Sahasranama position 1066 of the 1,072 names

Brahma Vidya

ब्रह्म विद्या

Brahma Vidyā

What Brahma Vidya means

Brahma Vidya is name 1066 in the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama, the 1,072-name devotional text to Maa Kali. The Supreme Knowledge of Brahma, the Ultimate Reality.

Also spelled

  • BrahmaVidya
  • Source transliteration: BRAHMA VIDYA

Sanskrit names travel into English in several romanizations. This page keeps the common spelling, the IAST form, and the source transliteration together so the same name is discoverable under each spelling readers use.

Meaning and elaboration

Meaning: The Supreme Knowledge of Brahma, the Ultimate Reality.

Elaboration

Brahma Vidya means "the knowledge (Vidya) of Brahman (the Ultimate Reality)." It presents Kali as the embodiment of the highest spiritual wisdom, the wisdom that leads to realization of the absolute truth.

Knowledge of Brahman Brahman, in Hindu philosophy, is the ultimate, unchanging reality underlying all phenomena. It is the cosmic principle, the origin and support of the universe. Brahma Vidya refers to the profound, esoteric knowledge that reveals the true nature of Brahman, leading to the understanding that the individual soul (Atman) is identical with Brahman.

Supreme Wisdom Kali embodies this supreme wisdom. Unlike empirical or objective knowledge, Brahma Vidya is not acquired through the senses or intellect alone, but through direct intuitive experience (anubhava) and spiritual realization. Kali, as Brahma Vidya, illumines the mind, dispelling the darkness of ignorance (avidya) that veils the true nature of reality.

Liberation Through Knowledge The attainment of Brahma Vidya is the ultimate goal of spiritual practice in many Hindu traditions, particularly Advaita Vedanta. Through this aspect, Kali grants liberation (moksha) from the cycles of birth and death (samsara). By embodying Brahma Vidya, she reveals herself as the profound truth that, once known, frees the individual from suffering and illusion. She is the very essence of discerning wisdom that cuts through false identification and leads to self-realization.

Text and sources

The name list follows the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama as compiled for this project. The English meaning and elaboration are interpretive notes for devotional study, not a translation of a single critical edition.

Read the editorial method and source notes →

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