[Advaita-l] Prajnaghana brahma

[Venkatraghavan S]

Namaste,
In the definition of turIya in the fourth mantra, Brahman is said to be not
prajnAnaghanam -

नान्तःप्रज्ञं नबहिःप्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं *नप्रज्ञानघनं* नप्रज्ञं
नाप्रज्ञम् ।
अदृश्यमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं
प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः ॥ ७ ॥

In that context, prajnAnaghana means the consciousness associated with deep
sleep in which the waking and dream worlds resolve into an undifferentiated
mass. Thus Brahman with the potential for the world in an undifferentiated
form (causal seed form) is prajnAnaghana. That is mithyA too and hence the
definition of turIya denies that also.


In 4.5.13 of the brihadAraNyaka, Brahman is equated with prajnAnaghana
*स* यथा सैन्धवघनोऽनन्तरोऽबाह्यः कृत्स्नो रसघन एवैवं वा
अरेऽयमात्मानन्तरोऽबाह्यः कृत्स्नः *प्रज्ञानघन एव* एतेभ्यो भूतेभ्यः समुत्थाय
तान्येवानुविनश्यति न प्रेत्य संज्ञास्तीत्यरे ब्रवीमीति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः ॥
१३ ॥
In this context, Brahman is compared to a lump of salt and said to be
homogenous, without an interior or exterior, devoid of particularisation -
it is of the nature of pure intelligence.  Here by equating Brahman to
prajnAnaghana,  consciousness that is totally devoid of particulars
(including in an undifferentiated, causal seed form) is meant.

Regards
Venkatraghavan

On Thu, 5 Jul 2018, 21:40 michael via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

>
> Dear Sri Vedavids,
>
>
> -prajnanam brahma/Brahman is consciousness
>
> -prajnaghana brahma/Brahman is a mass of consciousness
>
>
>
>
> The first is a Mahavakya from AitareyaU 3.1.3
>
> Can anyone tell me where prajnaghana brahma appears?
>
>
> and what, if anything, is the difference between the two?
>
>
> much appreciate, mcc
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>