✦ Shlokas ✦
Shloka 1
इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानम् । भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोङ्कार एव । यच्चान्यत्त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एव ॥ १ ॥
om ity etad aksharam idam sarvam tasyopavyakhyanam bhutam bhavad bhavishyad iti sarvam omkara eva yac canyat trikalatitam tad apy omkara eva
Translation
The sacred syllable Om is all this. It is the explanation of everything. Whatever existed in the past, exists in the present, and will exist in the future is truly Om. Whatever transcends the three divisions of time is also Om.
Commentary
Shloka 2
सर्वं ह्येतद्ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ॥ २ ॥
sarvam hy etad brahma ayam atma brahma so ‘yam atma catushpat
Translation
All this is indeed Brahman. This Self is Brahman. This very Self has four aspects.
Commentary
Shloka 3
जागरितस्थानो बहिष्प्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः स्थूलभुग्वैश्वानरः प्रथमः पादः ॥ ३ ॥
jagaritasthano bahishprajnah saptanga ekonavimshatimukhah sthulabhug vaishvanarah prathamah padah
Translation
The first aspect is Vaishvanara, whose field is the waking state. It is outwardly conscious, possesses seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and experiences the gross world.
Commentary
Shloka 4
स्वप्नस्थानोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः प्रविविक्तभुक्तैजसो द्वितीयः पादः ॥ ४ ॥
svapnasthano antahprajnah saptanga ekonavimshatimukhah praviviktabhuk taijaso dvitiyah padah
Translation
The second aspect is Taijasa, whose field is the dream state. It is inwardly conscious, possesses seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and experiences the subtle world.
Commentary
Shloka 5
यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत्सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ ५ ॥
yatra supto na kancana kamam kamayate na kancana svapnam pashyati tat sushuptam sushuptasthana ekibhutah prajnanaghana evanandamayo hy anandabhuk cetomukhah prajnas tritiyah padah
Translation
The third aspect is Prajna, whose field is deep sleep, where one neither desires any object nor sees any dream. It is undifferentiated, a mass of consciousness, full of bliss, the experiencer of bliss, and the gateway to awareness.
Commentary
Shloka 6
एष सर्वेश्वर एष सर्वज्ञ एषोऽन्तर्याम्येष योनिः सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम् ॥ ६ ॥
esha sarveshvara esha sarvajna esho’ntaryamy esha yonih sarvasya prabhavapyayau hi bhutanam
Translation
This is the Lord of all, the Knower of all, the Inner Controller of all. It is the source of everything and the origin and dissolution of all beings.
Commentary
Shloka 7
नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिष्प्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम् । अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः ॥ ७ ॥
nantahprajnam na bahishprajnam nobhayatah-prajnam na prajnanaghanam na prajnam naprajnam adrishtam avyavaharyam agrahyam alakshanam acintyam avyapadeshyam ekatma-pratyaya-saram prapancopashamam shantam shivam advaitam caturtham manyante sa atma sa vijneyah
Translation
The fourth is neither inwardly conscious nor outwardly conscious, nor both. It is beyond perception, beyond thought and description, incomprehensible, peaceful, auspicious, non-dual, and the cessation of all phenomena. That is the Self, and it is to be realized.
Commentary
Shloka 8
सोऽयमात्माध्यक्षरमोङ्कारोऽधिमात्रं पादा मात्रा मात्राश्च पादा अकार उकारो मकार इति ॥ ८ ॥
so ‘yam atma adhyaksharam omkaro adhimatram pada matra matras ca pada akara ukaro makara iti
Translation
This Self is represented by Om. Om consists of syllables, and the four aspects of the Self correspond to its components: A, U, M, and the fourth beyond sound.
Commentary
Shloka 9
जागरितस्थानो वैश्वानरोऽकारः प्रथमा मात्रा । आप्तेरादिमत्त्वाद्वाप्नोति ह वै सर्वान्कामानादिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ ९ ॥
jagaritasthano vaishvanaro ‘karah prathama matra apter adimatvad vapnoti ha vai sarvan kaman adish ca bhavati ya evam veda
Translation
Vaishvanara, the waking state, corresponds to the syllable A, the first sound of Om. One who understands this attains all worthy desires and becomes foremost.
Commentary
Shloka 10
स्वप्नस्थानस्तैजस उकारो द्वितीया मात्रा । उत्कर्षादुभयत्वाद्वोत्कर्षति ह वै ज्ञानसन्ततिं समानश्च भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति य एवं वेद ॥ १० ॥
svapnasthanas taijasa ukaro dvitiyā matra utkarshad ubhayatvad votkarshati ha vai jnanasantatim samanash ca bhavati nasyabrahmavit kule bhavati ya evam veda
Translation
Taijasa, the dream state, corresponds to the syllable U, the second sound of Om. One who understands this advances in knowledge, becomes balanced, and is born into a lineage of knowers of Brahman.
Commentary
Shloka 11
सुषुप्तस्थानः प्राज्ञो मकारस्तृतीया मात्रा । मितेरपीतेर्वा मिनोति ह वा इदं सर्वमपीतिश्च भवति य एवं वेद ॥ ११ ॥
sushuptasthanah prajno makaras tritiya matra miter apiter va minoti ha va idam sarvam apitish ca bhavati ya evam veda
Translation
Prajna, the deep sleep state, corresponds to the syllable M, the third sound of Om. One who understands this comprehends all and realizes the source into which everything merges.
Commentary
Shloka 12
अमात्रश्चतुर्थोऽव्यवहार्यः प्रपञ्चोपशमः शिवोऽद्वैतः । एवमोङ्कार आत्मैव संविशत्यात्मनात्मानं य एवं वेद ॥ १२ ॥
amatrash caturtho vyavaharyah prapancopashamah shivo dvaitah evam omkara atmaiva samvishaty atmanatmanam ya evam veda
Translation
The fourth, beyond all sound, is beyond worldly dealings, the cessation of all phenomena, peaceful, auspicious, and non-dual. Thus Om is truly the Self. One who realizes this enters the Self through the Self.
Commentary
Note: Every interpretation published here is the original work of Kedi Ganapati alone. No other author, commentator, or interpreter has contributed to these explanations. These interpretations are based on Kedi Ganapati’s own understanding of the Mandukya Upanishad’s verses through personal study, research, wisdom, and experience.