Pratyabhijñā
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
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]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore