Mahāvākyas
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[3] Those statements are interpreted as supporting the insight that the individual self (jīvá) which appears as a separate existence, is in essence (ātmán) part and manifestation of the whole (Brahman).
[18] According to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, the four Upanishadic statements indicate the real identity of the individual (jivatman) as sat (the Existent), Brahman, consciousness.
'[10]Tat Tvam Asi (Devanagari: तत्त्वमसि, Vedic: tát tvam ási) is traditionally translated as "Thou art that", "That thou art", "That art thou", "You are that", "That you are", or "You're it"; although according to Brereton and others the proper translation would be "In that way [=thus] are you, Svetaketu",[20][4] or "that's how you are":[9][6] In Ch.U.6.8.7 tat refers to Sat, "the Existent",[7][8][25] Existence, Being.
[note 6] Lipner expresses reservations on Brereton's interpretation, stating that it is technically plausible, but noting that "Brereton concedes that the philosophical import of the passage may be represented by the translation 'That you are', where tat as 'that' would refer to the supreme Being (sat/satya).
"[7] Major Vedantic schools offer different interpretations of the phrase: Aham Brahmāsmi (Devanagari: अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि), "I am Brahman" is in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Shukla Yajurveda: [1.4.1] In the beginning this world was just a single body (ātman) shaped like a man.
[31][note 7]Aham Brahmasmi is the core philosophy in advaita vedanta, indicating absolute oneness of atman with brahman.
[32] Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi then means "I am the Absolute" or "My identity is cosmic",[33] but can also be translated as "you are part of god just like any other element".
[34] The aham in this memorable expression is not closed in itself as a pure mental abstraction but it is radical openness.
Between Brahman and aham-brahma lies the entire temporal universe experienced by the ignorant as a separate entity (duality).
[35] Vidyāranya in his Panchadasi (V.4) explains: Infinite by nature, the Supreme Self is described here by the word Brahman (lit.
ever expanding; the ultimate reality); the word asmi denotes the identity of aham and Brahman.
Thus, the meaning of aham brahma asmi according to their philosophy is that "I am a drop of Ocean of Consciousness", or "I am Self, part of cosmic spirit, Parabrahma".
It is a higher function of the intellect that ascertains the Sat or Truth/Existent in the Sat-Chit-Ananda or truth/existent-consciousness-bliss, i.e. the Brahman/Atman/Self/person [...] A truly wise person [...] is known as Prajna - who has attained Brahmanhood itself; thus, testifying to the Vedic Maha Vakya (great saying or words of wisdom): Prajnanam iti Brahman.
[42]Ayam Atma Brahma (Sanskrit: अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) is a Mahāvākya which is found in the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharvaveda.
[43] Brahman is immortal, except the body, it is both external and internal, ever generated, except the mind, except the breath, yet from it emerges the inner soul of all things.
[44] From Brahman breath, mind, senses, space, air, light, water, earth, everything is born.
The section expands on this concept as follows,[43][44] The sky is his head, his eyes the sun and the moon, the quarters his ears, his speech the Vedas disclosed, the wind his breath, his heart the universe, from his feet came the earth, he is indeed the inner Self of all things.
From him, too, gods are manifold produced, the celestials, the men, the cattle, the birds, the breathing, the rice, the corn, the meditation, the Shraddha (faith), the Satya (truth), the Brahmacharya, and the Vidhi (law).
[47][48] The section expands on this concept as follows, That which is flaming, which is subtler than the subtle, on which the worlds are set, and their inhabitants - That is the indestructible Brahman.
Taking as a bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, one should put upon it an arrow sharpened by meditation, Stretching it with a thought directed to the essence of That, Penetrate[50] that Imperishable as the mark, my friend.
While translations tend to separate the sentence in separate parts, Olivelle's translation uses various words in adjunct sets of meaning: The Mandukya Upanishad repeatedly states that Om is ātman, and also states that turiya is ātman.
