Mandookya Upanishad--Cornerstone of
Advaitaa Philosophy & Paancharaatra Theology
(Compilation for a Discourse by N.R. Srinivasan,
Nashville, TN, USA, March 2017)
INTRODUCTION
One
has to go through 108 Upanishads or 32 important or at least ten major
Upanishads on which Sankara and others have elaborately commented upon to understand Brahman and meditate upon for
salvation. If on the other hand if one masters Bhagavadgeeta besides which is
essentially compendium of all Upanishads, contemplation on Mandookya Upanishad
alone is sufficient for deliverance.
Rama expressed such an opinion on this short and deep Upanishad even
before the deliverance of Bhagavadgeetaa to humanity. What makes this small
Upanishad containing only twelve mantras so great? One of the four Mahaavaakyas
(great quotes) of Upanishads “ayam atma
Brahma” (The Self is Brahman) is found in the second mantra of this Upanishad.
Even these twelve mantras are arranged in four Khandas (cantos). The contents of this Upanishad might have
come from Brahmasootra 3-2-9: "Sa eva tu karmaanu-smriti-sabda-vidhibhyah"-- But,
on account of the inevitability of the experience of Karma
and the remembrance of the fact that he is the same that has gone to deep
sleep, and the scriptural statement that the Sushupta alone
wakes up and forms the injunction relating to final release, it becomes decided
that the same person wakes up from "Sushupti"
“Ayam aatma Brahma” of Mandookya Upanishad is from Atharvaveda,
meaning “This Self or Aatma is Brahman”. Here this statement gives the expression to
the intuitive experience of the aspirant. This is identified as Anubhava-Bodha
Vaakya in Vedanta. Badarikasram Jyotir
Math one of the four monasteries established by Sankara has adopted this
Mahaavakya as its motto. This Upanishad
elaborates on four aspects of Supreme Being which are often cited in many
Upanishads as Wakeful State, Dream State, Deep Sleep or Dreamless Sleep state
and the last simply mentioned as fourth state being undefinable. These are again
as Vaiswanara, Tejasa, Prajnya and the Fourth expressed in Sanskrit as Tureeya. These are
further referred as A, U, M and half syllable contained in the divine
syllable called Pranava and meditated upon as AUM. These four states are referred as Aniruddha, Pradyumna,
Sankarshana and Vaasudeva. In Vishnusahasranama Vishnu is glorified as
all-pervading Supreme Being and is referred as “Chaturvyuhah”. Thus in this
Upanishad the characteristics of four vyuhas, the particular state to which
they relate, the mode of contemplation on these four aspects of the
Supreme Being and the great benefits one can derive from such a meditation have been presented in
an effective capsule form. “In
Bhajagovindam verse 24 Sankara says “Tvayi
mayi cha anyatra ekah vishnuh’’—ultimately there is one Vishnu, in you, in
me, and in everything. There is one all-pervasive lord, this Narayana alone.
This is a very comforting vision. The very idea gives us such relief, that we
are Vishnu, we are Narayana and we are limitless. Whether or not we are able to
see ourselves as free or limitless today is a matter of our knowledge or
experience, but the scriptures reveal this vision about us. We are told “tat
tvam asi”--that thou art in Chandogya Upanishad; we are the limitless, that
divine, or the ultimate Truth”-writes Swami Viditananda in his commentary on
Bhaja Govindam.
No
wonder this Upanishad has attracted the attention of great many gurus and
scholars among ten cardinal Upanishads like Isavasyopanishad.
We
walk through four states of Consciousness in our everyday life. We go through
the initial three states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep in which the
mechanical nervous system rests and at the end of it reach a state of un-describable
state called Turiya, which is often
translated roughly as temporary state of Bliss called Ananda. In fact it is
hard to find exact translation of the word in any human language for this Aananda
which is hidden in the wisdom of Vedas. Chandogya
Upanishad describes Turiya state as
follows in 8.3.2—All the Jeevatmas go through the Supreme Lord day in and day out during this fourth state but
do not get or know that Brahman. It is just like walking on the gold mine
happily without knowing it”. Aananda is
a temporary state of being with Brahman without realization. Though everyday
all people in this world unite with Brahman and momentarily happy they do not
know that they have united with Brahman because of their Karma. You now
understand why it is difficult to describe the fourth state.
