VI

“MANDUKYA”
“The life of man is divided between waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. But
transcending these three states is superconscious vision – called The Fourth.”

OM….
With our ears may we hear what is good.
With our eyes may we behold thy righteousness.
Tranquil in body, may we who worship thee find rest.
OM ….Peace-peace-peace.

MANDUKYA

The syllable OM , which is the imperishable Brahman is the Universe. Whatsoever has
existed, whatsoever exists, whatsoever shall exist hereafter, is OM. And whatsoever transcends
past, present , and future , that also is OM
All this that we see without is Brahman. This Self that is within is Brahman.
This self , which is one with OM , has three aspects, and beyond these three, different from
them and indefinable – The Fourth.
The first aspect of the Self is the universal person, the collective symbol of created beings,
in his physical nature – Vaiswanara. Vaiswanara is awake , and is conscious only of external
objects. He has seven members. The heavens are his head, the sun his eyes, air his breath, fire his
heart, water his belly, earth his feet, and space his body. He has nineteen instruments of
knowledge: five organs of sense, five organs of action, five functions of the breath, together with
mind, intellect, heart, and ego. He is the enjoyer of the pleasures of sense. The second aspect of
the Self is the universal person in his mental nature – Taijasa. Taijasa has seven members and
nineteen instruments of knowledge. He is dreaming, and is conscious only of his dreams. In this
state he is the enjoyer of the subtle impressions in his mind of the deeds he has done in the past.
The third aspect of the Self is the universal person in dreamless sleep – Prajna. Prajna
dreams not. He is without desire. As the darkness of night covers the day , and the visible world
seems to disappears, so in dreamless sleep the veil of unconsciousness envelops his thought and
knowledge, and the subtle impressions of his mind apparently vanish. Since he experiences
neither strife nor anxiety, he is said to be blissful, and the experiencer of bliss.
Prajna is the lord of all. He knows all things. He is the dweller in the hearts of all. He is the
origin of all. He is the end of all.(1)
The fourth , says the wise , is not subjective experience, nor objective experience, nor
experience intermediate between these two, nor is it a negative condition which is neither
consciousness nor unconsciousness. It is not the knowledge of the senses, nor is it relative
knowledge , nor yet inferential knowledge. Beyond the senses, beyond the understanding, beyond

(1) The Prajna is known as Iswara , or God in his personal aspect. Dreamless sleep is ignorance.
Within this ignorance exist all the three states of consciousness: the waking state, the dream state,
and the state of dreamless sleep. Iswara, technically, is Brahman associated with Maya, or
universal ignorance, and the individual man is Brahman associated with individual ignorance.
The distinction between God and man is that God controls ignorance , man is controlled by it.
all expression, is The Fourth. It is pure unitary consciousness, wherein awareness of the world
and of multiplicity is completely obliterated. It is ineffable peace. It is the supreme good. It is One
without a second. It is the Self. Know it alone!
This Self, beyond all words, is the syllable OM. This syllable, though indivisible , consists
of three letters – A-U-M.
Vaiswanara, the Self as the universal person in his physical being, corresponds to the first
letter – A. Whosoever knows Vaiswanara obtains what he desires, and becomes the first among
men.
Taijasa, the Self as the universal person in his mental being , corresponds to the second
letter – U. Taijasa and the letter U both stand in dream, between waking and sleeping. Whosoever
knows Taijasa grows in wisdom and is highly honored.
Prajna, the Self as the universal person in dreamless sleep, corresponds to the third letter
– M. He is the origin and the end of all. Whosoever knows Prajna knows all things.
The Fourth, the Self, is OM , the indivisible syllable. This syllable is unutterable, and
beyond mind. In it the manifold universe disappears. It is the supreme good – One without a
second. Whosoever knows OM, the Self becomes the Self.

(1) The Prajna is known as Iswara , or God in his personal aspect. Dreamless sleep is ignorance.
Within this ignorance exist all the three states of consciousness: the waking state, the dream state,
and the state of dreamless sleep. Iswara, technically, is Brahman associated with Maya, or
universal ignorance, and the individual man is Brahman associated with individual ignorance.
The distinction between God and man is that God controls ignorance , man is controlled by it.