Mandukya Upanishad

Summary

The Mandukya Upanishad belongs to the Atharva Veda and is the shortest of the principal Upanishads, containing only 12 verses. Despite its brevity, it is considered the most profound, containing the essence of the entire Vedantic philosophy. It is said that if one cannot study all the Upanishads, the study of Mandukya alone is sufficient for liberation.

The text analyzes the syllable Om (Aum) and correlates its three sounds (A, U, M) with the three states of consciousness: Waking (Jagrat), Dreaming (Swapna), and Deep Sleep (Sushupti). It then reveals the fourth state, Turiya, which is the silence following the sound, representing the pure, non-dual Self (Atman/Brahman).

Key Teachings

• Om is Everything: "Omityetad Aksharam Idam Sarvam." The past, present, future, and whatever is beyond time is Om.
• Four States of Self: The Self has four quarters (Padas): Vaishvanara (Waking), Taijasa (Dreaming), Prajna (Deep Sleep), and Turiya (The Fourth).
• Vaishvanara (A): The waking state where the consciousness is turned outward to the external world.
• Taijasa (U): The dream state where the consciousness is turned inward to the mental world.
• Prajna (M): The deep sleep state where there is no desire or dream, a mass of consciousness and bliss.
• Turiya: The fourth state, which is not a state but the substratum of the other three. It is unseen, ungraspable, unthinkable, and non-dual (Advaita). It is the true Self.