Vaayu
Purana glorifies five war heroes of Vrishni family Sankarshana (Balarama
brother of Krishna) Vasudeva (Krishna), Samba (son of Jambavati and Krishna),
Pradyumna (son of Rukmini and Krishna) and Aniruddha (son of Pradyumna). These human
beings are deified in Bhagavata Tradition. The four heroes Sankarshana, Vasudeva,
Pradyumna and Aniruddha are now regarded as emanations from Paravasudeva. From Parvaasudeva emerges Vyuha Vasudeva (or
Shadgunya vigraha, Bhagawan with six virtues; Lord Krishna from whom
Sankarshana comes forth, a secondary emanation. From Sankarshana emanated
Pradyumna and from Pradyumna Aniruddha. These four Vyuhas are associated with
four states as described above.
Vaishnavites
recite 24 forms classical forms of Vishnu in their daily prayers. According to Pancharaatra doctrine (doctrine
of four heroes deified with Paravasudeva constituting five aspects) each of the
four Vyuha or primary emanatory forms of Vishnu bring fourth three other forms
which are regarded as Vyuhaantara secondary emanation. The twelve secondary emanations are together
called murtyaantara or dvaadasa murtis. From these twelve
secondary emanations eight other forms which are further manifestations from
the four primary vyuha-murtis are produced bringing the total to 24 (4+12+8=24.
Mandookya Upanishad gave birth to Pancharatra Samhitas which are the scriptures
of certain Vaishnava sects of Hinduism. The numbers of texts pertaining to these
Samhitas are 250; of them Brihad Brahma, Iswara and Jnaanaamrita-saara Samhitas
are noteworthy.
Mandookya
Upanishad is considered as basic to all the Principles of Vedanta and the cornerstone to Advaita
Philosophy. An analysis of three states of Consciousness—Jaagrati, Swapna and
Sushupti and linking them with the three letters A, U, M of the Pranava syllable AUM (akaara, ukaara, makaara and onkaara) and
establishing Tureeya (unexplainable
fourth state) as the highest reality is the specialty of its message to spiritual
seeker. To Vaishnavites it is the Cornerstone on which Pancharatra doctrine is
framed.
The
seer of this Upanishad seems to be the son of Mandookya Maharshi. In Aitreya Upanishad there is a reference to
Mandookeya. Out of their Humbleness the great sages who are authors of various Upanishads
did not openly reveal their authorship even though we come across the names of
many sages both male and female in Upanishads. According to Madhvacharya and his two
followers, Thirtha and Srinivasa, Mandookya Upanishad was handed down by Varuna
in the form of Frog (Mandooka). In fact Upanishads do not generally have an
author and yet in our own weakness we try to discover an author for these great
literary pieces. Mandookya like Taittareya
and Aitreya is in prose form.
CONTENTS OF MANDUKYA UPANISHAD
Mantra 1:
Past, present and future are forms of AUM, Omkara.
Mantra 2:
Four steps of the union of Brahmana and AUM.
Mantra 3:
First step Vaiswaanara described.
Mantra 4:
Second step Hiranyagarbha Taijasa described.
Mantra 5:
Third step blissful Praajnya described.
Mantra 6:
Why is Brahman omniscient and God of all?
Mantra 7:
Fourth step formless Brahman without qualities described.
Mantra 8:
Three syllables A, U, M of Pranava.
Mantra 9:
First Syllable A with Vaiswaanara associated.
Mantra 10:
Second Syllable U with Taijasa associated.
Mantra 11: Third
Syllable M with Praajnya associated.
Mantra 12:
Knowing Brahman without syllable as fourth step.
INVOCATION
No Upanishad starts without the Guru and the
disciple sitting and chanting together the peace Invocation. Just before the
study of the Upanishad, the Guru and the student pray invoking the best in them
to come out by a full surrender to the mighty powers of an omniscient
God-Principle. Their invocation to Vedic
Gods Indra, Vaayu, Sun etc. makes us remember that Rama, Krishna and such other Puranic Gods are the products of a much
later age. In the Vedic period, this study team knew only of the five Great Elements and such other
manifestations to be the Divine personalities, the Divines or Devatas. They are
invoked here both by the guru and the disciple.
No peace invocation concludes without
repeating thrice peace or invoking peace (Shanti mantra). These three repetitions are addressed to the three
groups in which all the probable obstacles in the study of scriptures can be
classified. They are the God-sent-(Aadi Daivika) such as lightning, thunder;
Phenomenon (Aadi Bauthika) such as
fire, floods, landslide etc.; and Purely Subjective (Aadhyaatmika) such as, inertia, lack of faith insincerity and such
others that arise from our own negativities or inner disturbances.
Om bhadram karnebhih srunuyaama devaaha; bhadram
pasyemaakshabhir-yajatraaah
sthirair-angais-tushtuvaagam sas-tanoobhih vyasema devahitam yadaayuh ||
swasti na indro vriddhasravaah; swasti naha poosha viswavedaah | swasti nastaarkshyo arishtanemih; swasti noe
brihaspatir-dadhaatu | |
|| Om
saantih, saantih, saantih ||
O ye Gods! May we hear with our ears (always)
what is auspicious; O Worshipful Ones, may we with our eyes see (always) what
is auspicious. May we live the entire length of our allotted life hale and
hearty, offering our praises (unto Thee)! May Indra, the ancient and famous,
Sun (Pusan) the all-knowing, the Lord of swift motion(Vaayu) who saves us from
all harms and Brihaspati who protects the spiritual wealth in us—bless us (with
intellectual strength to understand the scriptures and the heroic heart to
follow the teachings). Om Peace be; peace be; peace be.
[Such Shanti Mantras are often times employed
as Mantrapushapas (Spiritual flower offering) during the worship of the Lord in
temples and at homes]
PART I. THE MAHAAVAKYA—GREAT SAYING
Mantra
1 Aum ity-etad-aksharam ida(ga)m sarvam |
tasyopa-vyakhyaanam bhootam bhavad-bhavishyad-iti sarvam-onkaara eva |
yaccha-anyat-trikaala-ateetam tadapy-onkaara eva ||
All
this is syllable AUM. A clear
exposition of this fact follows. All that existed in the past that exists in the present and what will become
in the future is verily AUM; whatever is beyond these past, present and future
is also AUM.
The
four parts of Pranava [A (beginning), U (continuous), M (closing) and the nasal
half sound] correspond to the four aspects (Vyuhas) of Brahman—Aniruddha,
Pradyumna, Sankarshana and Vasudeva and they in turn correspond to Viswa,
Tejasa, Praajna and Tureeya. This is
often referred as Paada Chatushtaya or Chaturvyuha in Pancharatra Theology. All things either limited by time or not
limited by time or verily the sound of AUM or Brahman alone. This here refers
to manifested world. AUM is not only
what is past, present and future but also what is beyond past, present and
future.
Mantra
2 Sarva(ga)m
hyetad-brahma-ayam-aatmaa brahma |
so-ayamaatma chatush-paat ||
All
this is verily Brahman. Self (Aaatman) is Brahman. Aatman has four quarters or
phases of consciousness.
Omkaara
is Brahman. Brahman is Self in all. So
the individual soul or Atman is Brahman.
This Atman has four quarters (parts).
In
the second canto Mandookya upanishad describes the three quarters as Vyswanara,
Tejasa and Praajna which corresponds to the three divine Vyuhas Aniruddha,
Pradyumna and Sankarshana, representing three states of Wakeful, Dream and Deep
sleep—Jagriti, Swapna and sushupti.
Though each quarter has been expounded with certain definite
characteristics, the three quarters are to be reflected in the same way. Viswa
is the gross body Taijas subtle body and Praajna is the causal body. These
three together constitute the Microcosm. At Macrocosm or Universe level, Viswa is designated as Virat, Taijasa as Hiranyagarbha and Prajna as Iswara. Gross
body is the food sheath; Vital sheath, Mental sheath and Intellectual sheath
together constitute the subtle body; and Bliss sheath is the causal Body.
PART II. THE FOUR QUARTERS
Mantra 1: Jaagaritasthaano
bahih prajnyah saptaanga ekonavimsati-mukhah sthoolabhug-vaiswaanarah prathamah
padah //
The first quarter is Vyswaanara who is the ordained of the waking state, whose
consciousness relate to external things,
who is possessed with seven limbs like the sun, the air and the earth and who
has eighteen mouths ( an instrument of consumption) such as motor organs and
sense organs and who enjoys gross things.
Chhandogya
Upanishad describes seven limbs as follows: The Heaven is the head; the Sun is
the eye; Air is the vital force; Space is the trunk or the middle part; Water
is his bladder and Earth is his feet. The nineteen mouths are; Five sense
organs (Jnanedriyas), five motor organs (Karmendriyas), Five vital force
(pancha praanas) and four Antahkaranas-mind, intellect, ego and consciousness
(chitta). In this State one lives with all things focused outward, aware of the outside world only.
Vaiswanara means one who leads all beings of this world. Presiding principle
over wakeful state is called Vyswanara
that is Aniruddha.
