Antarprajna

 A

Ah — Antarprajñā (अन्तःप्रज्ञा) — a subtle and luminous word, rich with the depth of Upaniṣadic insight.

Let’s unfold its meaning carefully.

Antarprājñā (अन्तःप्रज्ञा)

Literal meaning:

• Antar — “inner, within.”
• Prajñā — “consciousness,” “wisdom,” or “awareness.”
  → Antarprājñā means “the inwardly conscious one” or “inner awareness.”

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Scriptural Origin

The term appears most famously in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, one of the shortest yet most profound of the Upaniṣads, which describes the four states of consciousness (avasthā-traya + turīya):

1. Vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर) — waking state; outwardly conscious (bahih-prājña).
2. Taijasa (तैजस) — dream state; inwardly conscious (antar-prājña).
3. Prājña (प्राज्ञ) — deep sleep state; undifferentiated awareness.
4. Turīya (तुरीय) — the transcendental, beyond all three; pure consciousness itself.

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Antarprājñā — The Dream State (Taijasa)

In the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad (verse 4):

“Svapnasthānaḥ taijasaḥ antarprājñaḥ saptāṅgaḥ ekonaviṃśatimukhaḥ praviviktabhuk.”

Meaning:

“The dream-state is called Taijasa; its consciousness is turned inward (antarprājña); it experiences the subtle impressions within.”

So —

Antarprājñā refers to the dreaming consciousness, aware not of outer objects but of inner mental impressions (vāsanās).

It is “luminous within,” perceiving a world created by the mind, not by the senses.

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Deeper Philosophical Meaning

Metaphysically, antarprājñā symbolizes the subtle inward awareness —

the intermediate state between the outer material world (bahih-prājña) and the transcendental Self (turīya).

It represents:

• Inner cognition — awareness of thoughts, dreams, and imagination.
• Subjective light — the mind as projector of inner reality.
• The journey inward — from sensory awareness to pure consciousness.

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Symbolic Understanding

State	Name	Awareness	Realm
1. Jāgrat	Vaiśvānara	Bahih–prājña (outward)	Gross / physical
2. Svapna	Taijasa	Antar–prājña (inward)	Subtle / mental
3. Suṣupti	Prājña	Ekī–bhūta (unified)	Causal / seed
4. Turīya	—	Prajñāna–ghana (pure awareness)	Absolute

🕉️ In essence:

Antarprājñā is the “inwardly luminous” awareness — the consciousness of the subtle, dream-like world within.

It is a stage on the way to Turīya, the silent witness that underlies all states.

Would you like me to explain how Antarprājñā (inner awareness) evolves into Turīya (pure awareness) according to Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad and Gaudapāda Kārikā?