MANDUKYA UPANISHAD with GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA : 10

Chinmaya Mission:

Chinmaya Vibhooti had the privilege of hosting a Shrimad Bhagavad Saptah camp from October 26th to November 2nd, 2023, conducted by Swami Advaitananda from Chinmaya Mission Nashik.

The most remarkable moment of the camp was the inauguration ceremony, graced by the presence of the revered Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, who made a special trip to Chinmaya Vibhooti for this auspicious occasion, much to the joy of all attendees.

This Saptah was organized in loving memory of Shri K K Kela by his family, with open registration for all interested individuals.

A total of 150 participants experienced the profound teachings of the Bhagavata and engaged in festivities, including Sharad Purnima raas and Karwa Chauth puja.

The entire Chinmaya Vibhooti campus welcomed the campers, who were deeply impressed by its beautiful features and excellent facilities.

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Sunday, 05 Nov 2023. 07:15.

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD

with Part 1/4 of GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA

Agama Prakarana – “The Scriptural Treatise”

PART 1: Agama Prakarana (Mantras-29.)

Mantram - 7: The Third Pada – The Causal Consciousness (Samashti)

Post-10.

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THE “FOURTH” QUARTER – TURIYA:

Upanishad Section 2:

Mantram - 7.

Negation Phase 1: The Experience – What it is Not (Athatvya Vritti Lakshanam)

1 Na antah prajnam;= Not conscious of the internal world;

2 na bahih prajnam; = nor conscious of the external world;

3 na ubhayatah prajnam; = not conscious of both worlds;

4 na prajnaana ghanam; = nor just a mass of consciousness;

5 na prajnam; = not conscious ( i.e. aware of everything at once);

6 na aprajnam; = nor unconscious (i.e. not aware of anything);

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Negation Phase 2: The Experience – How it is Indicated (Tatastha Lakshanam)

7 adrishtam; = beyond perception, the unseen;

8 avyavahaaryam; = beyond empirical transactions;

9 agraahyam; = beyond the grasp of the sense organs;

10 alakshanam; = beyond inference, indefinable, incomprehensible;

11 achintyam; = beyond thoughts, ideas, or concepts;

12 avyapadeshyam; = beyond description;

13 ekaatma pratyaya saaram; = proved by the sole belief in One Self in all three states.

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Assertion Phase 3: The Experience – As it Actually Is (Swaroopa Lakshanam)

14 prapancha upashamam; = free from the world of all phenomena;

15 shaantam; = tranquil, unchanging;

16 shivam; = auspicious, divine, beneficient;

17 advaitam; = non-dual, One without a second –

18 chaturtham manyante; = this is what is considered as the Fourth Quarter.

19 sah aatmaa, = This is the Atman;

20 sah vijneyah. = This is to be realized.

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18-19

As before, we start at the bottom end. We are ready to learn about the Fourth

Quarter which is named ATMAN. It is also named the Turiya. Its sphere lies beyond the

previous three Quarters, yet it is their foundation. As it is such an important Quarter, and is

so different from the other three, it is introduced at length in the Bhashya as follows:

Introduction (from Bhashya)

A/

This Quarter, known as the Turiya, is devoid of any characteristic qualities that

can make the use of words possible. It is not describable through words. For this reason, the

method of “Negation”, of Neti-Neti or “not this, not this”, is adopted. Various attributes are

negated. This is called the Athatvya Vritti Lakshanam method in Vedanta.

[In the course of the discussion, Obj 5-8 arise. These are placed at the end. ]

B/

The four quarters that we have been speaking of are this very Self in those

aspects. The Supreme Reality is the Fourth Quarter, and the false appearances of Vishwa,

Taijasa and Prajna are the first three Quarters. We have seen the unreality of the first 3

Quarters, they being merely enjoyment and the enjoyer, both of which are unreal. Their

unreality consists in them being cause and effect to each other. They are like the snake.

Now we deal with the rope, the supreme state of Reality, non-causal. By eliminating

the other states, we come to know this Fourth state called Turiya.

The Negation Process Brings Immediate Results

C/

If the three states were totally different from Turiya then you would be right in

saying that their negation is futile. But they are not unrelated. They are the doorways to

enter the Turiya. There is no other way to enter the Turiya.

Then again, the very moment we negate the other states, that same moment we are

in the Turiya. It is a simultaneous realisation of the Truth. This also implies that the cessation

of misery and sorrow occurs at the same moment. This is a very big benefit of attaining the

Turiya.

