Advaita for the Novice: Some Glossary and Grammar for 'Atman' and 'Brahman'

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

Here are a few words which involve 'Atman' and/or 'Brahman'.

 

'Atman', the Self, is the generic stem word.

'AtmA' is the nominative singular.

In compound words where another word follows it within the compound, it

generally appears as 'Atma'-.

 

Examples:

'Atma-jnAnaM' : Knowledge of the Self

'Atma-sAkShAtkAraM' : Realisation of the Self.

'Atma-vicAraM' : Enquiry about the Self

'Atma-vidyA': Education towards knowledge of the Atman

'Sarv-Atma-bhAvanA' : 'All-Self-attitude', that is, the attitude of

considering everything as the Self.

'Atma-anAtma-vivekaH': Discrimination between Self and non-Self.

----------------------------

 

'Brahman', the Supreme Reality, is the generic stem word.

'Brahma' is the nominative singular. (Important note: It is not 'BrahmA')

In compound words where it is followed by another word within the compound,

it generally appears as 'Brahma'-.

 

Examples:

'Brahma-jnAnaM' : Knowledge of the Supreme Reality.

'Brahma-nirvAnaM': State of absorption or extinction in Brahman

'Brahma-samsparshaM' : Bliss of contact with Brahman

'Brahma-jnAni' : One who has obtained Brahman-enlightenment

'Brahma-sUtra': The aphorism on Brahman

'Brahma-vidyA': Education that leads to enlightenment about Brahman

'Brahma-vit' One who has known Brahman

'Brahma-bhAvaM' : Attitude of oneness in Brahman

'Brahma-niShTA' : the state of absorption in Brahman

'Brahma-AnandaM', pronounced as 'BrahmAnandaM': The bliss of Brahman

'shabda-brahman' : The Vedas identified with the Supreme.

 

 

The point to note is that the other word 'BrahmA' (meaning the first God of

the divine triad, the Creator) also appears as 'Brahma'- in compound words

where it is followed by another word. Examples:

'Brahma-loka': The world of BrahmA the Creator

'Brahma-kalpa': The era (day) of BrahmA the Creator

'Brahma-sRShTi': The Creation of BrahmA the Creator

 

Other than these there are words which are derived from 'brahman' but now in

its other meanings :

'Brahma-yajnaM' : The ritual in propitiation of the vedas (brahman also

means Vedas)

'Brahma-cAri' : One who leads an unmarried religious student life, studying

the Vedas.

'Brahma-bandhu': A brahmin only in name.

 

 

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk