Explanations drawn from the writings
of Swami Nikhilananda Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center,
New York [Mandukya Upanishad is the
shortest of the major Upanishads, containing
only 12 verses.] The first chapter of Mandukya
Upanishad discusses Turiya by means of the Vedic symbol AUM.
The restless mind cannot think of the transcendental Reality
without the help of a concrete symbol. Thinking is possible
only through symbols. The student is asked to imagine four
parts in Brahman, or Cosmic Reality. They are called four
quarters. The first three- gross, subtle and causal-
constitute the phenomenal world. The fourth, so called only
in relation to the three just mentioned, is transcendental,
being beyond time, space and causality. It is Turiya, or the
unconditioned Brahman. Brahman and Atman (Self) are
identical. The gross aspect of Brahman has its counterpart
in the waking state (Visva) of Atman, when the external
world is perceived by means of the sense-organs; the subtle
aspect, in the dream state (Taijasa), when the internal
world, created by waking experiences, is perceived; and the
causal aspect, in deep sleep or dreamless sleep (Prajna),
characterised by bliss and the cessation of mental activity.
The transcendental aspect of Atman, or Pure Consciousness,
which is its true nature, is the same as Turiya. Like Brahman, AUM also has four
parts, called letters. The first three are A, U, and M,
corresponding to the first three quarters of Brahman and
Atman. In addition to these there is an undifferentiated
sound of AUM, which comes after the first three letters are
pronounced. Devoid of all characteristics, it is not any
particular sound, but the substratum of all sounds. It is
the same as the unconditioned Brahman, or Turiya. Turiya is
here figuratively called a quarter. In reality it does not
denote any part. It is Brahman Itself, which does not admit
of any differentiation. The knowledge of the fourth quarter
is realised by merging in it the previous three. That is to
say, the waking state is merged in the dream state, the
dream state in dreamless sleep, and finally, dreamless sleep
in Turiya, or Pure Consciousness. Thus through meditation on
AUM one can realise Brahman both in its cosmic and in its
acosmic aspect. [Note: “Unconditioned Brahman”:
For explanation, refer to Page ‘The Nature of Reality’, see
column on the left]. The four quarters are like the
quarters of a coin, and not like the four feet of a cow. A
large coin, for instance a silver dollar, can be divided
into four quarters. But these quarters are not essential or
intrinsic characteristic of the dollar; they are designed to
serve a practical purpose. That is not true of the four feet
of a cow, which are essential parts of it. Atman (Self) is
partless. Therefore the four quarters mentioned in the text
are superimposed upon Atman as the quarters are superimposed
on the coin. Again, the waking state merges in the dream
state, the dream state in the dreamless sleep, and dreamless
sleep in Turiya. The three preceding states are the means of
realising the fourth, or Turiya. The attainment of Turiya is
the object of philosophical inquiry. Turiya is not a part of
Atman.
HARIH AUM! Aum, the word, is all
this [i.e. the whole universe]. A clear explanation
of it is as follows: All that is past, present, and future
is, indeed, AUM. And whatever else there is, beyond the
three- fold division of time- that also is truly Aum.
(Mandukya Upanishad,Verse 1) All this is, indeed, Brahman (the
Supreme Reality). This Atman (Self) is Brahman. This same
Atman has four quarters (padas). (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
2) The first quarter (pada) is called
Vaisvanara, whose sphere of activity is the waking state,
who is conscious of external objects, who has seven limbs
and nineteen mouths, and who is the experiencer of gross
objects. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
3). [Note: “Who is conscious of
external objects”, : The self in the waking state is aware
of objects other than itself. Consciousness appears to be
related to outer objects. This is due to Avidya, or
ignorance. From the standpoint of Reality, Brahman or Atman,
is Pure Consciousness. Consciousness is non-dual and nothing
exists outside it. The duality of ego and non-ego, subject
and object, appears in the Cosmic Mind due to avidya.
