Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad Text 9-11

TEXT 9
जागरितस्थानो वैश्वानरोऽकारः प्रथमा मात्राऽऽप्तेरादिमत्त्वाद्वाऽऽप्नोति ह वै सर्वान् कामानादिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ ९ ॥

jāgarita-sthāno vaiśvānaro’kāraḥ prathamā mātrā apterādimattvād
apnoti ha vai sarvān kāmān ādiś ca bhavati ya evaṁ veda

Vaiśvānara, who presides over the waking state, is designated by the first syllable A. This is because He provides the living beings with objects of enjoyment (āpteḥ), and He appears first (ādi). One who realises this attains fulfilment of all desires and becomes most prominent.

Commentary

Vaiśvānara/Aniruddha is designated by the syllable A, the first sound in the Sanskrit alphabet. Śrī Rāmānuja elucidates in his Vedārtha Saṅgraha as follows:

sarvasya veda-jātasya prakṛtiḥ praṇava uktaḥ. praṇavasya ca prakṛtir akāraḥ. praṇava-vikāro vedaḥ svaprakṛti-bhūte praṇave līnaḥ. praṇavo’py akāra-vikāra-bhūtaḥ svaprakṛtāv akāre līnaḥ. tasya praṇava-prakṛti-bhūtasyākārasya yaḥ paro vācyaḥ sa eva maheśvara iti sarva-vācaka-jāta-prakṛti-bhūtākāra-vācyaḥ sarva-vācya-jāta-prakṛti-bhūta nārāyaṇo yaḥ sa maheśavara ityarthaḥ. yathoktaṁ bhagavatā: ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā. mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. akṣaraṇām akāro’smi iti. a iti brahmeti ca śruteḥ. akāro vai sarvā vāg iti ca. vācaka-jātasyākāra-prakṛtitvaṁ vācya-jātasya brahma-prakṛtitvaṁ ca suspaṣṭam. ato brahmaṇokāra vācyatāpratipādanād akāra vācyo nārāyaṇa eva maheśvara iti siddham.

The foundation of all the Vedas is said to be praṇava. The beginning of praṇava is a-kāra. All the Vedas, being a modification of praṇava, are concealed in praṇava, which is its own cause. Praṇava, the modification of a-kāra, is concealed within a-kāra, it’s cause. He who is identified as a-kāra, the root of praṇava, is the Supreme Controller. The foundation of all words is a-kāra, and similarly, the foundation of all beings, who bear names that stem from a-kāra, is Nārāyaṇa. That ā, who is the creator of all living beings that are recognised by all those words that stem from a-kāra, is the Supreme Controller. Thus, the Lord says:

I am the cause of creation and annihilation of the entire universe. (Gītā 7.6)

There is nothing superior to Me. (Gītā 7.7)

Of letters, I am the letter ‘A’. (Gītā 10.33)

The śruti states that ‘A’ denotes the Supreme, and also that ‘all sounds are contained within a-kāra.’  All speech evolves from a-kāra, and all beings that constitute the subject-matter of all speech, evolve from the Supreme. Thus, as the Supreme is affirmed to be the meaning of a-kāra, Nārāyaṇa, whose is known as a-kāra, is considered to be the Supreme. (Vedārtha Saṅgraha 103-104)

The syllable A (a-kāra) represents the words āpteḥ and ādi that are both found in this text. Just as a-kāra expands into all other syllables, Aniruddha, as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, expands through the cosmos as the Paramātmā and enters all living beings (sarva jagat vyāptatva). In this way, Aniruddha supplies intelligence to the individual living beings, so that they may fulfil their desires. This is why He is referred to in Text 9 as āpteḥ (from āpayati – ‘He that provides’).

Vaiśvānara/Aniruddha is also described as ādi (‘the first’) because the waking stage comes before one experiences the dream state and deep sleep. The word ādi is used again at the end of this text in the phrase, apnoti ha vai sarvān kāmān ādi. In this regard, ādi can refer to the individual attaining prominence through realisation of Aniruddha, or, according to Madhva, it refers to Vaiśvānara/ Aniruddha Himself. In other words, Vaiśvānara, the first (ādi), fulfils all the desires of one who realises Him.

TEXT 10
स्वप्नस्थानस्तैजस उकारो द्वितीया मात्रोत्कर्षात् उभयत्वाद्वोत्कर्षति ह वै ज्ञानसन्ततिं समानश्च भवति नास्याऽब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति य एवं वेद ॥ १० ॥

svapna-sthānas taijasa u-kāro dvitīyā mātrotkarṣāt
ubhayatvādvotkarṣati ha vai jñāna-santatiṁ samānaś ca bhavati
nāsyābrahma-vit kule bhavati ya evaṁ veda

Taijasa, who presides over the dream state, is designated by the second syllable U and is superior (to the previous syllable). This is because He draws the living being into the dream state (utkarṣat) and also produces a two-fold effect (ubhaya). Indeed, one that realises Him gains continuous knowledge and will reside amongst the liberated. One who is ignorant of knowledge of the Supreme will never be born in his family.

Commentary

The syllable U (u-kāra) refers to Taijasa/Pradyumna, and alludes to two features mentioned here in the text – utkarṣa and ubhaya. Utkarṣa means ‘to attract.’ Pradyumna draws the jīvas from the waking state and induces them to enter the internal world of dreams. Ubhaya refers to two effects created by Pradyumna – the first is the cessation of external sense-objects and impressions; the second is the creation of internal dream-objects. Thus, u-kāra is considered to be superior because in this situation, the living beings forget their identification with the material body (śarīrābhimāna).

