Mandukya Upanishad – 5

 

Mantras 8 to 11

Mantra 8

So'yamathma'dhyaksaramomkaro'dhimatraṃ pada

matra matrasca pada a-kara ukaroma-kara iti ॥ 8॥

The same Athma is Omkara from the standpoint of the total syllable. From the standpoint of the individual letters, the padas are the letters and the letters are the padas. The letters are ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’. 

After completing the chatushpat Athma-vichara with the 7th mantra, now from the 8th mantra onwards, the Upanishad is starting the Omkara-vichara.  So the emphasis shifts to the sound of Om, taken as a whole as well as syllable by syllable. The Mantra starts equating total Athma with total Omkara.  Total Athma means all the four padas of Athma i.e. Viswa, Prajna, Taijasa and Turiyam.  Total Omkara means all the three letters ‘A’, ‘U’, ‘M’ and the ‘Silence’ that follows the utterance of Omkara called ‘Amatra’.  A matra is a specific duration for the chanting of each syllable.  The matras are equal to padas.  For the sake of pronunciation “kara” is added after each letter in the Mantra. ‘kara’ is equivalent to using the inverted commas; “A”, “U”, and “M”.  According to the Sanskrit grammar A(अ)+U(उ) equals O(ओ), and so AUM is written for OM.

Mantra 9

Jagaritasthano vaisvanaro'karaḥ prathama

matra''pteradimattvad va''pnoti ha vai sarvan

kamandischa bhavati ya evaṃ veda ॥ 9॥

Vaisvanara, whose field is the waking state, is the first letter ‘A (अ)’ due to (the similarity of) all-pervasiveness and primacy.  One who knows thus attains all desires and becomes the foremost. 

After equating Athma and Omkara generally in the previous Mantra, the Upanishad is starting to equate component-wise from this Mantra i.e. Viswa with A-kara, Taijasa with U-kara, Prajna with M-kara, and Turiyaṃ with Amatra, silence.  Of these four equations, the first equation is presented in this Mantra.  This Mantra talks about A-kara - Vaisvanara identity.  Two explanations for this equation are given, the two common features of all-pervasiveness and primacy. This is based on the phonetic principle.  According to Sanskrit grammar, the first, original, natural alphabetic letter is ‘A’, when you open the mouth. The letter ‘A’ is the cause for all the other letters. ‘A’ alone becomes ‘U’, ‘I’, etc., ‘A’ alone becomes all the other alphabetic letters. Cause must pervade all the effects. The letter ‘A’ pervades all the letters. Vaisvanara as Viswarupa also pervades everything.  All-pervasiveness is the common feature of the letter ‘A’ and Vaisvanara. Thus ‘A’ becomes the symbol for the entire waking universe. The second common feature is that both of them are the first one in the list.  Because of the two common features, pervasion and primacy, A-kara is equated with Vaisvanara.  Upasana on this identity will help fulfillment of all worldly desires in terms of possession and position in life.

Mantra 10

Svapnasthanastaijasa ukaro dvitiya matrotkarsad

ubhayatvadvotkarsati ha vai jnanasantatiṃ samanascha bhavati

nasyabrahmavitkule bhavati ya evaṃ veda ॥ 10॥

Taijasa, whose field is the dream state, is the second letter ‘U (उ)’ due to (the similarity of) superiority and middle-ness. One who knows thus extends the range of knowledge and becomes equal (to all).  In his family there will be no one who is ignorant of Brahman. 

The second equation is presented in this Mantra. ‘U (उ)’ is the second letter of Omkara and Taijasa is the dream state. We have to include the Hiranyagarbha at the total level. Two common features of U-kara and Taijasa are stated. The first is that both are superior to the previous pair. U-kara is superior to A-kara because U-kara is closer to silence compared to A-kara. Similarly, Hiranyagarbha is closer to Turiyaṃ, Brahman. Hiraṇyagarbha is the cause for Virat and so superior. The second is that U-kara is intermediary between A-kara and M-kara. Similarly, Hiraṇyagarbha is intermediary between Virat and Isvara.   One doing Upasana on this identity as described above will attain superior knowledge, will be treated respectfully by all in the society, and all the successors in his family will be knowers of Brahman which means that in his family there will be no Self-ignorant people. 

Mantra 11

Susuptasthanah prajno makarastṛtiya matra miterapiterva

minoti ha v idagṃ sarvamapitischa bhavati ya evaṃ veda ॥ 11॥

Prajna, whose field is the deep-sleep state, is the third letter ‘M(म)’ due to (the similarity of) being a ‘measure’ and being the ground of dissolution. One who knows thus realises (the truth) of all this and becomes the ground of dissolution. 

The third equation is presented in this Mantra. The third letter M-kara is equated to Prajna and Iswara.  The common feature of M-kara and Iswara is that both are like a measuring vessel. Just as the measure holds the grain (invisible) and pours out the grain (visible), Iswara holds the creation in unmanifest form and creation comes out of Iswara.   When the speaker closes his mouth after speaking many words, the sound made is M-kara.  Into M-kara all the words resolve and from M-kara all words arise again. The second common feature is that in both deep sleep state and in the letter M of AUM, the earlier plurality and differences merge themselves to become one-whole.  For one doing Upasana on this identity between the two the benefit is the increased capacity to discriminate and assess everything ending in the realisation that this world is mithya and the truth of the world is Brahman.

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