Mandukya Karika Lecture 051 on 18 May 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM BADRAM KANNE BISHRUNAYA MADEVAHA BADRAM PASHYE MAKSHA VIRYA JATRAHA STHIRAYI RANGAYE STUSHTU AAKUM SASTANUBHI YASHEMA DEVAYI TANYADAYO SWASTHINA INDRU VRIDDHA SHRAVAHA SWASTHINA PUSHA VISHWA VEDHA SWASTHINA STARKSHO ARISTA NIMIHE SWASTHINO BRIHA SPATIR DADHATU OM SHANTE SHANTE SHANTE HARE 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 us. May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well-disposed towards us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL Exploring the sixth mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad, Gaudapada is expounding that who caused the creation or what people think about the creator of the creation, we have seen four views are there. Then what are the real purpose which is called in philosophical language teleological urge. Why is it? What is the real purpose? That is also four reasons are there. All these four causes of creation and four purposes of creation, all of them have been dismissed or is going to be dismissed throughout this Mandukya Upanishad. So we have to keep certain things in background. According to Advaita Vedanta, Srishti is Mithya. Mithya is mere appearance. It is not true. But most of us are not in a position to understand this truth. So we will have to first of all think that this creation is real because what is creation? Our body is real. Our mind is real. This is the real cause of the reality of the creation. If our body, mind are somehow dealt with, then depending upon how we think about it, then the whole status of the whole world will change. Just like a projector can change the nature of that which is projected. If it is dim light, things appear in dim light. If it is bright light, in another way. If there is no light, no projection is seen. Everything depends upon the projection of our mind. Our mind is the real Karta. So Gaudapada or Advaita Vedanta wants to say the highest truth is there is no creation because there is no necessity for a creation. Brahman doesn't have any desires. Brahman doesn't have any lacking things. Brahman is Paripoorna. He is completely fulfilled. But we are not in that position. So Vedanta out of compassion for people like us, like any good psychiatrist takes a particular methodology which is called first of all you think everything is as we are seeing but later on deny it. Totally you will have to deny it. And this is the methodology used. So first of all Gaudapada is telling for those who think creation is real. There are many views but he just takes four views or rather six views he takes. And what is the purpose of creation? Four views are there. This we have seen. What are those things? Some people think this is the expansion of Ishwara's glory, Vibhutim. Some people think that yes it is there but it is like Swapna Maya Sarupa, equivalent. Just like your dream or your magic. These are the two. But the real purpose as I was mentioning Shankracharya gives this one. Absolutely no person who is seeking liberation cares for this Srishti. If at all we care for this Srishti then it is to take advantage of it so that we can reach our final goal. Just as nobody is interested in a car. Very meaningful statement. Oh everybody wants a car. No, nobody wants a car. Everybody wants to reach a particular destination. For that a car serves the purpose just like a spoon, just like a handle, just like specs, just like phone. Supposing a phone is there, beautiful, very costly, gold studded. But it doesn't allow us to speak with anybody or to hold conversation with anybody. I am sure very few people will be interested in such. It is for some purpose we give respect, we give reality to some instruments. So this body-mind or Mithya. Why are they Mithya? Mithya means that they are changing constantly. Anything changing we cannot rely upon it. Therefore the question comes is there something upon which I can rely permanently? Yes, that is your own true nature which is no other than Brahman. That is the real purpose. So in the process that this world is a Mithya, Shankaracharya gives the Indian rope trick. I explained it. A musician comes, he throws it and then he climbs it and then he battles with some demon and then he is cut into pieces. He falls down, a rope falls down and the audience were shocked, blood, bones, skin everywhere scattered. After a few seconds of this magic, a musician appears absolutely untouched exactly as he is, the real musician. Then the audience says, you made us forget the whole lot. We are only enjoying the magic. So the whole universe is like the magic. But why is this universe? So there is only one explanation. The only purpose, the real purpose, only purpose of discussing about creation or which is like Maya. Swami Vivekananda gives a beautiful definition. Maya is a statement of fact. That means what we experience, that is Maya. But that is not the problem. The problem is our conclusion. Experience is not a problem. For example, you go on seeing cinema. Your seeing the cinema is not unreal. Nobody says, I