The Upanishads are a celebration of the awakening of the Self (Atman), a state of unbounded pure being, pure bliss. They reveal the great truth of life: The Self of the individual is identical to the Self of the universe (Brahman). They sing out, “I am totality” (aham brahmasmi). The wholeness of life, Brahman, expresses itself as every particle of creation and as every human being. This is the profound message of the Upanishads.
The Mandukya Upanishad, like the Mundaka and the Prasna, and several minor Upanishads are part of the Atharva-Veda. Unlike the other Upanishads, the Mandukya, does not relate any anecdote or imaginary dialogue to illustrate its teachings. It plunges at once into a discussion of Brahman and Atman, and proclaims that they are not different. This shortest Upanishad, consisting of only 12 verses, was explained with 250 verses in the Gaudapada Karika, a highly philosophical commentary written by the teacher of Sankaracharya’s teacher, Govindapada. Both the text of the Upanishad and the Karika were further explained by Sankaracharya’s own commentaries as they are one of the seminal texts of Advaita Vedanta (non-dual teachings).
The Atman is associated with the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep, and then these three states are shown to merge in the Turiya, the Ultimate reality.
The first two slokas of the Mandukya state:
Slokas 1 and 2
OM – This whole world is that syllable! Here is a further explanation of it. The past, the present and the future- all that is simply OM; and whatever else is beyond the three times, that also is simply OM- for this Brahman is the Whole. Brahman is this Self (Atman); that Brahman is this Self (Atman) consisting of four quarters (places of manifestation).
~Patrick Olivelle translation
The word AUM is presented as the most effective symbol of Brahman. This word consists of three letters, A, U, and M, which are the symbols of the states of waking (A) jagrat, dreaming (U) svapna and dreamless sleep (M) susupti. The knowledge of Brahman covers not only these three states of phenomenal experience, but also a transcendental experience, called Turiya, which is that of undifferentiated Pure Consciousness. The word Aum, likewise, includes an undifferentiated sound which comes at the end of the word. Turiya is without sound or parts and is beyond relativity; it is the cessation of all phenomena. Hence, the study of the Mandukya Upanishad is considered by several ancient sages to enable one to realize the ultimate goal.
The four states of consciousness are discussed and a means to reach beyond the apparent limitations of the body, senses and mind, is elucidated. Turiya, called the fourth state, is the Self, is awareness itself, devoid of any content such as thoughts, feelings and perceptions. It is not limited by any kind of physicality; it is pure spirituality, with no distinctions, no boundaries, no thoughts, no emotions, no sensations- just pure, unbounded awareness aware of itself.
This realization of Brahman (brahma vidya) is the purpose of life.
Because Brahman permeates every aspect of creation, it also permeates each of us. Brahman is our own being, our own pure consciousness. In this sense, Brahman is the same as Atman. Brahman is the ocean and Atman is a drop in the ocean. Each drop of water can say “I am the ocean”, because each drop is made of the same substance of which the ocean is made. The identification of Atman with Brahman is found throughout the Upanishads.
One of the four great Mahavakyas (aphorisms) is found in the Mandukya Upanishad in the second sloka:
“Ayam atma brahma”- this Self is Brahman
The full meaning of each Mahavakya is gained through direct experience: One can access the whole of creation just by accessing one’s own Self. Brahman expresses itself as every aspect of creation, while ever remaining the limitless essence of all its manifestations.
The great sage, Adi Sankaracharya, wrote in his commentary on the Upanishads, “The sole purpose of all Upanishads is to determine the nature of Atman.” He describes the Atman as eternal, unchanging, undifferentiated, omnipresent and constant, because it cannot be created (utpadya), it cannot be transformed (samskaraya), it cannot be grasped (apya) like an object, and it cannot be damaged or destroyed (vikarya). Our experience of the world, according to Sankara, has been superimposed upon Brahman, which is the true reality. The false perception of the world as separate from Brahman is ignorance. Sankara states that when Brahman is permanently experienced by the individual, there is liberation, the goal of human existence.
Note: Liberation here and now.
