General – Page 213 – Learning Daily

brahma vâ idam agra âsît, tad âtmânam evâvet, aham brahmâsmi iti; tasmât tat sarvam abhavat.Olivelle (p. 15): “In the beginning this world was only brahman, and it knew only itself (âtman), thinking: ‘I am brahman.‘ As a result, it became the Whole.”

Hume (p. 83): “Verily, in the beginning this world was Brahma. It knew only itself (âtmânam): ‘I am Brahma!’ Therefore it became the All.”

Radhakrishnan (p. 168): “Brahman, indeed, was this in the beginning. It knew itself only as ‘I am Brahman.‘ Therefore it became all.”

A variant of this mahâvâkya is so ‘ham, “I am that,” which in its inverted form hamsa has connections with the goose used as a symbol of the Srngeri monastery founded by the nondualist master Sankara, and with the Paramahamsa line of ascetics tracing their lineage to him and including nondualist teachers such as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

tat tvam asi – That Thou art

tat tvam asi – “Thou art That”

Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7, Sama Veda

A Mahâvâkya from the Sâmaveda

Chândogya Upanisad 6.8.7, etc.

sa ya eso ‘nimâ aitadâtmyam idam sarvam, tat satyam, sa âtmâ. tat tvam asi, Svetaketo.

Olivelle (p. 152): “The finest essence here—that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is the truth; that is the self (âtman). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

Hume (p. 246): “That which is the finest essence—this whole world has that as its soul. That is reality (satya). That is Âtman (Soul). That art thou, Svetaketu.”

Radhakrishnan (p. 458): “That which is the subtle essence (the root of all) this whole world has for its self. That is the true. That is the self. That art thou, Sv