माण्डूक्य उपनिषद्

माण्डूक्य उपनिषद् is one of the shortest and most profound Upanishads, traditionally connected with the Atharva Veda. In only twelve mantras it teaches the identity of आत्मा and Brahman through the analysis of ॐ and the four quarters of consciousness: waking, dream, deep sleep, and तुरीय.

The text is foundational for Advaita Vedanta, especially through Gaudapada's Karika and Shankara's bhashya. Its opening declares that all this is ॐ, and that the Self is Brahman. It then shows that the waking experiencer, dream experiencer, and deep-sleep experiencer are not the final Self; they are understood through the fourth, which is not a state among states but the non-dual reality.

ओ-म्भ॒द्र-ङ्कर्णे॑भि-श्शृणु॒याम॑ देवाः । भ॒द्र-म्प॑श्येमा॒क्षभि॒-र्यज॑त्राः । स्थि॒रैरङ्गै᳚स्तुष्टु॒वाग्ं स॑स्त॒नूभिः॑ । व्यशे॑म दे॒वहि॑तं॒-यँदायुः॑ । स्व॒स्ति न॒ इन्द्रो॑ वृ॒द्धश्र॑वाः । स्व॒स्ति नः॑ पू॒षा वि॒श्ववे॑दाः । स्व॒स्ति न॒स्तार्क्ष्यो॒ अरि॑ष्टनेमिः । स्व॒स्ति नो॒ बृह॒स्पति॑-र्दधातु ॥
ॐ शान्ति॒-श्शान्ति॒-श्शान्तिः॑ ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The peace invocation prays that hearing, sight, limbs, speech, and life remain strong for the pursuit of Brahman.

॥ अथ माण्डूक्योपनिषत् ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
This title announces the beginning of the Mandukya Upanishad.

हरिः ओम् ।
ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदगं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानं
भूतं भवद् भविष्यदिति सर्वमोङ्कार एव
यच्चान्यत् त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एव ॥ 1 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The Upanishad declares that Om is all this: past, present, future, and whatever is beyond time.

सर्वगं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ॥ 2 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
It states the mahavakya: all this is Brahman, and this Self is Brahman, having four quarters.

जागरितस्थानो बहिष्प्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः
स्थूलभुग्वैश्वानरः प्रथमः पादः ॥ 3 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The waking self, Vaishvanara, is outward-knowing, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, and experiences gross objects.

स्वप्नस्थानोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः
प्रविविक्तभुक्तैजसो द्वितीयः पादः ॥ 4 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The dream self, Taijasa, is inward-knowing, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, and experiences subtle objects.

यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं
पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन
एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ 5 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Deep sleep is the state where one desires nothing and sees no dream; the experiencer there is Prajna, a mass of undifferentiated awareness and bliss.

एष सर्वेश्वरः एष सर्वज्ञ एषोऽन्तर्याम्येष योनिः सर्वस्य
प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम् ॥ 6 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
Prajna is the Lord of all, knower of all, inner controller, source and dissolution of beings.

नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिष्प्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं
न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम् । अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणं
अचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं
शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः ॥ 7 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The fourth is not inward, outward, both, unconscious, or ordinary cognition; it is unseen, ungraspable, unthinkable, indescribable, peaceful, auspicious, and non-dual.

सोऽयमात्माध्यक्षरमोङ्कारोऽधिमात्रं पादा मात्रा मात्राश्च पादा
अकार उकारो मकार इति ॥ 8 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The same Self is Om with respect to sound, and its quarters are the matras A, U, and M.

जागरितस्थानो वैश्वानरोऽकारः प्रथमा मात्राऽऽप्तेरादिमत्त्वाद्
वाऽऽप्नोति ह वै सर्वान् कामानादिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ 9 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
A corresponds to the waking Vaishvanara because it is first and all-pervading; one who knows this attains desired aims and becomes foremost.

स्वप्नस्थानस्तैजस उकारो द्वितीया मात्रोत्कर्षात्
उभयत्वाद्वोत्कर्षति ह वै ज्ञानसन्ततिं समानश्च भवति
नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति य एवं वेद ॥ 10 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
U corresponds to Taijasa because of elevation and intermediacy; one who knows this raises the stream of knowledge and becomes balanced.

सुषुप्तस्थानः प्राज्ञो मकारस्तृतीया मात्रा मितेरपीतेर्वा
मिनोति ह वा इदं सर्वमपीतिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ 11 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
M corresponds to Prajna because of measure and absorption; one who knows this measures all and gathers all into himself.

अमात्रश्चतुर्थोऽव्यवहार्यः प्रपञ्चोपशमः शिवोऽद्वैत
एवमोङ्कार आत्मैव संविशत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं य एवं वेद ॥ 12 ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The soundless fourth is beyond practical dealings, the cessation of phenomena, auspicious and non-dual; Om is the Self, and the knower enters the Self by the Self.

॥ इति माण्डूक्योपनिषत् समाप्ता ॥

Translation (भावार्थ):
The final closing completes the Upanishadic recitation.

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