(purusha) who is sacrificed by the gods
and from whose parts the world devel-
ops. In later Hindu practice the name
Prajapatican also be used to refer to the
god Brahma, as fashioner of the uni-
verse, or to the gods Vishnu or Shiva, as
the universe’s supreme deities.
Prajapatya Marriage
One of the eight ways to perform a mar-
riage recognized in the dharma litera-
ture, the treatises on religious duty. In
Hindu mythology Prajapati was the
name of the creator, and this name sug-
gests that the purpose of this marriage
was for people to fulfill their duties to
the ancestors by procreating. A
Prajapatya marriage takes place when a
father gives away his daughterto a man
with the condition that they will per-
form their civic and religious duties
together. This was one of the four
approved (prashasta) forms of mar-
riage, because it was arranged by the
girl’s father. However, it was considered
less commendable than the other
approved forms, because the girl was
given in marriage with conditions. In
Indian culture, the best way to give a
daughter is to impose no conditions. See
also marriage, eight classical forms.
Prajnanam Brahman
(“Wisdom is Brahman”) In the Hindu
philosophical tradition, one of the “great
utterances” (mahavakyas) expressing
the ultimate truth. The truth here is the
identity of prajnanam(ultimate wis-
dom) and Brahman (Supreme Reality);
this identity is the heart of the specula-
tive texts called the Upanishads. Aside
from their importance in a philosophi-
cal context, as encapsulating funda-
mental truths, the four mahavakyas
were also appropriated as identifying
symbols by the four divisions of the
Dashanami Sanyasiascetics. Each divi-
sion had a different mahavakya, just as
each had a different Veda, a different
primary monastic center, and a different
paradigmatic asceticquality. Prajnanam
Brahman is the mahavakya associated
with the Bhogawara division of the
Dashanami Sanyasis.Prakamyam
(“irresistible will”) One of the eight
superhuman powers(siddhi) tradition-
ally believed to be conferred by high
spiritual attainment. This particular
power removes all obstructions to the
movement of one’s body, such that one
can go wherever one desires, even pass-
ing through solid objects as if moving
through water.Prakasha
(“illumination”) In Hindu tantra, a
secret, ritually based religious practice,
prakasha is one of the bipolar oppo-
sites that are used to characterize the
nature of all reality, with its counter-
part being reflection (vimarsha).
These two terms are particularly
important for the creation of the world,
which is said to happen when the pure
and radiant consciousness (prakasha)
of the ultimate Brahman becomes
self-conscious through the reflection
(vimarsha) of this original conscious-
ness. From one single consciousness,
the absolute then evolves into a binary
divinity—the god Shivaand his con-
sort Shakti—whose continued interac-
tion combines to create the world. For
further information see Jaideva Singh,
Pratyabhijnanahrdayam, 1982. See
also cosmology.Prakashatman
(13th c.) Proponent of the Advaita
Vedantaschool, one of the six schoolsof
traditional Hindu philosophy. Praka-
shatman’s Vivarana, a commentary on
the work of the Advaita philosopher
Padmapada, provides the name for the
Vivarana school of Advaita Vedanta.
Prakashatman is traditionally described
as Padmapada’s disciple, but since the
latter is an attested pupil of Shanka-
racharya(9th c. C.E.), the time difference
makes this unlikely.Prakashatman