Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 7.130
Recognize the Vedas’ Principal Mantra
“Praṇava [oṁkāra] is the mahā-vākya [mahā-mantra] in the Vedas. Śaṅkarācārya’s followers cover this to stress without authority the mantra tat tvam asi.
What the purport teaches
- Praṇava, or oṁkāra, is the mahā-vākya, or mahā-mantra, in the Vedas.
- The Māyāvādī philosophers stress tat tvam asi and so’ham rather than the real mahā-mantra, oṁkāra. The translation describes this emphasis as unauthorized.
- The purport calls this a misrepresentation of Vedic knowledge. Caitanya Mahāprabhu identifies the Māyāvādī philosophers as the greatest offenders to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Try this today
Reread the translation and note which mantra it identifies as the mahā-mantra.
Ask yourself
How can this warning encourage you to represent Vedic teachings faithfully?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.