NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS AS EXPLAINED IN MAHAVAKYAS

 

 NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS AS EXPLAINED IN MAHAVAKYAS

 Dr. Ch. Durga prasada rao

dr.cdprao@gmail.com

 

 The contribution of the Upanishads in revealing the nature of Consciousness is remarkable. The doctrine of Vedanta is a four-pillared edifice of which the four Mahavakyas of the Upanishads constitute the pillars. They explain the quintessence of vedanta by establishing the identity between individual self and Universal self and hence called Mahavakyas.  

 The first sentence, ‘Prajnanam Brahma' (3/1/3), means, ‘Consciousness is Brahman' ,  is from the Aitarey Upanishad of the Rigveda.  It defines Brahman, the ultimate reality as Pure Conscious ness. It further explains that consciousness is one without a second and there is nothing like It and other than it and   there is no any division within. By this it is evident that consciousness is one, undivided and all pervading.

 The second sentence “ Ayamatma Brahma “(2/5/19) which means, ' This individual self is Brahman’ is from The Mundaka Upanishad of Atharvaveda.  It establishes identity between Universal Consciousness (Brahman) and Inner self (Atman).

  The third sentence ' Tattvamasi ' (6/8/7) which means ‘Thou art That ' is from the Chandogyopanishad of Samaveda. It establishes one ness between Individual self with that of Universal self.

 The fourth 'Aham Brahmasmi ( 1/4/10) means, that ' I am Brahman ',  is an experience one attains on the realization of one's own nature i.e., Universal consciousness.

 Consciousness is a quality of something different from residing in the body. Since we experience our body, we, who recognize it must be different from our body; and this thing which cognizes this body of ours is self and consciousness is a quality of this self, rather it's nature.

 Generally, the life of every person reveals three states of consciousness. They are Waking, Dreaming and Deep sleep.  This is like a circle, and we are all wheeled from one state of Consciousness to another state of consciousness in a continuous series.  These three states are obvious and mundane. Behind these three states or rather above all these three states, is the real consciousness, the Turiya, the fourth of our nature. It is Truth, Reality and Bliss ( Sat, chit and Ananda).  Unlike the other three. it is supra - normal, beyond empirical determination, beyond the grasp of mind, unthinkable, indescribable and in essence it is the state of pure consciousness, and it can be realized   through the help of a Tattvadarshi Guru who makes us realize our nature by instructing the third sentence ‘Thou art That '. Then on contemplating the words of guru, one realizes his true nature and experiences the Bliss of It. The experience on the dawn of knowledge of supreme self is also described by the Upanishads. When one realizes that he is the supreme reality the fetters of the heart are broken, all doubts are solved (Mundaka Upanishad, II.2-8).

       In this paper the role played by the four Mahavakyas in the realization of higher consciousness is vividly sketched.