MĀṆḌŪKYA UPANIṢAD
Oṁ. May we hear what is auspicious with our ears, Deities. May we see what is auspicious with our eyes, Revered Ones. May we enjoy a long life, allotted by the gods, while singing their praises.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
1. The word “Oṁ” is all this. The explanation of that statement is this: clearly, everything in the past, present, and future is the syllable Oṁ; and whatever else is beyond those three periods is also, clearly, the syllable Oṁ.
2. All this is Brahman; this Self is Brahman. This Self has four quarters.
3. The first quarter is the universal consciousness (vaiśvānara) the wakeful state of external perception having seven limbs and nineteen mouths that enjoy gross objects.
Comment: The first state of the Self in the world is universal consciousness, which is the wakeful state that experiences gross objects. The seven limbs are the sky, the sun, ether, air, fire, water, and earth. The nineteen mouths are the five jñānendriyas, the organs of smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight; the five karmendriyas, the organs of speech, handling, locomotion, procreation, and elimination; the five vital airs, prāṇa, apāna, samāna, vyāna, and udāna; ego; intellect; thought; and mind.
4. The second quarter is the bright (taijasa) the dream state of inner perception having seven limbs and nineteen mouths that enjoy subtle objects.
5. The third quarter is consciousness (prājña) deep sleep, where there are no objects to desire nor any dreams to see. In the sleep state experience is only one thick mass of consciousness, full of bliss and truly enjoying bliss. It is the gateway to knowledge.
Comment: Deep sleep is defined as being without objects or dreams, distinguishing it from the wakeful and dream states. It is called the gateway to knowledge, because by understanding sleep, one can understand the relationship between the mind and the world. In deep sleep, the mind does not function, experience is thick darkness. There are no objects or visions because, without the mind, these do not exist. From deep sleep one can also understand that the mind is not one’s self. When someone awakens from sleep, they know “I slept,” yet the mind was absent in deep sleep. (So, who slept?)
6. This is the Lord of all. This is All-knowing. This is the controller within. This is the source of all and, surely, That which is the beginning and end of all living beings.
7. It is not the knower of the inner (dream state) nor the outer (wakeful state) nor the knower of both; it is not a mass of consciousness and it is not conscious or unconscious. It is the One Self, the essence of consciousness, unseen, unassociated, inconceivable, incomprehensible, indescribable, and without characteristics. It is the cessation of phenomena, peaceful, blissful, and non-dual. That is known as the fourth state and That is to be realized.
Comment: This verse describes turya, the fourth aspect of the Self. It is distinguished from the three states of wakefulness, dream, and sleep and is also different from simply being conscious or unconscious. It is the essence of consciousness, consciousness free from the subject-object duality, pure being-awareness. It is the natural state of the Self and, as such, is not perceived by the senses, nor can It be known through thought or speech. It is realized by the purified intellect when the mind is free from fluctuations and dichotomizing thoughts. (See Vijñāna Bhairava 15 and The Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali I. 2-3.)
8. The Self is described in quarters and the syllable Oṁ is described in letters. The quarters represent the aspects (of the Self) and the letters (of Oṁ) represent the quarters. The letters are: “A,” “U,” and “M.”
9. The letter “A” is the wakeful state of universal consciousness (vaiśvānara). It is the premier aspect due to its being pervasive or from being the first.
10. The letter “U” is the bright dream state (taijasa). It is the second aspect due to its being elevated or from being in the middle. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, his knowledge increases continuously, he attains equanimity, and all in his family become knowers of Brahman.
11. The letter “M” is the state of deep sleep, the consciousness (prājña). It is the third aspect due to its being the measure or from becoming one. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, also measures all this and becomes one with Brahman.
12. The fourth aspect is the Boundless. It is unassociated, the end of phenomena, the blissful, and non-dual; this same syllable Oṁ is, surely, the Self. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, merges his self with the Self.
Comment: After defining the aspects of the Self as the four states of consciousness, the upaniṣad goes on to equate the letters of the word Oṁ to these states. Oṁ is the sound-form of Brahman. It is the primal vibration from which the universe manifests. The three letters or individual sounds that form the syllable “AUM” are compared to the three states of worldly consciousness and the boundless or unsounded Oṁ is the fourth. By meditating on Oṁ, and uniting one’s mind with this syllable, one realizes that state of turya, the background of awareness that is always present in all the states of consciousness. That is the Self, That is one with Oṁ, and That is Brahman, the Supreme Reality.