Mantra 2: Swapnasthaana-antah
prajnyah saptaanga ekonavimsati-mukhah praviviktabhuk-taijaso dwiteeyah paadah
||
Taijasa
is the second quarter. This sphere of activity is individual’s dream state. It cognizes
internal objects and his consciousness is turned on internal world of objects.
He too is possessed of seven limbs and nineteen mouths and enjoys subtle
objects (of mental world).
Objects
experienced in dream state are not the same as in the wakeful state. This state
corresponds to Pradyumna. Pradyumna is
called inner consciousness (antahprajnya). The dream state created by the Lord
exists as long as dream lasts. The objects of the dream are experienced only by
the Self or Jeevaatman for the duration
of the dream and so the presiding deity of the
dream is called Tejasa and that is Pradyumna.
In this state one lives with all senses focused inwards enacting a drama
of past deeds and present desires, factual or imaginary.
Mantra 3: Yatra supto
na kanchana kaamam kaamayate na kanchana swapnam pasyati tat-sushuptam |sushuptasthaana
ekeebhootah prjnyaana-ghana eva-aanandamayo
hyaanandabhuk-chetomukhah praajnyas triteeyah paadah ||
The
Prajnya is the third quarter where the Jeevaatman (in its sookshma sareera) the
sleeper has no dreams or wants. He is
the very embodiment of cognition, a mass of Consciousness.
It prepares the jeeva for the last stage of Aananda
(a state of temporary Sayujya or oneness with Brahman) roughly called as Bliss
state of deep asleep. In this state Jeeva
(Self) is not overcome by the defects of desire and others and it does
not experience dreams. Lord himself is
in his state of Sushupti as a solid mass of consciousness and He causes the
Jeeva (Self) to experience bliss of deep sleep. He who
is known through pure mind, who is of the form of Bliss and consciousness, is
called Sankarshana. There is neither
individual mind nor separateness in this state and it opens the gateway
to for the projection of consciousness into the other two planes of
consciousness the dream and the waking.
When
we have transcended both the states of waking and dream, we will be in a state
called the dreamless deep sleep, and in that state the Consciousness in us is
illuminating neither the gross objects of the outer world nor the subtler
objects of the mental zone. There, in this deep sleep state, the entire
consciousness in us seems to have collected together in us and crystallized
into one mass of awareness. At this state of experience, our entire
consciousness has become a homogeneous mass of awareness (prajnyaanaghana.)
Mantra 4: Esha
sarveswara esha Sarvajnya esho-antaryaamyesha yonih sarvasya prabhavaapyayau hi
bhootaanaam ||
This
is the fourth quarter (fourth aspect of Self as it were) different from the
other three. He is the Lord of all. This Self is omniscient; this is the inner
controller of all; this is the cause of every other thing; this is the source
of all origin and destruction of all
being too.
Mantra 5: Naantah prajnyam na bahih prjnyam nobhayatah
prajnyam naprjnyaghanam naprjnyam
naaprjnyam | adrishtam-vyavahaarya m-agraahyam-alakshanm-achintyam-vyapadesya-maikaamya-pratyamyasaaram prapanchopasamam saantam sivamadvaitam
chaturtham manyante sa aatmaa sa vijnyeyah ||
They consider the fourth state to be
that which is not `consciousness of the internal world; nor consciousness of
the external world (Taijasa); nor the consciousness of both the internal and
external worlds. It is not Prajnyanaghana
or mass of consciousness nor
simple consciousness; nor unconsciousness, that is not visible external sense
organs.
Avyahaaryam= Not
accessible to Karmendriyas; Agraahyam=
not grasped by the mind; Alakshanam=not
inferable; Achintyam avyapadesyam=Not
possible of being thought as this is like this, and not possible of being
described as such; Aikaatmya
pratyaasaaram= It is the object of awareness that is one Prapanchopasamam—In which even the world
of Sankarashana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and others cease. Advaitam=bereft
of a second entity of a similar nature--this is known as Vasudeva. Sa aatmaa sa vijneyah= That is Aatman;
That is to be known.
In
this Mantra the fourth quarter Vasudeva is expounded. The Thureeya or the
fourth state is different from Viswa, Taijasa and Prajnya states. The Vasudeva
Murthy is described as one who cannot be
grasped.
He
is the One without the second. He is Atman or the Universal Self. He should be
known or realized. This is the super-conscious state. Here there is no outward
or inward, it is beyond all intellect and senses. It is Lord alone who is Infinite peace and Love, who should be
realized and enjoyed in the last quarter.
The
Consciousness in us is certainly the womb of all things, because if
Consciousness were not in us neither the Sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor
the entire world of objects nor the world of ideas would have been existent.
