Mandukya Upanishad

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.59 Text यथा मायामयाद्बीजाज्जायते तन्मयोङ्कुरः । नासौ नित्यो न चोच्छेदी तद्वद्धर्मेषु योजना ॥ ५९ ॥ yathā māyāmayādbījājjāyate tanmayoṅkuraḥ | nāsau nityo na cocchedī tadvaddharmeṣu yojanā || 59 || 59. The illusory sprout comes forth from the illusory seed. This illusory sprout is neither permanent nor destructible. The same applies to Jīvas. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Now, is the birth of Jīvas, that are seen to exist, illusory? To this question, our reply is as follows:—From1 an illusory mango seed is born a mango sprout which is equally illusory....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.60 Text नाजेषु सर्वधर्मेषु शाश्वताशाश्वताभिधा । यत्र वर्णा न वर्तन्ते विवेकस्तत्र नोच्यते ॥ ६० ॥ nājeṣu sarvadharmeṣu śāśvatāśāśvatābhidhā | yatra varṇā na vartante vivekastatra nocyate || 60 || 60. The epithets of permanence or impermanence cannot be applied to unborn Jīvas. That which is indescribable by words cannot be discriminated (as real or unreal). Shankara Bhashya (commentary) From the standpoint of the Ultimate Reality, no epithet such as permanence1 or impermanence, nor any sound corresponding to such names, can be applied to Jīvas (selves or beings) which are eternal, birthless, and which are always of the nature of a homogeneous consciousness....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.61-62 Text यथा स्वप्ने द्वयाभासं चित्तं चलति मायया । तथा जाग्रद्द्वयाभासं चित्तं चलति मायया ॥ ६१ ॥ अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं चित्तं स्वप्ने न संशयः । अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं तथा जाग्रन्न संशयः ॥ ६२ ॥ yathā svapne dvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ calati māyayā | tathā jāgraddvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ calati māyayā || 61 || advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ svapne na saṃśayaḥ | advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ tathā jāgranna saṃśayaḥ || 62 || 61-62. As in dream, the mind is seen to act through Māyā manifesting the appearance of duality, so also in the waking state the mind is seen to act, through Māyā, producing the appearance of duality....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.63 Text स्वप्नदृक् प्रचरन् स्वप्ने दिक्षु वै दशसु स्थितान् । अण्डजान् स्वेदजान्वाऽपि जीवान् पश्यति यान् ॥ ६३ ॥ svapnadṛk pracaran svapne dikṣu vai daśasu sthitān | aṇḍajān svedajānvā'pi jīvān paśyati yān || 63 || 63. The whole variety of Jīvas, born of eggs, moisture, etc., always seen by the dreamer when he goes about (in his dream) in all ten directions (have no existence apart from the mind of the dreamer)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.64 Text स्वप्नदृक्चित्तदृश्यास्ते न विद्यन्ते ततः पृथक् । तथा तद्दृश्यमेवेदं स्वप्नदृक्चित्तमिष्यते ॥ ६४ ॥ svapnadṛkcittadṛśyāste na vidyante tataḥ pṛthak | tathā taddṛśyamevedaṃ svapnadṛkcittamiṣyate || 64 || 64. These (beings) which are objects of the mind of the dreamer have no existence apart from his mind. Similarly, this mind of the dreamer is admitted to be the object of perception of the dreamer only. (Therefore the mind of the dreamer is not separate from the dreamer himself) Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Those1 beings perceived by the mind of the dreamer have no existence outside the mind of the person who dreams about them....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.65-66 Text चरन् जागरिते जाग्रद्दिक्षु वै दशसु स्थितान् । अण्डजान् स्वेदजान्वाऽपि जीवान्पश्यति यान्सदा ॥ ६५ ॥ जाग्रच्चित्तेक्षणीयास्ते न विद्यन्ते ततः पृथक् । तथा तद्दृश्यमेवेदं जाग्रतश्चित्तमिष्यते ॥ ६६ ॥ caran jāgarite jāgraddikṣu vai daśasu sthitān | aṇḍajān svedajānvā'pi jīvānpaśyati yānsadā || 65 || jāgraccittekṣaṇīyāste na vidyante tataḥ pṛthak | tathā taddṛśyamevedaṃ jāgrataścittamiṣyate || 66 || 65-66. The whole variety of Jīvas, born of eggs, moisture, etc., always seen by the waking man when he goes about (in his waking condition) in all ten directions, is only the object of the mind of the waking man....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.67 Text उभे ह्यन्योन्यदृश्ये ते किं तदस्तीति नोच्यते । लक्षणाशून्यमुभयं तन्मतेनैव गृह्यते ॥ ६७ ॥ ubhe hyanyonyadṛśye te kiṃ tadastīti nocyate | lakṣaṇāśūnyamubhayaṃ tanmatenaiva gṛhyate || 67 || 67. Both (the mind and the Jīva) are objects of perception to each other. Which then can be said to exist independent of the other? (The reply of the wise is in the negative). Both are devoid of the marks by which they could be distinguished....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.68-70 Text यथा स्वप्नमयो जीवो जायते म्रियतेऽपि च । तथा जीवा अमी सर्वे भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥ ६८ ॥ यथा मायामयो जीवो जायते म्रियतेऽपि च । तथा जीवा अमी सर्वे भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥ ६९ ॥ यथा निर्मितको जीवो जायते म्रियतेऽपि च । तथा जीवा अमी सर्वे भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥ ७० ॥ yathā svapnamayo jīvo jāyate mriyate'pi ca | tathā jīvā amī sarve bhavanti na bhavanti ca || 68 ||...

