Contribution of Andhra to Mandukya Upanishad

Contribution of Andhra to Mandukya Upanishad

                                                               ( A Brief Study)

Dr. Chilakamarthi Durga Prasada Rao

This Upanishad also belongs to Atharvaveda and the sage Mundaka is believed to be the exponent of this Upanishad. The Upanishad helps one to comprehend the significance of the word ‘ Om’  through which Atmajnana can be achieved.

The first Mantra:

ओम्-इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानम् |

भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोंकार एव |

यच्चान्यत्त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योंकार एव

The syllable Om, which is the imperishable Brahman is the universe. What ever has existed, what exists and what ever shall exist hereafter is Om. Whatever is beyond past, present and future that also is Brahman. 

                      ओम्

                        |

      ------------------------------------------------                       

   |    (अ)                     | (उ)                            | (म्)

भूतम्                    भवत्                 भविष्यत्  + (त्रिकालातीतम्   च)

(Past)                 (Present)          (Future)    (Beyond)

 The second Mantra :

     सर्वं ह्येतत् ब्रह्म -अयमात्मा ब्रह्म- सोsमात्मा चतुष्पात्

Every thing is Brahman. This self is Brahman,

                    

              आत्मा

                            |

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    |                     |                  |                 |             

वैश्वानर             तैजस           प्राज्ञ         तुरीय

(Vaishvaanara) (Taijasa)   (Prajna)    (Turiya)

      वैश्वानर:

1. Visva the soul in the waking state  

•         The third Mantra

जागरितस्थान: बहिष्प्रज्ञ सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुख: स्थुलभुक् –             वैश्वानर:

1.जागरितस्थान: ( His span is the waking State

2. बहिष्प्रज्ञ: ( Aware of objects other than himself)

3.सप्ताङ्ग: (Seven limbs)

4. एकोनविंशतिमुख: ( Nineteen mouths)

5. स्थुलभुक् ( Gross enjoyer)

                            

•         The fourth Mantra

•         स्वप्नस्थान: अन्त:प्रज्ञ: सप्ताङ्ग: एकोनविंशति मुख: प्रविविक्तभुक् तैजस: द्वितीय: पाद: |

•         1.स्वप्नस्थान:( whose span is the dream)

•         2.अन्त:प्रज्ञ: (Conscious of internal objects)

•         3.सप्ताङ्ग: (Seven limbs)

•         4. एकोनविंशतिमुख: ( Ninteen mouths)

•         5. प्रविविक्तभुक् (Enjoyer of subtle objects)

•                                   तैजस:

•                           द्वितीय: पाद: |

•         The soul in the state of dream is designated as Taijasa

•         The fifth Mantra:

•          यत्र सुप्त: न कञ्चन कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम् |

•         सुषुप्तस्थान: एकीभूत: प्रज्नघान एवानन्दमय: ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतो मुख: प्राज्ञ: तृतीय: पाद: ||

•         1. सुषुप्तस्थान: (State of deep sleep)

•         2.एकीभूत: ( All experiences become unified)

•         3.प्रज्ञानघन: ( A mass all consciousness unified)

•         4. आनन्दमय: ( Endowed with an abundance of Bliss)

•         5. आनन्दभुक् ( Experiencer of Bliss)

•         6.चेतो मुख: ( It is the door way to the cognition of the two states of Consciousness known as dream and waking.

                              प्राज्ञ: तृतीय: पाद:     

                    This self is the nature of cause   

The sixth Mantra:

एष सर्वेश्वर: एष सर्वज्ञ: एषोsन्तर्याम्येष योनि: सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम् ||

1. सर्वेश्वर: ( Lord of all)

 2.सर्वज्ञ: (Knower of all)

3. अन्तर्यामी ( Controller with in)

4. योनि: ( The source of all)

5. सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम् (Things originate and finally disappear) नान्त:

The seventh Mantra :

नान्त:प्रज्ञं, न बहिष्प्रज्ञं, नोभयत: प्रज्ञं, न प्रज्ञान घनं, न प्रज्ञं, नाsप्रज्ञम् ||

अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेय:|| 

. नान्त: प्रज्ञं =It   is not conscious of the internal world.

