Mandukya Karika Lecture 067 on 7 September 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Adha Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Muhur Moho Om Bhadram Karne Vishnuyama Devaha Bhadram Pashye Makshavirya Jatraha Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Agam Sastanu Bhi Yashema Deva Hitaiyathayoh Swasthina Indro Vidhya Shavaha Swasthina Osha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthina Starksho Arishta Nimi Swasthina Om Brihaspati Hridadhatoh Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om O Gods, may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious. O Worshipful Ones, may we with our eyes always see what is auspicious. May we live our allotted life, hale and hearty, offering our praises unto Thee. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on all of us. May the all-nourishing potion be propitious to all of us. May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well-disposed towards all of us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Om Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all. We have been studying this Mandukya Upanishad for almost more than a year. It had been a very private class but because some devotees came to know about it and they showed great interest so we thought we would expand this class and those who are interested they can attend. The only thing is that we have almost completed this Mandukya Upanishad first chapter. Mandukya Upanishad is one of the smallest Upanishads. It has only 12 mantras but one of the most profoundest of all the Upanishads and here the analysis is trying to merge the gross into the subtle, the subtle into the causal and the causal into the ultimate. Brahman, Turiyam are the Maha Karana. A Karana, causeless cause which doesn't have any other cause. On this smallest Upanishad there was a great teacher, the Grand Guru, Paramaguru of Shankaracharya who had written very wonderful shlokas as explanations came to be called as Karikas and because of his Karikas this Mandukya Upanishad has been divided into four chapters. The first chapter is called the scriptural authority Agama Prakarana and here we get about 29 Karikas. Second chapter is called Vaithathya. More than 30 Karikas were there. Similarly third is called Advaita Prakaranam where also Gaudapada commented more than 40 shlokas. Finally the fourth chapter is called Alatha Shanti Prakarana where Gaudapada has exactly 100 Karikas are there. Now I think in total there are about 255 Karikas are there. Karika means shloka and Shankaracharya has not only written commentary on the Upanishad consisting of 12 mantras but he also added his special commentary on the Gaudapada Karikas and there is a tradition that this Mandukya Upanishad is more than sufficient alam to lead one to the highest realization because here the analysis of the three states of experience the waking, the dream as well as the dreamless or deep sleep has been so beautifully analyzed. The purpose of this is to deny that these three states first of all because they are experienced they are objects because they are objects they are changeable because they are changeable they depend upon something else whatever depends upon something else to observe to experience an object called subject which is called Turiyam which is called Atma which is called Brahma. This analysis is not to make us merely understand the three states but the ultimate purpose of this analysis is to make us really go beyond these three. So let the object completely merge into the subject and subject alone is pure consciousness and object is inert consciousnessless but really there is nothing other than consciousness even though just as one waker divides himself into the conscious subject and a non-conscious object in every dream in fact not only dream in every thought. So the Paramatma as if he was dreaming this whole universe is nothing but a dream. It is to lead us to this conclusion that ultimately Brahman alone is real Brahma Sathyam and if Brahma Sathyam is there and I am part of Brahman I am called Jeeva Jeeva is also Brahman. Jeeva is also called Sathyam. Jeeva is Brahman. This is indicated in the very second mantra of this Mandukya Upanishad. Remember Mandukya Karikas are separate. Mandukya Upanishad is only having 12 mantras. So I am Atma. This is one of the four famous Mahavakyas. It is to expound and elaborate this So I am Atma that is you who you think in the waking state I am the Vishwa in the dream state I am called Taiyasa in the deep sleep state I am called the Prajna you think you are very limited bound by time space and causation but in reality that which is sustaining all these three is you the Atma Tat Tvam Asi has been put I am Atma Brahman it is to the realization that I am Brahman that is the purpose of every Upanishad and especially of this Upanishad and in this Upanishad the speciality is the analysis of the three states of our day-to-day experience every living creature every prani experiences these three states continuously constantly from the time of creation until the time of liberation so that is the essence of it we have almost covered 66 classes and very soon all these audio recordings will be available on the on our sri