi
Meaning : Thou art That , You are the one
The term Tvam stands for that which is in the innermost recesses of the student or the aspirant, but which is transcendent to the intellect, mind, senses, etc., and is the real ‘I’ of the student addressed in the teaching. The union of Tat and Tvam is by the term Asi or are. That Reality is remote is a misconception, which is removed by the instruction that it is within one’s own self. The erroneous notion that the Self is limited is dispelled by the instruction that it is the same as Reality.
Mahavakya 4. अहम् ब्रह्म अस्मि | Aham Brahma Asmi
Meaning : I am Brahman , I am Divine
In the sentence, ‘ Aham Brahmasmi,’ or I am Brahman, the ‘I’ is that which is the One Witnessing consciousness, standing apart form even the intellect, different from the ego-principle, and shining through every act of thinking and feeling. This dictum is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
