prajñānam brahma – “Prajña is Brahman”, or “Brahman is Prajña”
Prajñānam Brahma
Several translations, and word-orders of these translations, are possible:
Prajñānam:
jñā can be translated as “consciousness”, “knowledge”, or “understanding.”
Pra is an intensifier which could be translated as “higher”, “greater”, “supreme” or “premium”, or “being born or springing up”,referring to a spontaneous type of knowing.
Prajñānam as a whole means:
प्रज्ञान, “prajJAna”, Adjective: prudent, easily known, wise
Noun: discrimination, knowledge, wisdom, intelligence.
“Consciousness”
“Intelligence”
“Wisdom
Related terms are jnana, prajna and prajnam, “pure consciousness”.
Although the common translation of jnanam is “consciousness”, the term has a broader meaning of “knowing”; “becoming acquainted with”, “knowledge about anything”,”awareness”, “higher knowledge”.
Brahman:
“The Absolute”
“Infinite”
“The Highest truth”
Most interpretations state: “Prajñānam (noun) is Brahman (adjective)”.
Some translations give a reverse order, stating “Brahman is Prajñānam”, specifically “Brahman (noun) is Prajñānam (adjective)”.
“The Ultimate Reality is wisdom (or consciousness)”.
Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig Veda
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Mahâvâkya from the Rgveda
Aitareya Upanisad 3.3
- sarvam tat prajñânetram prajñâne pratisthitam, prajñânetro lokah prajñâ pratisthâ, prajñânam brahma.
- Olivelle (p. 199): “Knowledge is the eye of all that, and on knowledge it is founded. Knowledge is the eye of the world, and knowledge, the foundation. Brahman is knowing.”
Hume (p. 301): “All this is guided by intelligence, is based on intelligence. The world is guided by intelligence. The basis is intelligence. Brahma is intelligence.”
Radhakrishnan (p. 523): “All this is guided by intelligence, is established in intelligence. The world is guided by intelligence. The support is intelligence. Brahma is intelligence.”
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