sharda devi.com website but since I will be referring every now and then really speaking if you don't have that much of time why because 66 talks are almost 60 every talk is about 50 to 55 minutes therefore almost an hour almost 66 hours but even from now onwards if you follow then it will not be really difficult at all that is the point you will have to understand with this we have come almost to the end of the Agama Prakarana first chapter and we have been discussing about mantra number 11 in this mantras 9 10 and 11 a process of Upasana and this Upasana means slowly merging ourselves into the higher or subtler the gross merges in the subtle the subtle merges in the causal and the causal merges in the that which is beyond all these three states which is called the causeless cause Mahakarana or called Brahman and this Upasana is the most important point here trying to understand the three states of experience which are highly limited which make us suffer birth and death growth old age disease death happiness unhappiness satisfaction dissatisfaction etc how to become all the time Brahmananda Swaroopa that is the final goal and the purpose of every Upasana is to go there so in the 9th 10th and 11th mantras 9th mantra we have seen I will repeat this one so this mantra 11 is talking about the Prajna which is equated with Makara Omkara has got four letters a o ma and um which is called Ardhamatra or Amatra Atman has got four quarters the waking the dream the deep sleep and then that which is beyond these three which is called Brahman it is called Turiyam it is called Brahman Omkara and Turiyam are two ways of experiencing the same Brahman so here the Upasana tells us take the 11 letter of the Omkara and identify it with the one part of the Atman Chatushpada what are the Jagrat Swapna Sushukti and Turiyam equate what is the purpose first of all the individual should be merged in the universal called Virat Vishwa should be identified by merging I am not Vishwa I am Virat then I am not Thaishasa I am Hiranyagarbha I am not Prajna I am Ishwara and then merge the Virat in Hiranyagarbha that is merge Akara in Omkara Akara stands for Virat Omkara stands for Hiranyagarbha and Makara stands for Ishwara so first mergence is from the individuality to the universality second mergence is from the lower universality to the subtler universality from grosser universality to subtle universality from subtle universality to causal universality and then go beyond and we cannot directly equate ourselves with Brahman unless through spiritual progress we are able to expand and become first Virat then Hiranyagarbha then Ishwara then only it is possible and all the deities that we worship Rama, Krishna etc. they are nothing but Ishwara also called Saguna Brahma therefore first attain Saguna Brahma and the ultimate peak of this identity with Saguna Brahma is called Brahma Akara Vruthi, Kalika Akara Vruthi, Vishnu Akara Vruthi, Krishna Akara Vruthi, Rama Akara Vruthi, Devi Akara Vruthi etc. so this is the process of Upasana so we have come to this from the mantras 9, 10 and 11 each mantra is dealing with one type of Upasana mantra 9 with the gross type of Upasana mantra 10 with the subtle type of Upasana mantra 11 with the causal type of Upasana so we have started this mantra 11 in our last class and it goes like this Sushupta Stanaha Pragnaha he who is that limited consciousness who experiences by identifying himself with this Sushupti, deep sleep state is known as Pragnaha and then what is the corresponding letter of the Omkara Makara which is the Tritiya Matra third letter when these two the Pragnaha and the Makara as if they are one then this Upasana contemplation is pursued there would be a unity of these two and then that person if he wants to enjoy lower happiness then he will be the enjoyer of everything in this world and as if he is the controller just as a measuring vessel controls it takes in and it also gives out gives in takes in and gives out takes in and gives out so Ishwara all the what is called creation it goes in and then it comes out this was the essence of what we have seen in the Bhagavad Gita also Sahasra Yuga Pariyantham Ahariyat Brahmanavidhu Ratrim Yuga Sahasrantham Te Aho Ratravidho Janaha it is said in the Puranas the same idea Brahma the creator is one day is equivalent to 1000 Yugas of human calculation and 1000 Yugas of what is called night of Brahma is for 1000 Yugas of human being 1000 that means 2000 Yugas of every human being consisting of 24 hours a day 12 hours of day 12 hours of night becomes the 24 hours of Brahma so what does Brahma do during this day time what do we do we engage ourselves in activities similarly Brahma also engages himself in activities what activities Brahma does only three Srishti, Stithi and Laya creation preservation or sustenance and then taking recycling Srishti, Stithi, Laya Srishti, Stithi, Vinashanam, Shakti, Bhute, Sanatani and Divine Mother is equated with Brahma this is what we chant every day Sarvamangalam Mangalye so this is what Brahma does during the time and what we do is also exactly the same thing what type of Srishti we do we try our activities that how to create happiness and then how long can we keep happiness how