Upon realisation of Taijasa/Pradyumna, one becomes blessed with continuous knowledge of the Supreme (jñāna-santati). In his commentary, Raṅga Rāmānuja states, jñāna-santatiṁ śīṣya-praśīṣyādiṣu jñānātiśayaṁ prāpnoti – such an eligible person becomes successful due to his disseminating this transcendental knowledge to his disciples. Then, in turn, his disciples will propagate it to their disciples. When one distributes transcendental knowledge to others, such a person becomes most dear to the Lord:

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
bhaktiṁ mayi parāṁ kṛtvā mām evaiṣyaty asaṁśayaḥ

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ
bhavitā na ca me tasmād anyaḥ priyataro bhuvi

One who teaches this supreme secret to others, advances to the highest platform of devotion and attains full consciousness of Me. Of this there is no doubt. There is no one dearer to Me in this world than such a devotee. Nor will there ever be anyone dearer to Me than one who teaches this supreme secret. (Gītā 18.68)

However, such knowledge should only be disclosed to those who are sincere and possess faith. In Bhagavad-gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa gives the following warning:

idaṁ te nātapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana
na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṁ na ca māṁ yo’bhyasūyati

This knowledge should never be disclosed to those who are not self-controlled, who do not have devotion or who are envious of Me. (Gītā 18.67)

The purport of the Vedas is only revealed to a person who has proper devotion to the Lord. This is confirmed in Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad:

yasya deve parābhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

The import of Vedic knowledge is certainly manifest unto those great souls who have supreme devotion unto the Lord as well as the guru. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)

Chapter Eight of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad narrates the story of Indra, the king of the Devas, and Virocana, the chief of the Asuras, who both approached Brahmā and requested him to teach them about the ātmā. Having listened to Brahmā, Virocana, due to his materialistic mentality, could not comprehend what he had heard. Indra however, being a qualified recipient of transcendental knowledge, understood. Thus, knowledge of the Absolute Truth should only be taught to those who are endowed with true faith and devotion.

The verse also states that upon realising Taijasa/Pradyumna, one becomes samāna. Madhva defines samāna as becoming a mediator to all on account of one’s impartiality (samānaḥ sarveṣāṁ madhyastho bhavati), whereas other commentators interpret samāna as ‘one who resides amongst the liberated (sa+māna).’ Samāna also refers to one who is most respected by all.

The text ends with the assurance that for those who fully realise the nature of Taijasa/Pradyumna, “one who is ignorant of knowledge of the Supreme will never be born in his family” (na asya abrahma-vit kule bhavati).

TEXT 11
सुषुप्तस्थानः प्राज्ञो मकारस्तृतीया मात्रा मितेरपीतेर्वा मिनोति ह वा इदं सर्वमपीतिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ ११ ॥

suṣupta-sthānaḥ prājño ma-kāras tṛtīyā mātrā miter-apīter vā
minoti ha vā idaṁ sarvam apītiś ca bhavati ya evaṁ veda

Prājña, who presides over the state of deep sleep, is designated by the third syllable M. This is because He draws the living being towards Him (miti) and destroys all external consciousness. One that knows Him realises all things and becomes devoid of all sorrow.

Commentary

The syllable M (ma-kāra) represents Prājña/Saṅkarṣaṇa, who moderates the deep sleep state. Ma-kāra stands for miti. In his commentary, Madhva refers to Saṅkarṣaṇa as miti (‘one who draws withim’) because He draws the jīvas towards Him when they are in deep sleep. Not only does He draw them during deep sleep, but on the macrocosmic scale at the time of universal devastation, He draws all the jīvas throughout the entire creation within Himself. In fact, the very name ‘Saṅkarṣaṇa’ means, ‘one who absorbs all beings within Himself at the time of annihilation’ (saṁhāra-kāle yugapat prajāḥ saṅkarṣati iti saṅkarṣaṇa).

The word apīti (from the root api, ‘to dissolve’) is mentioned twice in this text. The first instance refers to Saṅkarṣaṇa removing the jīva’s experiences during the waking and dreaming states (vṛtti-jñāna). Just as the syllables A and U dissolve into M when pronouncing oṁkāra, similarly, whatever we encounter in the awakened and dream states dissolves when we enter into the realm of deep sleep.

The second instance in this text that the word apīti is used, refers to the jīva who has fully realised Prājña/Saṅkarṣaṇa. In this regard, according to various commentators, apīti means ‘one whose miseries are destroyed.’

The verse also states, minoti ha vā idaṁ sarvam – ‘one that knows Him realises all things.’ Minoti means ‘to measure or distinguish.’ In other words, such a person is able to discriminate between knowledge (vidyā) and ignorance (avidyā). By ignorance one becomes conditioned, and by knowledge one becomes liberated. The so-called knowledge that is taught in the educational institutions of this world is, in fact, ignorance. Our modern civilisation may be advancing from the material perspective, yet people continue to remain unhappy and discontent. This is because we labour under the illusion that our material knowledge will eventually create a utopian environment, where everyone will be happy and satisfied. However, no amount of mundane knowledge can ever give us true fulfilment. Real happiness is found through understanding the difference between matter and spirit, and discovering one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme. This is actual knowledge.

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