[Advaita-l] Meaning of Mahavakya 'Prajnanam Brahma' - Shivapurana

[V Subrahmanian]

शिवपुराणम्/संहिता ६ (कैलाससंहिता)/अध्यायः १६
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*प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्मवाक्ये* तु प्रज्ञानार्थः प्रदृश्यते ।।४३।।
प्रज्ञानशब्दश्चैतन्यपर्य्यायस्स्यान्न संशयः ।।
*चैतन्यमात्मेति* मुने शिवसूत्रं प्रवर्त्तितम् ।। ४४ ।।
चैतन्यमिति विश्वस्य सर्वज्ञानक्रियात्मकम् ।।
*स्वातन्त्र्यं तत्स्वभावो यः स आत्मा परिकीर्त्तितः* ।। ४५ ।।
This is the Mahavakya of the Aitareya Upanishad of the Rigveda. It teaches
that Pure Consciousness is Brahman.
The Upanishads treat us as Consciousness, sentient beings and not as inert.
Brahman is also considered by the Upanishads to be Consciousness, sentient
and not inert. The Upanishads teach that the Atman is Brahman. The same
meaning is stated in the Shiva Purana.
The inert body, the organs and Prana – all of which function under the
borrowed sentience of Chaitanya. But Chaitanya has no controller because it
is not inert. The rule is: Only the inert needs the niyamana, control,
impelling, by Chaitanya.
When the Jiva realizes that he is not body, organs, mind, prana complex, he
realizes that he is solely Consciousness. This Chaitanya is not subservient
to anything. This is because as per the above rule, there is no inert
element in Consciousness and hence no need of any external controller.
This is what the Shiva Purana teaches. The above teaching of the Shiva
Purana is admissible only in Advaita.