When this Conscious Principle is projected out through
the mind and intellect and through the sense organs, then it expresses itself
in the awareness of the world-objects and the world of ideas and thoughts. If we remove this Principle of Awareness or
Consciousness from a particular body, that body will no more illuminate for
itself the ideas of this outside word. Thus scientifically, not philosophically
spiritually, that the world outside and the world within, rise up from this
Pure Consciousness, exist in this Consciousness and shall, when the
Consciousness is withdrawn, merge back into Consciousness itself. Law of Consciousness
follows Law of Matter.
A REFERENCE TO TATTVABODHA
It
is beneficial here to go through the vivid and clear explanation of
Sankaracharya on the three states described above. Jagadguru Sankaracharya describes these three
states in his Tattvabodha as follows:
The Waking State:
Jagradavastha kaa? srotraadri-jnyaanendriyaih
sabdaadi-vishayaischa jnyaayate iti yaa
saa jaagradavasthaa | sthoolasareeraabhimaanee aatmaa viswa ityuchyate
||
What
is waking state? That state of experience in which the sense objects like sound
are perceived through sense organs like the ears, is the Waking State. The Self identifying with the gross body, is
called Viswa.
This
is the State in which the entire personality turns outward, awake and fully
functioning. The Self identifies with
all the three bodies (gross, subtle and causal) and experiences the world with
them. The person in his wakeful state is called Viswa or complete or
all-inclusive.
The Dream State:
Swapnaavasthaa keti chet jaaggrdaavasthaayaam
yad drishtam yat srutam
tajjanita-vaasanayaa nidraasamaye yah | prapanchah prateeyate saa
swapnaavasthaa | Sookshamsareera-abhimaaneeaatmaa taijasa ityuchyate ||
The
explanation for dream State is as follows: The world that is visualized while
in sleep from the impressions what was seen and heard in the waking state is
called the Dreaming State. The Self here identifies with the subtle body and is
called Taijasa.
Dreams
are not fulfilled desires of the one who is in a wakeful state. One may dream
of being a millionaire a or flying round the globe. Dreams are often illogical,
ridiculous and often silly to the man
in wakeful state. The Self does not identify with the gross body in the dream
state and it identifies only with the subtle and casual bodies. The individual
is then called Taijasa as the dream world is thought-created. The dream may
seem unreal to the one who is wakeful but it is real to the dreamer.
The Deep Sleep State
Atha sushupty-avasthaa kaa? Aham
kimapi na jaanami | Sukhena mayaa
nidr-anubhooyata iti sushuptyavasthaa | karana sareer-abhimanee aatmaa prajnya
ityuchyate ||
Then
what is the Deep Sleep State? That state
about which ne says that “I did not know anything” I slept like a log: I enjoyed a good sleep” is
the Deep Sleep state. The Self identifies with the Causal body and is called
Prajnya.
In
the waking state we identify with the gross body and turn outwards and become
the doer and enjoyer. In the dream
state we identify with our subtle body and become the enjoyer of the dream and
fantasy or horror world; in the deep sleep state there is neither the doer nor
the enjoyer of the world. There is no concept of time space or duality as in
the other two states. There is no cognizance in the deep sleep
state. We are ignorant of our true nature therefore one who is in this state is
called Prajnya (praayena Ajnyah) one who is more are less ignorant. In the wakeful
and dream state each of us differs. In the Deep Sleep state we are all one and
the same. The rich, the poor, the ignorant and the wise all experience the same
bliss in the Deep Sleep state. In the eyes of god we are all the same in this
state and are not influenced by individual factors. The three states come and go. Each negates
the experience and reality of the other two.
We stand as witness of these states, un-negated by them. The Self does not take the
roles of the Wakeful, Dreamer or Deep Sleeper.
PART III. OMKAARA—AKAARA, UKAARA,
MAKAARA AND THE NASAL HALF SOUND
Mantra 1: Soyayamaatmaadhyaksharram-omkaaro
adhi-maatram paadaa maatra maatraascha-paadaa akaaara
ukaaroe makaara iti ||
This
Self (Tureeya) exists in the Syllable OM. Tureeya corresponds to the syllable
OM made up of three letters. Though indivisible it has the three sounds of
Akaara, Ukaara and Makaara.
OMkaara
is a sound (naadaatmaka) and that itself is Atman. The four quarters of Brahman are expounded as Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana and Vasudeva corresponding to
maatras A, U, M and ardha matra (half nasal
sound). The Upanishad is here vouchsafing to us that the three maatras
(letters) are the three paadas.
