UPANISHAD MANDUKYA : Chapter-1. Agama Prakarana ( The Scriptural Treatise ) Sri Gaudapada's glossary begins : Karika Slokam-s 1 to 9. Slokam-1. Discussion-7.

13/06/2018

Mandukya Upanishad :

Chapter-1. Agama Prakarana ( The Scriptural Treatise )

Sri Gaudapada's glossary begins :

Karika Slokam-s 1 to 9.

Slokam-1.

"Bahis-prajno vibhur-visvo hyantah-prajnastu taijasah,

ghana-prajnas-tatha prajna eka eva tridha smrtah."

bahih prajno = who is conscious of the external;

vibhuh = all pervasive;

visvah = visva;

hi = whereas;

antah prajnah = who is conscious of the internal;

tu = but;

taijasah = is taijasa;

ghana prajnah = (is) mass of consciousness;

tatha = and;

prajnah = is prakma;

ekah eva = sama entity only;

tridha = (in) three different ways;

smrtah = (is) thought of.

SUM of Slokam :

Visva, the first quarter ( pada ) is he, who is All-pervading and who experiences the external, the gross objects ( the Waker ).

Taijasa, the second quarter ( pada ), is he, who cognizes the internal, the subtle bodies ( the Dreamer ).

Prajna is he, who is a mass of consciousness.

He is one alone who is thus known as three, in the three different planes of consciousness.

Discussion-7.

For, am I not able to remember the 'waker' that I was yesterday : can I not remember the dream that I had yesterday : can I not also remember how, after the dream, I went to the deep-sleep-state? Thus, when I can remember all three-planes of Consciousness through which I traversed during the last 24 hours of my life, certainly there must be one common experience who was living through the three planes of experiences in me. The denominator or factor, who is the common experiencer in three fields of my activity, is the common -'I' --the Eternal Factor, the Pure Consciousness.

Thus, in the Slokam, the glosser is trying to hammer in the idea that the Reality is One and the Same, the Life is One and the Same, though it functions differently in the three different fields of experiences and, in the three different planes. What this common denominator or factor is, would be again discussed later on, and we shall go into its details when the Mantram comes up for discussion.

Discussion Ends here.

Next : Slokam-2.

To be continued ...