The only thing you need to know for self realisation. The Mandukya upanishad, which is about aum!
- in eternal aum consciousness
- Oct 22, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: May 1
I still don't know who i am:
I was watching one of the videos from Swami sarvapriyanda of ramakrishna math, in 2020, during the second lockdown, when one of my twins, my son, came and asked me.
A: What are you doing?
Me: i am trying to find out who am I!
A: you are fifty plus and you still don't know who you are?
We both laughed. After 3 hours, my second twin, my daughter comes. And asks. When she sees me watching the videos, she asks. (Both of their names start with A!)
A: are you still trying to find out who you are?
Me: yes!
We both laughed and i continued watching the videos... Six of them... To get clarity on what is mandukya upanishad. It was for around six hours, i was watching the videos not stop! Almost.
This is a very short upanishad, with 12 shlokas only
The videos were searched and located, when i read that...
The clue:
When Lord Rama was asked by Hanuman, His dearest devotee, “What is the way to Self-realization?” He replied, “The only scripture one needs to know is the Mandukya Upanishad,”
By the way, we are taught by the British education system to call all our history as mythology, meaning it never happened. The word itself is wrong, as it fundamentally creates a dis belief in our own culture, paving the path for half baked Western ideas about self, mind, peace, values to enter our mind and corrupt it to meekly submit to foreign rule as their mental slaves. This will be a topic of another blog!
Luckily due to internet and social media, we now have un precedented access to authentic information, right from our mobiles. All my studies about the self are done online, with the desire to search for the ultimate truth.
I know (not just believe) that my guru appears in different forms, books, people, videos etc. To guide me further. In adwaita, there are no twos. There is only one. Hence any enlightened person is the manifestation of my guru, guiding me ahead. This made my progress quick and i sought resources that are easy to grasp and understand fast
As ramayana predates krishana times, there were still 4 Vedas, 18 puranas and 108 Upanishads! Out of all these, why was only this one identified? This set me thinking...
The video series is from ramkrishna mission, which has all established lineage of gurus. Their knowledge can be relied upon. They are one of the few, who have their goal clear with the mission doing the giving and math, helping people realise their true self.
Though I found many videos, books and articles on mandukya, this was my choice.
Here are the links. Please keep around 6 hours to watch them and take notes, if you are seriously interested in starting the journey of who am I, and realising that it is nothing but aum.
At the end of the first video, the second one starts and so on, till you see all 6.
I also located a link to explain the videos in the doc file format, for folks who want to read, instead of watching videos.
I am giving a short summary below. And a table that summarises the key aspects. This will make sense, once you go through the videos.
Video 1
This video, featuring Swami Sarvapriyananda, serves as the first of six talks on the Mandukya Upanishad and the Mandukya Karika. In this session, he explores the core teachings of nondual Vedanta and the path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga).
Key takeaways from the session:
Paths to Spirituality: The Swami distinguishes between paths of devotion (Bhakti), experience (Yoga), and knowledge (Jnana). He explains that while these paths are complementary, the Mandukya Upanishad focuses specifically on inquiry into our daily experiences to discover our ultimate nondual nature. This is the beauty of this text. Relating your own life experience, to impart vendantic insights.
The Goal of Vedanta: The objective is not to gain mystical experiences or travel to a different place/time, but to transition from ignorance to knowledge—realizing our inherent, ever-present divine nature. This keeps the focus away from siddhis into self realisation.
Two Inquiries: The text introduces two primary methods of investigation: the inquiry into the mantra Om and the inquiry into the self (Atman)
The Four Aspects of the Self: The Swami breaks down the human experience into four states: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the fourth (Turiya), which is the underlying pure consciousness that persists through all three states.
Philosophy of Consciousness:
He posits that existence depends on knowledge—we cannot claim the existence of any object that is not an object of awareness. Therefore, consciousness is the fundamental reality, while the knower and the known are aspects that appear and disappear within it.
Video 2
This video, the second in a six-part series, features Swami Sarvapriyananda presenting an insightful exploration of the Mandukya Upanishad. The primary goal of the discussion is self-inquiry—moving beyond our typical states of consciousness to recognize our true, nondual nature.
Key concepts discussed include:
The Four Aspects of the Self: The Upanishad divides our experience into three well-known states—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep —to ultimately reveal a fourth, nondual aspect of consciousness.
The Gold and Ornaments Analogy: To explain how consciousness underlies all experiences without being limited by them, Swami Sarvapriyananda uses the analogy of gold and ornaments. Just as gold exists in and through necklaces, tiaras, and bracelets, pure consciousness runs through our various states of experience.
The Necessity of Manifestation: Addressing a question about why the universe appears at all, the Swami uses the analogy of a glass of water to illustrate that for pure consciousness to be "experienced" or "contained" in a useful way, it manifests through names, forms, and states.
Detailed State Breakdown:
Waking State (Vishwa): Characterized by externalized awareness and the use of "19 mouths" (the five senses, five organs of action, five vital forces, and four functions of the mind) to experience gross objects
Dreaming State (Taijasa): Where attention turns inward, and the mind generates its own objects and experiences.
Deep Sleep State (Prajna): A blissful state of rest where subject-object duality merges into a single, potential "seed" state, serving as the source from which waking and dreaming arise.
Throughout the talk, the Swami emphasizes that these states are simply pointing to the unchanging consciousness that we already are, noting that even our deepest sorrows and life challenges do not fundamentally "stick" to our true nature.
Video 3.
In this talk, Swami Sarvapriyananda discusses the seventh mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad, which he describes as the climax of the Upanishad and one of the highest expressions of Vedanta philosophy. The primary goal of the teaching is to help seekers transcend sorrow and attain serenity by intuiting their non-dual nature.
Key Concepts and Teachings:
The Method of "Neti, Neti" (Not this, not this): The Swami explains that the ultimate reality (the Fourth or Turiya) cannot be defined directly because it transcends objects. Instead, it is identified by denying the three states of experience—the waker, the dreamer, and the deep sleeper.
Why Language Fails:
Drawing from Shankaracharya’s commentary, he details why language cannot grasp the absolute. Language functions through class, quality, action, relationship, and convention, none of which apply to the non-dual reality.
The Silence of the Universe (Prapancha-upashamam): He discusses how the entire manifest and unmanifest universe—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep—is an appearance on the screen of pure consciousness. Realizing this leads to the 'silence of the universe' and the cessation of suffering.
Practical Realization:
The teaching emphasizes that the Fourth is not a separate state but the underlying reality of the other three. By tracing the 'I' thought back to its source (the method of Ramana Maharshi), one recognizes their true nature as pure, non-dual awareness.
Ultimately, the talk clarifies that Turiya is not a "fourth" thing added to the others, but the one reality without a second, providing the foundation for liberation (Moksha) while living.
Video 4
This video, featuring Swami Sarvapriyananda, focuses on the Mandukya Upanishad, a profound Sanskrit text consisting of only 12 mantras. The Swami explores the nature of the Self and reality, specifically focusing on the fourth state (Turiya) and the commentary provided by Gaudapada Acharya.
Key concepts covered:
The Four Aspects of the Self: The video breaks down the three familiar states—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep—and investigates the underlying reality, often referred to as the 'fourth' (Turiya), which is not a separate entity but the foundational consciousness.
The Nature of Suffering: Drawing on Buddhist insights, the Swami explains that while worldly problems (the 'first arrow') are inevitable, human suffering is largely caused by our reaction to these events (the 'second arrow'). Realizing one's nature as pure consciousness helps transcend this psychological suffering.
Transcendence through Light: The Swami uses the metaphor of light to explain consciousness; just as light illumines objects without being affected by them, consciousness reveals experiences without being altered by them.