“The purpose served by the scripture,” Sankara states, “is that it enables one to attain the knowledge of the identity of Atman with Brahman and thereby destroys grief and delusion, which are the results of ignorance.” All illusion and delusion is rooted in ignorance of our true reality, the Brahman/Atman. The illusion of ignorance can be changed, like the darkness that is removed when the light is brought in. Sankara taught that superimposition is only an appearance (vivarta), like a rope that appears to be a snake. In reality, there is only the rope; in reality there is only Brahman.
How does the Mandukya teach this?
Here, two important concepts are explained – the three states of consciousness, and the technique to understand and experience one’s own real nature. (Atman-Brahman).
Staying with the analogy of Atman having four quarters (or places of manifestation), the first quarter is “Vaishvanara” – our experience of the universe in the waking state, where we perceive externally. In the Mandukya it is described as having seven limbs and nineteen mouths (*five organs of perception, five organs of action, five breaths, mind, reason (buddhi), ego-sense and intellect (chitta)). *Patrick Olivelle footnotes.
The second quarter is Taijasa – the Brilliant one, whose sphere of activity is the dream state and who is conscious of internal objects, and who experiences subtle objects.
The third quarter is Prajna, whose sphere is deep sleep, in whom all experiences become undifferentiated, who is a mass of consciousness, who experiences bliss and is the doorway to the first two quarters. It is called Prajna, because it is consciousness undifferentiated, unlike the waking and dream states where there is an external or internal awareness of variety. The experiencer of the third state (sushupti or deep sleep) enjoys bliss when viewed from the waking state.
Sloka 6 says of the third quarter :
He is the Lord of all; he is the knower of all; he is the inner controller; he is the womb of all- for he is the origin and dissolution of beings.
~ Patrick Olivelle translation
Here the third quarter refers to the causal state, the seed or womb of creation.
It is also the gateway to Turiya, the fourth quarter or fourth state, which transcends the gross (waking), subtle (dream) and causal (deep sleep) states.
Expressed in Sloka 7 by two translators:
They consider the fourth quarter as perceiving neither what is inside nor what is outside, nor even both together; not a mass of perception; neither as perceiving nor as not perceiving; as unseen; as beyond the reach of ordinary transaction; as ungraspable; as without distinguishing marks; as unthinkable; as indescribable; as one whose essence is the perception of itself alone; as the cessation of the visible world; as tranquil; as auspicious; as without a second. That is the Self (Atman) and it is that which should be perceived.
~ Patrick Olivelle translation
Not inwardly cognitive (antah-prajna), not outwardly cognitive (bahih-prajna), not both-wise cognitive (ubhayata-prajna) not a cognition mass (prajnana-ghana), not cognitive (prajna), not non-cognitive (a-prajna), unseen (a-drasta), with which there can be no dealing (a-vyavaharya), ungraspable (a-grahya), having no distinctive mark (a-lakshana), non-thinkable (a-chintya), that cannot be designated (a-vyapadeshya), the essence of the assurance of which is the state of being one with the Self (ekatmya-pratyaya-sara), the cessation of development (prapancopasama), tranquil (santa), benign (siva), without a second (a-dvaita) – (such) they think is the fourth. He is the Self (Atman). He should be discerned.
~ Robert Ernest Hume translation
This is the Self with the regard to OM.
When chanting OM, connect each syllable with each state of Being – waking (A), dreaming (U) and deep sleep (M), ending each OM in the soundless transcendent Brahman which infills and unites all the states.
Thus OM is the Self (Atman).
As further explained in Gaudapada’s Karika Sloka.27
OM is indeed the beginning (adi), middle (madhya) and end (anta). Having known Om in this way indeed one attains immediate identity with the Self.
and Gaudapada’s Karika Sloka 29. (partial)
The OM, without measures and possessed of infinite dimension, is the auspicious entity where all duality ceases.
The last line of Sloka 12 concludes with:
He who knows this, with his self enters the Self-yea, he who knows this!
~ Robert Ernest Hume translation
Please note: Excerpts and references from the following Vedanta society teachers: Advaita Society lectures and literature Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Nikhilananda, Swami Ranganathananda Swami Gambhirananda
Excerpts from the following Translations of the Upanishads Vernon Katz and Thomas Egenes Eknath Easwaran Patrick Olivelle Valerie Roebuck Robert Ernest Hume
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