to produce happiness is called creation how long can we continue this happiness sustain the happiness is called Stithi, sustenance and then again the happiness will change into unhappiness which is called Laya and this is the activity every creature does from the very beginning of birth until Moksha happens so we are all after Ananda and Srishti is meant only for Ananda how if we take Srishti in the light of evolution remember the word evolution has its opposite called involution we came from God came to the very lowest which is called non-life inert beings inorganic and then there is no further way to go down from here we start our journey back to God this is called the cyclical creation maintenance destruction etc go back to God again so when we come down from God as if in sport this is called involution is called Advogati in fact in Sanskrit and then when we start going back that is called evolution or called Urdhvagati or in Sanskrit it is called Pragati you must have heard the name Pragati some lady's name is called Pragati Pragati means progress progress means evolution so now fortunately we human beings are on the escalatory evolutionary escalator how do you know on a very simple proof you are all attending my Mandukya class in the proof so this is how we are doing this is the what in the mantra 11 we wants to say because earlier he said that Vishwa should be merged in Virat and Virat should be merged in Hiranyagarbha who is Hiranyagarbha he is the sum total of Swapna Sthana who is Virat is the sum total of the Jagrat Sthana the entire universe experiencing waking state at the same time that is called Virat same thing the entire subtle state all the minds combined together is called Hiranyagarbha universal mind Uttaratma and in Krishna Upanishad is in Prajapati so this Prajapati is the sum total of all the all of us all pranis not only pranis entire living non-living because in the subtle state also there is the same world there are mountains there are rivers there are rocks etc this of course is from the western point of view from the Indian point of view everything is with alive only Satchitananda only anything existing if something is existing it is called Sat every Sat cannot be separated from Chit and Ananda similarly even for Hindus all rivers are gods and goddesses god and goddesses only one popularly Brahmaputra is a male deity all mountains are devatas meru parvata it is said earlier in the puranas they could fly wherever they want an inert thing cannot fly only one with tremendous consciousness can fly but because these fellows is like an elephant putting its foot on any one of us how does a mosquito feel when you put your foot on it so when a elephant puts its foot on us we can feel perhaps that way but when a mountain sits on somebody maybe entire city will be squashed so Indra cut off the wings with which they are flying like birds and that is how each mountain is standing or just it is confined only to that space that is Himalayan meru parvata india parvata any small parvata it doesn't really matter what am i trying to tell you that there is nothing inert here in the eyes of a person a realized soul like Shri Ramakrishna like Ramana Maharshi everything is alive sarvam kalvidam brahma that is the knowledge we have come to so the Hiranyagarbha that is the sum total universal aspect of all the subtle minds mind is certain there is no subtle mind mind itself is subtle the totality of all subtle minds is called Hiranyagarbha and Hiranyagarbha merges in Eshwara. Eshwara is the sum total universal aspect of all the beings called pragmas which includes don't forget living as well as non-living the entire universe and this Eshwara finally will be merged in its cause because these are all causes and this cause merges in Maha Karana which is Parabrahman by realizing I am that Atman Aham Brahmasmi that is the purpose of this Upasana we have seen this one so now what Gaudapada is doing he is not really doing any what you call explanation commentary he just rephrasing paraphrasing the mantras 9 10 and 11 from this Karika 19 20 and 21 corresponding with mantra 9 mantra 10 and mantra 11 I'll briefly read out because of the newcomers that are there Karika 19 do not bother about Sanskrit I'll give you simple English then the identity of Vishwa that is the Vekar and the sound ah of the Omkara when both are unified then what happens this is called Upasana and then what happens the conspicuous round is the circumference each being the first Akhara is the first of the letters ah oh ma and um and waking doing and deep sleep and Thuriyam so waking is the first one I elaborately explained why is it called the first because it is the substratum all our sadhana all our longing either for the world or for the for God only in the waking state otherwise I made fun if we can enjoy worldly objects in the waking state and enjoy that which cannot be obtained in this world in the dream state but when we go into deep sleep state we will do first class spiritual sadhana so we will not lose worldly happiness we will not lose any upper higher loka happiness and at the same time we will be progressing by leaps and bounds into the spiritual progress unfortunately that is not possible