MANDUKYA UPANISHAD First is Waking / Gross: The first aspect of Atman is the Self in the Waking state,

Vaishvanara. In this first state, consciousness is turned outward to the external world.
Through its seven instruments* and nineteen channels* it experiences the gross objects
॥ अथ माण्डूक्योपनिषत् ॥ of the phenomenal world.
Hari Om.
*The seven instruments are the more macrocosmic instruments, while the nineteen
channels relate more to the microcosmic, individual person.
ॐ इत्ये तदक्षरनमदꣳ सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यािं
Seven Instruments: First, Consciousness manifests outward as elementsspace, air, fire,
भू तं भर्वद् भनर्वष्यनदनत सर्वव मोङ्कार एर्व water, and earth, along with the individuation from the whole and the flow of energy
यच्चान्यत् निकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एर्व ॥ १॥ (which we know as the pulsing impulse towards breath).

Om-ity-etad-aksharam-idam sarvam, tasyopavyakhyanam Nineteen Channels: Then, the individual operates through the four functions of mind
bhutam bhavad bhavishyaditi sarvam-omkara eva. (aspects of antahkarana, the inner instrument), which are manas, chitta, ahamkara, and
Yaccanyat trikalatitam tadapy omkara eva || 1 || buddhi. Those four operate through the five vayus (prana, apana, samana, udana, and
vyana), the five active senses or indriyas (karmendriyas of eliminating, procreating,
All is OM: Hari Om. The whole universe is the syllable Om. Following is the exposition moving, grasping, and speaking), and the five cognitive senses (jnanendriyas of smelling,
of Om. Everything that was, is, or will be is, in truth Om. All else which transcends time, tasting, seeing, touching, and hearing)
space, and causation is also Om.

स्वप्नस्थािोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोिनर्वं शनतमु खः

सर्वं ह्ये तद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ॥ २॥ प्रनर्वनर्वक्तभु क्तैजसोनितीयः पादः ॥ ४॥
Sarvam hyetad brahmayam-atma brahma soyamatma catushpat || 2 || Svapna-sthano’ntah-prajnah saptanga ekonavimsatimukhah
praviviktabhuk taijaso dvitiyah padah || 4 ||
Atman has Four Aspects: All of this, everywhere, is in truth Brahman, the Absolute
Reality. This very Self itself, Atman, is also Brahman, the Absolute Reality. This Atman Second is Dreaming / Subtle: The second aspect of Atman is the Self in the Dreaming
or Self has four aspects through which it operates. state, Taijasa. In this second state, consciousness is turned towards the inner world. It
also operates through seven instruments and nineteen channels, which engage the subtle
objects of the mental realm.
जागररतस्थािोबनिष्प्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोिनर्वं शनतमु खः
स्थू लभु ग्वैश्वािरः प्रथमः पादः ॥ ३॥
यि सुप्तोि कञ्चि कामं कामयते ि कञ्चि स्वप्नं
Jagarita-sthano bahish-prajnahsaptanga ekonavimsatimukhah
sthula-bhug vaisvanarah prathamah padah || 3 ||

Page 1 of 3
पश्यनत तत् सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थाि एकीभू तः प्रज्ञािघि santam sivam-advaitam caturtham manyante sa tm sa vijneyah || 7 ||
एर्वािन्दमयोह्यािन्दभु क् चे तोमु खः प्राज्ञस्तृ तीयः पादः ॥ ५॥
The Fourth Aspect is Turiya: The fourth aspect of Atman or Self is Turiya, literally the
Yatra supto na kancana kamam kamayate na kancana svapnam fourth. In this fourth state, consciousness is neither turned outward nor inward. Nor is it
pasyati tat sushuptam. Sushupta-asthāna ekibhutah prajnanaghana both outward and inward; it is beyond both cognition and the absence of cognition. This
evanandamayo hyanandabhuk chetomukhah prajnastrityah padah || 5 || fourth state of Turiya cannot be experienced through the senses or known by comparison,
deductive reasoning or inference; it is indescribable, incomprehensible, and unthinkable
Third is Deep Sleep / Causal: The third aspect of Atman is the Self operating in the Deep with the mind. This is Pure Consciousness itself. This is the real Self. It is within the
Sleep state, Prajna. In this third state, there is neither the desire for any gross or subtle cessation of all phenomena. It is serene, tranquil, filled with bliss, and is one without
object, nor any dream sequences. In deep sleep, all such experiences have receded or second. This is the real or true Self that is to be realized.
merged into the ground of undifferentiated consciousness. Here, one is filled with the
experience of bliss, and can also find the way to clearer knowledge of the two preceding
states. सोऽयमात्माध्यक्षरमोङ्करोऽनिमािं पादा मािा मािाश्च पादा
अकार उकारोमकार इनत ॥ ८॥

