ELEMENTS OF COGNITIVE SCIENCES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN GAYATRI MANTRA Dr. Varanasi Ramabrahmam Associate Professor of Physics Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post-Graduate Studies Lawspet PONDICHERRY605 008 India \ e-mail: rbvaranasi@gmail.com Abstract The syllables and series of sounds composing Gayatri Mantra, and the sense and meaning attached to them are analyzed using Upanishadic Wisdom, Advaitha Philosophy and Sabdabrahma Siddhanta. The physical structure of mind as revealed by this analysis is presented. An insight of various phases of mind, their rise and set, their significance and implications to cognitive sciences and natural language comprehension branch of artificial intelligence are discussed. The possible applications of such an insight in the fields of cognitive sciences, modeling of human mental processes and language learning/communication processes are hinted. Paper presented at National Seminar on Bharatiya Heritage in Engineering and Technology (from Harappa to Pokhran and beyond) held between 11-13th May 2006, I.I.Sc., Bangalore-560 012. Cognitive sciences often rediscover philosophical analyses taxingly. A better policy would be first to learn what philosophy can teach us and then 1 move on to experimentation and model-building within the scope of positive science. In this article an attempt is made to combine the ideas of mind existing and revealed in ancient Indian wisdom contained in the Gayatri Mantra, Upanishads, Advaita philosophy and Sabdabrahma siddhata. Also the possible application of such a combination in the fields of cognitive sciences artificial intelligence and physiological psychology is hinted. Chanting and meditation on the Gayatri Mantra is part of spiritual ritual of many traditionalists. This is an important phase of Sandhya Vandanam. The profound meaning of Gayatri Mantra and the meditative insight contained in the performance of Sandhya Vandanam is very interesting, revealing and beneficiary. Gayatri Mantra . Aum bhoor bhuvah ssuvah Aum tat savitur vareanyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat Purport/ Tatparya : May the Divine Luminescence which causes the conscious states/phases of mindbhooh (jagrat/ wakeful/ awakened), bhuvah (swapna/dream) and suvah (sushupti/deep sleep)illuminate and inspire our intellect. We also have: i. Aum bhooh Aum bhuvah Aum suvah Aum mahah Aum janah Aum tapah Ogum satyam ii. Aum tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat iii. Aum aapo jothi rasomrutam brahma bhoorbhuvassuvah Aum Purport/ Tatparya Pranavam is Aumkaaram. Pranavam is contained in every thing as pranava sakti. Everything is manifestation of pranavam. Sapta lokas ( lokyate iti lokahwhat is seen is loka) -- Laukika Jnanadayakaroopa Bhooloka (jagrat/ awakened/wakeful conscious/mental state) and Bhuvarloka (swapna/dream conscious/mental state), the swararoopa suvarloka (sushupti/deep sleep conscious/mental unawareness state), buddhiroopa maharloka (phase of intellectual operations), pranayuta ahamkaararoopa janoloka (origin, form, structure, cessation and re-creation of egoistic mind state), tapoloka (one-pointed meditative mental state) and 2 Sat-Chit-Ananda roopa eternal awareness-providing Satyaloka (egoless/ego-transcending conscious state, which exists in all the conscious/mental states and at all times-physical or psychological))are manifestations of and contain in and by Brahman/Atman . ii. May such Brahman/Atman, responsible (upanadana karana) for our mind and associated functions illuminate our intellect to acquire real knowledge (jnana). We pray that Divine Luminescence and meditate on it. iii. Ap (rajo guna), jothi (sattva guna) and the rasaswaroopam (tamo guna), amritam (essence of meaningful experience or experienced meaning -beyond or transcending jeeva sthiti), and the conscious/mental states bhoorbhuvah-suvah lokas are all manifestations of the same pranavam-the Brahmaswaroopam. This is also called savita -the cause and