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.71 Text न कश्चिज्जायते जीवः संभवोऽस्य न विद्यते । एतत्तदुत्तमं सत्यं यत्र किंचिन्न जायते ॥ ७१ ॥ na kaścijjāyate jīvaḥ saṃbhavo'sya na vidyate | etattaduttamaṃ satyaṃ yatra kiṃcinna jāyate || 71 || 71. No kind of Jīva is ever born nor is there any cause for any such birth. The Ultimate Truth is that nothing whatsoever is born. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) It has already been stated that the appearances of birth, death, etc....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.72 Text चित्तस्पन्दिकमेवेदं ग्राह्यग्राहकवद्द्वयम् । चित्तं निर्विषयं नित्यमसंगं तेन कीर्तितम् ॥ ७२ ॥ cittaspandikamevedaṃ grāhyagrāhakavaddvayam | cittaṃ nirviṣayaṃ nityamasaṃgaṃ tena kīrtitam || 72 || 72. This perceived world of duality, characterised by the subject-object relationship, is verily an act of the mind. The mind, again, (from the standpoint of Reality) is without touch with any object (as it is of the nature of Ātman). Hence it is declared to be eternal and unattached....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.73 Text योऽस्ति कल्पितसंवृत्या परमार्थेन नास्त्यसौ । परतन्त्राभिसंवृत्या स्यान्नास्ति परमार्थतः ॥ ७३ ॥ yo'sti kalpitasaṃvṛtyā paramārthena nāstyasau | paratantrābhisaṃvṛtyā syānnāsti paramārthataḥ || 73 || 73. That which exists on the strength of the illusory experiences does not, really speaking, exist. That which, again, is said to exist on the strength of the views supported by the other schools of thought, does not, really speaking, exist. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) (Objection)—It has been said that the mind is free from the relation with any objects, as such objects do not exist....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.74 Text अजः कल्पितसंवृत्या परमार्थेन नाप्यजः । परतन्त्रादिनिष्पत्त्या संवृत्या जायते तु सः ॥ ७४ ॥ ajaḥ kalpitasaṃvṛtyā paramārthena nāpyajaḥ | paratantrādiniṣpattyā saṃvṛtyā jāyate tu saḥ || 74 || 74. Ātman is called unborn (Aja) from the standpoint of the illusory empirical experiences. It is, truly speaking, not even unborn. That unborn Ātman appears to be born from the standpoint of the belief of the other schools of thought....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.75 Text अभूताभिनिवेशोऽस्ति द्वयं तत्र न विद्यते । द्वयाभावं स बुद्ध्वैव निर्निमित्तो न जायते ॥ ७५ ॥ abhūtābhiniveśo'sti dvayaṃ tatra na vidyate | dvayābhāvaṃ sa buddhvaiva nirnimitto na jāyate || 75 || 75. Man has mere persistent belief in the reality of the unreal (which is duality). There is no duality (corresponding to such belief). One who has realised the absence of duality is never born again as there remains, no longer, any cause (for such birth)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.76 Text यदा न लभते हेतूनुत्तमाधममध्यमान् । तदा न जायते चित्तं हेत्वभावे फलं कुतः ॥ ७६ ॥ yadā na labhate hetūnuttamādhamamadhyamān | tadā na jāyate cittaṃ hetvabhāve phalaṃ kutaḥ || 76 || 76. When the mind does not find any cause superior, inferior or middling, it becomes free from birth. How can there be an effect without a cause? Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The superior cause consists of those Dharmas (i....

Mandukya Karika, verse 4.77 Text अनिमित्तस्य चित्तस्य याऽनुत्पत्तिः समाऽद्वया । अजातस्यैव सर्वस्य चित्तदृश्यं हि तद्यतः ॥ ७७ ॥ animittasya cittasya yā'nutpattiḥ samā'dvayā | ajātasyaiva sarvasya cittadṛśyaṃ hi tadyataḥ || 77 || 77. The non evolution (i.e., the state of knowledge) of the mind, which is unborn and free from causal relation, is absolute and constant. Everything else is also equally unborn. (So what is true of the mind is true of everything else as well....