The Mandukya Upanishad is part of the Atharva
Veda.
It
is the smallest of all the Upanishads and it is also the most difficult because in
the short span of just twelve verses it covers the entire range of human
consciousness, beginning with the waking state, and ending in the Supreme State
of super consciousness where all objective perceptions and relations end, where
all duality ends.
Adi Shankara was of the opinion that if one
were to study only one Upanishad then it should be this one because it is short
and compact and it captures all the essentials of mystical insight.
The Upanishad is an explanation of the
principle of AUM as consisting of three elements, A, U, and M, which refer to
the three states of waking, dreaming sleep, and dreamless sleep.
Brahm, the One Absolute, the Supreme Self,
the Param Atma is manifested in the universe in its material, in its subtle and
in its causal aspects.
The One Reality, the One Brahm, becomes the
infinite variety of changing and shifting things that we see and experience
around us in the world in the various states of our consciousness.
The Upanishad describes four states of
consciousness.
The
first is the waking state.
The
second is the dreaming state of sleep.
The
third is the state of dreamless, sound and deep sleep, and
The
fourth is the state of transcendental consciousness, the super conscious state,
where we rise above the other three states of our normal consciousness, and
merge with Brahm, the Supreme Absolute.
All these states are but different aspects
of Godhood, the last state alone being all inclusive and ultimately real.
The Absolute of mystic consciousness, the One
Supreme Brahm, is the God of all religions.
It is believed that the whole wisdom and
knowledge of all the Upanishads is packed in a nutshell, in the twelve verses
of this Upanishad.
It is
also believed that this Upanishad by itself is enough to lead one to liberation
and salvation.
THE UPANISHAD
|
1
|
The word AUM, is the Imperishable, it is all this, it is the entire
universe.
An explanation of the same
follows.
AUM is all that existed in the
past, all that exists in the present and all that shall exist in the future
as well.
AUM is also that which
transcends the threefold division of time, the past, the present, and the
future, it is even before the past, and it is after the future as well.
|
|
2
|
This whole universe, this whole world is the eternal Brahm.
There is nothing in creation
that is not Brahm.
Brahm is all, and everything
is Brahm.
The Self, the Atma is also
Brahm.
This same Self, this same Atma, has four quarters, has four states of
consciousness.
|
|
3
|
The first quarter of the Self is called Vaishvanara.
Vaishvanara is the normal
waking state of man, the experience of the reality common to everyone.
This is the material condition.
Here in this state man lives
his life with all his senses, his entire consciousness and his perception turned
outward.
Here he is aware only of the
outward, external world as he sees it, and he enjoys the material, physical objects
of the external world, in all their diverse variety.
|
|
4
|
The second quarter of the Self is called Taijasa.
Taijasa is the dream state of
sleep, the experience of the subjective world of his own dreams.
This is the mental condition.
Here a person lives in a world
of his own creation, in his own dreams.
In this state, all his senses, his entire consciousness, and his
perception are turned inwards, within himself, and he enjoys only subtle
objects, which are the creation of his own mind, in the world of his dreams.
|
|
5
|
The third quarter of the Self is called Pragya.
Pragya is the state of
dreamless, deep and sound sleep.
This is the intellectual
condition.
Here the mind rests and
awareness is suspended.
Pragya is the gateway to the
other two states of Vaishvanara and Taijasa.
In this state one does not see
any dreams nor does one have any desires.
There is no mind in Pragya,
and there is no separateness from the Supreme Brahm; one unites with Brahm in
this state.
In Pragya one becomes a
uniform mass of consciousness; one becomes full of bliss and one experiences
and enjoys only bliss.
But the one who is in such
deep sleep is not aware of this.
If he were to become aware of
the fact that he has become one with Brahm in the state of Pragya, then the
door to the state of everlasting and abiding joy and peace would open for
him.
|
|
6,7
|
The fourth and the final quarter of the Self is called Turiya, the
super conscious state.
In this state there is nothing
except the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Brahm.
Turiya is neither inward
looking nor is it outward looking, it is neither conscious of the outer world
nor is it conscious of the inner world, nor is it conscious of both together.
It is also not a suspension of
consciousness or awareness.
It neither knows internal objects
nor does it know external objects.
It is not a mass of
consciousness.
It is neither knowing nor is it not knowing, nor is it knowingness
itself.
It cannot be seen, and it
cannot be understood.
It cannot be named, described,
or defined.
It cannot be caught or grasped.
It is beyond the senses, the
mind, the intellect, and it is beyond boundaries, too.
It is without any distinctive,
distinguishing mark.
It is the end of all activity,
of all phenomena and of all relations.
It is all powerful and all knowing.
It is the Lord of all manifest
existence and is present in the hearts of all beings as their inner
controller and as their ruler.
It is the source of
everything.
It is the beginning as well as
the end of everything.
This is the state from which all things originate and into which they
all dissolve as well. Turiya is the state of oneness, of union and merging with
the Supreme Brahm, That into which the world is resolved, That in which the
world rests.
Brahm is non dual, infinite
peace and love, always kind, gracious and benign.
It is the supreme goal of
life.
It is this Brahm, above all,
that we must all realise.
|
|
8
|
This is the Supreme Self, the Param Atma.
This Supreme Self is AUM.
AUM, though indivisible, has
three sounds, three elements, represented by each of its three letters, the
letter A, the letter U, and the letter M.
|
|
9
|
The first letter A of AUM is the first element.
It stands for the state of
Vaishvanara, the experience of the outer world.
This is where action and achievement are initiated.
Those who know and understand
this, they act in freedom, they fulfil all their desires, they achieve
success, and they attain eminence in the world of men.
|
|
10
|
The second letter U of AUM stands for the state of Taijasa, the dreaming
state of sleep, the experience of the inner world.
This is where exalting and
unification are initiated.
Those who know and understand
this, they uphold and exalt the tradition of spiritual knowledge and wisdom;
they unify the diversities of life and look upon everything with an impartial
eye.
They become the equal of all.
In the family of such people
everyone leads a spiritual life; everyone is a knower of Brahm.
No one ignorant of Brahm is
born in their family.
|
|
11
|
The third letter M of AUM represents the state of Pragya, the
dreamless state of sound and deep sleep, where the mind rests and where
awareness is suspended.
This is the state where
measurement and merging are initiated.
Those who know and understand
this, they measure and know everything.
They merge with the world and
comprehend everything.
|
|
12
|
The word AUM as one sound represents the ultimate state of Turiya,
and stands for the Supreme Brahm, the Supreme Self; indivisible, without
parts, without elements, non dual and benign, That into which the whole world
is resolved, That into which the entire creation dissolves.
It is One, without a second.
Thus the syllable AUM is the
Supreme Self.
Those who know AUM as one
sound, they know AUM as the Supreme Self.
They enter and merge their
Self with the Supreme Self and they become the Supreme Self.
Truly, they become the Supreme
Self.
Truly, they become the Supreme Self.
|
END OF MANDUKYA UPANISHAD
AUM SHANTI SHANTI
SHANTI AUM
No comments:
Post a Comment