Brahmajijñāsā

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Brahmajijñāsā (Skt., literally, ‘the desire to know Brahman’ or ‘the enquiry into Brahman’). The subject-matter of the Brahmasūtra is pronounced in its famous first verse: athāto brahmajijñāsā, ‘Then therefore the enquiry into Brahman.’ In his commentary on this verse, Śaṅkara explains that the knowledge of Brahman is the highest aim of humans, yet the desire for knowing Brahman depends on certain antecedent conditions already having been fulfilled (hence the use of the word ‘then’ in the verse).

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