yad etad dhṛdayaṁ manaś caitat | saṁjñānam ājñānaṁ vijñānaṁ prajñānaṁ medhā dṛṣṭir dhṛtir matir manīṣā jūtiḥ smṛtiḥ saṅkalpaḥ kratur asuḥ kāmo vaśa iti | sarvāṇy evaitāni prajñānasya nāmadheyāni bhavanti ||
"It is this heart (mind) itself. It is awareness, command, discernment, consciousness, wisdom, insight, steadfastness, thought, reflection, impulse, memory, intention, purpose, life, desire, and control. All these are indeed names of consciousness (prajnana)."
What This Means:
The answer begins: it's the heart-mind (hridaya-manas). But then a remarkable list follows — awareness, discernment, wisdom, memory, intention, desire, control — all these different mental functions are really just names for one thing: Consciousness (prajnana).
Going Deeper:
This verse consolidates all the scattered faculties into one principle: prajnana (consciousness). Whether functioning as memory or as intention, as wisdom or as desire, it's all consciousness appearing in different modes. Unity underlies apparent diversity.
How To Apply This:
Your wisdom, your desires, your intentions, your memory — they're not separate things but consciousness in different modes. This recognition can reduce inner conflict: it's all one awareness, playing different roles.
Key Sanskrit Terms: