Racanā

Rachanā (Sanskrit: रचना) is derived from the root verb – रच् - meaning – to arrange. Rachanā (रचनम् - ना = रचना) means – arrangement, preparation, disposition, formation, creation, production, performance, completion, array of troops, literary work, a creation of the mind, contrivance, invention e.g. chitra-rachana (drawing/painting), kāvya-rachana (poetic composition), anvaya-rachana (indeclinable/undistributable middle sentence construction).[1]

Proponents of Advaita Vedanta use this term to refer to the composition or structure of Brahman; Shankara explains that Brahman cannot be described by any name or form, the mind cannot think about Its composition (rachanā).[2] Even Badarayana in his Brahma Sutras (Sutra II.ii.1) states :-

रचनाऽनुपपत्तेश्च नानुमानम् |
"The inferred one (pradhana) is not (the cause) owing to the impossibility of explaining the design, as also for other reasons."

Badarayana uses the word rachanā to mean - 'design', he explains that on no account can the insentient pradhana create this universe, which cannot even be mentally conceived of by the intelligent (skilful persons, architects).

Notable people

Other uses

Rachana is also the title of a 1983 film and a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.[3]

References

  1. ^ The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Digital Dictionaries of South Asia. p. 1324.
  2. ^ S.P.Chaube (November 2009). Foundations of Education. Vikas Publishing. p. 219. ISBN 9788125911319.
  3. ^ Brahma sutra Bhasya of Sankaracarya. Advaita Ashrama. p. 367. Archived from the original on 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2014-12-16.