so what happens is the higher state that we achieve the happiness which is within becomes more manifest so what are we experiencing now if I don't eat a sweet I will not get sweet happiness what happens when you eat bitter gourd you get bitter happiness you call it unhappiness but I call it bitter gourd happiness and if it is prepared like Andhra people do it is marvelous really even better than rasagulla so what am I talking about we are under the misapprehension misunderstanding what is misunderstanding missing the understanding is called misunderstanding that happiness comes from outside from the objective world no objective world sometimes makes our mind calm and quiet and the inner happiness just pours out springs out when the mind is in that state that is first point so subtler happiness is higher than gross happiness causal happiness is much longer much deeper much intense much more intense than even subtle happiness that is why the Sushruti state is called Anandamaya state so this is what is telling Vishwa has to emerge in Virat Virat has to be equated with Akara because Akara represents both and then when both are there waking state is the first one is substratum and waking state is also the beginning and he who does this one he attains a lot of happiness gross happiness now Karika number 20 paraphrases Mantra number 10 Taijasasya Utpavijnana Utkarsho Drishyatesh Phutam Matra Samprati Pattavasyat Ubhayatvam Tatha Vidham the clear ground of realizing Taijasasya is of the same nature as Akara is the common feature of superiority so similarly another reason of such identity because the dream state is in the middle middle means it is in the middle of waking state and deep sleep state and Ukara is also in the middle of Akara and Makara that is the similarity and this Ukara is superior to Akara because it is much nearer to Anandamaya Kosha so a dream state is much nearer also to the Parabrahma state as if we have progressed a lot these are the similarities so this Karika number 20 is paraphrasing Mantra number 10 then Karika number 21 of the identity of Prajna and Makara of the Ukara the clear reason is the common feature both are the measure like a measuring vessel because Sushupti deep sleep state it absorbs the waking as well as the dream state for some time the Jeeva is given tremendous Ananda relief released from the bonds of both the waking as well as the dream state and pure limited but pure happiness is given that is why the third state is called Anandamaya Kosha and some people have said it is every man lives every creature lives only to experience this Anandamaya Kosha for several hours whatever you eat whatever you smell etc last for merely seconds but this last for hours together and there any number of obstacles can come here there is no obstacle even if somebody wanting to plunge a knife into you it doesn't matter if the whole world is nuked that is nuclear bombs are thrown and if you are in deep sleep you don't feel it if the surgeon takes even the crudest knife and cuts you into pieces you will not feel anything on the contrary do you know what you feel tremendous happiness so that is why this Utkata so much happiness so one is too much of happiness it is superior so it is the measurement and another is the ability to take in and to take out that happiness is the greatest happiness these are the common features this is how if we can do what is called Upasana contemplation then this person is now ready it is remember Upasana when we are in the waking state we must do Upasana dream state you can't do but if we do very well thinking about God remembering God and the effect of that prolongs itself into the dream state and if we continue our Sadhana not only in dream state usually what happens when the Sushupti deep sleep comes we forget everything we are not even aware of our body mind but strangely if we do this Sadhana even during the Sushupti state the name of the God will be going on unconsciously that is a great thing and a realized soul crystal clearly witnesses this Nama going on all the time so it is said there is a story I just want to recall it before we go further you know there was a king and there was a queen the queen was one of the greatest devotees of God but later on we come to know she was not that progressing in spiritual life she was devoted she was very great lady very loving person want to do everything good but the greatest Dukkha in her life is that her husband is not at all a devotee of God he never takes the name of God he never does any worship and if anybody is talking about and the wife goes on giving sermons you should become a devotee should remember God alone is the truth etc. but he will simply smile as if he is totally completely indifferent several years have passed and one night suddenly the queen woke up at midnight and the husband was in deep sleep but from his mouth continuous stream of Ram Rama is going on she was shocked but she was so happy oh my husband is a secret devotee of God and every true devotee of God must be only secret otherwise everybody they want to show by wearing Prudraksha Malas by putting on Namas by putting on so many things I am a great devotee of God etc. I have seen so much of this