Mandukya Upanishad

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.23 Text भूततोऽभूततो वापि सृज्यमाने समा श्रुतिः । निश्चितं युक्तियुक्तं च यत्तद्भवति नेतरत् ॥ २३ ॥ bhūtato'bhūtato vāpi sṛjyamāne samā śrutiḥ | niścitaṃ yuktiyuktaṃ ca yattadbhavati netarat || 23 || 23. The passing into birth may be real or illusory. Both these views are equally mentioned in the Śruti. That which is supported by Śruti and corroborated by reason, is alone true and not the other. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) (Objection)—Those1 who do not admit the change or the passing into birth of Brahman, cannot justify the Scriptural passages which support creation....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.24 Text नेह नानेति चाऽऽम्नायादिन्द्रोमायाभिरित्यपि । अजायमानो बहुधा मायया जायते तु सः ॥ २४ ॥ neha nāneti cā''mnāyādindromāyābhirityapi | ajāyamāno bahudhā māyayā jāyate tu saḥ || 24 || 24. From such Scriptural passages as, “There is no multiplicity in Ātman”, “Indra through Māyā”, we know that the Ātman, though ever unborn, verily appears to have become many (only) through Māyā. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) It may be asked how the changelessness (Ajāti) of Ātman is the final conclusion of the Śruti....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.25 Text संभूतेरपवादाच्च संभवः प्रतिषिध्यते । को न्वेनं जनयेदिति कारणं प्रतिषिध्यते ॥ २५ ॥ saṃbhūterapavādācca saṃbhavaḥ pratiṣidhyate | ko nvenaṃ janayediti kāraṇaṃ pratiṣidhyate || 25 || 25. Again, by the negation of creation (Sambhūti) the passing into birth is refuted. Causality (in respect of Ātman) is denied by such a statement as, “who can cause it to pass into birth?” Shankara Bhashya (commentary) By the condemnation of Sambhūti 1 (i....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.26 Text स एष नेति नेतीति व्याख्यातं निह्नुते यतः । सर्वमग्राह्यभावेन हेतुनाजं प्रकाशते ॥ २६ ॥ sa eṣa neti netīti vyākhyātaṃ nihnute yataḥ | sarvamagrāhyabhāvena hetunājaṃ prakāśate || 26 || 26. As the Śruti passage, “It is not this, not this” on account of the incomprehensibility of Ātman, negates all (dualistic) ideas described; (as the means for the attainment of Ātman), therefore the birthless (Ātman alone) exists (and not any duality)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.27 Text सतो हि मायया जन्म युज्यते न तु तत्त्वतः । तत्त्वतो जायते यस्य जातं तस्य हि जायते ॥ २७ ॥ sato hi māyayā janma yujyate na tu tattvataḥ | tattvato jāyate yasya jātaṃ tasya hi jāyate || 27 || 27. That which is ever-existent appears to pass into birth through illusion (Māyā) and not from the standpoint of Reality. He who thinks that this passing into birth is real asserts, as a matter of fact, that what is born is born again (and so on without end)....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.28 Text असतो मायया जन्म तत्त्वतो नैव युज्यते । वन्ध्यापुत्रो न तत्त्वेन मायया वाऽपि जायते ॥ २८ ॥ asato māyayā janma tattvato naiva yujyate | vandhyāputro na tattvena māyayā vā'pi jāyate || 28 || 28. The unreal cannot be born either really or through Māyā. For the son of a barren woman is born neither in reality nor in illusion. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) There are those who hold that all entities are unreal, that the non-existent produces this world....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.29 Text यथा स्वप्ने द्वयाभासं स्पन्दते मायया मनः । तथा जाग्रद्द्वयाभासं स्पन्दते मायया मनः ॥ २९ ॥ yathā svapne dvayābhāsaṃ spandate māyayā manaḥ | tathā jāgraddvayābhāsaṃ spandate māyayā manaḥ || 29 || 29. As in dream the mind acts through Māyā presenting the appearance of duality, so also in the waking state the mind acts, through Māyā, presenting the appearance of duality. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) How is it possible for the Reality to pass into birth through Māyā?...