2. न बहिष्प्रज्ञं =It   is not conscious of the external world.

3. नोभयत: प्रज्ञं It   is not conscious of both internal and external.

4. न प्रज्ञानघनं=It   is not a moss of consciousness.

 5. न प्रज्ञं= It   is not simple consciousness.

 6. नाsप्रज्ञम् = It   is not unconsciousness.

8. अव्यवहार्यम=It is beyond empirical determination.

अग्राह्यम्  = It is beyond the grasp of the mind.

अलक्षणम् = It is un indemonstrable

 अचिन्त्यम् = It is unthinkable

अमव्यपदेश्यम् = It is indescribable.

मेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं = It is unchanging

 प्रपञ्चोपशमं = It is of the nature of the consciousness  alone where all phenomena cease

शान्तं =It is peaceful

शिवम् = Auspicious

अद्वैतं It is non dual.

 चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेय:||

 न जाग्रन्न मे स्वप्नको वा सुषुप्ति:

न विश्वो न वा तैजस: प्राज्ञको वा

अविद्यात्मकत्वात्त्रयाणां तुरीय:

तदेकोsवशिष्ट: शिव: केवलोsहम्

Neither the state of waking, nor that of dream, nor that of deep sleep is for me; neither the Vishva , nor the Taijasa , nor the Prajna  (am I). Since the three are of the nature of nescience, I am the fourth that one which remains (after the sublation of all else) – that auspicious absolute (self) I am( Dasasloki of Sri Sankara)

Gaudapada Karika

Tere are also Karikas on this Upanishad by Gaudapada who was the paramaguru (teacher's teacher) of Sankaracharya.

The Karikas are in four chapters:

The first chapter, Agamaprakarana , explains, that ' Om ' is conducive to self- knowledge and deals with scriptures.

The second chapter, Vaitathyaprakarana, shows the unreality of duality on the analogy of the rope and snake.

The third chapter, Advaitaprakarana ,shows the reality of non-duality by reasoning.

The fourth chapter, Alatasanthi, adduces arguments and refutes those systems that hold views conflicting with Advaita.

COMMENTATORS OF THE MANDUKYA UPANISHAD :

Anandagiri wrote a commentary on the Sankarabhashya of Mandukyopanishad and the same was published through Anandasrama Sanskrit series.

Upanishadbrahmendrayogi wrote a commentary

Mandukyavivaranam on Sankara's Bhashya on Mandukyopanishad.

Ramarayakavi also composed a commentary on this Upanishad.

An important verse of Ramaraya from Mandukyopanishad reads as follows :

यो ब्रह्मात्मतुरीयपाद इति सद्वैतोपशान्तिश्शिवोS

द्वैतश्चाव्यहार्य एष परमॊंकारो ह्यमात्र: पुन: |

ओंकारो विदुषोदित: प्रविशति स्वात्मानमात्मैव स

न्नेवं वेद य एष आत्मनि गतो नो वा पुनर्जायते||

(One experiences the natural three states of wakefulness, dream state and deep sleep. Atman is to be understood as a fourth state which, however, is not new but is something that remains by obliterating their attributes. One who realizes this supreme truth will be bereft of the cycle of births and deaths.)

Let us now have a brief survey of the translators:

Chirravuri Subrahmanyakavi's (19th century) translation of this Upanishad has 17 verses based on the doctrine of Sankara.

Atmanandayogi's [ last quarter of the 19th century] translation is in the form of verses and songs.

Pisupati Narayana sastry who lived between A.D. 1900-1967 was another notable translator.

Nori Sirnatha Venkata Somayajulu's [ 20th century] translation is in prose.

Prof.Pullella Sriramachandrudu of this century wrote a commentary consisting of Pratipadartha and Tatparya on this Upanishad.

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