farce and some people fall in also for that the greater a devotee and the more secret he will practice he never wants to tell excepting some pale haired souls they tell about their spiritual practices for our benefit so this queen was so happy and shockingly happy or happily shocked and then she immediately went ran out called the prime minister and ordered as soon as the king gets up there should be a special celebration the whole that is work day is closed all offices are closed everybody will enjoy everybody will get gifts etc. poor husband was sleeping and at the usual time he was a light sleeper he got up and then everybody rushed in and started praising him and the king was really taken by surprise what is this farce and the queen very dimmerly she started telling I thought you are not a devotee of God now I know you are such a great devotee of God in your deep sleep also continuous issuance of Ramanaama I have never discovered the king became shocked what did you come to know the secret that I only depend upon God and I don't need anything this life is useless because this I wanted to keep I wanted to remain a Gupta Mahendranath Gupta how he kept his devotion secret even the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna only M is there and nothing else is there this king was even greater Gupta Bhakta and immediately he prayed to God and gave up his body now what I am trying to tell you the greater a devotee the greater will be his desire to cover up his spirituality at those who are shallow vessels they want to show how great devotees they are through celebrations and every celebration ends with heavy food everywhere this stupid tradition continues in so many places instead of thinking about God people are fed sumptuously and that they think the greatest religiosity in fact on religious days our food should be even less than the normal anyway that's not our subject matter what I want to say those who practice spiritual disciplines with greater zeal in the waking state it continues in the dream state and it continues after some time when sufficient progress has been made into the also deep sleep state so with this 21st karika Gaudapada has expounded the 11th mantra of this this is just to recollect we have already discussed it now we have to go to mantra number 12 prashupta sthanaha prajnaha makaraha rtiya matra api terva minoti havaidam samam apiti ischa bhavati evam vedha this is what we have discussed earlier this is karika now karika karikas 19 to 21 summarized the equations for the 3 quarters now Gaudapada gives some general conclusions for karika number 22 this is just recollection 22 and 23 and then the mantra number 12 final mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad will come that we will see yath tuliyam samanyam ved nishchitaha we have to supply upasakaha so nishchitaha he who is practicing this upasana what is the upasana trishu dhamasu dhama means state of experience what is the state of experience waking, dream, dreamless in all these 3 states yath tuliyam samanyam whatever is similar and whatever is common and similar in all these 3 that is what has been discussed in 19 20 and 21 of the karikas or in mantras 9, 10 and 11 of the Mandukya Upanishad and we have given the what results will come as a result of this upasana also yath tuliyam samanyam he who becomes successful in these 3 upasanas such a person Godpada is praising him maha munihi he is the greatest of the munis not only that what happens sarvabhutanam pujya he becomes adorable worthy of everybody everybody should do namaskaram to him he who knows without doubt what the common features that are in the 3 states awaking, dream and dreamless such a person that means he who had practiced the upasana has become successful in this upasana then such a person is worshipped and adored by all beings and he is also the greatest sage but remember he is not yet a realized soul this such a person and there are so many who practice this kind of upasanas and this upasana can be done in 2 ways sakama and nishkama if the upasanas are done with sakama they get some worldly benefits such as going to higher loka enjoying higher happiness etc but if the same person, any person any sadhaka practices these 3 upasanas what are the 3 upasanas merging akara akara means the waking state into taijasa akara into makara merging the taijasa in the sushupti state and merging akara in the makara state and remaining thereby in the deep sleep state or in the makara state identifying them when a person succeeds then he gets tremendous amount of respect he will get so much of happiness as it were just giving you a hint the inner meaning when you are in the sushupti you are not a prajna only when you wake up you say I am a prajna I was sleeping but when you are actually in deep sleep you don't say you don't know that I am an individual as it were the Ishwara and Ishwara contains all the 3 states every being in this world, every being's happiness because in that state of deep sleep as the universal, as Ishwara there is no dukkha why is there no dukkha I already explained to you I hope you remember it if you are playing in a drama acting in a drama or a cinema in a dual role you are the hero you are the