creator of all these. Chanting these mantras and meditation on their meaning is the chief phase in the performance of Sandhya Vandanam. . Sandhya means antarmukha dristi samayam/awareness of within mental phase. Sandhya Vandnam means. atmaanusandhana prayatnavidhi.. Divam means bahirmukha dristi samayam/ aatmaanubhava vismarana samayam/ awareness of without mental phase. Rathri or Nisa means visranta dristi samayam/aatmanbhava samayam, the state of peace, silence and bliss-the state of cessation of all mental cognitions (maanasika kaaryakalaapaanaaam viraama samayam / raama samayam). These purports will further be interpreted making use of Upanishadic wisdom, Advaita philosophy and Sabdabrahma Siddhata as follows. Upanishadic Wisdom Ancient Indian wisdom as revealed in the Upanishads has a lot to say about human consciousness1-11. Ramabrahmam provided a scientific awareness of mind, its form, structure, function, thoughts, understanding and other mental processes and their cessation from psychology point of view contemplating on Upanishadic wisdom as manastattva sastra2-11. Upanishads are source-books of Atmajnana, the Knowledge of the Self. Upanishads construe the state of Atman as the real 'I' state. They understood the Self i.e., human consciousness, to be unoccupied (mental) awareness and the natural, original and ground state of human mind5-8. 3 . Atman is the result of breathing process 14,15. Srestaprana, (most possibly O2) is given as the body (tanu) of Atman14. Atman is in motion always (yasya gamanam satatam tat atma – which moves incessantly is Atman) and in modern scientific terms can be termed as a bio-oscillator issuing out pulses of psychic(chit) energy of time period 10-1 second 6,16,17, the time required to pronounce a short syllable like 'a'(laghu akshara)16 (see Appendix I). Atman provides us with the mental energy whose presence and transformations of its virtual form (maya also known as chidabhasa or pranavam), give us mental time-space and states of consciousness respectively (Concept Diagram I), to be aware of the body, within of the body, without of the body and also a state that transcends both body and mind consciousnesses2-11. Maya is the virtual mental energy flowing throughout the body providing sensing abilities to us. Maya, the virtual psychic energy and its transformations provide the current of awareness and hence consciousness to us. Conscious states are the phases of mind in the awareness of Atman. Conscious state of cessation of mental activities, similar to zero in number system and vacuum in physical sciences, is the unique proposition of Upanishadic wisdom which has profound role in the human cognition processes4 Advaita Philosophy and Sabdabrahma Siddhanta Advaita Philosophy is an off shoot of the Upanishadic awareness. Advaita Philosophy is more popular as Vedanta. And it is known to Sanskrit grammarians that Advaita philosophy is best suited to understand language learning and communication skills12,13. Patanjali, Bhartruhari, etal., proposed and nurtured Sabdabrahma Siddhanta while attempting to understand language learning, comprehension and communication processes and formulating the grammar rules for Sanskrit language making use of Brahmajnana or Atmajnana and Advaita philosophy and applied them beneficially12,13 As stated above the presence of Atman and transformations of maya give rise to four conscious states in us. The wakeful-sleep ( Jagrat Sushupti) and deep sleep (Sushupti) conscious states are the advaita ( No Twoonly Aham – Aham serieshere Aham/ relates to unoccupied awareness or pure consciousness without any mental cognitions taking place) conscious states. Wakeful ( Jagrat) and dream (Swapna) conscious states are dvaita (Twoaham idam series here idam relates to mental cognitions and functions in 4 the awareness aham/atman ) conscious states7. These conscious states alternately and simultaneously rise and set in us helping us to cognize/know/learn, perceive, reason, think, do intellectual operations, experience/understand, speak/teach, read and write and thus be aware of various disciplines and skills, master and use them through the medium of language or otherwise by the simultaneous use of antahkaranas (inner mental tools-manas, buddhi, chittam and ahamkaram), sense organs and action organs2-8 According to Upanishads knowledge is of two kinds- (i) that acquired through the combined operation of sense organs, action organs and inner mental tools in the awareness of Atman ( Maitra Jnana ) and (ii) that is inherent / genetic (Varuna Jnana)5-7,14. All our acquisitions of knowledge come under Maitra Jnana and the in-built urges, volitions, body and mental abilities, capabilities, nature etc., come under Varuna Jnana. Simply putting, according to Upanishads, our mental functions are the forward and backward transformations of chidabhasa or maya – transformed by energies sensed through sense organs or the stored information as potential energies retrieved (as vasanas first and then prapancham as feelings/thoughts/perceptions) and transformed in the reverse direction to give us knowledge, experiences etc. The transformation of maya, reverse transformation of maya and cessation of transformation of maya the dvaita and advaita conscious states respectivelytaking place simultaneously, consecutively and alternately is the structure, form, function, state and essence of human consciousness, mental functions and cognitive processes. The above discussion and propositions about mind and its functions in terms of Atman and maya can be extended and used to understand language learning and communication processes. It is mentioned above that maya is also known as pranavam, the primordial sound. Bhakti (defined as swa swaroopa anusandhanam bhaktirityabhidhiyatetuning the mind to natural state of mind i.e., the state of Selfor cheto vrittirupetya tisthati sadaa saa bhaitirityuchyatethe state when cheto vrittiantahkarana parinama-ceases to take place) is another name for the state of Atman or Brahmanthe advaita state. In this state the pranavam or virtual chit –energy (termed as maya by Vedantins)– does not transform into antahkaranas no vivartanam (two-way transformation of maya and antahkaranas) , meaning no antahkarana parinama or vritti ( transformation of inner mental tools causing cognitions) takes place Transformation of pranavam (maya) as antahkaranas and pancha pranas(prana,apaana,vyana,udana and samana) and thence activating sense and action organs respectively and simultaneously (wakeful and dream 5 phases of mind) is the vibhakti or dvaita state or the state of egojivatma – the state of I-, myfeelings, thoughts and perceptions. All kinds of knowing /learning /expression /teaching take place in this vibhakti state making use of all mental tools in the awareness of Atman. Sabdabrahma Siddhatanta, as well takes this advaita/dvaita concept and a theory of language learning/teaching, speaking/understanding in the four modes of mind ( para, pasyanti, madhyama and vaikhari) is developed using sphota vada, a consequence of Sabdabrahma Siddhanta12,13. According to this theory human language communication process is a combination and quick successive reversible transformations of four modes i.e., I Speaker/Teacher: (a) Purport/Awareness (Meaningful Experience or Experienced Meaningpara) (b) Understanding/ Experience/ Sense/ Mood/Volition/ Intuition (pasyanti) (c) Perception/Thinking/Feeling (madhyama) (d) Utterance /Expression (vaikhari) II Knower/ Listener/ Learner: (a) Knowing (through sense organs)vaikhari (b) Perception/Thinking madhyama (c) Understanding/ Experience -pasyanti (d) Purport (Meaningful Experience/ Experienced Meaning)/Awarenesspara . When the physical structure of mind and its function as revealed in the Gayatri Mantra as sapta lokas (TABLE I) is compared and combined with the knowledge of conscious states/phases of mind and mental functions provided by Upanishadic wisdom (CONCEPT DIAGRAM I AND TABLE II) and language learning, comprehending