[Advaita-l] upanishad mahAvAkya-s

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

Illumnination is word that is used to desginate the jnaana swaruupam of
Brahman - as in the mahaavaakya - prajnaanam brahma.


PraNAms
Hare Krishna


Sorry for digressing the main topic here...when upanishad itself saying
Atma svarUpa is not that of prajnAna ghana (reference vide mAndUkya)  how
can we say prajnAnam brahma is the mahAvAkya in advaita vEdAnta??  Is there
any difference in saying prajnAnaM  and prajnAna ghana ??  While commenting
on the 12th maNtra of mAndUkya shankara points out that Atman's essential
nature is *pure OmkAra* which is devoid of the distinction of the name and
the named and concludes that the OmkAra has become the nondual reality
which is free from all distinctive details and auspicious.

Just a curious question, while commenting on tattvamasi, ahaM brahmAsmi,
prajnAnaM brahma, ayamAtma brahma etc. whether shankara declare that  these
are the ONLY four mahAvAkya-s  that can be found in shruti?? I dont think
so...  When each and every word of shruti is sacred & worth for
contemplation, how can we restrict mahAvAkya-s to only 4 Nos.??


Kindly pardon me if I asked anything against the traditional belief....

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar