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. These Jīvas are in no way apart from the waking mind. Similarly, the mind of the waking man is admitted to be the object of perception of the waking person only. (Therefore the mind is not separate from the perceiver.)

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

The Jīvas, perceived in the waking state, do not exist anywhere except in the mind of the perceiver, for, they are not seen independent of the mind. These Jīvas are similar to the Jīvas, perceived in the dream, which are cognized by the mind of the dreaming person alone. That mind again, having the characteristic of perception of Jīvas is non different from the perceiver of the wakings condition, because1 it is seen by the perceiver, as2 is the case with the mind which perceives the dream. The rest has already been interpreted (in the previous verses).