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Essence of the Mandukyopanishad
by Swami Sivananda
INTRODUCTION
Om bhadram karnebhih srinuyama devahBhadram
pasyemakshabhiryajatrah,Sthirairangaistushtuvamsa-stanubhih
vy asema devahitam yadayuh.
Svasti na indro vriddhasravahsvasti nah pushah visvavedah,Svasti
nastarkshyo arishtanemihsvasti 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, seewhat is
auspicious; may we enjoy the life allotted to us by the gods,
offering our praise with our bodies strong of limbMay 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 thegreat ones
protect us too.
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1. Om, the word, is all this. Its further explanation is this.
All that is past, present and future is verily Om. That whichis
beyond the triple conception of time, is verily Om.
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2. All this is verily Brahman. This Atman (the Supreme Self) is
Brahman. This Atman has four quarters, four feet, notlike those of
a cow, but like the fractions of a coin
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3. The first quarter is Vaisvanara whose sphere is the state of
waking, who is conscious of the external objects, whohas seven
limbs and nineteen mouths and who enjoys the gross objects.
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4. The second quarter is the Taijasa whose sphere or field or
place is dream, who is conscious of internal objects, whohas seven
limbs and nineteen mouths and enjoys the subtle objects.
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5. That is the state of deep sleep wherein the sleeper does not
desire any objects nor does he see any dream. Thethird 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 (ofthe two other
states).
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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
theOrigin and End of all beings.
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7. The wise think that the fourth, Turiya, is not that which is
conscious of the internal (subjective) world, nor thatwhich is
conscious of the external (objective) world, nor that which is
conscious of both, nor that which is a compactmass 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 notrace of the conditioned world, the peaceful,
all-bliss, non-dual. This is the Atman, the Self and it is to be
realised.
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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'.
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9. The first part 'A' is Vaisvanara whose sphere is the
condition of waking, on account of all-pervasiveness, or onaccount
of being the first. He who knows this obtains verily all desires
and becomes the first.
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10. Taijasa, whose sphere of activity is the dream state, is
represented by the letter 'U' ,the second letter of Om, onaccount
of superiority, or on account of being middle. He who knows this
becomes great in knowledge and the equal ofall. No one ignorant of
Brahman is born in his family.
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11. Prajna, whose sphere is deep sleep, is 'M', the third part
(letter) of Om, because it is both the measure and thatwherein all
become one. He who knows this is able to measure all and to
comprehend all within himself.
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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.
