Pratyabhijñā

By Swami Harshananda

Pratyabhijñā literally means ‘knowledge got by facing it’.

This is a technical term used by Kāśmīr Śaivism. When we see a person whom we had seen earlier maybe in a different place and circumstances, we recognize him as ‘He is that person’. Īśvara^[1] and the jīva^[2] are similar in nature. They both have jñānaśakti and kriyāśakti.^[3] This is known from the scriptures and the teachings of the spiritual preceptors.

Keeping this in mind, when the sādhaka^[4] meditates on īśvara, he gradually destroys or overcomes māyā^[5] and realizes or recognizes that he is the same as īśvara. This is called as pratyabhijñā.

References[edit]

↑ Īśvara means God.
↑ Jīva means the individual soul.
↑ Kriyāśakti means the power to know and act.
↑ Sādhaka means the one who is practicing spiritual disciplines.
↑ Māyā means ignorance as the veil.

The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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[1] Īśvara means God.

[2] Jīva means the individual soul.

[3] Kriyāśakti means the power to know and act.

[4] Sādhaka means the one who is practicing spiritual disciplines.

[5] Māyā means ignorance as the veil.

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