The Upanishads follow a standard pattern. They have a teacher, a student, and the student’s questions. We will explore the Upanishads, teachers, students, and questions for the most important Upanishads.

The Vedas are broken into four parts. Samhitas are the collection of mantras or hymns. Brahmanas explain how to use the mantras in rituals. Aranyakas delve upon the meaning of the mantras and rituals. Finally, the last part, the Upanishads focus on contemplation of the philosophy behind the scriptures. The last part is the “Vedangas” or the Upanishads.

Upanishads form the core of Hindu philosophy. Etymologically, the Sanskrit term breaks down into “u” (at), “pa” (foot), and “nishat” (sitting down). Literally translating to a student sitting down near the teacher while receiving spiritual knowledge.

All Upanishads have the following format – A student goes to a teacher seeking answers to a question. The teacher’s response and dialogue with the student is the content of the Upanishads.

The table below shows the Upanishads, teachers, students, and questions. The Upanishads considered are Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya. and Brahadaranyaka. These ten Upanishads are the most important because Sri Adi Sankara wrote commentaries on each of them. The general purport of the questions is to understand the nature of the Universe, understand the nature of the self, and understand the relationship between the Universe and the self.

Advaitic Vendata focuses heavily on understanding the relationship between the Universe and the self.

Nirvana Shatakam is a composition by Sri Adi Sankara. The back story is remarkable. When Sankara was 8 years, he set out to find a guru. At the banks of the Narmada river he met Guadapada how asked Sankara “Who are you”? Sankara responded with the six stanzas that make up Nirvana Shatakam. Guadapada accepted Sankara as his disciple.

Sri Adi Sankara is accepted by all to be a realized soul. So the answer to the question “who are you”, is the answer to the question “who or what is Atma”? Nirvana Shatakam expands on the definition of Atma given in the seventh verse of the Mandukya Upanishad. In similar style to that in Mandukya Upanishad, atma is defined by using negation. The verses state what Atma is not, but each verse concludes with a positive assertion of what Atma is. The composition is written in first person as if Atma is responding to the question “who am I”.

Verse 1: Who am I?
manobuddhyahaṅkāra cittāni nāhaṃ
na ca śrotrajihve na ca ghrāṇanetre
na ca vyoma bhūmir na tejo na vāyuḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I (Atma) am not the mind, intelligence, memory, or ego. I is also not the five sense organs of hearing, tasting, smelling, seeing, and touching. I am neither the five elements; sky, earth, fire, air, and water.
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Verse 2: Am I the body?
na ca prāṇasaṅjño na vai pañcavāyuḥ
na vā saptadhātur na vā pañcakośaḥ
na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyu
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I am not bodily systems like circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory… I am not the bodily components like plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone… I am not the bodily types like gross, subtle, perpetual, conscious, and transcendental. I am not the bodily organs like hand, feet…
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Verse 3: What are my qualities and can I be achieved?
na me dveşarāgau na me lobhamohau
mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ
na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokşaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I have no hatred, attachment, greed or infatuation. I have no pride, envy, or jealousy. I cannot be achieved by the four goals of life; righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation.
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Verse 4: What are my actions?
na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duhkhaṃ
na mantro na tīrthaṃ na vedā na yajña
ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I do not perform actions that create merits, sins, joy, or sorrow. I do not chant hymns, visit sacred places, read scriptures, or make sacrifices. I am not the enjoyer, enjoyed, or the experience of enjoyment.
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Verse 5: What is my state or relationship in society?
na me mṛtyuśaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ
pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ
na bandhur na mitraṃ gurunaiva śişyaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I am neither born nor dead. I do not have a caste or any other distinctions. I am not a father or mother. I have no relations or friends. I am no one’s teacher and I have no disciples.
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Verse 6: How can I be described?
ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo
vibhutvā ca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇaṃ
na cāsangata naiva muktir na meyaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo’ham śivo’ham

I have no form. I am changeless and have no variations. I am present everywhere and I the substratum of everything and am behind all sense organs. I am neither attached to anything nor am I free from anything
I am ever pure blissful consciousness!

Mandukya Upanishad Turiya Atma, asserts that our true nature, Atma, is the “Turiya” state. In this state there is no “Mind”. So, how do you describe a state that is beyond the Mind? This is the paradox that the Upanishad wants us to reflect on. The Mind imagines anything that we can imagine. The Mind conceptualizes any form, idea, or concept we may develop to understand Atma. The Upanishad, then, states that this form, idea, or concept is not the real Atma!

Although, seemingly counter intuitive at first, the process of self realization is not different from the process of seeking other worldly goals. Let us say that our goal is to become a famous scientist. The attributes of a famous scientist would be someone very knowledgeable and someone working in a prestigious research firm or University. Our plan would, then, include studying well as a student, doing a PhD in a prestigious school, and joining the research department of a innovative corporation or University. These are all actions that align with the ultimate goal. The attribute of the “Turiya” state is the lack of “Mind”. So, our actions should be to quieten our Minds and not surprisingly, the Mandukya Upanishad recommends meditation!

