MANDUKYOPANISHAD

                                                                   

Shortest of all Upanishads, Mandukyopanishad  is assigned to Adharva Veda and listed as  number 6 among  the 108 Upanishads. It is in prose of 12 verses associated with Rig Veda School. It is among the oft cited texts on chronology and philosophical relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism. Several meanings are given for the word ‘Mandukya’ whose root is ‘ manduka’.  The meanings are, a frog, a particular breed of horse, the sole of the horse’s hoof or a kind of coitus. This Upanishad is important for Hinduism specially for the Advaita Vedanta School. The Upanishad discusses the syllable OM and explains the four states of      consciousness. It asserts the existence and  the nature of ‘ atma’ ‘ soul’  and ‘self’. It points out that this alone is sufficient to gain knowledge to gain moksha. Several central doctrines are incorporated in Mandukyopanishad. It proclaims that the Universe is Brahman. It maintains that the self or soul or ‘atma’ exists and is Brahma. It establishes the four  states of consciousness and theories about the syllable OM and declares that it symbolizes self.

           The syllable AUM is the whole world and that transcends the past, present and the future. Everything is Brahman including the self. The self has four quarters. Vaiswanara, the waking state cognizes external objects with its seven limbs and nineteen mouths! According to Sankara the seven limbs are: the effulgent sky is the head, the sun the eye,  the air vital breath,  space the waist, water the bladder, and the earth the feet and Ahavaniya fire is the mouth. The nineteen mouths are:  the five organs of sense, the five organs of action, the five vital breaths –pancha pranas, the mind, understanding, the ego sense and thought. Taijasa is the second quarter who cognizes internal objects in the Dream state. He too has seven limbs and nineteen mouths. He is the enjoyer of subtle objects.

          Fast, desireless dreamless and deep sleep  is the third quarter and is called prajna. It is full of bliss. This is the inner controller, knower and source of all. “ that which does not cognize either internal or external objects, which cannot be thought of, which cannot be designated, the essence of the knowledge of the oneness of the self, the peaceful, the benign, the non dual-----is the fourth quarter! That is the Atman which is to be known! The Upanishad then identifies the Atman with the syllable AUM. The quarters and the elements complement one another. Letter A signifies the waking state, Vaiswanara  corresponds  to letter A element. Taijasa, the dreamy state, represents the letter U the second element. Prajna the state of deep sleep stands for letter M the third element! The fourth state has no elements. It is indescribable, benign and nondual. In short, the Upanishad,declares that the syllable AUM is Atman itself. One who realizes this becomes one with the self!