Material objects are illusory in nature and have no
independent existence. “Seven limbs”: The word limbs is
used here to denote parts of the body. The seven limbs are
the head, the eyes, the mouth, the breath, the middle part
of the body, the kidney, and the feet. They have their
counterparts in the universe, namely the heavens, the sun,
fire, air, akasa (space), water, and earth. “Nineteen mouths”: Namely, the five
organs of perception (hearing, touch, sight, taste, and
smell), the five organs of action (the organs of speech or
the tongue), hands (for grasping etc.), feet (for
locomotion), generation (for procreation), and excretion,
the five pranas (the vital breath in its five aspects:
prana, apana, vyana, samana, and udana), the mind (manas),
the intellect (buddhi), I-consciousness (ahamkara), and the
mind-stuff (chitta). These are, as it were, the mouths or
organs by means of which the waking person (Vaisvanara)
experiences gross objects. Like the seven limbs, these also
are superimposed through avidya (ignorance), upon Atman. The
etymological meaning of the word ‘Vaisvanara’ is “common to
all men”. The universe may be regarded from
two standpoints: the microcosmic and the macrocosmic. The
microcosmic (subjective) entity (adhyatma) is endowed with
four quarters, namely, Vaisvanara (or Visva), Taijasa,
Prajna, and Turiya. Likewise the macrocosmic (objective)
universe, comprising the sphere of the sun, the moon, the
stars, etc., has four quarters. The first three are known as
Virat (the totality of gross physical bodies), Hiranyagarbha
(the totality of subtle bodies), and Isvara or Avyakrita,
the Unmanifested (the totality of causal bodies). The
attributeless Brahman, like Turiya, is the fourth. It is
transcendental, beyond all causal relations, and is the
unrelated substratum of all appearances. A parallelism runs
through the subjective and the objective. The macrocosm is
superimposed upon Brahman, and the microcosm upon Atman
(Self), through avidya (ignorance). Both are illusory
appearances. On account of the non-difference between the
subjective and the objective, the limbs of Vaisvanara are
described in terms of the objective universe. The purpose is
to show the illusory nature of the entire phenomenal world
and establish the non-duality of Atman (Self) and Brahman
(Supreme Reality). The identity of Vaisvanara and Virat
indicates the similar identity of Taijasa and Hiranyagarbha,
and also of Prajna and Isvara. Taijasa is the dream self,
the experiencer of subtle ideas. Hiranyagarbha is
Consciousness identified, through maya, with the totality of
minds. At the time of deep sleep all distinctions between
subject and object, and also between objects themselves, as
experienced in the waking state and the dream state, are
obliterated. The same thing happens at the time of cosmic
dissolution.] The second quarter (pada) is
Taijasa, whose sphere of activity is the dream state, who is
conscious of internal objects, who is endowed with seven
limbs and nineteen mouths, and who is the experiencer of
subtle objects. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
4) [Note: “Dream state”: The
impressions of waking experiences are reproduced in the form
of dream objects. From the empirical standpoint there is a
causal relationship between the waking state and the dream
state. ‘Internal”: In dreams mental states
consisting of the impressions of the waking state are
experienced. During the dream state the sleeping man is
aware of the external world and of internal ideas. But when
he awakes and reviews the dream experiences, he comes to
realise that they were nothing but the internal activity of
the mind. When a man is asleep his sense organs are
inactive. Therefore the dream experiences cannot but be
mental states. “Endowed with..”: The experiencer in
the dream state is non-different from the experiencer in the
waking state. “Subtle objects”: In the waking
state one’s consciousness is associated with gross objects,
whereas in the dream state one sees the impressions of past
experiences. But in reality the experiences of waking and
dreaming are of the same nature; for in both states the
perceiver is aware only of his mental states. From the
standpoint of dreams, the dream objects are as gross and
physical as those experienced in the waking state. It is
from the standpoint of waking alone that one infers that the
dream objects are subtle, inasmuch as in the dream state no
gross object exists for the dreamer.] That is the state of deep sleep
wherein one asleep neither desires any object nor sees any
dream. The third quarter is Prajna, whose sphere is deep
sleep, in whom all experiences become unified, who is,
verily, a mass of consciousness, who is full of bliss and
experiences bliss, and who is the door leading to the
knowledge of dreaming and waking. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
5) [Note: “That is the state of
deep sleep”: All three states have a common feature, namely,
the absence of the knowledge of Reality. But deep sleep
differs from waking and dreaming in that it is associated
neither with gross objects nor with subtle impressions,
which are the characteristics of the other two. Though the
same person, ignorant of Reality, experiences the three
states, yet the experiencer of the waking state perceives
gross objects, and the experiencer of the dream state
perceives dream objects. “Prajna”: That is to say, the knower
par excellence. This state is characterised only by general
consciousness. The other two states are associated with the
knowledge of particulars. “Unified”: In deep sleep all the
diversified experiences of waking and dreaming, which are
nothing but the activities of the mind, reach the state of
non discrimination, without, however, losing their peculiar
characteristics- just as the various objects perceived
during the day lose their diverse appearances when enveloped
by the darkness of night. This state of non-discrimination
is known in empirical language as the causal state. A person
viewing dreamless sleep from the waking state takes it to be
the causal state because he finds that the experiences of
waking and dreaming merge in deep sleep. This unified
experience of deep sleep is quite different from the unity
experienced through the knowledge of Brahman; for in the
waking or dream state that follows it, one again takes