2. All this is Brahman; this Self is Brahman. This Self has four quarters.
3. The first quarter is the universal consciousness (vaiśvānara) the wakeful state of external perception having seven limbs and nineteen mouths that enjoy gross objects.
Comment: The first state of the Self in the world is universal consciousness, which is the wakeful state that experiences gross objects. The seven limbs are the sky, the sun, ether, air, fire, water, and earth. The nineteen mouths are the five jñānendriyas, the organs of smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight; the five karmendriyas, the organs of speech, handling, locomotion, procreation, and elimination; the five vital airs, prāṇa, apāna, samāna, vyāna, and udāna; ego; intellect; thought; and mind.
4. The second quarter is the bright (taijasa) the dream state of inner perception having seven limbs and nineteen mouths that enjoy subtle objects.
5. The third quarter is consciousness (prājña) deep sleep, where there are no objects to desire nor any dreams to see. In the sleep state experience is only one thick mass of consciousness, full of bliss and truly enjoying bliss. It is the gateway to knowledge.
Comment: Deep sleep is defined as being without objects or dreams, distinguishing it from the wakeful and dream states. It is called the gateway to knowledge, because by understanding sleep, one can understand the relationship between the mind and the world. In deep sleep, the mind does not function, experience is thick darkness. There are no objects or visions because, without the mind, these do not exist. From deep sleep one can also understand that the mind is not one’s self. When someone awakens from sleep, they know “I slept,” yet the mind was absent in deep sleep. (So, who slept?)
6. This is the Lord of all. This is All-knowing. This is the controller within. This is the source of all and, surely, That which is the beginning and end of all living beings.
7. It is not the knower of the inner (dream state) nor the outer (wakeful state) nor the knower of both; it is not a mass of consciousness and it is not conscious or unconscious. It is the One Self, the essence of consciousness, unseen, unassociated, inconceivable, incomprehensible, indescribable, and without characteristics. It is the cessation of phenomena, peaceful, blissful, and non-dual. That is known as the fourth state and That is to be realized.
Comment: This verse describes turya, the fourth aspect of the Self. It is distinguished from the three states of wakefulness, dream, and sleep and is also different from simply being conscious or unconscious. It is the essence of consciousness, consciousness free from the subject-object duality, pure being-awareness. It is the natural state of the Self and, as such, is not perceived by the senses, nor can It be known through thought or speech. It is realized by the purified intellect when the mind is free from fluctuations and dichotomizing thoughts. (See Vijñāna Bhairava 15 and The Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali I. 2-3.)
8. The Self is described in quarters and the syllable Oṁ is described in letters. The quarters represent the aspects (of the Self) and the letters (of Oṁ) represent the quarters. The letters are: “A,” “U,” and “M.”
9. The letter “A” is the wakeful state of universal consciousness (vaiśvānara). It is the premier aspect due to its being pervasive or from being the first.
10. The letter “U” is the bright dream state (taijasa). It is the second aspect due to its being elevated or from being in the middle. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, his knowledge increases continuously, he attains equanimity, and all in his family become knowers of Brahman.
11. The letter “M” is the state of deep sleep, the consciousness (prājña). It is the third aspect due to its being the measure or from becoming one. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, also measures all this and becomes one with Brahman.
12. The fourth aspect is the Boundless. It is unassociated, the end of phenomena, the blissful, and non-dual; this same syllable Oṁ is, surely, the Self. Whoever knows AUM in this manner, merges his self with the Self.
Comment: After defining the aspects of the Self as the four states of consciousness, the upaniṣad goes on to equate the letters of the word Oṁ to these states. Oṁ is the sound-form of Brahman. It is the primal vibration from which the universe manifests. The three letters or individual sounds that form the syllable “AUM” are compared to the three states of worldly consciousness and the boundless or unsounded Oṁ is the fourth. By meditating on Oṁ, and uniting one’s mind with this syllable, one realizes that state of turya, the background of awareness that is always present in all the states of consciousness. That is the Self, That is one with Oṁ, and That is Brahman, the Supreme Reality.