and communication modes as worked out by Sanskrit grammarians together with Advaita Philosophy and Sabdabrahma Siddhanta (TABLES I AND II) a working model of human mind can be built. The insights of Upanishadic wisdom on human cognitive processes and the physical structure of mind as revealed in the Gayatri Mantra as lokas can be used to propose a human cognitive process model; the ultimate aim being the development of a soft-ware which would perform the tasks of the mind. These understandings in modern scientific terms about mind, its phases in the form of conscious states/lokas can be further used to develop the software to model human mental processes and language learning/communication processes going on within us and compare and club them with the mind-machine model-building attempts and working of the bio-chemicals and the energy transitions and transformations associated with them18-24. 6 Manas. Buddhi, Chittam and Ahamkaram( egoistic mind) are antahkaranas. They are manifestations (vibhutis) of jnanasakti. They activate sense organs. Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana are panchapranas. They are manifestations (vibhutis) of pranasakti. They activate action organs. Mind is a combined operation of Atman, Maya, Antahkaranas, sense and action organs. Mind and its activities are cognitive elements to consciousness and mind becomes Atman in Jagrat Sushupti consciousness state when all mental cognitions cease to be. JAGRAT SUSHUPTI WAKEFUL SLEEP ADVAITA SATYALOKA--ATMAN IS SEER Mind is present if willed. Sense and action organs are alert and ready to function. Through Meditation one reaches this state. Also known as State of Visranta Drishti, Silence, Bliss, Peace, Unoccupied awareness, Pure consciousness Divine consciousness Real 'I' state etc. BHAKTI PARA RATHRI OR NISA Mind and Timetranscendent SRESTA PRANA ATMAN MAYA MIND (divyam & swaram) Jnanasakti Pranasakti Antahkaranas Panchapranas Sense Organs Action Organs Jnanendriyas Karmendriyas EYES EAR MOVEMENTS NOSE TONGUE OF HAND SKIN LEG VOCHAL CHORDS REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN AND BOWELS SUSHUPTI DEEP SLEEP ADVAITA SUVARLOKA ATMAN IS SEER Mind is absorbed in Maya.Sense and action organs are not in functional state. No awareness of without or within Cognitions (prapancham) or Vasanas. Also known as Pralayam state. STATE OF CESSATION OF MENTAL FUNCTIONS Time unconscious STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESSPHASES OF MIND – MENTAL TIME – SPACE THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF MIND 7 JAGRAT Mind is present, Sense and Action organs are Active and are in working state. All learnings take place in this state. Meditation starts in this State. Also Known as Bahirmukha Drishti State. SWAPNNA Mind is present, Sense organs are in dormant state. Action organs are alert and aunction if necessary. Meditation becomes one-pointed in this state. Also Known as Antarmukha Drishti State. JAGRAT BHOOLOKA WAKEFUL/AWAKENED Mind is present, Sense and Action organs are active are in working state. All learnings take place in this state. Meditation starts in this state. Also known as Bahirmukha Dristi state. DVAITA Antahkarana parinama takes place. Time-conscious. Awareness of without. VIBHAKTI ANTAHKARANAS ARE THE SEER. DIVAS UNREAL'I' SWAPNA BHUVARLOKA DREAM Mind is present. Sense organs are in dormant state. Actions organs will be functioning if necessary. Meditation becomes one-pointed in this state. Also known as Anthramukha Dristi state. DVAITA. Antahkarana parinama – vritti takes place. Time conscious. Awarenesss of within. VIBHAKTI. ANTAHKARANAS ARE THE SEER. ALSO MAHAH-,JANAH,TAPO LOKAS. SANDHYA UNREAL 'I' CONCEPT DIAGRAM I TABLE I PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND PHASES OF MIND AS REVEALED IN GAYATRI MANTRA Sapta Lokas : (Seven Conscious states of mind) 1. Seer Atman/Brahman ADVAITA STATES BEING Satya loka : Aham -Aham Jagrat Sushupti Wake ful Sleep Peace Silence Bliss Egoless /ego-transcending