𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌡𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌯 𑌉𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑍍

𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌡𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌯 𑌉𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌦𑍍 is one of the shortest and most profound Upanishads, traditionally connected with the Atharva Veda. In only twelve mantras it teaches the identity of 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 and Brahman through the analysis of 𑌓𑌂 and the four quarters of consciousness: waking, dream, deep sleep, and 𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍀𑌯.

The text is foundational for Advaita Vedanta, especially through Gaudapada's Karika and Shankara's bhashya. Its opening declares that all this is 𑌓𑌂, and that the Self is Brahman. It then shows that the waking experiencer, dream experiencer, and deep-sleep experiencer are not the final Self; they are understood through the fourth, which is not a state among states but the non-dual reality.

𑌓𑌂 𑌭॒𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑍇॑𑌭𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑍃𑌣𑍁॒𑌯𑌾𑌮॑ 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 । 𑌭॒𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌪॑𑌶𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌮𑌾॒𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌭𑌿॒-𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌜॑𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿॒𑌰𑍈𑌰𑌂𑌗𑍈᳚𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍁॒𑌵𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌮𑍍 𑌸॑𑌸𑍍𑌤॒𑌨𑍂𑌭𑌿𑌃॑ । 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌶𑍇॑𑌮 𑌦𑍇॒𑌵𑌹𑌿॑𑌤𑌂॒-𑌯𑌁𑌦𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌃॑ । 𑌸𑍍𑌵॒𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨॒ 𑌇𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑍋॑ 𑌵𑍃॒𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌶𑍍𑌰॑𑌵𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵॒𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑌃॑ 𑌪𑍂॒𑌷𑌾 𑌵𑌿॒𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍇॑𑌦𑌾𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵॒𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨॒𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌯𑍋॒ 𑌅𑌰𑌿॑𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌨𑍇𑌮𑌿𑌃 । 𑌸𑍍𑌵॒𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑍋॒ 𑌬𑍃𑌹॒𑌸𑍍𑌪𑌤𑌿॑-𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁 ॥
𑌓𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿𑌃॒ 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿𑌃॒ 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿𑌃॑ ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The peace invocation prays that hearing, sight, limbs, speech, and life remain strong for the pursuit of Brahman.

॥ 𑌅𑌥 𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌡𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This title announces the beginning of the Mandukya Upanishad.

𑌹𑌰𑌿𑌃 𑌓𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌓𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌤𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌗𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌪𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌖𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌂
𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌂 𑌭𑌵𑌦𑍍 𑌭𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑍋𑌂𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌏𑌵
𑌯𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌾𑌤𑍀𑌤𑌂 𑌤𑌦𑌪𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌂𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌏𑌵 ॥ 1 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The Upanishad declares that Om is all this: past, present, future, and whatever is beyond time.

𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌗𑌂 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌤𑌦𑍍 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌸𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌪𑌾𑌤𑍍 ॥ 2 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
It states the mahavakya: all this is Brahman, and this Self is Brahman, having four quarters.

𑌜𑌾𑌗𑌰𑌿𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑍋 𑌬𑌹𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌗 𑌏𑌕𑍋𑌨𑌵𑌿𑌂𑌶𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌖𑌃
𑌸𑍍𑌥𑍂𑌲𑌭𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌵𑍈𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌰𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌃 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌃 ॥ 3 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The waking self, Vaishvanara, is outward-knowing, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, and experiences gross objects.

𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑍋𑌽𑌂𑌤𑌃𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃 𑌸𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌗 𑌏𑌕𑍋𑌨𑌵𑌿𑌂𑌶𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌖𑌃
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌵𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌭𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍈𑌜𑌸𑍋 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌃 ॥ 4 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The dream self, Taijasa, is inward-knowing, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, and experiences subtle objects.

