Essence of 'Mandukyopanishad'
by 'Swami Sivananda'
INTRODUCTION
Om bhadram karnebhih srinuyama devah
Bhadram pasyemakshabhiryajatrah,
Sthirairangaistushtuvamsa-stanubhih
vyasema devahitam yadayuh.
Svasti na indro vriddhasravah
svasti nah pushah visvavedah,
Svasti nastarkshyo arishtanemih
svasti no brihaspatirdadhatu,
Om Santih, Santih, Santih.
Om, O gods, may we, with our ears, hear what is auspicious; O ye! Fit
to be worshipped, may we, with our eyes, see what is auspicious; may we
enjoy the life allotted to us by the gods, offering our praise with our
bodies strong of limb. May Indra, the powerful, the ancient of fame,
vouchsafe us prosperity. May He, the nourisher and the possessor of all
wealth, give us what is well for us. May the Lord of swift motion be
propitious to us, and may the protector of the great ones protect us
too.
1. Om, the word, is all this. Its further explanation is
this. All that is past, present and future is verily Om. That which is
beyond the triple conception of time, is verily Om.
2. All this
is verily Brahman. This Atman (the Supreme Self) is Brahman. This Atman
has four quarters, four feet, not like those of a cow, but like the
fractions of a coin
3. The first quarter is Vaisvanara whose
sphere is the state of waking, who is conscious of the external objects,
who has seven limbs and nineteen mouths and who enjoys the gross
objects.
4. The second quarter is the Taijasa whose sphere or
field or place is dream, who is conscious of internal objects, who has
seven limbs and nineteen mouths and enjoys the subtle objects.
5. That is the state of deep sleep wherein the sleeper does not desire
any objects nor does he see any dream. The third quarter or condition is
the Prajna whose sphere is deep sleep, in whom all experiences have
become one, who is verily a mass of consciousness, who is full of bliss,
who enjoys bliss, and who is the way leading to the knowledge (of the
two other states).
6. This is the Lord of all, this is the
knower of all, this is the internal Ruler, this is the cause of all,
this is verily the Origin and End of all beings.
7. The wise
think that the fourth, Turiya, is not that which is conscious of the
internal (subjective) world, nor that which is conscious of the external
(objective) world, nor that which is conscious of both, nor that which
is a compact mass of knowledge, nor that which is simple consciousness,
nor that which is insentient. It is unseen, unrelated, incomprehensible,
undefinable, unthinkable, indescribable, the sole essence of the
consciousness of the Self with no trace of the conditioned world, the
peaceful, all-bliss, non-dual. This is the Atman, the Self and it is to
be realised.
8. This is that Atman even with regard to the
letters (of the word Om); it is the Omkara with its parts. The quarters
are the parts, and the parts the quarters. The parts of OM are 'A', 'U'
and 'M'.
9. The first part 'A' is Vaisvanara whose sphere is
the condition of waking, on account of all-pervasiveness, or on account
of being the first. He who knows this obtains verily all desires and
becomes the first.
10. Taijasa, whose sphere of activity is the
dream state, is represented by the letter 'U' ,the second letter of Om,
on account of superiority, or on account of being middle. He who knows
this becomes great in knowledge and the equal of all. No one ignorant of
Brahman is born in his family.
11. Prajna, whose sphere is
deep sleep, is 'M', the third part (letter) of Om, because it is both
the measure and that wherein all become one. He who knows this is able
to measure all and to comprehend all within himself.
12. That
which has no parts is the fourth, transcendental, destitute of
phenomenal existence, all bliss and non-dual. This verily is Omkara. He
who knows this merges his self in the Self.
HERE 'MANDUKYOPANISHAD' ENDS