Mandukya Karika, verse 1.22 Text त्रिषु धामसु यस्तुल्यं सामान्यं वेत्ति निश्चितः । स पूज्यः सर्वभूतानां वन्द्यश्चैव महामुनिः ॥ २२ ॥ triṣu dhāmasu yastulyaṃ sāmānyaṃ vetti niścitaḥ | sa pūjyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ vandyaścaiva mahāmuniḥ || 22 || 22. He who knows without doubt, what the ‘common features’ are in the three states, is worshipped and adored by all beings and he is also the greatest sage. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) One who knows positively, i....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.23 Text अकारो नयते विश्वमुकारश्चापि तैजसम् । मकारश्च पुनः प्राज्ञं नामात्रे विद्यते गतिः ॥ २३ ॥ akāro nayate viśvamukāraścāpi taijasam | makāraśca punaḥ prājñaṃ nāmātre vidyate gatiḥ || 23 || 23. The sound (letter) A helps its worshipper to attain to Viśva, U to Taijasa, and M to Prājña. In the “Soundless” there is no attainment. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Having identified the quarters of Ātman with the sounds (letters) of Aum, on account of the common features stated above, he who realises the nature of the sound Aum, described above, and meditates upon it, attains to Viśva through the help of A....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.24 Text ओंकारं पादशो विद्यात्पादा मात्रा न संशयः । ओंकारं पादशो ज्ञात्वा न किंचिदपि चिन्तयेत् ॥ २४ ॥ oṃkāraṃ pādaśo vidyātpādā mātrā na saṃśayaḥ | oṃkāraṃ pādaśo jñātvā na kiṃcidapi cintayet || 24 || 24. (The meaning of) Aumkāra should he known quarter by quarter. There is no doubt that quarters are the same sounds (letters). Having grasped the (meaning of) Aumkāra nothing else should be thought of....
Mandukya Upanishad, verse 12 Text अमात्रश्चतुर्थोऽव्यवहार्यः प्रपञ्चोपशमः शिवोऽद्वैत एवमोङ्कार आत्मैव संविशत्यात्मनाऽऽत्मानं य एवं वेद ॥ १२ ॥ amātraścaturtho'vyavahāryaḥ prapañcopaśamaḥ śivo'dvaita evamoṅkāra ātmaiva saṃviśatyātmanā''tmānaṃ ya evaṃ veda || 12 || 12. That which has no parts (soundless), incomprehensible (with the aid of the senses), the cessation of all phenomena, all bliss and non-dual Aum, is the fourth and verily the same as the Ātman. He who knows this merges his self in the Self....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.25 Text युञ्जीत प्रणवे चेतः प्रणवो ब्रह्म निर्भयम् । प्रणवे नित्ययुक्तस्य न भयं विद्यते क्वचित् ॥ २५ ॥ yuñjīta praṇave cetaḥ praṇavo brahma nirbhayam | praṇave nityayuktasya na bhayaṃ vidyate kvacit || 25 || 25. The mind should be unified with (the sacred syllable) Aum. (For) Aum is Brahman, the ever-fearless. He who is always unified with Aum knows no fear whatever. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The word Yuñjīta means to unify, i....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.26 Text प्रणवो ह्यपरं ब्रह्म प्रणवश्च परः स्मृतः । अपूर्वोऽनन्तरोऽबाह्योऽनपरः प्रणवोऽव्ययः ॥ २६ ॥ praṇavo hyaparaṃ brahma praṇavaśca paraḥ smṛtaḥ | apūrvo'nantaro'bāhyo'naparaḥ praṇavo'vyayaḥ || 26 || 26. (The sacred syllable) Aum verily the Lower Brahman, and it is also admitted to be the Supreme Brahman. Aum is without beginning (cause), unique, without anything outside itself, unrelated to any effect and changeless. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Aum is both the Lower1 Brahman and the Supreme Turīya....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.27 Text सर्वस्य प्रणवो ह्यादिर्मध्यमन्तस्तथैव च । एवं हि प्रणवं ज्ञात्वा व्यश्नुते तदनन्तरम् ॥ २७ ॥ sarvasya praṇavo hyādirmadhyamantastathaiva ca | evaṃ hi praṇavaṃ jñātvā vyaśnute tadanantaram || 27 || 27. Aum is verily the beginning, middle and end of all. Knowing Aum as such, one, without doubt, attains immediately to that (the Supreme Reality). Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Aum 1 is the beginning, middle and end of all; that is, everything originates from Aum, is sustained by it and ultimately merges in it....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.28 Text प्रणवं हीश्वरं विद्यात्सर्वस्य हृदि संस्थितम् । सर्वव्यापिनमोंकारं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ २८ ॥ praṇavaṃ hīśvaraṃ vidyātsarvasya hṛdi saṃsthitam | sarvavyāpinamoṃkāraṃ matvā dhīro na śocati || 28 || 28. Know Aum to be Īśvara, ever present in the mind of all; the man of discrimination realising Aum as all-pervading, does not grieve. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Know Aum as the Īśvara present in the mind, which is the seat1 of memory and perception, of all things....