एष सर्वेश्वरः एष सर्ववज्ञ एषोऽन्तयाव म्येष योनिः सर्ववस्य So’yam-atma adhyaksharam-omkaro dhimatram pada
प्रभर्वाप्ययौनि भू तािाम् ॥ ६ matra matrasca pada akara ukaro makara iti || 8 ||

Esha sarvesvara esha sarvajna esho’ntaryamy-esha yonih sarvasya Those Four are the Same with “A-U-M” and Silence: That Om, though described as
prabhavapyayau hi bhutanam || 6 || having four states, is indivisible; it is pure Consciousness itself. That Consciousness is
Om. The three sounds A-U-M (ah, ou, mm) and the three letters A, U, M are identical
Find the Experiencer: The one who experiences all of these states of consciousness is the with the three states of waking, dreaming, and sleeping, and these three states are
omniscient, indwelling source and director of all. This one is the womb out of which all identical with the three sounds and letters. The fourth state, Turiya is to be realized only
of the other emerges. All things originate from and dissolve back into this source. in the silence behind or beyond the other three.

िान्तःप्रज्ञं ि बनिष्प्रज्ञं िोभयतःप्रज्ञं ि प्रज्ञािघिं जागररतस्थािोर्वैश्वािरोऽकारः प्रथमा मािाऽऽप्ते रानदमत्त्वाद्

ि प्रज्ञं िाप्रज्ञम् । अदृष्टमव्यर्विायव मग्राह्यमलक्षणं र्वाऽऽप्नोनत ि र्वैसर्वाव ि् कामािानदश्च भर्वनत य एर्वं र्वे द ॥ ९॥
अनचन्त्यमव्यपदे श्यमे कात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं Jagarita-sthano vaisvanaro’karah prathama matra. apteradimatvad-
शान्तं नशर्वमिै तं चतुथं मन्यन्तेस आत्मा स नर्वज्ञे यः ॥ ७॥ vapnoti ha vai sarvan kamanadisca bhavati ya evam veda || 9 ||
Nantah-prajnam na bahih-prajnam, nabhayatah-prajnam
The Sound “A” is Waking / Gross: Vaishvanara is the consciousness experienced during
na prajnana-ghanam na prajnam naprajnam. Adrishtam-avyavaharayam- the waking state, and is A, the first letter of Om. That simple sound of A is first and
agrahyam- alakshanam-
acintyam-avyapadesyam-ekatma-pratyayasaram, prapancopasarnam

Page 2 of 3
permeates all other sounds. One who is aware of this first level of reality has fulfillment Amatras-caturtho’vyavaharyah prapancopasamah sivo’dvaita
of all longings and is successful. evamomkara atmaiva samvisaty-atman-atmanam ya evam veda. || 12 ||

Silence after “A-U-M” is the True Self: The fourth aspect is the soundless aspect of Om.
स्वप्नस्थािस्तै जस उकारोनितीया मािोत्कषाव त् It is not utterable and is not comprehended through the senses or by the mind. With the
उभयत्वािोत्कषव नत ि र्वै ज्ञािसन्तनतं समािश्च भर्वनत cessation of all phenomena, even of bliss, this soundless aspect becomes known. It is a
िास्याब्रह्मनर्वत्कुले भर्वनत य एर्वं र्वे द ॥ १0 ॥ state of nondual (advaita) reality—one without a second. This fourth state, Turiya, is the
real Self or true Self. One with direct experience of this expands to Universal
Svapna-stahnas taijasa ukaro dvitiya matrotkarshadu- Consciousness.
ubhayatvad- votkarsati ha vai jnana-santatim samanasca bhavati
nasyabrahmavit kule bhavati ya evam veda || 10 ||
॥ इनत माण्डूक्योपनिषत् समाप्ता ॥
The Sound “U” is Dreaming / Subtle: Taijasa is the consciousness experienced during
the dreaming state, and is U, the second letter of Om. This intermediate state operates
between the waking and sleeping states, reflecting some qualities of the other two. One
who knows this subtler state is superior to others. For one who knows this, knowers of
Brahman, the Absolute Reality, will be born into his family.

सु षुप्तस्थािः प्राज्ञोमकारस्तृ तीया मािा नमते रपीते र्वाव

नमिोनत ि र्वा इदं सर्वव मपीनतश्च भर्वनत य एर्वं र्वे द ॥ ११ ॥
Sushupta-sthnah prajno makras tritiya mtr miterapiter va
minoti ha va idam sarvam-apitisca bhavati ya evam veda || 11 ||

The Sound “M” is Deep Sleep / Causal: Prajna is the consciousness experienced during
the state of dreamless, deep sleep, and is M, the third letter of Om. It contains the other
two, and is that from which the other two emerge, and into they recede or merge. A
knower of this more subtle state can understand all within himself.

अमािश्चतुथोऽव्यर्विायवः प्रपञ्चोपशमः नशर्वोऽिै त

एर्वमोङ्कार आत्मै र्व सं नर्वशत्यात्मिाऽऽत्मािं य एर्वं र्वे द ॥ १२॥

Page 3 of 3