have never seen a cinema. You are seeing it. You are a witness to it. But to take what things appear on the screen as absolute reality, that is where the problem will come. If we can separate these two, our experience and our conclusion about the experience, then we are very, very safe. Go on enjoying it. That is what really a Jeevan Mukta does all the time. He experiences the world, but as Brahman, so he knows this is only appearance. It is not real. That which is appearance is not the genuine stuff. It is an experience that nobody can deny. So long as there is a body, there is a mind. Experience by the body-mind will be very real. But to mistake what we experience, to conclude that the things we experience are real, that means unchanging. Reality means unchanging. That would be a terrible mistake. This is why we suffer. If money is there, I am safe. I am happy. Not knowing money, any material has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness is purely a state of the mind. You can even think something which is not real as real and can be very happy. You can think of unreality as reality and be happy or you can think of reality as reality. Then also you can be very happy or you can think reality as unreality and you can be very unhappy also. So it is our understanding that is the true problem, not our experience. What we experience in the waking, in the dream, in the deep sleep, that is a real experience. But the conclusion that they are real, which we cherish all the time, that's wrong. This is the only purpose. Then what is reality? Reality is he who is unchanging, who is experiencing the waking, the dream, the dreamless state and that is called Turiya. If we pay attention to that which is experienced and consider it as real, that is called Samsara. To experience anything, everything but to conclude I the experiencer alone is the reality because I was in the waking, I was in the dream, I was in the deep sleep, now I am again in the waking state, that is the real point. Therefore, Tat Chintaya Meva. Tat means that magician, that reality Brahman. Eva Adaraha should be always meditated upon. Mumukshu Nam Aryanam. A noble people who are desirous of attaining liberation. Na Nishprayojanayam Srishtau Adaraha. So if you are going on meditating upon the Srishti, how it has come, why it has come, how long will it be there, how can I escape, all those things. Nishprayojana means completely useless type. Ityataha Srishti Chintakaanam Eva Ete Vikalpaha. Therefore, a few samples of what people think. So what do they think? Earlier we have seen that it is an extension of Ishwara's glory or it is like a dream or it is like a maya, two views. Then here in the 8th Karika, Iccha Matram Prabhoho. The whole creation is in nothing but a desire of the Ishwara. Srishti Riti Srishta Vinichchitaha. People say, no, no, not Ishwara, but time alone creates everything. Time is the Ishwara. Ishwara is not time, but time is Ishwara. This is another view that takes place. So we have to understand there are some problems with these views. What is the problem? Suppose we say God is creating, that means God is the creator. What is the problem? So why did he create? Because Iccha Matram Prabhoho is a desire of Ishwara. Now there is a problem. You can never desire what doesn't exist. If an aeroplane did not exist, you will never think of buying a ticket in an aeroplane. So that means if God is desiring, there must be a previous to Him, there must be a world. And He experienced it and He liked it. He wanted to create. So that is limiting Ishwara. That means He is not the creator. It was already existing before Ishwara could even desire. Second, if Ishwara has a desire, He is limited in two ways. First of all, He cannot desire something impossible. An example I have given that a round square is impossible. Even God falls under certain rules, regulations. He cannot say that I would like, I desire to create a roundish square or squarish round. It is not possible. The second limitation it will be, anything that is created will come in time, will remain for some time and disappear at some point of time. If what Ishwara creates is like that, even He cannot create what is called an immortal something. So these are some of the limitations. Then there is a fourth limitation. If Ishwara really desires something, that means He is not perfect. Only an imperfect person, persons like us, we can desire. If God is desiring, then He is not perfect. And a God who is not perfect cannot be called a God at all. So this is what we have seen. Then in the Iccha Matra, God's desire, Kalat, from the time also it has come. So now we are going to discuss what is the real purpose, whether God created, we create. Here let me insert something, according to Vedanta, God in the form of Brahma, Ishwara of the Vedanta is called Brahma of the Puranas. Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. So if it is Tantras, it is the Divine Mother. Srishti Sthithi Vinashanam, Shakti Bhutesanathane, Gunashraya Gunamayee, Narayani Namasthute. Now what is the purpose? So four reasons are shown by some so-called, those who think they are intelligent. But true thinkers do not consider them as either wise or intelligent. Who are these people? Bhogartham, Srishti Riti, Anye. Some people think what is the purpose? For the enjoyment. Enjoyment of whom? Two views are there. For God's own enjoyment, as if He is not enjoying enough, He feels I must have something. That is one. Or for the sake of Jivas. A big problem comes now. Jivas were not there before creation. So only after God creates, then only Jivas have come. Jivas means limited beings. Limited beings will be limited. They are not perfect. Therefore, they will have desires. So it is illogical to say that God created the world for uncreated Jivas. Because if they were not already created, there is no need for creating this world. So both fall down by the wayside. Then does God require enjoyment? He is Ananda Swaroopa. Paripoorna Ananda. He doesn't require. That argument is illogical. It doesn't stand the test. Second, Kridaartham. No, not for enjoyment. Some people say it is a kind of drama. It is a kind of divine play. We call it Leela. Krida means play. If you analyze really, who wants to play? Child wants to play. Why does he want to play? He gets bored. We want to play. Play means not playing. So it could be watching a movie or playing cards or speaking with some people. Or any such thing is nothing but time pass. So we cannot pass our time exclusively on one subject. So until that time we require. Time hangs heavy on our heads. So we have to spend. Does God fall under that category where time hangs because he is eternal? Eternal means timeless. Timeless is not a long stretch of time. Timeless means that is even the thought of time doesn't arise. Another problem is the Srishti means time, space and causation. So before creation there is absolutely no time at all. That is why under Mahakali we get the Paramashiva called Mahakala. Mahakala means timelessness. Timelessness means there is no mind. It is mind only which can think about time. So the second argument that creation is for the play of God, that falls down. Third, Devasya Esha Svabhavaha. That this is the nature of God himself. What is the nature? In the presence of magnet, iron filings, they arrange themselves in a particular way. In the presence of heat, whatever is nearer the fire, it becomes heated. And the poor fire doesn't know. It doesn't say I am heating. It doesn't even know who is getting heated. So we cannot forward that argument also. As if God doesn't know, like fire means inert thing and in his presence things are going on. It is impossible. Why is it impossible? Because we are talking about what for God created this one. So anything that is created is limited. And God is free from three types of limitations. Desha Parichcheda, Vastu Parichcheda, Kala Parichcheda. He is beyond time. Time cannot limit him. That means he is at this time. He will be old by this time. He won't be there at this time. That kind of ideas can object to a limited object but not for Ishwara. Then he is not also bound by space limitation. He is only here. He is only in Vaikuntha. He is only in Kailasa. That doesn't apply. He who is everywhere, even this idea he is for eternity and he is everywhere, he is all space, is also human imagination. It is not true. Do you think of timelessness, spacelessness in your deep sleep? Because mind is required. Where there is no mind, there is no second thing. God cannot be thought as infinite, eternal, unborn. These are all ideas only in our minds. Not in God at all. So this is the very nature. In his presence things are happening. That argument falls by the side. Fourth argument which dismisses all these things. Aptakamasya Kaspruha So do you think God desires enjoyment? God desires a play. In his presence he is exhibiting some power. He is Aptakama. Really even this idea he is an Aptakama. He is fulfilled being. He doesn't have any desires. He is also human mind's creation. Not real truth at all. So all these four arguments have been completely taken out. So this is called teleological argument. We don't need to go into all these things. So the Vedanti's contention is simple. That whatever we say is the creation of our own mind. So this is what we think. Now there is a Purvapakshi, opponent. He is created specially like in a government. When there is no opposition, they have to create some of their own people so that they can be critics. They can criticize. They can point out the faults. They can suggest better things. So this is the truth about it. And Shankaracharya's whole commentary is only to support what I have very clearly outlined. I hope you have got it. So I will just quote a few and quickly pass over it. And Shankaracharya says, नहीं वज्वाधीनां अविध्यास्वभावित्रेकेन सर्पाध्याभासत्वे कारणंशक्यं वक्तुम् For the rope etc. to appear a snake, no other reason can be assigned than avidya. Why does the rope appear to be a snake? Remember, this doesn't apply to God. Here rope means Ishwara and the snake is this world. So for Ishwara to appear, to manifest as this