multiplicity to be real. After attaining the knowledge of
Brahman one never takes multiplicity to be real. ‘Mass of consciousness”: That is to
say, free from the knowledge of multiplicity. In deep sleep
no specific knowledge is present. As in a dark night all
cows appear black and cannot be distinguished from one
another, so in deep sleep all discriminative knowledge
disappears. “Full of bliss”: Deep sleep is a
state of ease and repose. The friction caused by the
subject-object relationship is absent. All effort
disappears. Hence a person in deep sleep experiences bliss,
in the sense that one who is free from effort is said to be
happy. This bliss is quite different from that of
Brahman. “Door leading to the knowledge”: The
unified consciousness of deep sleep, wherein all diversities
disappear, is the antecedent of the waking and dream
experiences. Hence it is regarded as the cause of, or the
door to, the other two states.] He is the Lord of all. He is the
knower of all. He is the inner controller. He is the source
of all; for from Him all beings originate and in Him they
finally disappear. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
6) [Note: Consciousness associated
with deep sleep is known as Prajna. His nature is described
in this verse 6. “He”: Refers to Prajna, or
Consciousness functioning in deep sleep. In this state,
Consciousness, free from the diversities of waking and
dreaming, manifests in a marked degree its natural
purity. ‘The Lord of all”: That is to say,
of the physical and the supra-physical universe. But this
lordship does not refer to an extra-cosmic Creator, as some
schools hold. (Compare Brahadaranyaka Upanishad,
4,4,22.).] [The following comments refer to
the next verse No.7. The three states superimposed on
Brahman through avidya (ignorance) have already been
explained. Within them the causal law operates. Now will be
explained the fourth state, known as Turiya, which is free
from causality, is of the very nature of Pure Consciousness,
and is the Supreme Reality. This will be done through the
negation of the three states.] : Turiya is not that which is
conscious of the inner (subjective) world, nor that which is
conscious of the outer (objective) world, nor that which is
conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of
consciousness. It is not simple consciousness nor is It
unconsciousness. It is unperceived, unrelated,
incomprehensible, uninferable, unthinkable, and
indescribable. The essence of the Consciousness manifesting
as the self (in the three states), It (Turiya) is the
cessation of all phenomena; It is all peace, all bliss, and
non-dual. This is what is known as the Fourth (Turiya). This
is Atman (Self), and this has to be realised. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
7) [The following comments refer to
the next verse No.8. The highest truth, as explained above
by the refutation of the erroneous superimpositions, can be
grasped only by students endowed with sharp or moderate
intelligence. But ordinary students, who cannot understand
philosophical reflections, are advised to concentrate on AUM
as the symbol of Ultimate Reality.]: The same Atman [explained before
as being endowed with four quarters] is now described
from the standpoint of the syllable AUM. AUM, too, divided
into parts, is viewed from the standpoint of letters. The
quarters [of Atman] are the same as the letters of
AUM, and the letters are the same as the quarters. The
letters are A,U, and M. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse 8)
[Note: “The same Atman is now
described…”: The Mandukya Upanishad commences with the
statement that AUM covers all things and also that which is
beyond. Further, AUM is identical with Atman, which is
endowed with four quarters. In the explanation of the word,
emphasis has been given to Atman, which the word indicates.
The present verse explains AUM from the standpoint of the
world itself. The first verse of the Upanishad
states that AUM is everything- past, present, and future,
and what is beyond time. The second verse states that AUM is
the same as Brahman and Atman. Next follows the explanation
of Atman with its four quarters. All these explanations of
AUM have been given from the standpoint of Atman,
emphasizing the name (i.e. Atman) indicated by AUM. Now the
same AUM is being explained from the standpoint of the word
itself. AUM is pronounced OM. “In Sanskrit language the
vowel ‘O’ is constitutionally a diphthong, contracted from a
+ u. Om therefore may be analysed into the elements a + u +
m.” (R.E.Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, Oxford
University Press.) Vaisvanara Atman, whose sphere of
activity is the waking state, is A, the first letter (of
AUM), on account of his all-pervasiveness or on account of
his being the first. He who knows this obtains all desires
and becomes first (among the great). (Mandukya Upanishad,
Verse 9) [Note: “Vaisvanara Atman”: Atman
functioning through the waking state. His other name is
Visva; he is identical with Virat. “His”: Here Atman is
personalised. “All-pervasiveness…”: The sound
A pervades all sounds. It is present in all sounds. No sound
can be produced without opening the mouth, and the sound
that is thus produced is A. Likewise, the entire universe is
pervaded by Vaisvanara Atman. It has already been stated
that knowledge of the dream state and of deep sleep is
possible only in the waking state. Since the three states
constitute our entire experience of the universe, the waking
state pervades the whole universe. Another point of
resemblance between A and Vaisvanara is that just as A is
the beginning, or first, of the three letters constituting
AUM, so also, Vaisvanara, or the waking state, may be said
to be the beginning, or first, of the three states. ]
Taijasa Atman, whose sphere of
activity is the dream state, is U, the second letter (of
AUM), on account of his superiority or intermediateness, He
who knows this attains a superior knowledge, receives equal
treatment from all, and finds in his family no one ignorant
of Brahman. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
10) [Note: In this verse the
identity of the second quarter of Atman and the second
letter of AUM is pointed out. “Taijasa Atman”: Atman functioning
through the dream state. “Superiority”: As a matter of fact,
A, being the first of all letters, is superior to them all.
