Krishjan

Chapter 1 — Mandukya Upanishad

Mandukya

12 Shloka • Translation Only

Om—this syllable is all that exists. Its explanation is as follows: Whatever was in the past, whatever exists in the present, and whatever will be in the future—all of it is truly Om (Oṁkāra) alone. And whatever transcends the three divisions of time—past, present, and future—that too is Om alone.

All this, indeed, is Brahman. This Ātman (Self) is Brahman. And this very Ātman has four quarters (aspects or states).

The first quarter is Vaiśvānara, whose sphere is the waking state. He is outwardly conscious, has seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and experiences gross (physical) objects.

The second quarter is Taijasa, whose sphere is the dream state. He is inwardly conscious, has seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and experiences subtle objects, dwelling in the inner world of dreams.

That state in which, while asleep, one desires no desire whatsoever and sees no dream whatsoever—that is deep sleep (Suṣupti). The third quarter is Prājña, whose sphere is deep sleep. In this state, all becomes unified, a mass of undifferentiated consciousness. He is full of bliss, experiences bliss, and has consciousness as the doorway.

This is the Lord of all (Sarveśvara). This is the Omniscient One (Sarvajña). This is the Inner Controller (Antaryāmin). This is the source of all; for from Him arise all beings, and into Him they finally dissolve.

The Fourth (Turīya) is not inwardly conscious, nor outwardly conscious, nor both inwardly and outwardly conscious. It is not a mass of undifferentiated consciousness, nor is it consciousness in the ordinary sense, nor unconsciousness. It is unseen, beyond empirical dealings, incomprehensible, ungraspable, without distinguishing marks, unthinkable, and indescribable. Its essence is the certainty of the one Self alone. It is the cessation of all phenomena, peaceful, auspicious, and non-dual. This is regarded as the Fourth (Turīya). This is the Ātman (Self). This is what is to be realized.

This very Ātman (Self) is Oṁkāra (Om), viewed in terms of its syllabic elements. The quarters (pādas) of the Ātman are the measures (mātrās) of Om, and the measures are the quarters. These are: A (A-kāra), U (U-kāra), and M (M-kāra).

Vaiśvānara, whose sphere is the waking state, is A (A-kāra), the first measure of Om. Because it is all-pervading (āpti), or because it is the first (ādi), it is identified with the letter A. One who knows this attains all desires, and becomes foremost among all.

Taijasa, whose sphere is the dream state, is U (U-kāra), the second measure of Om. Because of its excellence (utkarṣa), or because it stands between the two states, it is identified with the letter U. One who knows this elevates the continuity of knowledge and becomes equal-minded. In the lineage of one who knows this, no one remains ignorant of Brahman.

Prājña, whose sphere is deep sleep, is M (M-kāra), the third measure of Om. Because it is the measure (miti) of all, or because in it all things become absorbed (apīti), it is identified with the letter M>. One who knows this comprehends all this, and becomes the ground into which all things are absorbed.

The Fourth (Turīya) is without measure (amātra), beyond all empirical dealings, the cessation of all phenomena, auspicious, and non-dual. Thus, Om is truly the Ātman (Self). One who knows this enters the Self through the Self and realizes the Self as the Self. One who knows this—indeed, one who knows this.