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.30 Text अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं मनः स्वप्ने न संशयः । अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं तथा जाग्रन्न संशयः ॥ ३० ॥ advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ manaḥ svapne na saṃśayaḥ | advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ tathā jāgranna saṃśayaḥ || 30 || 30. There is no doubt that the mind, which is, in fact, non-dual appears as dual in dream; in like manner undoubtedly that which is non-dual, appears as dual in the waking state also....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.31 Text मनोदृश्यमिदं द्वैतं यत्किंचित्सचराचरम् । मनसो ह्यमनीभावे द्वैतं नैवोपलभ्यते ॥ ३१ ॥ manodṛśyamidaṃ dvaitaṃ yatkiṃcitsacarācaram | manaso hyamanībhāve dvaitaṃ naivopalabhyate || 31 || 31. All these dual objects, comprising everything that is movable and immovable, perceived by the mind (are mind alone). For, duality is never experienced when the mind ceases to act. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) It has been said that it is the mind alone which appears as dual (objects) like the appearance of the snake in the rope....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.32 Text आत्मसत्यानुबोधेन न संकल्पयते यदा । अमनस्तां तदा याति ग्राह्याभावे तदग्रहम् ॥ ३२ ॥ ātmasatyānubodhena na saṃkalpayate yadā | amanastāṃ tadā yāti grāhyābhāve tadagraham || 32 || 32. When the mind does not imagine on account of the knowledge of the Truth which is Ātman, then it ceases to be mind and becomes free from all idea of cognition, for want of objects to be cognised. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) How does the mind become naught?...

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.33 Text अकल्पमजं ज्ञानं ज्ञेयाभिन्नं प्रचक्षते । ब्रह्मज्ञेयमजं नित्यमजेनाजं विबुध्यते ॥ ३३ ॥ akalpamajaṃ jñānaṃ jñeyābhinnaṃ pracakṣate | brahmajñeyamajaṃ nityamajenājaṃ vibudhyate || 33 || 33. The knowledge (Jñānam) which is unborn and free from all imaginations is ever inseparable from the knowable. The immutable and birthless Brahman is the sole object of knowledge. The birthless is known by the birthless. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) If all this duality be illusory, how is the knowledge of the Self to be realised?...

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.34-35 Text निगृहीतस्य मनसो निर्विकल्पस्य धीमतः । प्रचारः स तु विज्ञेयः सुषुप्तेऽन्यो न तत्समः ॥ ३४ ॥ nigṛhītasya manaso nirvikalpasya dhīmataḥ | pracāraḥ sa tu vijñeyaḥ suṣupte'nyo na tatsamaḥ || 34 || 34. The behaviour of the mind that is under control, i.e., which is free from all imaginations and that is endowed with discrimination, should be known. The condition of the mind in deep sleep is of another sort and not like that....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.36 Text अजमनिन्द्रमस्वप्नमनामकमरूपकम् । सकृद्विभातं सर्वज्ञं नोपचारः कथंचन ॥ ३६ ॥ ajamanindramasvapnamanāmakamarūpakam | sakṛdvibhātaṃ sarvajñaṃ nopacāraḥ kathaṃcana || 36 || 36. (This Brahman is) birthless, free from sleep and dream, without name and form, ever-effulgent and omniscient. Nothing has to be done in any way (with respect to Brahman). Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Brahman is both within and without as well as unborn, as there is no cause for its passing into birth....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.37 Text सर्वाभिलापविगतः सर्वचिन्तासमुत्थितः । सुप्रशान्तः सकृज्ज्योतिः समाधिरचलोऽभयः ॥ ३७ ॥ sarvābhilāpavigataḥ sarvacintāsamutthitaḥ | supraśāntaḥ sakṛjjyotiḥ samādhiracalo'bhayaḥ || 37 || 37. (This Ātman is) beyond all expression by words beyond all acts of mind; (It is) all peace, eternal effulgence free from activity and fear and attainable by concentrated understanding (of the Jīva). Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Now is explained the reason for indicating Brahman as without name, etc....

Mandukya Karika, verse 3.38 Text ग्रहो न तत्र नोत्सर्गश्चिन्ता यत्र न विद्यते । आत्मसंस्थं तदा ज्ञानमजाति समतां गतम् ॥ ३८ ॥ graho na tatra notsargaścintā yatra na vidyate | ātmasaṃsthaṃ tadā jñānamajāti samatāṃ gatam || 38 || 38. In that Brahman which is free from all acts of mind there is neither any idea of acceptance nor any idea of giving up (of anything). Established in the Ātman (Self), knowledge attains to Jhe state of birthlessness and sameness, that is to say, changelessness....