Maha Vakhya
Lesson 17 VEDA MAHA VAKYA CHATUSHTAYAM
Vedas are life force for Bharatiya culture. Veda means to know
derived from the root ‘vith’ Vedas are divided into 4. rigveda -
prayer and mantra, yajurveda - yagnyas and yagas, samavedasong or
pranava, atharvanaveda - yantrika shakti. In reality not only these
4 Vedas there are many more.
Vedas can be summarized into four great phrases.
1. ’Pragnanam Brahma’ from Taittereyopanishat of Rgiveda.
2. ’Aham Brahmasmi’ from Brihadarankopanishat of Yajurveda.
3. ’Tatwamasi’ from Chandogyopanishat of Samaveda.
4. ’Ayamatma Brahama’ from Mandukyopanishat of Atharvanaveda.
1.Pragnanam Brahma: Pragna is knowledge or intelligence. All beings
have pragna. The wise man sees it in all beings. That pragna is
Brahmam. According to Mandukya goudapada karika there is kalpita and
akalpita pragna. When anesthesia is given to a patient we are only
numbing kalpita pragna. If one crosses over jagrit, swapna and
sushupti, in the turia state kalpita pragna is annihilated. So the
seeker with the aid of pranayama takes the jiva to the center of
eyebrows reaching the turiya state. That yogi is the knower of the
meaning of pragnanam brahma.
2. Aham Brahmasmi: Varahopanishat states that mind is the lord of
senses, prana vayu is the lord of mind, laya yoga is the lord of
prana vayu. With the help of laya yoga ie; pranayama the yogi
reaches chidakash in the turiya. He experiences the entire creation
as light only, and he is everything, reaches aham brahmasmi state.
3. Tatwamasi: Tat, iswara + twam, jiva, asi = is. Iswara that is
param jyoti coming downward from the center of eyebrows gathers ego
and attachments becoming jiva. Gradually with the help of yoga he
turns prana upwards and merges it with atma becoming swarupa of
Brahman himself. This cannot be achieved by intellectual discussions
or listening to pravachans only by yoga sadhana.
4. Ayamatma brahma: Ayamthis, atma-jiva or pratyagatma. Atma in one,
but like the moon reflecting in several water pots seen as many
moons. One atma is being seen as many due to the formation of
antahkarana in jivas. To realize there is only one moon, we have to
annihilate the water that reflects the many moons.
Once the seeker with yogic practices brings the prana to chidakasha,
the reflected jiva disappears. Just by reciting these maha vakyas
one cannot become Brahman. Only with yoga sadhana one can attain the
state of Brahman
PDF for printing