Mandukya Karika, verse 1.29 Text अमात्रो'नन्तमात्रश्च द्वैतस्योपशमः शिवः । ओंकारो विदितो येन स मुनिर्नेतरो जनः ॥ २९ ॥ amātro'nantamātraśca dvaitasyopaśamaḥ śivaḥ | oṃkāro vidito yena sa munirnetaro janaḥ || 29 || 29. One who has known Aum which is soundless and of infinite sounds and which is ever-peaceful on account of negation of duality is the (real) sage and none other. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Amātra 1 or soundless Aum signifies Turīya....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.1 Text वैतथ्यं सर्वभावानां स्वप्न आहुर् मनीषिणः । अन्तःस्थानात् तु भावानां संवृतत्वेन हेतुना ॥ १ ॥ vaitathyaṃ sarvabhāvānāṃ svapna āhur manīṣiṇaḥ | antaḥsthānāt tu bhāvānāṃ saṃvṛtatvena hetunā || 1 || 1. The wise declare the unreality of all the objects seen in the dream, they all being located within (the body) and on account of their being in a confined space. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) Aum. It has been already said, “Duality does not exist when (true) knowledge arises,” and this is borne out by such Śruti passages as, “It (Ātman) is verily one and without a second,” etc....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.2 Text अदीर्घत्वाच्च कालस्य गत्वा देशान्नपश्यति । प्रतिबुद्धश्च वै सर्वस्तस्मिन्देशे न विद्यते ॥ २ ॥ adīrghatvācca kālasya gatvā deśānnapaśyati | pratibuddhaśca vai sarvastasmindeśe na vidyate || 2 || 2. On account of the shortness of time it is not possible for the dreamer to go out of the body and see (the dream objects). Nor does the dreamer, when he wakes up, find himself in the place (seen in his dream)....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.3 Text अभावश्च रथादीनां श्रूयते न्यायपूर्वकम् । वैतथ्यं तेन वै प्राप्तं स्वप्न आहुः प्रकाशितम् ॥ ३ ॥ abhāvaśca rathādīnāṃ śrūyate nyāyapūrvakam | vaitathyaṃ tena vai prāptaṃ svapna āhuḥ prakāśitam || 3 || 3. Following reason, (as indicatea above) Śruti declares the non-existence of the chariots, etc. (perceived in dream). Therefore it is said (by the wise) that Śruti itself declares the illusoriness (of the dream-experiences), established (by reason)....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.4 Text अन्तःस्थानात्तु भेदानां तस्माज्जागरिते स्मृतम् । यथा तत्र तथा स्वप्ने संवृतत्वेन भिद्यते ॥ ४ ॥ antaḥsthānāttu bhedānāṃ tasmājjāgarite smṛtam | yathā tatra tathā svapne saṃvṛtatvena bhidyate || 4 || 4. Different objects cognized in dream (are illusory) on account of their being perceived to exist. For the same reason, the objects seen in the waking state are illusory. The nature of objects is the same in the waking state and dream....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.5 Text स्वप्नजागरितस्थाने ह्येकमाहुर्मनीषिणः । भेदानां हि समत्वेन प्रसिद्धेनैव हेतुना ॥ ५ ॥ svapnajāgaritasthāne hyekamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ | bhedānāṃ hi samatvena prasiddhenaiva hetunā || 5 || 5. The thoughtful persons speak of the sameness of the waking and dream states on account of similarity of objects (perceived in both the states) on grounds already described. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The identity1 (of the experiences) of the dream and waking states is declared by the wise on account of the reason, already stated, i....
Mandukya Karika, verse 2.6 Text आदावन्ते च यन्नास्ति वर्तमानेऽपि तत्तथा | वितथैः सदृशाः सन्तोऽवितथा इव लक्षिताः || 6 || ādāvante ca yannāsti vartamāne'pi tattathā | vitathaiḥ sadṛśāḥ santo'vitathā iva lakṣitāḥ || 6 || 6. That which is non-existent at the beginning and in the end, is necessarily so (non-existent) in the middle. The objects are like the illusions we see, still they are regarded as if real. Shankara Bhashya (commentary) The objects perceived to exist in the waking state are unreal for this reason also,1 that they do not really exist either at the beginning or at the end....