Ignorance and Error:
Through an analysis of Gaudapada's Karikas (verses 10-13), the Swami contrasts the states of the Waker, Dreamer, and Deep Sleeper. He explains that the Waker and Dreamer are bound by both ignorance and error (identifying with the body-mind), while the Deep Sleeper is bound only by ignorance. The enlightened state (Turiya) is free from both
The Story of Emperor Janaka: The talk includes the illustrative story of the Emperor Janaka, who, upon waking from a dream of misfortune, reflects on the truth of reality versus the illusion of experiences.
Video 5
In this talk, Swami Sarvapriyananda explores the Mandukya Upanishad, one of the shortest and most powerful texts of Vedanta. The discussion focuses on the analysis of the Self and the inquiry into the sacred mantra OM.
The Four Aspects of the Self:
The Upanishad outlines four aspects of our nature:
Waking (Vaishvanara): The physical universe we experience.
Dreaming (Taijasa): The mental universe of thoughts and emotions.
Deep Sleep (Prajna): The state where both physical and mental universes dissolve into potentiality.
Turiya (Pure Consciousness): The fourth, real aspect—the unchanging witness in which the other three appear and disappear.
Inquiry into OM:
Swami Sarvapriyananda explains that OM is not just a symbol, but the entirety of reality condensed into sound. He breaks down the inquiry into three levels:
1. Primary OM as a pratika (symbol) for the ultimate reality, used for worship and calming the mind.
2. Deeper Associating the letters A-U-M with the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, deep sleep) and the silence that follows with Turiya.
3. Stunning: Recognizing that the entire universe is essentially 'name and form' dependent on consciousness, making the mantra OM fundamentally identical to the reality itself.
Meditative Mantras
The speaker breaks down the final mantras (8-12) of the Upanishad, which provide a structure for meditation:
A (Mantra 9): Associated with the waking state; meditating on this leads to the fulfillment of desires.
U (Mantra 10): Associated with the dream state; meditation here grants excellence in knowledge.
M (Mantra 11): Associated with deep sleep; described as the 'measure' of all things, where all experiences dissolve.
Silence (Mantra 12): Representing Turiya, the non-dual pure consciousness, which is the cessation of all sorrow and the ultimate auspicious state.
Conclusion:
The talk concludes by emphasizing the Mandukya Karika (commentary by Gaudapada Acharya), which uses rigorous logic to prove the falsity of the perceived universe and the non-dual nature of the Self, recommending it as a profound text for further study
Video 6
In this final talk of the series on the Mandukya Upanishad, Swami Sarvapriyananda discusses the deep insights found in the Karika of Gaudapada Acharya. Moving beyond the initial twelve mantras, he explores the radical non-dual perspective of the text, specifically focusing on the concept of Ajativada (the doctrine of non-origination).
Key Takeaways from the Talk:
The Radical Nature of Truth: The Swami highlights verse 32 of the second chapter, which asserts that there is no origination, no destruction, no bondage, and no liberation. From the ultimate (paramarthika) perspective, pure consciousness is the only reality, and the world is merely an appearance.
Bondage and Liberation: Using the story of a washerman and a donkey, the Swami explains that because we are inherently free, the idea of bondage is an illusion. We must go through the "motions" of spiritual practice until we realize our own nature.
Spiritual Practice (Sadhana): The Swami clarifies that while the Atman cannot be produced or changed by action, spiritual practices (like meditation and Karma Yoga) are essential for purifying the mind so that it can mirror the truth of non-duality.
Desire and Knowledge (49:00 - 53:40): He provides a profound analysis of human desires: Jijivisha (clinging to life), Jigyasa (the desire to know), and Bubuksha (the desire to enjoy). He explains that these persist because we are disconnected from our true nature as Satchidananda (existence, consciousness, bliss).
The Transactional vs. Ultimate Perspective: The Swami emphasizes that while the ultimate truth is non-dual, we must continue our spiritual efforts within the transactional (vyavaharika) realm until enlightenment occurs.
The talk concludes by acknowledging that even the teachings of Vedanta itself are eventually to be discarded once the direct intuition of one's non-dual nature is attained
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