prāj�a & praj�ā

[Ekanta]

satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma - "Brahman which is Reality, Knowledge and Infinity" (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.1 )
prajñānaṃ brahma - "consciousness is Brahman" (Aitareya Upaniṣad 3.1.3 )
prājñaḥ tṛtīyaḥ pādaḥ - "The third quarter is Prājña" (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 5)

Hello all... the above are rather well know parts of some upanishads. However I wonder if anyone have the knowledge to investigate these words a bit closer.

jñānam: can be translated as knowledge/knowing. I suppose it means cit.

pra-jñānam: What does the prefix (pra) indicate? Is it related to the context in which it is given... everything is brought forth by consciousness? The context being:
“All this is guided by Consciousness, is supported by Consciousness. The basis is Consciousness. Consciousness is Brahman (prajñānam brahma).”

prājña: what does the prefix (pra) indicate in this case? And why is it a long ā? Surely there is some meaning to this? If we try to split the word, what do we get?

Yajvan? Or someone else up for the challenge?

[Ekanta]

When googling on "pra-ajña" the only hit i get it his thread: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...&postcount=123
is kind of interesting... as a reference, I just noticed it. It also has the "pra-ājña"...

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast� Ekanta (et.al)


Let me offer the following for consideration.


Let's take apart the word:

praj�ānaṁ is praj�āna and embedded in this word is praj�a which can end in ā or ī - male or feminine gender.

• This praj�a is from j�ā , defined as perceive , apprehend , understand , to know as or perceive.
• Lets add in pra - its defined as excessively , very , much .
  • It is rooted ( √ ) in pṝ or prā meaning filling , fulfilling , fullness.

This brings us to pra+j�a or the fullness, most complete knowledge and perception. Nothing is beyond the knowledge or nothing is so complete as that of brahman.

If we look at j�ā in its masculine form it is brahmā . Yet we could ho further as this j�ā is a special conjunct consonant (vya�jana), called saṃyoga ( yoked together).
It is j+ �ā . This j or ja has many definitions we can call out yet one I think I call your attention to is the definition of light / luster ( this is a code name in the ved for consciousness).
This ja is also another name for śiva or viṣṇu.

So this j�ā in and of itself is quite profound and brings full meaning to praj�ānaṁ - the full (prā) light (j) of perception (j�ā) - brahman ( pure consciousness)

If we re-assemble the word praj�ā it is defined as intelligence , understanding , also as intelligent. We can consider this praj�ā as the fullness (prā) of intelligence.
That level of which one can go no further - brahman.

We could get ~fancy~ and also say it is the one that sings (�a) of this fullness (prā). Yet that takes us down another road, and will leave that for another post.


praṇām

[Ekanta]

Oki thanks yajvan, I was thinking of "pra" only in terms of "forth" not "full".

What made me post was that I noticed recently that prāj�a (quarter 3) was not exactly same as praj�ā (which I had missed before) and I could not find any good explanation for it (how the word was constructed), While it seems obvious that prāj�a (quarter 3) must be a "modification" of praj�āna (brahman).

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté Ekanta (et.al)

If we look at jñā in its masculine form ...

Speaking of gender , here's something I am still working on...

Grammatical gender - is masculine, feminine or neuter. Gender we can see is liṅga a mark , spot , sign , token , badge , emblem , characteristic. When looking up a word you will see mfn as an abbreviation next to the word.


These characteristics/marks are called puṃ-liṅga , strī-liṅga and napuṃsaka-liṅga:

• puṃ-liṅga - puṃ = puṃs is a masculine word but also defined as a man , a male being , a human being ; it looses its 's' before a consonant in this case 'la' in liṅga.
• strī -liṅga strī is defined as the the feminine gender yet also is defined as the 'bearer of children'; the word is also found as strīm and strīs - a woman , female , wife
• napuṃsaka-liṅga - napuṃsaka is na +puṃ+saka : na = not or no + puṃ = male being + saka ='he that man , she that woman '
  Hence napuṃsaka means not male being or woman. It seems for economy this word could just be nasaka ( my contrived word) - not man or woman.

Are there any opinions of why puṃ appears in this word where ( it seems) na-saka would suffice?

praṇām

[kd gupta]

satyaṃ j�ānam anantaṃ brahma - "Brahman which is Reality, Knowledge and Infinity" (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1.1 )
praj�ānaṃ brahma - "consciousness is Brahman" (Aitareya Upaniṣad 3.1.3 )
prāj�aḥ tṛtīyaḥ pādaḥ - "The third quarter is Prāj�a" (Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 5)

Hello all... the above are rather well know parts of some upanishads. However I wonder if anyone have the knowledge to investigate these words a bit closer.

j�ānam: can be translated as knowledge/knowing. I suppose it means cit.

pra-j�ānam: What does the prefix (pra) indicate? Is it related to the context in which it is given... everything is brought forth by consciousness? The context being:
�All this is guided by Consciousness, is supported by Consciousness. The basis is Consciousness. Consciousness is Brahman (praj�ānam brahma).�

prāj�a: what does the prefix (pra) indicate in this case? And why is it a long ā? Surely there is some meaning to this? If we try to split the word, what do we get?

Yajvan? Or someone else up for the challenge?

The right answer I feel is as follows..
Shreyo hi jnaanamabhyaasaat jnaanaaddhyaanam vishishyate;
Dhyaanaat karmaphalatyaagas tyaagaacchaantir anantaram.
Better indeed is knowledge [ the jnanam ] than practice; than knowledge meditation is better; than
Meditation [ the duty or parajnanam ] the renunciation of the fruits of actions [ bhakti or prajna ] ; peace immediately follows renunciation.

[Ekanta]

I cant respond to that at the moment kd gupta... those phrases are on my future investigation list. There's long list of "betters" in chandogya also. Im coming to it, but it will take a while.