world, there is no reason. The only reason is avidya or our foolishness, our ignorance. But where from this ignorance has come? It is impossible to answer that question. We are born with that ignorance. Being in the ignorant state, we can never question at all. Therefore the causal theory, this world is created by Ishwara. That is called causal theory. A pot is created by a potter. An ornament is created by a goldsmith. But here also you have to understand, goldsmith is not creating an ornament from shoonya, out of nothing. There is gold. He simply, what does he do? He changes the shape of the gold. A potter changes the shape of the clay. That means he is not really creating. He is just an instrument to bring another shape, from one shape to another shape. Therefore from one name to another name and then every creation has got some purpose. I want to drink water, so clay pot, clay tumbler. I want to eat food, so clay plate. I want to cook food, so clay pot. Like that according to prayojana only we create. First we think, what for I want to do and then only I will do it. But Brahman is bliss, which means the absence of all wants. Therefore the divine will cannot be the cause of the universe. Then why are we talking all these things? This human mind, subjected to maya, imagines, ascribes will, diversion etc. as the cause of creation. But this kalpana, that this is a world, it is an object, it is created, there is a creator, creator and created, there is a relationship like cause and effect, this itself is maya. So maya itself is a product of the mind. Mind is a product of maya and so this is what it is. With this the ninth karika also is over. So what is the essence we have to remember? First of all, we are not bothered about Srishti. But if somebody is bothered, because it is our day to day experience and we are not advanced enough to think there is no Srishti, just as in deep sleep, we don't think about why I have this kind of body, why I have this kind of enemies, friends etc. Just like that, once a person knows who he is, all these questions will drop long before that. But until that time we have to think that this is how we will have to slowly, slowly adapt. This methodology is called Adhyarupa Apavada. Briefly what it means is, Adhyarupa means you temporarily accept there is a creation, there is a problem in the creation, the problem cannot be solved within the creation. To solve the problem we have to go beyond the creation. So use the creation as a pole vault to get out of the samsara in the form of study of the Mandukya and sadhana, japa, meditation etc. That is the only purpose. Having said this, you have described now, until the sixth mantra, what has been described, first mantra says everything is Brahman, second mantra says everything is Brahman and I am Atma Brahman, you are Jeeva, you think you are Jeeva, you are really Atma and that Atma is Brahman. This is one of the Mahavakyas. Then third mantra of the Upanishad describes the first pada of our experience of the waking, dream and dreamless. So third mantra explains what is called waking state. Fourth mantra explains this what we call the Swapna Avastha. Fifth and sixth mantra. Fifth mantra explains the Sushupti Avastha from the individual point of view. The sixth mantra explains Sushupti from the universal, cosmic or Ishwara's point of view. And all these are related. Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti is what we call samsara. Our experiences from birth to death, birth after birth, every living creature experiences these three. But the real purpose is to know that I am Atma Brahman. So now, earlier there is a promise. First I will talk to you about the three padas. But this Brahman, Arthuriya is Chaturthi Pada, fourth state. Now let me briefly state here, fourth state, like there are four persons and you are introducing to a person who knows already the names of the four persons but he doesn't know who is who. So he says this is A, though others are not A. Second person, this is B, therefore he is not any of the other persons. This is C, therefore he is not one of the others. Then you say what remains? Fourth person. Distinct, separate from these three. That idea is a very wrong idea. Fourth state means, I will give another example. Supposing a person brings three pots, very small, medium sized and bigger size. So you say this is the first pot, it is bigger. And this is the second pot, it is medium sized. This is the third pot and it is smallest size. All the three are made up of clay. So clay is not a fourth object like the three objects, big, medium sized and small pots. Clay is the adhara, substratum, because of which all the three pots can exist. There is no other thing. But then can you say that the clay is the bigger pot, clay is the medium sized pot, clay is the small sized pot? We can say, but we should not stop there. We should not say clay is only the bigger sized pot. We should say it is also the big sized pot. It is also the medium sized pot. It is also the small sized pot. That is one. And the next understanding is that