Mantra 2-- Jaagaritasthaano
Vaiswaanaro akaarah prathamaa maatra apter-aadimachvaadvaa aapnoti ha vai
sarvaan kaamanaadischa bhavati ya evam
veda ||
Vaiswanara
has the waking state as his sphere. He
is the first letter (A of AUM) of the pervasiveness or being the first. He who
meditates thus attains all desirable things and becomes the foremost of all.
Akaara
is the source of all speech and it provides all terms. This is like Aniruddha who is all pervading. Anirudddha is called Jagriti Sthaana and Vaiswanara. Vaiswanara is to be known as having “A”
symbol as he is designated by the term akaara which is the source of all terms.
Through mastery of senses one obtains the fruit of his desire and attains
greatness.
The
sound A (A -as in America) Is the very fundamental of sounds. Man has only to
open his mouth, equipment of speech, and blow out some air to produce the
initial sound A. When a child is just
born the very first sound it declares itself to the world is by crying A
produced. The first letter ‘A’ seems to be in all languages of the world. All
sounds are pervaded by A. Vaiswanara represented by A pervades the entire
universe.
Mantra 3. Swapnasthaanas-teijasa ukaaro
dwiteeyaa maatrotkarshaad-ubhayatvaadvaa | utkarshati ha vai jnaanasantatim samaanascha bhavati | naasya-brahmavitkule
bhavati ya evam veda ||
He
who is Taijasa having the dream state as his field of activity denotes the
second letter U (ukaara) because of the similarity of the excellence with
Prajnya. He who thus meditates on Taijasa
or Pradyumna will become
celebrated on account of the spreading of knowledge among disciples and their
disciples and become equal to all great persons. Nobody will be born in his
lineage who is not a knower of Brahman.
Through
mastering the dreams the spiritual seeker reaches the peak of wisdom by
meditating on the second letter as Pradyumna. Everyone in their family will be
knowers of Brhaman or spiritual seekers like him.
The
letter U comes after A in AUM And hence the superior of dream state over wakeful state. The
letter U comes in between in AUM. Dream state comes in between waking and the
deep sleep state. He who meditates upon
U sound in AUM and the subtle body or pradyumna develops his mind to such an extraordinary perfection that
he certainly attains a superior knowledge and he should prove himself in the
world great genius.
Following
the psychological heredity in the family noticed in humanity Upanishad says
that in the family of such learned and erudite scholars of the scriptures,
there will not be any member who is culturally low and spiritually wanting.
Mantra 4 Sushuptasthaanah praajnyo makaaras-triteeyaa maatra |
miterapeetervaa | minotee ha vaa ida(ga)m sarvam-apeetascha bhavati ya evam veda ||
Praajnya
with his sphere of activity in the Deep Sleep state is the third letter “Ma”
because of measuring or because of absorbing everything. He who knows thus
measure as all this and becomes the place of absorption or gets merged in all.
By
a mind of tranquility they find their stature and inspire all others around to
grow. In Makaara Akaaraa and Ukaara
merge. With Akaara you start a sound, with Ukaara you continue and with
Makaara you close the sound hence the
merger in Ma. In the Prajnya or Sankarsha the world merges. The spiritual
seeker merges in Paramaatman and thereafter he is called apeetascha bhavati (place of absorption). Apeeta means pralaya or
cataclysm.
In
pronouncing the sound AUM the letters A and U merge themselves into the last
sound M. When we chant the sound AUM, A and U seem to rise up. In the deep sleep state of Consciousness,
both the waking state and the dream state experiences seem to fold themselves
into a mass of homogeneous awareness. On waking up out of this undifferentiated
mass of Consciousness the deep sleep state the waking and the dream states seem
to emerge out.
One other common feature between the last
letter in AUM and the deep sleep state is the obvious fact that in both the
earlier plurality of differences merge themselves to become one whole.
PART IV. AUM STANDS FOR SUPREME STATE OF TUREEYA
LAST MANTRA: Amaatraschaturthoavyavahaaryah
prapanchopasamah sivo advaita evam-omkaara aatmaiva samvisatyaatmanaa-aatmanam ya evam veda ||
The
fourth stage which is bereft of all limitations, is the Supreme state of Atman
alone (Vyuha Vasudeva eva) and is of the form of OMkaara. Atman is not
visible to the Indriyas. The world of Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Sankarshana are
absorbed in it. It is one without any second entity (adviatam). It is the auspicious one (sivam). This is the sound of AUM. He who knows thus attains
Paramaaatman by the grace of Paramaatman alone.
