Mandukya Upanishad

SHANTI MANTRA

Om bhadram karnebhih srunuyama devah I

Bhadram pasyemaksabhiryajatrah I

Sthirair angaistustuvagmsastanubhih I

Vyasema devahitam yadayuh I

Svasti na indro vrddhasravah I

Svasti nah pusa visvavedah I

Svasti nastarksyo aristanemih I

Svasti no brhaspatirdadhatu I

Om santih santih santih II

Om, O worshipful ones, may our ears hear what is good and auspicious! May we see what is auspicious! May we sing your praise, live our allotted span of life in perfect health and strength! May Indra (who is) extolled in the scriptures, Pushan, the all-knowing Trakshya, who saves from all harm, and Brihaspati who protects our spiritual lustre, vouchsafe prosperity in our study of the scriptures and the practice of the truths contained therein! Om peace, peace, peace!

https://vedantastudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/11-Mandukya-Upanishad-Summary.pdf

INTRODUCTION

The word ‘Upanishad’ has been derived from the root Sad (to sit), to which are added two prefixes: Upa and Ni. The prefix Upa denotes nearness and Ni totality. Thus, this word means ‘sitting near by devotedly’. This no doubt refers to the pupil’s sitting down near his teacher at the time of instruction. (Ref: Vedic Heritage Portal).

The Mandukya Upanishad (Sanskrit: माण्डूक्योपनिषद्, IAST: Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad) is the shortest of all the Upanishads, and is assigned to Atharvaveda.^[1] It is listed as number 6 in the Muktikā canon of 108 Upanishads.

It is in prose, consisting of twelve short verses, and is associated with a Rig Vedic school of scholars. It discusses the syllable Aum; adds turiya to the three states of consciousness; and asserts that Aum is Brahman – which is the Whole – and that Brahman is this self (ātman).

The chronology of Mandukya Upanishad, like that of other Upanishads, is uncertain and contested. The chronology is difficult to resolve because all opinions rest on scanty evidence, an analysis of archaism, style and repetitions across texts, driven by assumptions about likely evolution of ideas, and on presumptions about which philosophy might have influenced which other Indian philosophies.

The text of the Mandukya Upanishad is fully incorporated in the Mandukya Karika, a commentary attributed to the 6th century CEGaudapada, and is not known to exist independent of this commentary. Isaeva states that some scholars, including Paul Deussen, presumed that Gaudapada may be its author; however, there is no historical or textual evidence for this hypothesis. Scholars consider Mandukya Upanishad as a Principal Upanishad with more ancient origins.

In contrast to the older Upanishads, the Mandukya Upanishad is very short, with clear and concise formulations. It has twelve short prose paragraphs.

The Mandukya Upanishad is an important Upanishad in Hinduism, particularly to its Advaita Vedanta school. It succinctly presents several central doctrines, namely that “the universe is Brahman,” “the Self (Atma) exists and is Brahman,” and “the four states of consciousness”. The Mandukya Upanishad also presents several theories about the syllable Aum, and that it symbolizes self.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandukya_Upanishad

After listening to lectures by Pravrajika Divyanandaprana referring to various texts, I have attempted on this write-up on Mandukya Upanishad to extract the meaning of the Upanishad with 12 verses. This is purely, as I have understood from my learning, and not a translation but the essence to the best of my knowledge.

My spiritual/theological/philosophical knowledge is very limited and I have not studied Sanskrit. Therefore, I would like to request the readers to acknowledge this while reading, should they come across some inconsistencies.

Padma Bharadwaj

FOREWORD

It is my great pleasure to commend this work of my ardent student Smt Padma Bharadwaj. She has dedicated herself to presenting the principal Upanishads in easy-to-understand language and her work is much appreciated.

I wish her all the best in her endeavours.

Pandit Sri Rama Ramanujachari Sydney 2026

ACKNOWELDEGMENT

I deem it a fortune and a great privilege to have the foreword written by the esteemed Guru Shri Ramanuja Acharya. I thank Acharya profusely for taking time, amidst his busy schedule, to read my work and providing such encouraging words. This is a great motivation for me to continuously improve by researching skills and write more, to the best of my ability.

ACKNOWELDGMENT

REFERENCES:

Section 1

The First Section of the discourses expounds the meaning of the great mystical symbol, Om, or Praṇava, as a connotation as well as denotation of the Absolute

1. aum ity etad akṣaram idam sarvam, tasyopavyākhyānam bhūtam bhavad bhaviṣyad iti sarvam auṁkāra eva yac cānyat trikālātītaṁ tad apy auṁkāra eva.
The Word “Aum” is the whole Universe
     Everything – Past, Present and future
And anything else that transcends time’s three-fold division
     Is also Aum and nothing but AUM

2. sarvaṁ hy etad brahma, ayam ātmā brahma, so’yam ātmā catuṣ-pāt.
All this verily, is Brahman
   The Self is Brahman
The Self has divisions
   Divided into four (4) quarters (padas)

Section 2

The Second Section explains the nature of the Universal Being, Vaiśvānara, or Virāt, as delineated in the Upanishad.

