Saccidānanda

''Saccidānanda'' (; also Sat-cit-ānanda) is an epithet and description for the subjective experience of the ultimate unchanging reality, called Brahman,Devadutta Kali (2005), Devimahatmyam: In Praise of the Goddess, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 365, Quote: "Saccidananda, being-consciousness-bliss, a threefold epithet attempting to describe the unitary, indescribable Brahman". in certain branches of Hindu philosophy, especially Vedanta. It represents "existence, consciousness, and bliss" or "truth, consciousness, bliss".

Etymology

(; pre-sandhi form sat-cit-ānanda) is a compounded Sanskrit word consisting of "sat", "cit", and "ānanda", all three considered as inseparable from the nature of ultimate reality called Brahman in Hinduism.James Lochtefeld (2002), "Satchidananda" in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 2: N-Z, Rosen Publishing, , page 578 The different forms of spelling is driven by euphonic (sandhi) rules of Sanskrit, useful in different contexts.

* sat (): In Sanskrit, ''sat'' means "being, existence", "real, actual", "true, good, right", or "that which really is, existence, essence, true being, really existent, good, true".Sir Monier Monier-Williams
Sat
A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford University Press (Reprinted: Motilal Banarsidass), , page 1134
* cit ():Sir Monier Monier-Williams
Cit
A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford University Press (Reprinted: Motilal Banarsidass), , page 395 means "consciousness" or "spirit".James Lochtefeld (2002), "Ananda" in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A-M, Rosen Publishing, , page 35
* ānanda (): means "happiness, joy, bliss", "pure happiness, one of three attributes of Atman or Brahman in the Vedanta philosophy".Sir Monier Monier-Williams
Ananda
A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford University Press (Reprinted: Motilal Banarsidass), , page 139 Loctefeld and other scholars translate ''ananda'' as "bliss".

is therefore translated as "truth consciousness bliss",Gurajada Suryanarayana Murty (2002), Paratattvaganṇitadarśanam, Motilal Banarsidass, , page 303 "reality consciousness bliss", or "Existence Consciousness Bliss".

Discussion

The term is contextually related to "the ultimate reality" in various schools of Hindu traditions. In theistic traditions, is the same as God such as Vishnu, Shiva or Goddess in Shakti traditions. In monist traditions, is considered directly inseparable from (attributeless) Brahman or the "universal ground of all beings", wherein the Brahman is identical with Atman, the true individual self. A Jiva is instructed to identify themselves with the Atman, which is the Brahman in a being, thus the purpose of human birth is to realize "I am Brahman" (''Aham Brahmasmi'') through Prajna which leads to the state of "ultimate consciousness" referred as ''sat-chit-ananda'' and subsequently Moksha, however as long as a being identifies with Maya which is finite, material and tangible, they will continue to gather Karma and remain in Saṃsāra. or Brahman is held to be the source of all reality, source of all conscious thought, and source of all perfection-bliss. It is the ultimate, the complete, the destination of spiritual pursuit in Hinduism.

Textual references

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad () is among the earliest Hindu texts which links and then discusses Atman (Self), Brahman (ultimate reality), awareness, joy and bliss such as in sections 2.4, 3.9 and 4.3.Anantanand Rambachan (2006), The Advaita Worldview: God, World, and Humanity, State University of New York Press, , pages 40-43Mariasusai Dhavamony (2002), Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Theological Soundings and Perspectives, Rodopi, , pages 68-70 The Chandogya Upanishad (), in section 3.14 to 3.18, discusses Atman and Brahman, these being identical to "that which shines and glows both inside and outside", "dear", "pure knowing, awareness", "one's innermost being", "highest light", "luminous". Other 1st-millennium BCE texts, such as the Taittiriya Upanishad in section 2.1, as well as minor Upanishads, discuss Atman and Brahman in saccidananda-related terminology.

An early mention of the compound word is in verse 3.11 of Tejobindu Upanishad, composed before the 4th-century CE.Mircea Eliade (1970), Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, Princeton University Press, , pages 128-129 The context of is explained in the Upanishad as follows:

Vedanta philosophy

The Vedantic philosophy understands as a synonym of the three fundamental attributes of Brahman. In Advaita Vedanta, states Werner, it is the sublimely blissful experience of the boundless, pure consciousness and represents the unity of spiritual essence of ultimate reality.

is an epithet for Brahman, considered indescribable, unitary, ultimate, unchanging reality in Hinduism.Eliot Deutsch (1980), Advaita Vedanta : A Philosophical Reconstruction, University of Hawaii Press, , Chapter 1

Vaishnava philosophy

Tulsidas identifies Rama as .

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

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* {{Citation , last =Werner , first =Karel , year =2004 , title =A Popular Dictionary of Hinduism , publisher =Routledge , isbn =9781135797539 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HvuQAgAAQBAJ

Hindu philosophical concepts
Kashmir Shaivism
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Shaivism
Nonduality
Sanskrit words and phrases