Verse 7 – Turiya Atma

As stated before, we cannot describe the “Turiya” state. We can however, through negation, describe everything that it is not. This seventh verse attempts a definition. This is probably the most important verse of the Upanishad.

nāntaḥ-prajñam, na bahiṣ prajñam, nobhayataḥ-prajñam,
na prajnañā-ghanam, na prajñam, nāprajñam;
adṛṣtam, avyavahārayam, agrāhyam, alakṣaṇam,
acintyam, avyapadeśyam, ekātma-pratyaya-sāram,
prapañcopaśamam, śāntam, śivam, advaitam,

Verse 7 Explained

The first two words negates every object in our dream and waking states. So, the ultimate reality is not any object we can construe in the waking or dream states. “nāntaḥ-prajñam”, negates the objects in the dream state and “na bahiṣ prajñam”, negates the external world of objects. For most people, when these two realms are negated there is nothing else left. The Upanishad, however, continues. The ultimate reality is not the “deep sleep” state (nobhayataḥ-prajñam). It is not a mass of consciousness (na prajnañā-ghanam), or simple consciousnesses (na prajñam), or insentience (nāprajñam). With this, the Upanishad negates the three planes of consciousness and the terms used in ordinary language to describe Atma.

The next set of words use verbs to describe Atma. Atma cannot be experienced by the sense organs. It cannot be seen (adṛṣtam), heard, smelt, touched, or tasted. Atma is not related (avyavahārayam) to anything. It is not comprehensible (agrāhyam). Atma cannot be inferred (alakṣaṇam). Finally, it is unthinkable (acintyam) and indescribable (avyapadeśyam).

A natural question at this point would be “Is Atma “nothing”?”. If Atma was truly “nothing”, the Upanishad could have just said so and moved on. Instead the Upanishad elaborately tries to describe Atma. The Upanishad provides some positive descriptions of Atma, thereby asserting that Atma is not nothingness! Atma is of the nature of Pure Consciousness (ekātma-pratyaya-sāram). It is peaceful (śāntam), all-blissful (śivam), and non-dual (advaitam).

Sri Adi Sankara in his composition “Niravana Shatakam” further elaborates upon “Mandukya Upanishad Turiya Atma”.

Part I – Summary

Part II – Life is but a dream!

Part I provides the summary of the Mandukya Upanishad. This part focuses on the fact that Mandukya Upanishad states life is but a dream.

Part II delves deeper into verses 3 and 4, describing the waking and dream states. Mandukya Upanishad asserts that waking state is as illusory or as real as the dream state.

For instance, in the table above, the description of the waking and dream state – having seven limbs and nineteen mouths – is identical. The only difference is in the name we give these two states and the kind of objects experienced. The waking state is called Vaisvanarah and the dream state is called Taijasa. The waking state experiences gross external objects, while the dream state experiences subtle internal objects. In a brief, 12 verse, Upanishad it is significant that the description for the two states is repeated word for word.

The seven limbs represent the elements air (breath), space (abdomen), water (kidney), 
earth (feet), fire (mouth), sun (eyes), and effulgent (head). 
The nineteen mouths represent the five sense organs, the five organs of action, 
the five aspects of prana, mind, ego, intellect, and chitta.

Story of King Janaka and Ashtakavakra

The story of King Janaka, in Ashtakavakra Gita, beautifully illustrates this point. An enemy King attacks Janaka’s kingdom, Mithila. Unfortunately, King Janaka’s army loses the battle and the King flees the battlefield. He runs many miles and feels exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. He knocks on a little cottage, but the old lady inside the cottage refuses to help him saying that she fears repercussions from the new ruler. The King walks further until he reaches the border of his kingdom. Finally, he sees some food on the ground and rushed to satiate his hunger. However, two dogs run towards him and drag the food away. The King becomes completely dejected and sits down in tears. He then hears a familiar voice calling out “wake up King”. King Janaka wakes up and finds himself in his bed in the royal palace. He had had the most terrible dream!

A normal person would be glad that it was all a dream and proceed with his or her daily tasks. King Janaka, however, was intrigued by this experience. He asked the court, am I the poor King who, out of exhaustion, is dreaming that everything is fine or am I the King, sleeping in his bed, dreaming that he has been defeated? In addition, King Janaka, wanted to know which King was the real one, the one in the waking state or the one in the dream state!

Ashtakavakra’s reponse

Our normal understanding makes the person in the waking state the seeker and this person experiences dreams in the dream state. However, what if, the person in the dream state is the seeker and he experiences dreams, that are essentially the waking state! Ashtakavakra explains to King Janaka that the true seeker is neither the person in the waking state nor the person in the dream state.

Sri Ramana Maharishi answers the same question in the work “Who am I?”. In this, when asked, if there was a difference between waking and dream states, the Maharishi answers that there is no difference; just that waking is long and dream is short. He also adds that just as waking happenings seem real while awake, so do those in the dream while dreaming.

In trying to achieve the ultimate goal, realizing one’s self, the seeker should give experiences in the waking state the same level of importance as he/she would to similar experiences in the dream state. I will dwell deeper into this statement in future blogs. Therefore, Mandukya Upanishad states that life is but a dream.

Nursery Rhyme

On a lighter note, the idea that “life is but a dream” should not be unfamiliar to any English speaking person. We have all learned it as a child in the famous nursery rhyme –

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Part I – Summary
Part III – Turiya Atma