can the pots stay without association with the clay? No, they fall apart. But can the clay be without any nama rupa? Yes, that is called the fourth state. That is consciousness. It thinks I am Vishwa, it thinks I am Taijasa, it thinks I am Prajna and when it thinks I am Vishwa, it thinks I am not the Taijasa and Prajna. When it says I am Taijasa, it says I am not Prajna and Vishwa. When it is in the deep sleep state, it says I am Prajna, but I am not both Taijasa and Vishwa. But behind all the three, it is only modification of one pure consciousness which is called Turiya. Therefore, to give this idea that is Turiya, is Brahman, Vishwa, yes and no, is Taijasa, yes and no, is Prajna, yes and no. But you are confusing me. What do you mean by yes and no? Yes, without Turiya, Vishwa cannot exist, Taijasa cannot exist, Prajna cannot exist. That way, that is, he is Vishwa, Taijasa and Prajna. But it can also remain without these three. It is not a separate state, but it is a state in hearing, identifying with all the three, yet remains completely independent and unchanging. So Vishwa, when it changes, it becomes Taijasa. When Taijasa changes, it becomes Prajna. When Prajna changes, it becomes Vishwa. So each is denying the other thing. Change means denying the other thing. But that which can never be denied, Turiyam is in the Vishwa, Turiyam in the Swapna as Taijasa, Turiyam is in the Sushupti as Prajna. It is there all the time. Without it, none of these states take place. Therefore, you have to understand, Vishwa is Turiya, Taijasa is Turiya, Prajna is Turiya, but they are only a limited manifestation, but true unlimited manifestation is Turiya. And that unlimited true manifestation can be understood only when you minus, when you remove the limitations created by the waking state, dream state and dreamless state. And this is how the Turiyam has to be described. Now we will enter into this 7th mantra of the Upanishad. What did we do? It is first discussed 6 mantras of the Upanishad, then 9 karikas of the Udapada. Now we are entering into this 7th mantra and then again the karikas will start doing it in this first prakarana called Agama Prakarana. So how to describe? Now I want to give, remind ourselves a small fact. Supposing you are talking about somebody, something, some object and you are talking with your friend and your friend doesn't know about that object. The first time he is coming to know about that object. So that person wants to know, first of all, what is the object? What is the first description? Is it living or non-living? Is it a rock? Is it water? Is it a clay? Like that, non-living. No, no, it is living. If you say, oh, if it is living, does it fall under insects? Does it fall under birds? Does it fall under plants? Does it fall under the classification called animals? Does it fall under human beings? So this is how description can be given only by specifying either a Jati species or a relationship or a guna or a kriya or a rudhi. I will give you very briefly because we have discussed about it already. Suppose a child, you bring him on full moon day and then he is looking up. It is a bright object, only one object so far as we are concerned. So he wants, Mama, you are talking about moon. Which is the moon? Because he sees also several shining objects. Then the mother says, that which is most brilliantly shining, giving the most light, biggest light, that is called moon. And it is rudhi. Rudhi means well-known. Well-known by everybody practically. So here is the child. He is experiencing it. He does not know what name to give it. So now the mother is telling, so what you see by this side, the small shine, that is called a star, this is called a moon. That is one. Another is, you are telling to your friend, I see most wonderful thing. What is it? So it is a beautiful flower and your friend knows already about hundreds of flowers. Therefore, he will ask, what type of flower? Is it rose? Is it jasmine? Is it marigold? Is it something else? So this is called jati. This species belongs to one. Or is it a canine? Dog. Is it a bovine? Cow, etc. Or is it belonging to a dog? Is it a fox? Is it a wolf? Etc, etc, etc. This is called jati. First is rudhi. Well-known to everybody. Second is a species. Oh, I have seen a beautiful flower and its plant. It is a creeper. Its leaves look like that. Then even though your friend has not seen, he understands it because he has seen similar things. By comparison, he understands, okay, it falls under the plant kingdom like that. This is called jati. Or it can fall even what is called dog species, cow species, etc, etc. Then the other is, we are talking about a person. And who is that person? I don't know. But you can say that he is a wonderful singer. He has got a quality that he is a wonderful singer. So, oh, he is a musician. Yes, he is a musician. So your friend has some good idea who this person is. Then further, whether it is vocal singing or whether it is instrumental playing, etc, etc, etc. Then comes, so you are attending a party and you say that you call my uncle. That person