D/

As soon as the rope is distinguished from the snake, nothing else needs to be

done to eliminate the snake from the rope. The job is over simply by correct identification.

E/

Once the knowledge of the Self has removed the ignorance, one need not search

for any other result or benefit to come from it. That is what knowledge does, and it is the

only thing that it does. The example given is of an axe splitting a log of wood. Once the log is

split, the job of the axe is over. There is nothing else that needs to be done by the axe. [Sri

Shankaracharyaji expresses this in the form of a philosophical joke.]

F/

The same applies to a pot that is covered by darkness. If the darkness is removed,

the pot is visible. The removal of the darkness is all that is necessary.

G/

In the same way, in the case of Turiya, the knowledge needed is simply to find a

way to uncover the ignorance that obscures the Turiya, and that is what the negation

process does. As soon as everything that covers Turiya is removed, that very instant

represents the moment of enlightenment or the cessation of all duality, misery and sorrow.

H/

Ignorance does not continue for a moment longer. Mental knowledge ceases on

cessation of duality; the Triputi (knower, the known and knowledge) all merge into one.

Conclusion:

All the treacherous interactions with the world of objects, which

are simply unreal superimpositions on the Self, cease forthwith with the

application of valid knowledge to negate all Duality.

Negation Phase 1: 1-6

The introduction being over, the Bhashya now takes up the commentary on the

verse itself. The lines in Phase 1 of Negation, negate the three states of Vishwa, Taijasa and

Prajna, together with all the other possible combinations of them. Let us go step by step:

1 First to be eliminated is Taijasa, the conscious internal world of the mind.

Assertion Phase 3: 14-19

The student is finally told what the Self is, instead of what it is not. That must surely

be like a cool, welcoming breeze to him! In this last Phase are given some of the positive

qualities by which the realized person may be identified. These qualities describe the Selfrealised sage. They comprise an “Assertion Phase”, rather than a Negation Phase. The

closest we can come to knowing what the Self is, is by knowing who a Self-realised sage is.

14 The sage is “free from all world phenomena.” These attributes belong to Vishwa.

15 He is a “tranquil, peaceful person”. These mental attributes belong to the Taijasa.

16 He is “auspicious, divine and beneficient”, which also belong to Taijasa.

17 He is in the Non-dual state, the indescribable final goal. But non-duality is

different from “absence of duality” which is how Prajna in deep sleep was described.

18 and 19 have already been covered at the beginning.

Conclusion:

20 The mantram concludes by turning our attention to the purpose of the whole process

– the realisation of the Atman, and the Truth that is to be known. This is from the

standpoint of ignorance, as in Reality, there is no “knowing” of the Self. How is it to be

known? By removing that which prevents us from knowing it!

2 Then Vishwa, the conscious external world of objects and sense pleasures.

3 This rules out the possibility of waking and dreaming happening simultaneously.

4 This denies the state of deep sleep, wherein there is nothing distinguishable, i.e.

there is absence of duality, but it is not the Non-dual Supreme State.

5 This rules out the possibility of all the three states happening together, i.e. waking,

dream and deep sleep.

6 And finally, we negate the complete absence of all three states, which would

resemble a state of total nothingness, an unconsciousness, a Void. The Void is negated.

[At this point Obj 9 and Obj 10 arise. See end of Chapter.]

Negation Phase 2: 7-13

In Phase 1, we eliminated the Experience of the three states of Vishwa, Taijasa and

Prajna. In this phase, that which is Experienced , i.e. the object of experience in those three

states, is negated. They concern the various attributes belonging to those experiences:

7 Negates all the objects of the Vishwa experience. By negating the seen, it is

understood that the heard, the tasted, the touched and the smelt are also included.

8 Negates all empirical dealings or interactions. This also relates to Vishwa.

9 Negates all the activities of the sense organs of action, also relating to Vishwa.

10 Shifts into the realm of Taijasa, and negates all thought-objects. All the thought

processes performed within the intellect are negated.

11 This also relates to Taijasa, but concerns the thought mass that is in the mind. All

thoughts relating to desires, emotions and feelings are negated.

12 Negates the power of description. Speech is a mixture of Vishwa and Taijasa.

13 Finally, we have the negation is of self-awareness (ego) during deep sleep. This is

an indirect assertion of ‘Self-awareness’. While Prajna is negated, Turiya, the state of

unbroken Self-awareness, is asserted. This assertion is expanded in the next Phase . . .