The
fourth Tureeya is beyond all the three syllables. It is in it the whole world
dissolves. It is Aatman the Self. It is beyond birth and death everlasting
peace of joy. In Vaishnava Theology the fourth state is addressed as
Paravasudeva. There is very little difference between Vasudeva and
Paravasudeva. In fact there are two opinions as to Vyuhas. Some think it is three
and others four. Naantah prajnyam
in one of the verses refer to
Paravasudeva.
Viswa,
Tejasa and Prajnya are super-impositions upon the Supreme Reality, which is the
fourth state, Tureeya—Eternal, Immortal, Knowledge, Absolute, and in essence
nothing but ‘Bliss’. He who knows this merges his Self in the Supreme Self—the
individual in the Total.
CONCLUSION
In
these 12 mantras above the characteristics of four Vyuhas and the particular
states to which they relate are described. The Supreme Reality into which we merge in the
“fourth state” (Tureeya) is also represented by the sacred syllable AUM. In our
Sandhyavandana mantra we meditate on “Bhurbhuvassuvarom”
meaning the three worlds Bhoo, Bhuvah and Suvah are AUM alone are Brhamaatmaka
representing Brahman. MNU also says AUM
tad Brahma tad Aatma— AUM is Brahman and that is Aatma. AUM is our innermost sacred voice that we try
to explore and understand all our life seeking liberation.
The
sage in Mandookya Upanishad says the three worlds or orders of Reality are
visualized in the sounds of the sacred syllable—a, u, and m—as it is manifested
in the phenomenon world as Saguna Brahman. All Veda Mantras according to
Mandooka go back to AUM, and then beyond even this primordial energy to Nirguna
Brahma--the ultimate goal of all spiritual seekers. He also says how it is
beneficial to meditate upon these four aspects as Paramaatman, Supreme Being
and derive great benefits to get Saayujya or be one with Brahman.
In
Muktika Upanishad there is a brief reference but most glorious review on
Mandookya Upanishad as follows: “Mandookyam
ekam kevalam mumkshatvam vimukta ye”—Mandookya Upanishad alone is
sufficient for an aspirant to attain liberation.
Mandookya
Upanishad containing only 12 mantras, because of it brevity it, makes difficult
for the Vedanta students to understand its entire import without elaborate
explanation. Therefore, Garudapada the Guru of Sankara has written a Karika
(Gloss) upon this Upanishad. Karikas are
memorial verses written with a view to expounding in a metrical form an aspect
of a subject or particular doctrine, so that it may be easily memorized by the
student. His entire text of this Karika falls under four chapters. The Karika
contains 215 verses in four chapters; Agama Prakarana (scriptural text portion);
Vaithathya Prakarana (Illusory portion); Advaita Prakarana (Non-dualism
philosophy) and Alatha Santhi Prakarana (Quenching the Firebrand). You can thus
see how this great Upanishad has attracted the attention of great Gurus like
Sankara, Madhva and others from the very early times. In this sense my attempt
in this compilation from great authors is a trivial attempt but its rendering
in English may inspire many to go through this Upanishad more in detail.
REFERENCES:
1.
Ananta
Rangacharya N.S., Principal Upanishads, Mandookyopanishat, Bengaluru, India.
2.
Swami
Harshananda, The Ten cardinal Upanishads, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
4.
Swami
Tejomayananda, Tattva- Bodha, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, India
5.
Ramachandra Rao
S.K., Darsanodaya, Kalpatharu Research
Academy, Sarada Peetham, Bengaluru, India
6.
Swami
Chinmayananda, Mandookya Upanishad, Central
Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, India
7.
Ananta
Rangacharya, Vedanta Sutras, Bengaluru, India.
8.
Swami Viditananda, Bhaja Govindam,
Adhyatma Vidya Mandir, Ahmadebad, India.
Commentary on Mandukya Upanishad
(Yoganada.com.au)
AUM is All Harih Aum!
AUM,
the word, is all this, 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 threefold division of time—that also is truly AUM.
(1.1)
All
This is Brahman All this is, indeed, Brahman. This Atman is Brahman. This same
Atman has four quarters. (1.2)
[The
first three quarters correspond to the letters of AUM: 1 = A, 2 = U, 3 = M. The
fourth quarter is silence.]
"A" — Waking State The first quarter
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 experienced of gross objects. (1.3)
"U"
— Dream State The second quarter 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 experienced of subtle objects. (1.4)
"M"
— Deep Sleep 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. (1.5)
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. (1.6)
Gaudapada Karika Explanation (Ch 1)
[Gaudapada
(c. 8th century CE) was first philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta school of
Hindu philosophy in the post-Upanishadic period. He was guru of the great
teacher Adi Shankara.]