But U, coming after A, is stated here to be superior in a
figurative sense. Taijasa, or Atman functioning through the
dream state, is said to be superior to Vaisvanara because he
perceives ideas, whereas the latter sees only gross objects.
While investigating dreams the student realises physical
phenomena to be states of the mind, which knowledge brings
him nearer to truth. “Intermediateness”: As the letter U
is between A and M, so the dream state is between waking and
deep sleep.] Prajna Atman, whose sphere is deep
sleep, is M, the third letter (of AUM), because both are
measure and also because in them all become one. He who
knows this is able to measure all and also comprehends all
within himself. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
11) [Note: The identity of the third
quarter of Atman and the third letter of AUM is pointed
out. “”Measure”: Both the waking state
and the dream state emerge from (during manifestation) and
disappear into (during non-manifestation) the dreamless
state. Therefore both Vaisvanara and Taijasa are said to be
contained in Prajna, which may be compared to the container.
The word ‘measure’ in the text is used in the sense of a
container. “All become one”: When the word AUM
is repeated quickly several times, the sound actually heard
is MAUM. That is why it is said that the letters A and U
become one with M. Likewise, Visva and Taijasa become one
with, or merge in, Prajna in deep sleep. “Is able …all”: That is to say,
he knows the real nature of the universe. He realises that
the universe perceived in the waking and the dream states is
essentially the same as the experience of deep sleep,
inasmuch as all the three states are characterised by
non-apprehension of Reality. “Comprehend all within himself’: He
attains the status of Isvara, who is the cause of the
universe.] The Fourth (Turiya) is without parts
and without relationship; It is the cessation of phenomena;
it is all good and non-dual. This AUM is verily Atman. He
who knows this merges his self in Atman- yea, he who knows
this. (Mandukya Upanishad, Verse
12) [Note: AUM, in its
transcendental aspect, is Turiya. “Without parts”: That is to say,
without sound. This aspect of AUM cannot be expressed by any
sound. Being non-dual, it cannot even be described as the
substratum of the three other sounds. The AUM uttered
through sounds points, by contrast, to the soundless AUM.
All sounds must some time or other merge in silence or
soundlessness. The soundless AUM is the same as
Turiya. “Without relationship”: That is to
say, incomprehensible. Objects and their corresponding names
or sounds both disappear in Turiya. The physical world is
only an idea. Therefore all objects are but ideas expressed
by names or sounds. The contemplation of Turiya destroys
ignorance and also the mind created by ignorance. With the
destruction of thoughts and sounds, there remains nothing by
which Turiya can be comprehended. “This AUM is verily Atman”: As
already stated, the three letters or sounds of AUM are
identical with three states of Atman.] [The following is adapted from
Sri Shankaracharya’s commentary] : Those who have realised Brahman, the
Highest Reality, merge the self in Turiya because they have
transcended the notion of cause and effect, which inheres in
the third quarter of Atman. They are not born again; for
they have realised their identity with the causeless Turiya.
The illusory snake which has merged in the rope as a result
of discrimination between the snake and the rope, does not
reappear. Students of dull or mediocre mind who have
renounced the world and are endowed with spiritual virtues
should meditate on the common features of the sounds of AUM
and the quarters of Atman, as explained before. Thus,
proceeding step by step, they ultimately realise Turiya,
devoid of any state or sound, and attain the Highest
Goal. [The following quotations are
from Gaudapada Karika]: As in dreams the mind acts through
maya, presenting the appearance of duality, so also in the
waking state the mind acts through maya, presenting the
appearance of duality. There is no doubt that the mind,
which is in reality non-dual, appears to be dual in dreams;
likewise, there is no doubt that what is non-dual (i.e.
Atman) appears to be dual in the waking state.
(61-61) The mind should be concentrated on
AUM. AUM is the fearless Brahman. He who is always absorbed
in AUM knows no fear whatever. (25) Aum is indeed the beginning, middle,
and end of all things. He who has realised AUM as immutable
immediately attains the Supreme Reality. (27) Here ends the Mandukya
Upanishad.
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