Hinduism

Chapter6— Mandukya Upanishad (OM / The Four States)

◆ About this chapter

The Mandukya Upanishad stands as a concise yet profound inquiry into the nature of consciousness, serving as a pivotal bridge between the earlier Brahmanas and the later Vedanta tradition. Central to its teaching is the analysis of the syllable Om as a microcosm of reality, systematically mapping the human experience across the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states to reveal the transcendent fourth state of Turiya. This chapter invites the reader to contemplate how the ephemeral manifestations of the world are ultimately subsumed within the singular, unchanging Self.

Translation:

About this translation

King James Version (1611)

1611 · Public domain

The most influential English translation ever made. Sometimes archaic, but the standard PD English text.

Translators commissioned by King James I of England, 1604–1611

All this is Om. The explanation of Om is this: what was past, what is present, what will be, all is Om. ²The Self is fourfold. The first is the waking state, the second is the dream state, the third is the state of deep sleep, and the fourth is the Self. ³The waking state is the first quarter. It is the external consciousness, seven members, nineteen mouths, and the enjoyer of gross objects. ⁴The dream state is the second quarter. It is the internal consciousness, seven members, nineteen mouths, and the enjoyer of subtle objects. ⁵The state of deep sleep is the third quarter. It is the mass of consciousness, one mouth, and the enjoyer of bliss. ⁶The fourth is the Self. It is not the external consciousness, nor the internal consciousness, nor the mass of consciousness. It is unseen, beyond empirical dealings, ungraspable, without marks, unthinkable, unnameable. ⁷It is the essence of the Self. It is the Self. It is to be known. It is the end of the world. ⁸He who knows this, enters the Self with his Self. He is the Self. He is the Self.

Verse Discussions…

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Chapter Discussion

Discussion

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— 6 —sacredatlas.org