Visva
is all—pervading, the experienced of external objects. Taijasa is the cognizer
of internal objects. Prajna is a mass of consciousness. It is one alone that is
thus known in the three states. Visva is the cognizer through the right eye;
Taijasa is the cognizer through the mind within; Prajna is the akasa in the
heart. Therefore the one Atman is perceived threefold in the same body. Visva
experiences the gross; Taijasa, the subtle; and Prajna, the blissful. Know
these to be the threefold experience. The gross object satisfies Visva; the
subtle, Taijasa; and the blissful, Prajna. Know these to be the threefold
satisfaction. The experienced and the objects of experience associated with the
three states have been described. He who knows these both does not become
attached to objects though enjoying them. Surely a coming into existence must
be predicated of all positive entities that exist. Prana manifests all
inanimate objects. The Purusha manifests the conscious beings in their manifold
forms. Some of those who contemplate the process of creation regard it as the
manifestation of God’s powers; others imagine creation to be like dreams and
illusions. Those who are convinced about the reality of manifested objects
ascribe the manifestation solely to God’s will, while those who speculate about
time regard time as the creator of things. Some say that the manifestation is
or the purpose of God’s enjoyment, while others attribute it to His division.
But it is the very nature of the effulgent Being. What desire is possible for
Him who is the fulfillment of all desires?
(GK1.1-9)
Turiya
'the fourth' — Pure Consciousness 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, un-inferable, unthinkable and indescribable. The
essence of the Consciousness manifesting as the self in the three states, It 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 and this has to be
realized. (1.7)
Gaudapada Karika Explanation
Turiya,
the changeless Ruler, is capable of destroying all miseries. All other entities
being unreal, the non-dual Turiya alone is known as effulgent and
all—pervading. Visva and Taijasa are conditioned by cause and effect. Prajna is
conditioned by cause alone. Neither cause nor effect exists in Turiya. Prajna
does not know anything of self or non-self, of truth or untruth. But Turiya is
ever existent and all—seeing. Non-cognition of duality is common to both Prajna
and Turiya. But Prajna is associated with sleep in the form of cause and this
sleep does not exist in Turiya. The first two, Visva and Taijasa, are
associated with dreaming and sleep respectively; Prajna, with Sleep bereft of
dreams. Knowers of Brahman see neither sleep nor dreams in Turiya. Dreaming is
the wrong cognition and sleep the non-cognition, of Reality. When the erroneous
knowledge in these two is destroyed, Turiya is realized. When the Jiva, asleep
under the influence of beginning-less maya, is awakened, it then realizes
birthless, sleepless and dreamless Non-duality. If the phenomenal universe were
real, then certainly it would disappear. The universe of duality which is
cognized is mere illusion (maya); Non-duality alone is the Supreme Reality. If
anyone imagines illusory ideas such as the teacher, the taught and the
scriptures, then they will disappear. These ideas are for the purpose of
instruction. Duality ceases to exist when Reality is known. (GK1.10-18)
A + U + M Aum explained.
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. (1.8)
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. (1.9)
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.
(1.10)
Prajna
Atman, whose sphere is deep sleep, is M, the third letter of AUM, because both
are the measure and also because in them all become one. He who knows this is
able to measure all and also comprehends all within himself. (1.11)
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. (1.12)
Commentary by Shankaracharya
Those
who have realized 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 realized
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 realize Turiya, devoid of any state or
sound, and attain the Highest Goal. Gaudapada Karika Explanation AUM should be
known quarter by quarter. There is no doubt that the quarters are the same as
the letters. Having understood AUM quarter by quarter, one should not think of
anything else. The mind should be concentrated on Aum. Aum is the fearless
Brahman. He who is always absorbed in Aum knows no fear whatever. Aum is verily
the Lower Brahman. It is also stated to be the Higher Brahman. Aum is beginning-less
and unique. There is nothing outside it. It is unrelated to any effect and is
immutable. Aum is, indeed, the beginning, middle, and end of all things. He who
has realized Aum as immutable immediately attains the Supreme Reality. Know Aum
to be Isvara, ever present in the hearts of all. The calm soul, contemplating
Aum as all-pervading, does not grieve. One who knows Aum, which is soundless
and also endowed with infinite sounds, which is all good and the negation of
duality, is a real sage, and none other. (GK 1.24-29)
--Excerpts translated by Swami
Nikhilananda
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