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌸𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑍋 𑌨 𑌕𑌂𑌚𑌨 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌂 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌨 𑌕𑌂𑌚𑌨 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑌂
𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑍁𑌷𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍 । 𑌸𑍁𑌷𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨 𑌏𑌕𑍀𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌘𑌨
𑌏𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌂𑌦𑌮𑌯𑍋 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌂𑌦𑌭𑍁𑌕𑍍 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑍋𑌮𑍁𑌖𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌃 ॥ 5 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Deep sleep is the state where one desires nothing and sees no dream; the experiencer there is Prajna, a mass of undifferentiated awareness and bliss.

𑌏𑌷 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌃 𑌏𑌷 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌜𑍍𑌞 𑌏𑌷𑍋𑌽𑌂𑌤𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌷 𑌯𑍋𑌨𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌯
𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌯𑍌 𑌹𑌿 𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍍 ॥ 6 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Prajna is the Lord of all, knower of all, inner controller, source and dissolution of beings.

𑌨𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌃𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌂 𑌨 𑌬𑌹𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌂 𑌨𑍋𑌭𑌯𑌤𑌃𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌂 𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌘𑌨𑌂
𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌂 𑌨𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌮𑍍 । 𑌅𑌦𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌮𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌹𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌲𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌣𑌂
𑌅𑌚𑌿𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌪𑌦𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌯𑌸𑌾𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌂𑌚𑍋𑌪𑌶𑌮𑌂
𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌂 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌮𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈𑌤𑌂 𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌂 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌸 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌸 𑌵𑌿𑌜𑍍𑌞𑍇𑌯𑌃 ॥ 𑍭 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The fourth is not inward, outward, both, unconscious, or ordinary cognition; it is unseen, ungraspable, unthinkable, indescribable, peaceful, auspicious, and non-dual.

𑌸𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌮𑍋𑌂𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍋𑌽𑌧𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾
𑌅𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌉𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍋 𑌮𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌇𑌤𑌿 ॥ 𑍮 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The same Self is Om with respect to sound, and its quarters are the matras A, U, and M.

𑌜𑌾𑌗𑌰𑌿𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑍋 𑌵𑍈𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌰𑍋𑌽𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌥𑌮𑌾 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌽𑌽𑌪𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌰𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑍍
𑌵𑌾𑌽𑌽𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌤𑌿 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌯 𑌏𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑍇𑌦 ॥ 𑍯 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
A corresponds to the waking Vaishvanara because it is first and all-pervading; one who knows this attains desired aims and becomes foremost.

𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍈𑌜𑌸 𑌉𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍋 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌾 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌷𑌾𑌤𑍍
𑌉𑌭𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌷𑌤𑌿 𑌹 𑌵𑍈 𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌸𑌂𑌤𑌤𑌿𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿
𑌨𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌕𑍁𑌲𑍇 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌯 𑌏𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑍇𑌦 ॥ 10 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
U corresponds to Taijasa because of elevation and intermediacy; one who knows this raises the stream of knowledge and becomes balanced.

𑌸𑍁𑌷𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌨𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌜𑍍𑌞𑍋 𑌮𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍃𑌤𑍀𑌯𑌾 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌮𑌿𑌤𑍇𑌰𑌪𑍀𑌤𑍇𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾
𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍋𑌤𑌿 𑌹 𑌵𑌾 𑌇𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑌪𑍀𑌤𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌯 𑌏𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑍇𑌦 ॥ 11 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
M corresponds to Prajna because of measure and absorption; one who knows this measures all and gathers all into himself.

𑌅𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌥𑍋𑌽𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌹𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌂𑌚𑍋𑌪𑌶𑌮𑌃 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑍋𑌽𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈𑌤
𑌏𑌵𑌮𑍋𑌂𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑍈𑌵 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑌿𑌶𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌽𑌽𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌯 𑌏𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑍇𑌦 ॥ 12 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The soundless fourth is beyond practical dealings, the cessation of phenomena, auspicious and non-dual; Om is the Self, and the knower enters the Self by the Self.

॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑌾𑌂𑌡𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌾 ॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The final closing completes the Upanishadic recitation.

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