MANDUKYA UPANISHAD with GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA : 6 - Swami Advayananda ji.

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Sunday, 17 Sep 2023. 07:00.

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD 

with Part 1/4 of GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA

Agama Prakarana – “The Scriptural Treatise”

PART 1: Agama Prakarana (Mantras-29. )

Kar. Section 1.1: EXPERIENCE & ENJOYMENT (Mantras 1-5) 

Commentary on Mantras 1-5 of Mandukya Upanishad

Mantram - 3: The First Pada – Waking State Consciousness.

Post-6.

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Mantram - 3: The First Pada – Waking State Consciousness.

1 

Jaagarita sthaanah,  =  The sphere of activity in the waking state

bahih prajnah;   =  is the external, conscious world of objects;

2 

saptah angah,  =  i) It has seven limbs,

ekona vimshati mukhah;  =  ii) and nineteen mouths; and

3 

sthoola bhukh  =   iii) enjoys the gross objects of the outer world –

4 

vaishvaanarah prathamah paadah. =   Such is the first quarter called VAISHVANARA.

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4 

The sphere of the First Quarter of Consciousness named VAISHVANARA is the 

waking state. The word ‘Vaishvanara’ has two meanings:

i) “that which leads all beings to their enjoyment.”

ii) “All beings together; i.e. the cosmic Purusha.” 

Readers may notice that in the case of the first Quarter, the Samashti term for the 

Consciousness is used, namely, Vaishvanara, instead of the Vyashti term which is Vishwa. In 

the second and third Quarters, the Vyashti terms for Consciousness are used, namely 

Taijasa and Prajna. This is because in the waking state, the entire gross world is the field for 

the individual to interact with, not just his own individual body (Vishwa). In the case of 

dream and deep sleep states, only the individual is involved, not the world.

1 Jaagarita:

 The “waking world” is the foundation of all experiences in this world. 

Hence, it gets first place among the quarters. However, the first Quarter is not the waking 

state itself, but the Consciousness in association with the waking state, during which alone

the total gross world can be experienced. This is the state in which we are most connected 

with the external world. The senses have the maximum play as they lavish themselves on 

the objects. The mind, too, is fully available, usually preoccupied with some desire which it 

seeks to fulfil among the objects.

This is the state when Paapa and Punya are being produced through every act of 

ours if we are in an indulgent mode; the opposite can be true if we are in a purificatory 

mode, engaged in some spiritual Sadhana or other.

Bahih Prajnaa: 

The “outgoing tendency”, is predominant in this state.

2 i) Saptah Angah: 

“The Seven Limbs”. The macrocosm and microcosm are paired 

up. The major aspects of Creation are matched with various parts of our body. The idea 

conveyed is that we are to feel they are inseparable from us. 

ii) Ekoni Vimshati Mukhah: 

“The Nineteen Mouths”, through which the objects of 

the world are enjoyed. 

The following tables will help us to know what the 7 Limbs and 19 Mouths are:

No. MACROCOSM Creation   -  MICROCOSM Body

1 Heaven - Head

2 Sun - Eye

3 Air - Prana

4 Space - Trunk

5 Water - Bladder

6 Earth - Feet

7 Ahavaniya - Fire Mouth

THE 7 LIMBS OF MACROCOSM & MICROCOSM

No. MOUTH  - REPRESENTATION

1-5 5 Jnanendriyas   -   Ear, Eye, Nose, Skin, Tongue

6-10 5 Karmendriyas   -  Hands, Feet, Speech, Anus, Generation

11-15 5 Pranas   -  Prana, Apana, Vyana,Samana, Udana

16 Manas   -  Mind

17 Buddhi   -  Intellect

18 Ahamkara   -  Ego

19 Chitta   -  Memory

TABLE: THE 19 MOUTHS OF VAISHVANARA

3 Sthoola Bhuk: 

The purpose of the 7 limbs and 19 mouths is generally simply: iii) to 

enjoy as much of the “worldly sense objects” as possible. A rare few see their danger

“NEGATE HEAVEN – OR NEGATE THE HEAD!”

At this point the Bhashya poses the following objection from an objector:

Poorvapakshi (the Objector): 

The topic is progression of Consciousness through the 

four Padas, to the “Fourth” Pada. What then is the point of describing the world as ‘head’, 

‘bladder’, etc? [Reference to Seven Limbs above.]

Reply from Siddhantin: 

There is no harm in doing so. The purpose is just to show 

that the world objects do contribute to each of the 4 Padas in some way through the waking 

state. They directly affect the consciousness in the first Pada, and indirectly the second and 

third Padas. The “Fourth” state is connected to all these three as their very substratum.

Our aim is: i) to remove the phenomenal world and reveal the Non-duality that 

remains; ii) to show that the Self in each being is One; and iii) all beings exist in the Self.

If we do not prove all three, then people like the Sankhyans and others will look 

upon the Self as unique for each individual. There will be countless Selves and there will not 

be a way to relate them to one Reality. Non-duality will remain un-established.

There is a case in the Chandogya Upanishad where a student focussed on Vishwa 

(e.g. the head) instead of Vaishvanara (e.g. Heaven) in his Upasana practice. He went to his 

Guru to check whether he was doing the correct thing. His Guru told him, “If you did not 

come to me to verify your worship, then when you came to the portion concerning 

negation, your head would have dropped off, rather than the renunciation of Heaven!” This 

shows how real the terms and the related thoughts for the individual and the Total were

regarded by earnest teachers and their equally earnest disciples in those days. 

Thus we see that the use of the simile of “Limbs”and “Mouths” were taken quite 

literally, and this was within the context of representing the Truth. In the next verse, we will 

see the same two similes applied to the second Quarter, but this time at the Vyashti level in 

Taijasa. For the third Quarter, the similes are not there, but the verse is clearly applicable at 

the Vyashti level to Praajna and not to Ishwara. 

Finally, when we come to the fourth Quarter, we will see that Non-duality is applied 

at both Vyashti level (to Atman) and Samashti level (to Brahman). This brings us to the 

grand ultimate Truth of Identity to which Vedanta leads all spiritual seekers at the final 

stage. At that point Duality is removed totally at all levels! One does not have to lose his 

‘head’; instead, he gains all heads!

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Next

Mantram - 4: The Second Pada – Dream State Consciousness

To be continued

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