Chit

Chit (consciousness, awareness) is one of the three aspects of Brahman in Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

Overview

Chit (Sanskrit chit, “consciousness” or “awareness”) is one of the three attributes of Brahman (the absolute reality) in Advaita Vedanta, along with sat (existence) and ananda (bliss). It is not ordinary consciousness but the pure, non-dual awareness that is the ground of all experience. The Mandukya Upanishad describes chit as the nature of turiya (the fourth state of consciousness) — the unchanging witness of all mental activity.

Philosophical Context

The Mandukya Upanishad describes chit as the nature of turiya — the fourth state of consciousness that underlies waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Shankara (8th century CE) interprets chit as the self-luminous awareness that illuminates all objects without itself requiring illumination. In the Yoga Sutras, chit corresponds to purusha (pure consciousness) that observes the modifications of prakriti (nature). The Vijnanabhairava Tantra describes chit as the “light of consciousness” that pervades all experience.

Interpretations

In Advaita Vedanta, chit is not a property of Brahman but Brahman’s very nature — Brahman is consciousness itself, not something that possesses consciousness. In Kashmir Shaivism, chit is identified with paramashiva (the supreme consciousness) that manifests as the universe through svatantrya (absolute freedom). In modern philosophy of mind, chit has been compared to the “hard problem of consciousness” — the question of how subjective experience arises from physical processes.

Verification Notes

• Mandukya Upanishad on chit as the nature of the fourth state.
• Shankara, Vivekachudamani on consciousness.
• Vijnanabhairava Tantra on the light of consciousness.
• Audited against Wikipedia and Indian philosophy references (September 2026).