villain so in the beginning as a villain you bet the hero and in the end inevitably that happens you the hero beats the villain either he conquers him or subdues him or kills him in whatever way and then everything is supposed to end on a very happy note now both you are acting and when the villain is beating you you are crying and shouting and when you are beating the villain he is crying and shouting so there is sukha for the villain dukkha for you then there is sukha for you dukkha for the villain but when you wake up you enjoy the whole show what a marvelous dream I have that is the experience we get as Ishwara because he knows even what is the difference when we are in the dream we don't know we are in the dream when we are in the waking state we know we are in the waking state but we don't know the other states when we are in deep sleep state, we don't know we are in the deep sleep state but Ishwara knows he was in the waking state, he was in the dream state, now he is in the deep sleep state all the three states continuous consciously he is experiencing continuously that is called Ishwara if it is individual whatever state we are experiencing that we are conscious but we are not conscious of the other states as Ishwara is conscious of all the three states, just like a person you acted there and you are also previewing that movie and you are seeing yourself sleeping as waker as the dreamer, as the sleeper in the cinema all the three states as if you are witnessing so Ishwara witnesses everything why? because he is the Ishwara, he is the lord of maya, maya means the three states as an individual, Ishwara doesn't is not affected by maya he is mayadhisha we are mayadhinas this is how we have to understand so what is in this twenty second, Gaudapada is telling that this person who is successful in practicing these three upasanas, that means he knows he is the Ishwara what happens, he is naturally just as Saguna Brahma the Christians worship him, Muslims worship him non-believers worship him in the form of happiness in the form of prosperity etc. everybody worships him, everybody adores him and such a person is a great sage when a sadhaka reaches this stage then the next stage is that he has to get out of even this stage and become merged as Nirguna Brahma, not remaining merely as an Ishwara, this is called Pravilapanam Brahmakaara vritti vritti has to be merged in Brahman, then there is no Brahma, Aakaara vritti will not be there, Aakaara vritti becomes merged in Brahma, what remains is Brahman and we are using the word remains etc but the Brahman doesn't say I am remaining alone but he is called the greatest sage, that is what we have to understand so Karika 23 is also more or less is telling rephrasing the same thing again Aakaaro nayate vishwam ukaarascha apitaijasam makaarascha punah pragnam na amatre vidyate gatihi so when a person practices first upasana merging the waking state and the Aakaara Aakaaraha vishwam nayate Aakaara that is vishwa becomes merged in virat that is ukaara that is taijasa that is the dreamer taijasa merges in Hiranyagarbha, makaara that is prajna merges in eshwara this is the limit of upasana amatre but what about the amatra, what about the turiyam what about the mmm what is mmm, I hope you remember for the newcomers aa, omkaara omkaara contains four parts, four matras aa, oo maa and mmm om om that mmm is called amatra, artha matra etc amatre when you are talking about amatra that means turiyam that means brahman gatihi there is nothing called attainment there is nothing called state everything merges in that but what is that state this amatra that is going to be described in the twelfth mantra and this seventh mantra if you remember that it describes that mmm the atman, the brahman the turiyam na anta prajnaha na bahish prajnaha na ubhayata prajnaha etc that is the first part then it says there is no vyavahara vyavaharaha prapanchaha shantaha and advaitaha shivam shantam advaitam and that second part of the seventh mantra is going to be elaborated in the twelfth mantra which we are going to see. So remember from the eighth mantra onwards, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh is only elaborating the first part of the seventh mantra and mantra number twelve is going to elaborate the second part of the this Upanishad's seventh mantra second part of the seventh mantra that is what Mandukya Upanishad we will see in our next class. I will be stopping here. The essence of what we discussed is that merely theoretical understanding is not enough one has to do sadhana sadhana is nothing but upasana. Upasana is nothing but moving nearer and nearer and nearer to God. So the gross we have to leave our identity with the gross become identified with the subtle then we have to after attaining identity with the subtle we have to give up the identity with the subtle and become rise up to become identified with the causal and for some time remain there after some time when it becomes deep natural and continuous then we have to then only we can take up the fourth sadhana which is complete emergence of all the three into that mantra and that is beautifully described in the twelfth chapter and we will discuss about it in our next class.