3. jāgarita sthāno bahiṣ-prajñaḥ saptāṅga ekonaviṁśati-mukhaḥ sthūla-bhug Vaiśvānaraḥ prathamaḥ pādah
The first (1^st) quarter is Waking State (Vaisvanara), its consciousness is bound outward
              Endowed with seven limbs (that includes sense organs)
   Nineteen mouths (five perception organs, five organs of action, five vital breath aspects,
             Mind, Intellect, “I” consciousness and the mind-stuff)
That enjoys the external (gross objects of the) world)

Section 3

The Third Section propounds the mystery of Dream and Sleep, as also the cosmic counterpart of this state, namely, Hiraṇyagarbha, the Divine Immanent Being

4. svapna-sthāno’ntaḥ-prajñaḥ saptāṅga ekonavimśatimukhaḥ pravivikta-bhuk taijaso dvītiyaḥ pādah.
The second (2^nd) quarter is Dream State (taijasa), its consciousness is bound inward
It is seven-limbed and nineteen mouthed
That enjoys internal (subtle objects of the) world
As a result of consciousness turned inward

Section 4

The Fourth Section is an exposition of the profound significance of Sleep in the interpretation of the nature of the Spirit in man

5. yatra supto na kaṁ cana kāmaṁ kāmayate na kaṁ cana svapnam paśyati tat suṣuptam suṣupta-sthāna ekī-bhūtaḥ prajñānā-ghana evānandamayo hy ānanda-bhuk ceto-mukhaḥ prājñas tṛtīyaḥ pādah.
The third (3^rd) quarter is Deep Sleep (prajna)
In this state, there is neither desire for gross or subtle objects, nor any relevance to dream
Experiences are merged/receded into undifferentiated consciousness
Those who experience this bliss, get clarity to understand the three preceding states

Section 5

The Fifth Section is centred round the great theme, the nature of Īsvara, the Supreme God of the Universe.

6.eṣa sarveśvaraḥ eṣa sarvajñaḥ, eṣo’ntāryami eṣa yoniḥ sarvasya prabhavāpyayau hi bhūtānām.
One who experiences all three states is Brahman (Isvara)
Brahman is in-dwelling controller and Omniscient
From Brahman everything emanates
Into Brahman everything culminates

Section 6

The Sixth Section concerns itself with the majestic character of Reality as such, the Absolute, as the Transcendent Presence

7. nāntaḥ-prajñam, na bahiṣ prajñam, nobhayataḥ-prajñam, na prajnañā-ghanam, na prajñam, nāprajñam; adṛṣtam, avyavahārayam, agrāhyam, alakṣaṇam, acintyam, avyapadeśyam, ekātma-pratyaya-sāram, prapañcopaśamam, śāntam, śivam, advaitam, caturtham manyante, sa ātmā, sa vijñeyaḥ.
Neither conscious of subjective world, nor conscious of objective world
   Not simple consciousness, nor is it unconsciousness
It is Unperceived, unrelated, incomprehensible, un-inferable, unthinkable and
                                                                                                                                                       Indescribable
Essence of Self is in all the three states
Cessation of all phenomena, it is all peace and non-dual state
This is what known as the Fourth (Turiya)
It is complex, confusing and paradoxical to comprehend
This is the Self (Atman) that has to be experienced/realised

Section 7

The Seventh Section is the concluding summary, devoted to an explanation of the harmony between the constituents of Om, or Praṇava, and the four states of Consciousness, which forms the subject of the Upanishad

8. so’yam ātmādhyakṣaram auṁkaro’dhimātram pādā mātrā mātrāś ca pādā akāra ukāra makāra iti.
Atman or Self described in the four quarters
     Is the same in the realm of sound in the syllable AUM
The quarters are the letters (A, U, M)
   The letters (A, U, M) are the quarters

9. jāgarita-sthāno vaiśvānaro’kāraḥ prathamā mātrā’pter ādimattvād vā’pnoti ha vai sarvān kāmān ādiś ca bhavati ya evaṁ veda.
A, the first letter represents Vaisvanara, whose field is the waking state
   The first sound and encompasses all
Brahman encompasses everything
   He is the” first” and all pervading

10. svapna-sthānas taijasa ukāro dvitīyā mātrotkarṣāt ubhayatvādvotkarṣati ha vai jñāna-saṁtatiṁ samānaś ca bhavati nāsyābrahma-vit-kule bhavati ya evam veda.
U, the second letter is activity in the dream state (Taijasa)
Middle letter, having the qualities of other two states
One who knows this state is superior to others
The knower of Brahman for generations

11.suṣupta-sthānaḥ prājño makāras tṛtīya mātrā miter apīter vā minoti ha vā idaṁ sarvam apītiś ca bhavati ya evaṁ veda.
M, the third letter is the state of Deep Sleep (Prajna)
It contains within, the other two states
They recede and merge in this state
One who knows this subtle state can understand all within oneself

12. amātraś caturtho’vyavahāryaḥ prapañcopaśamaḥ sivo’dvaita evam auṁkāra ātmaiva, saṁviśaty ātmanā’tmānaṁ ya evaṁ veda ya evaṁ veda.
AUM, the fourth one, the soundless aspect
    Cannot comprehend through senses or by the mind
With cessation of all phenomena, this state is the true Self
   Experience of this expands to Universal Consciousness

Mandukya Upanishad

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