conscious state. Visranta Dristi Awareness + Chidakasa Maya not transformed Srasta Rasa Atmanubhava Samayam Bhakti, Para Tatparya, Sat-Chit-Ananda Sat/Chit Tapo loka : Aham+Chidabhasa Chittakasa Jagrat Sushupti Maya not transformed Samvit Meditative state if Mind Antakmukha Dristi Awareness + Icha-jnana-kriya sakti pravaham / Nirvishaya/nirvishayaanubhava pravaham 2. Seer: Antahkaranas – manas, buddhi, chittam and ahamkaram DVAITA STATES BECOMING Jano loka : Aham+Vasana Rajomayakasa Jagrat and/ or Swapna Wakeful/Awakened and/or Dream Antarmukha Dristi State of egoistic mind. First transformation of maya Awareness + Mood Pasyanti Artha Experience Intuition Sense Understanding Urge Maharloka : Aham+ Divya, Swara Saktis Jagrat and/or Swapna Mental state of Intellectual operations Antarmukha Dristi Awareness + Akasa and Vayu Bifurcation of maya into jnasakti and prana sakti Survarloka : Aham+ Nirvishaya/Nirvishayaaanubhavam Sushupti Deep Sleep Awareness+ Tamas Maya not bifurcated and not transformed suddhavasana pravaham Bhuvarloka : Aham+Idam Bhutakasa Swapna Dream State of awareness of within Awareness + Second transformation of maya Srusti Vibhakti Madh yama Antahkarana parimanatakes place Only action organs are active Sense organs are dormant Bhooloka : Aham+Idam Jagrat Wakeful/awakened State of mental cognition knowing/Expressing Bahirmukha Dristi Awareness + Bhutakasa Second Transformation of maya /Transformation of maya into sound, gesture, expression etc., Vibhakti Vaikhari Both sense and action organs are active APPENDIX I: Measurement of Time based on Surya Siddhanta.16 1 Day= 60 Nadigas; 1 Nadiga=60 Vinadigas; 1 Vinadiga=6 Pranas; 1 Prana=10 Deergha Aksharas (Long Syllable); 1 Deergha Akshara=4 Laghu Aksharas (Short Syllable). 1 PRANA= Time taken to pronounce 40 Laghu Aksharas (Short Syllables). Length of the Day is divided into 864,000 paarts. This corresponds to 1/10th of western second. The length of the day is equal to the time taken to pronounce 864,000 Laghu Aksharas ( SHORT SYLLABLES). 8 TABLEII INSIGHT OF GAYATRI MANTRA, UPANISHADIC WISDOM , ADVAITA PHILOSOPHY AND SABDABRAHMA SIDDHANTA IN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERMS No UPANISHADS SUDDHA ADVAITA SAKTADVAITA SABDA BRAHMA SIDDHANTA VARANASI RAMABRAHMAM PRESENT PRESENTATION 1. Atman and Brahman are same Atman, Brahman and Individual consciousness are not different Seer 'kasyapo pasyako bhavati Awareness' Para Bhakti Maunam Being Unoccupied Awareness -Bio-oscillator Satyaloka Being 2. MayaChidabhasa Maya Through which object – energy forms are sensed yaya asantam pasyati sa maya ya ma sa maya Maya is another name for 'samvit' Maya is reflected Sat/ Chit. Maya is Chidabhasa Pranavam Sphota Pranavam Pasyanthi SubjectObjectless Verb state Infinite/present continous Maya is psychic Energy. Reflected Chit-energy Tapoloka 3. Jagat is imposition on Sat. Also known as idam and Prapancham. Jagat is not real. Has no creation. So has no dissolution. Jagat is becoming of Chidabhasa. Jagat has origin and dissolution. Madhyama Vibhakt Becoming Jagat is Transformed(modulated) Maya when object-energy forms are cognized by Antahkaranas. Jagat has appearance and disappearance in the eternal Awareness Prajnanam, the Atma Drishti. Bhoorbhuvahmaharjanolokas 4. Idam is enveloped and encompassed by Isa. What is moving (transient) in the Atma-Dristi is Jagat Jagat is illusion in Sat and is 'seen' so as serpent is 'seen' in rope. Jagat is 'pot' in mud. 'Ornament' in gold 'Dog' in rock (sculpture) Madhyama Vaikhari Vobhakti Becoming Jagat is objective-Cognised energy form in Chida-bhasa. (Psychic energy pulse flow) Bhoorbhuvahmahatjanolokas 5 What is 'seen' is in *Sapta lokas Bhooh, Bhuvah, Suvah, Mahah, Janah Tapahah, Satyam lokas What is 'seen' is virtual Satya and Tapo lokas are eternal .Rest of the lokas disappear at pralayam Madhyama/ Vaikhari Vibhakti Becoming Maya undergoes bifurcation and Transformation -two way becomings to facilitate cognition and cognition related actions interactions andreactions. Bhoorbhuvahmaharjanolokas 6. Five elements are different phases of maya in the process of cognition Five elements are different phases of maya. Akasa and vayu are energies available even before creation takes place. Prithvi, Ap and Tejas are transformed and changed Akasa and Vayu. Madhyama/ Vaikhari Vibhakti Becoming In Atma awareness- (Sattva Guna) Object-Energy -Cognitions- (Tamoguna) Take place through AntahkaranaParimana-(Rajoguna) .Also known as vritti Five elements are five phases of psychic energy. 