Maha Vakya Upanishad

Vidyā and Avidyā

The world functions through desire-motivated actions, and in this, attachment creates inner darkness.
Hence, attachment is termed Avidyā or spiritual ignorance. The liberated mindset of non-attachment is known as Vidyā, or spiritual wisdom.
The goal of spirituality is to take one from Avidyā to Vidyā.

When we begin to see the divinity within us, we gradually begin to move from Avidyā to Vidyā.
This divinity in us, known as Inner Divine, is defined as Truth-Awareness-Joy; the inner states that are godly. In Sanskrit, this is termed Sat-Cit-Ānanda.
When it comes to the Inner Divine, knowing isn’t the same as experiencing. We all know what peace means, but how many of us can actually feel it? That’s the difference.

The Inner Divine is a Higher Form of Energy.
Until we begin to sense that Energy in us, the closest Form of it we can see in the world is Light and Sound Energy.
Hence, most spiritual practices start with reverence to Light through a Mantra, which denotes Sound.
Further, it is for this reason that the Inner Divine is often compared to the “sun” in many texts.
There are many chants to revere Light. We can use any, but if to be specific, this is the mantra for this practice: so’ha’markaḥ paraṃ jyotirakenyotirahaṃ śivaḥ | ātmajyotirahaṃ śukraḥ sarvajyotirasāvaham ||

Before we can progress to higher states of mind, though, we need some basic calm. That’s where practicing breathing with awareness helps.
Also, breathing is called ajapa japa—a mantra that repeats itself without deliberate chanting. Merely focusing on it with awareness can become a simple yet powerful practice.
Breathing with awareness channels what’s called prāṇa and apāna. This topic is an ocean, but for starters, we can think of it as a better flow of inner energies.

One such breathing meditation is the “haṃsa/so’haṃ”.
Simply observe your breathing and mentally follow the breath with the mantra:
- Exhale: Chant Haṃ
- Inhale: Chant So/Saḥ
If inhalation comes first, we begin with So/Saḥ. And then, chant Haṃ for Exhalation.

With awareness, every breath becomes a mahāvākya—a contemplative, quotable Upanishadic declaration.
Each time we feel stressed, we simply observe our breath, and the mind will automatically begin to change the mantras.
When we also learn the meaning of these chants, it truly becomes a mahāvākya—
- So’haṃ means → I am That (Inner Divine).
- Haṃsa denotes → Swan, a symbol of self-purification.