says, I don't know who is your uncle. Well, you see, you go into the kitchen. You will find a fat fellow who is cooking and that is my uncle. So bring him here. So what is the connection? You are describing a person who is doing a particular activity. Kriya. Kriyavan. That is the description. So therefore, you go there and you find him there. He is cooking. He is fat. So he is tallied. So you bring him there. Or you find out there is somebody you call. Oh, I don't know that person. Okay. You go there and you will see him there. What is called? You go and call him. Are you the uncle of XYZ? Are you the uncle of XYZ? Who is the uncle of such and such a person? One person says, Yes. What do you want? I am the uncle. So this is called Sambandha. This is how anything that can be described can only be described through these Shabda Pravrutti falling under five categories. Rudhi, Jati, Guna, Kriya, Sambandha. Brahman, not being a created being, not being an object, doesn't fall under any of these five categories. So what is the way? There is only one way. Neti, Neti. Not this. Not this. This is the first part. Second part is, we will come to that very soon. In the seventh mantra we are talking about, it is the description of Turiya. That which cannot be described, an attempt is made to describe. Naturally the question comes, that which cannot be described, you are trying to describe. No, no. There is a way of pointing out. It is not a description. It is a pointer. You walk this way and you will see something and then you will understand what you have reached, what you are seeking for. This is called negating method. Neti Neti method. So that is being employed here. Otherwise, if you see Iti Iti, then it falls under these five categories. And then, you know what happens? You are likely to mistake the subject for an object, the Ishwara, for something that you are experiencing as an object. Unlimited. And therefore you will never get to the unlimited. So this is the methodology. That is the only methodology. There is no other way. Now with this background, let us go on reading the seventh mantra. It goes like that. Nantah pragnam, nabaheh pragnam, nobhayatah pragnam, na prajnanaganam, na pragnam, na apragnam. Adrushyam, avyavaharyam, agrahyam, alakshanam, achyantyam, avyapadeshyam, ekaatma pratyayasaram. This is the some type of descriptions. So 13 types of descriptions are there. How many? 13 types of descriptions. What is the result? Suppose, okay, you are talking about Brahman. Suppose somehow or other I reach, I realize that Brahman is myself. What do I get out of it? Well, prapancha upashamam, shantam, shivam, advaitam. You get four benefits. This is the description of chaturtham or the fourth pada. It is not really the fourth pada. That pada which inheres in every earlier three padas and yet remains distinct and separate from all the three padas and that is called chaturtham. This chaturtham is only meant so that you will not mistake it for the earlier three. And that, what is that? That is atma, sa atma. All these characteristics, 13 characteristics having and four prayojanas, 17 altogether, that is called atma. Savigneya, it has to be known, it has to be realized. So, first let me read the English translation before we go into simple explanation. Then if necessary, a bit more elaborate explanation. Turiya, this is the chaturtham pada, is not that which is conscious of the internal world. That means not swapna prapancha, not swapna jagat, nor that which is conscious of the external world, not jagrat avastha, nor that which is conscious of both. That is, in between these two, that is, between waking and sleeping, between deep sleep and waking, between deep sleep and dream. There is a very, very brief, short period of time when one cannot say I am fully in that state or I am in one of the states. No, I am in between the borderline of any of these three states. That is called ubhayataha. I am not conscious of the both. That is what we will have to understand. It is not that which is conscious of both, nor that which is a mass of all sentiency. Means it is only pure chaitanyam. If it is there, we will never know. That means what? If it is at the same time bereft of these three, that is jagrat, swapna and sushupti, which is comprehending all the three at the same time, no, that is also narturyam. Nor that which is simple consciousness, nor that which is, if it is not consciousness, it is inert. That conclusion we come to. No, it is not inert. It is consciousness. Is it simple consciousness? No, it is not simple consciousness also. These are the, what we call, six or seven. Seven descriptions are there. Then the middle part of this mantra. This turiyam or this atma is unseen by any sense organ. That means no sense organ can function and say, I see, I hear, I smell, I taste, I touch Brahman. No. And it is not related to anything. Therefore it is incomprehensible. Therefore it is un-inferable. Therefore it is unthinkable. Therefore it is indescribable. And it is essentially of the nature of consciousness constituting the self