7, Prajnanam is divided as Jagrat,Swapna, Sushupthi and,Jagratsushupthi Atma Dasa. Same as Upanishads Names of seers change Jagrat-Vaishwanara Swapna-Taijasa Sushupthi-Prajna Manodasas. Ishwara is Avasthatraya Shakshi Madhyama/ Vaikhari Vibhakti Becoming Phases of mind and States of consciousness created by Object-Cognition and eventual transformationmodulation-of psychic energy 8. Pure Consciousness transcends Time Consciousness of Time and Space are not real Time and space are synonyms of energy Madhyama /Vaikhari Vibhakti Time and space Perceptions are relative to 9 and Space Consciousnesses Becoming conscious state. References: 1. Radhakrishnan. S., The Principal Upanishads, Indus, An imprint of Harper Collins Publishers India, 1994 2. Ramabrahmam, V. Upanishads Texts of Science? Bharatiya Bauddhika Sampada, (May, 2001) 8. 3. Ramabrahmam, V. Nature of Maya-A Modern Scientific Awareness, Bharatiya Bauddhika Sampada (August, 2002) 9. 4. Ramabrahmam, V. The Significance and Use of Absence, Bharatiya Bauddhika Sampada (November, 2003) 7. 5. Ramabrahmam, V. A modern scientific awareness of Upanishadic Wisdom: Implications to Physiological Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, Proceedings of the World Congress on Vedic Sciences, Bangalore (2004) 562. 6. Ramabrahmam, V, 2005, Human cognitive process-An ancient Indian model, Proceedings of the International Vedic Conference on Contribution of Vedas to the World, Haridwar 7. Ramabrahmam V, Being and Becoming: A Physics and Upanishadic Awareness of Time and Thought Process, Ludus Vitalis, Vol. XIII Number 24, 2005 pp. 139-154. 8. Ramabrahmam, V, Kalah Nama–Time means, Sambhashana Sandeshah (June, 2000) 4. 9. Ramabrahmam, V. Atma Manah Dhyanam Cha-Self, Mind and Meditation, Sambhashana Sandeshah (June 2001) 25. 10. Ramabrahmam, V. Meditation on the Self through Physics, Proceedings of the World Congress for the Synthesis of Science and Religion, Calcutta (1997). 11. Ramabrahmam, V, Kaalaateetatatvamu, Vedanta Bheri , June (2003) 36. 12.Bhartruhari, Vakyapadeeyam, (Telugu Akadami, Hyderabad),1974. 13.Ramanuja Tatacharya, N.S. Sabdabodhameemamsa-An Inquiry into Indian Theories of Verbal Cognition, (Institut Francais De Pondichery, Pondicherry-Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi) 2005. 14 Vaasishta Ganapati Muni, Viswa Mimamsa, (Kavyakanta Bharathi, Anakapalli),1982. 15.Vaasishta Ganapati Muni, Uma Sahasram, (Sri Sai Shyam Trust, Nandyal)1994 16.Krishnamurty, R. Surya Siddhanta, Astrological Magazine, ( May 1946) 308.. 17. Adian, E .D. and Matthews, B.H.C. , The Berger rhythm: potential changes from the occipital lobes in man", Brain, 57, 355-385, (1934). 18. 1. Taylor, D.J., Green, N.P.O., and Stout, G.W., Biological Science, Ed. R. Soper, (Cambridge University Press), Third edition, 2002, p.1. 19. Arthur C Guyton and John E Hall, Text Book of Medicinal Physiology, (Saunders Pennsylvania) 2004 20. Colin Blakemore, Mechanics of the Mind, (Cambridge University Press Cambridge, London, New York, Melbourne) 1977. 21.Changeux and Dehaene, Neural Models of Cognitive functions, 1989, pp. 63-199. 22. Perlovsky, Leonid. I, Neural Networks and Intellect, (Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford), 2001. 23. Stuart Russel and Peter Norwig, Artificial IntelligenceA Modern Approach, (Pentice-Hall of India Private Ltd. New Delhi), 2003. 24. James Allen, Natural Language Understanding, (Pearson Education Singapore Pte . 10 Ltd., New Delhi) 2003. 11