alone, negation of all phenomena and then the peaceful, the all bliss and the non-dual. This is what is known as the fourth. This is the atman and it has to be realized. This is what Yajnamalika says that has to be heard about it. Atma, after teaching Maitreya everything, he says that atman has to be realized. So that atman has to be heard about. That atman has to be thought about. That atman has to be meditated upon. That atman has to be realized. This is how Yajnamalika teaches. That atman has to be realized. That is being repeated here. Sa Atma Sa Vignaya Now before we go, this word Vignaya means to be known. So I don't know about Jawaharlal Nehru. So I read about him. I hear about him. I come to know about him. So I have knowledge of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. I have knowledge of Einstein. I have knowledge of Napoleon. No, it is not that kind of knowledge. Here Vignaya means I claim I am Brahman. I am not separate from Brahman. This is called Viseshadmanam Vignaya. This is called realization. Atmava Are Drashtavyaha Shrotavyaha Mantavyaha Nididhyasitavyaha That is instead of Drashtavyaha. Drashta means not to be seen. It means to be realized. Here also Vignayaha. This is what is being said. Because all Upanishads talk the same thing. Now we go to the first we call six characteristics, what it is not. So this Turiyam. Is it Na Antapragna. That is it is not a dream state. Inner awareness means Swapna. When we dream, nobody can know what our dream is. When we are seeing at a tree outside, anybody can see. Insect can see. A bird can see. A woodcutter can see. Anybody can see. You can take photograph. You can show it. But nobody has taken photograph of the dream of another person. It is only known to that person. So Na Antapragna. It is not consciousness which is identified with the Swapna Avastha. Then Na Bahye Pragna. Then does it mean that okay it is not identified with the dream, but maybe it is identified with waking state. No. Na Bahesh Pragna. It is not identified without this consciousness, which is called Turiyam, which is called Atma. There can be no Jagrad Avastha. But Jagrad Avastha doesn't limit the Turiyam only to itself. It is Jagrad Avastha. It is Swapna Avastha. It is Sushupti Avastha. And yet it is completely bereft of all these three states. When we go out of Maya, then there is no three states at all. So it is not Jagrad Avastha. Na Ubhayataha Pragna. This consciousness is not that which we find in between waking and dream, in between deep sleep and waking, or in between deep sleep and dream state. So not at all. What is this state where both things are in between? What are you talking about? A simple example. You had a good sleep and you are waking up. You are slightly aware of the vaguely aware of the external world. Some things you can see very vaguely. So you are able to see what is outside not clearly, but you are not completely woken up. Similarly, you are not completely in deep sleep, because if you are in deep sleep, you cannot really experience anything. That in-between state is called Ubhayataha Pragnam. And Turiyam is Ubhayataha Pragnam only for a short time. But really speaking, you cannot say Ubhayataha Pragnam is Turiyam. Turiyam you can say is Jagradha Vastha. Turiyam is Apna Vastha. Turiyam is Ubhayataha Pragnam Vastha. But you cannot say that this is the opposite, because anything limited cannot be the Turiyam. Then Napragnanaganam. That means this consciousness is not Sushupti also. Because if it is Sushupti, it will remain Sushupti. Then it will not be either Jagradha Vastha, or Ubhayataha Vastha, or Apna Vastha. But it is not even it is, but it is not also. Then Pragnam. Not simple consciousness. Because we are talking how to understand that one. Then the sixth one is, if it is not consciousness, if it is not light, it is dark. If it is not this person, it is the other person. No, not like that. So this opposite is there. Are you happy? No. Then are you unhappy? You can't put that question when you are in deep sleep. We have to understand that. So not simple mass of consciousness. That means you are completely inert, unconscious, not a Pragnam, and not an inert being, not an unconscious being. So I will stop here. This is the beautiful description and Sairam Krishna's illustration I will give you, that a servant wanted to find his master at midnight. It was dark. He went, entered into the bedroom, and he goes on touching and says, in the deep darkness, so this is not the master, this is not the master, that finally he touches and says, this is the master. But the point is, to say that this bed is not the master, without that master, that bed doesn't exist, that table doesn't exist, that chair doesn't exist, that room doesn't exist, everything exists because of the existence of the master, but it is there all his, but he doesn't have anything to do with them. Aum Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagat Kurum Vada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Moho Moho May Sairam Krishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna