69. Mandukya Upanishad | Chapter 4 Karika 94-100 | Swami Sarvapriyananda

Mandukya Upanishad - Swami Sarvapriyananda - Vedanta Society of New York

Swami Sarvapriyananda explores Chapter 4, verses 94–100 of the Mandukya Karika, focusing on the culmination of Advaita Vedanta teachings. He

Key takeaways

True holiness (Visharadham) is attainable only by those who transcend duality and recognize their identity with non-dual consciousness.
Persistent dualistic thinking—believing in separate entities from the self—is a root cause of suffering and prevents realization of one's divine nature.

Main topics

Non-dual consciousness (Advaita)
The danger of dualistic perception

Notable quotes

"Vaisharadyam tuvayi nasti, bhedhe vichara tam sada" – There can be no perfection for those who dwell on multiplicity.

"Those who realize I am Brahman in this life are blessed; those who do not are called Kripana—pitiable, petty souls."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a powerful call to self-realization, urging listeners to recognize

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:01) Yeah, recording started. Speaker 2 (0:23) Svastina Indro Vriddha Shravaha Svastina Pooja Vishwa Vedaha Svastina Star Kshio Arishtanemi Svastino Brihas Patir Dadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Speaker 2 (0:44) We are almost at the end of the Mandukya Karika. We are in the chapter 4. There are 4 chapters as you know and the chapter 4 is Alata Shanti Prakaranam, the chapter on the quenching of the firebrand. And now we know why that name has been given. We were on verse number 93. Speaker 2 (1:08) So, 92 and 93, wonderful words were used, extraordinary things were said about our own nature, that Adi Buddhaha, you are this Duryam, pure consciousness, from beginningless time, from eternity to eternity, you are that, changelessly so. Adi Shantaha, all the troubles of samsara, they are already quenched forever, you are forever free of it. And then a beautiful phrase was used, Ajam Samyam Visharadam. Ajam, non-originated, you are without origin, nothing caused you, you are causeless. And of course, also nothing is produced from you, the pure consciousness. Samyam, you are ever this infinite consciousness, everywhere, at all times, and in all objects, whatever there is. is nothing other than you this equally you are equally the same divinity everywhere at every time and in every being in every object and that one is you Samyam literally it means a homogeneous mass the sameness and then this word Visharadam Now Visharadham in this context is translated as holy, the most holy of things. And just now in Arati, here in the ashram, singing Swami Abhidanandaji's beautiful hymn to the holy mother, to Mahasaratha Devi, Prakritim Paramam. So there is a salutation there. Speaker 2 (2:52) Kurmo namo namah. One whose behavior, activity, Speaker 2 (2:59) is manifested, holiness is manifested. Usually that Pavitrata is translated as pure, but here actually sacredness or holiness is the better translation. I was just thinking, this is exactly the Visharadham that Gaurapada is talking about. When it is manifested, what does it look like? This utter holiness, this very sublime very high luminosity that is holy mother's holy mother expresses it Abhidhanandaji says in every action pavitram this holiness is expressed the whole life is a dedicated and holy life pavitram jivanam tatha and she is an embodiment of holiness pavitrata swaroopinye so this is visharadam this comes to the person who realizes I am who realizes one's own real nature That I am that thorium, that pure consciousness. Now, in the next verse, 94, just the opposite. He says, if one persists in the dualistic vision that there are things other than me, then that holiness, that sublimity cannot be attained. So he says that in 94. Speaker 2 (4:21) Vaisharadyam tuvayi nasti, bhedhe vichara tam sada, bhedha nimna prithak vada, tasmatte kripana smritah Speaker 2 (4:40) translation there can be no perfection for people who have proclivity for multiplicity who tread ever forever the path of duality and talk of plurality hence they are traditionally held to be pitiable so Gaurapada if there's one thing he loves just next to non-duality is is to poke the dualists so he says here that those who are Obsessed with duality. Bhede vicharatam sada. I've seen in people there is almost a deep need that there must be something separate from me. There must be the other. If there is no others, I'll feel lonely. No father mother if all are same and no guru shishya, no tato no mata No, no father mother if all is one mass of consciousness how lonely that would be you know somebody say how boring that would be There's a tendency that there must be something apart from me with which I will have relation Somebody I will love somebody to hate somebody to ignore somebody to feel superior to somebody to feel inferior to then It's nice, exciting. That exciting very soon turns into the nightmare called samsara. So, bhedhe vicharatam sada. People, there is this feeling that an external world must exist. Something different from me must exist. This leads to a strong materialistic tendency. Speaker 2 (6:24) I have seen this in people, including religious people, who have an aversion, some kind of dislike for Advaita that usually goes with a strong materialistic streak. That enjoyment of the material existence, external material existence of the world, and that feels threatened. Our little individuality feels threatened. So, non-duality, is not possible if for those who strongly hold on to the reality of duality. Reality of duality is a very philosophical way of saying that we consider this world to be real, we consider this body to be real. One very good clue is tremendous body centeredness. my health, tremendous fear of disease, fear of old age, fear of losing youth and beauty and all. So this kind of strong body centeredness prevents an understanding of non-duality. If that is there, you will notice that person finds it difficult to understand. The person may be very intelligent. very well trained in science or philosophy or something but there is a deep inside that person feels no no no this is not true this advaita what they are saying is not true sri krishna pointed out it pointed it out in the bhagavad gita arjuna asked which is the easier path the dualistic path of bhakti or this non-dualistic path which you are teaching and krishna said Speaker 2 (8:06) For those who are very body centered, literally it means those who are embodied. Dehavad means with body. For them, non-duality, the path of the unmanifested reality, that this non-dual philosophy is very difficult for them. Now with body, everybody is with body. Anybody who comes to Vedanta class, you need a body to come to Vedanta class. So body, we all have body. We are all embodied. But what does Dehavad mean? Too much body centered. That everything we take this to be the reality and then you teach me whatever but don't challenge this I am this one then becomes becomes very difficult for such a person Because that body centeredness is the root of duality I am this and the rest is not me and then you tell me anything else after that So this is what Gowda Parada is also condemning or pointing out here Bhede vicharatam sada. Speaker 2 (9:05) Not only ordinary people or materialistic people or worldly people, but philosophers, highly trained scholars. Here he calls them Prithag Vada. Vada means a philosophy, a point of view. Prithag Vada means those who say that there are separate things from us. From Atma, Anatma. Strong belief in the existence of Anatma. Atma is there, but apart from me, other realities separate from me, they are there. So Prithag Vada. Those who are always under duality. They will never attain this holiness of this highest point of view. Vaisharadyam is not possible. Visharada is not possible for them. And therefore he says they are to be pitied. Kripana, the word comes again and again in Rupanishad. It says those who are, just a minute, those who are who do not attain enlightenment in this life. Those who attain enlightenment in this life, they are blessed. They attain to immortality. Who realize that they are Brahman in this life. This very self is Brahman. The Mandukya Upanishad also says, I am Atma Brahma. This very self is Brahman. Those who realize this, they are blessed. But those who do not realize it, who die before becoming enlightened, Upanishad calls them Kripanaha. Now this word Kripanaha is in many Indian languages. It means miserly, small, petty person. So basically in the sense that we have not really attained the goal of human life. What purpose, ultimate, the greatest purpose of human life, that we have not attained. So that's why I think that's the reason the Upanishads use the word Kripana. And Gaudapada echoes it here and he says Kripana Asmita. They are called, they should be designated as Kripana, petty, small. pitiable people, those who have not become enlightened. So very high human destiny, Gaurapada sees for us and also the Vedic Rishis, they all see for us the high human destiny that in this life you must be enlightened. Swami Vivekananda also, you see the clear declaration, the goal of human life is to manifest the divinity within us, to realize who we are and to express it in life, live the life of Jeevan Mukta, that's actually the goal of life. Speaker 2 (11:36) Then number 95, those who few who actually become enlightened in this very life itself, they are those who are enlightened, those who have a liking for Advaita and those who realize Advaita, how precious they are, that he is going to say in 95. Speaker 2 (12:10) They alone will be possessed of unsurpassable knowledge in this world, who will be firm in their conviction with regard to that which is birthless and uniform. But the ordinary man cannot grasp that reality. Speaker 2 (12:27) Those few who have a clear realization ajeda the in the unborn reality or the unoriginated What is the unoriginated reality to real those who realize I am that some me Everywhere as I said everywhere under every circumstance Whatever you encounter even when you are this is important even when you are experiencing duality You are seeing your own body. You are experiencing other people relationships are appearing problems, good and bad things are appearing in life and yet this enlightened being sees sameness everywhere. The same Brahman inside and outside with eyes closed and eyes open. That state. Those who attain that state in this life. And he says, Sunis Chitaha, Kechit, very few, Sunis Chitaha means those who have firm clarity, absolute strong realization about this, not wavering, not that it was clear in the Mandukya class but not clear afterwards, he is not talking about us, not that case, doubtful case, no, those who are absolutely clear, effortlessly they know that I am Brahman, those ones are very few and they are very they are to be praised. Mahajana. They are the ones of unsurpassable wisdom. They have known the truth. The rest of us, no matter how learned or how ignorant, no matter how we have read entire encyclopedia, from that perspective, we are agnani. We are ignorant because we do not know the truth. They know the truth. So they have that profound knowledge, Mahajana, the profound knowledge, located in this world, in this world itself. Speaker 2 (14:12) loko nagahate ordinary people do not understand them so throughout history not just non-dualist not just brahma jnani the you know the sages and saints throughout history often they have been derided or criticized as mad or foolish or childish or stupid we are so you know we are clever because we are rich and we are powerful and we have got so many degrees and we have achieved this and that What have you done? Nothing. You are like a beggar going around, you know, like a crazy person. So, Sri Ramakrishna. Today we say Paramahamsa, many people consider an avatar and he was worshipped. But in his own lifetime in Dakshineshwar, there were so many people who thought he was mad. Pagla Babunsa, the mad Brahmin of Dakshineshwar. And it's not just Srinama Krishna, many many holy people. So from the point of view of the worldly person, loko na gaahate, the worldly person cannot fathom. The depth of this one. Who looks like a person, a human being, but also looks crazy, is not interested in earning money, not interested in name and fame. None of the worldly goals. And yet, extraordinary. Speaker 1 (15:32) Okay, let me just go ahead a little more. Speaker 2 (15:35) That you see in every religion, in every civilization, you will see some such extraordinary madmen of God, let us say. Mad people of God. Logo Nagahati. People do not understand that. You can put it both ways. People do not understand such people, such enlightened beings, or they do not understand the profound wisdom of such enlightened beings. Because here the wisdom is called very profound. Then verse number 96. Speaker 2 (16:30) So what is this great knowledge that they have got, which others have not? It is traditionally held, translation, traditionally held that the knowledge inhering in the birthless souls is unborn and non-relational. Since the knowledge has no objective relation, it is said to be unattached. Speaker 2 (16:55) First thing you need to know that the word knowledge is ambiguous here. In Vedanta, when we say knowledge, jnana, the Sanskrit, it has two meanings. So one is the knowledge that we are trying to acquire. There could be worldly knowledge or the special spiritual knowledge that we are trying to acquire in the Vedanta class, for example. So when we get it, enlightened. So we are spiritually knowledgeable or we have realized it. Even enlightenment, bodhi. So that is knowledge and that's the knowledge the realization that I am that absolute reality So that's the Vedantic knowledge in Buddhism. It's called Bodhi now According to Advaita Vedanta our real nature is consciousness. So the Sanskrit word Gyan also applies to that Speaker 2 (17:47) So when the word jnana, knowledge is used, sometimes it may mean Brahman, the ultimate reality, or sometimes it may mean knowledge of Brahman which we are trying to gather and realize for ourselves. So two meanings of jnana, two meanings of knowledge. Ultimate reality, one meaning, and the other meaning is the special knowledge which... Spirituality gives us helps us to overcome ignorance and we become enlightened and free so in two senses it is used So here is saying That our ultimate reality to reum Brahma, whatever you call it is non-relational It is first of all why is it non-relational a jam non originated because it is the only reality It has no cause and it also does not change. So there's no no product from it. Let me repeat that you the ultimate reality you have no cause no nothing precedes you and nothing comes from you really speaking it is ever the same if that is so then this this reality which we are the thorium is non-dual there is no second thing there is no second thing if there is no second thing what will it know? Knowledge is of something. So there is no second, nothing other than itself to know. So therefore the knowledge or the consciousness which is your ultimate reality never comes into contact. Sankramati means coming into contact. Never comes into contact with another reality. Speaker 2 (19:19) Remember, it does come into contact with appearances. You see and hear and smell and taste and touch all sorts of things, forms and sounds and smells and food and all of that. So they all appear. But according to Gaurapada, according to Mandukya, those are not a second reality apart from Turiya. So from Turiya, from the absolute perspective, pure consciousness never comes into contact with second reality, na sankramati, that's the point. It is a non-relational knowledge. Let's just say it is consciousness only and whatever you are conscious of in day-to-day life or in spiritual life when you are meditating or whatever you're doing or studying Vedanta, whatever you're conscious of, these are just appearances in consciousness. They are not really a second thing apart from consciousness. See, to come into contact with, to come into relationship with, you need two things. Consciousness plus one real thing other than consciousness, but that never is possible because there is no real thing other than consciousness in the waking world The waker and the wakers world this universe we are experiencing both are appearances in consciousness They are not really second not really a new thing apart from consciousness so from that perspective God apart is always from the highest perspective from the highest perspective Consciousness never comes in contact with a second thing. What does this mean one corollary? We have to draw from this is again and again when we say witness consciousness witness Sakshi Speaker 2 (20:56) Somewhere in the mind is witness means it must be witnessing something. There must be a something to witness but Gaurapada here is saying it's not even a witness because ultimately in the ultimate sense there is nothing to witness other than itself. So witness consciousness is used only to distinguish yourself from the knowing mind, the worldly knower, the one who goes about in the world and uses the five senses to experience the world, the one who studies Vedanta and tries to understand who am I. This is the knower. To distinguish yourself from this, we have used the term witness consciousness, which illumines this knower, which makes this knower possible. But now you take an even higher perspective, Gaurapada's perspective, where this witness consciousness, the knower's mind and body and world are not apart from that witness consciousness. So the witness consciousness is not really witnessing something apart from itself, really speaking. Hence you cannot even call it witness. Speaker 2 (21:58) If you got it, good for you. There is no use belaboring the point. So it is asankramana. It does not come into contact with any second reality. Speaker 2 (22:09) Notice, if you don't call it a witness, what will you call it? We are slowly going beyond the limits of language. Language is always dualistic. So, at most you can call it witness. After this, you have to call it pure consciousness. And then, ultimately, silence. You can't even use words. But it's there. And it is your own nature. I know there are a lot of questions, but I just want to come to a logical conclusion. one or two more verses and then we will stop. So, look at the verse we just did, asankrantam, without non-relation, it does not come into contact with anything, it does not contact any external reality. Therefore, this pure consciousness is said to be asangam, non-attached, non-attached in the most profound sense. Speaker 2 (23:18) There are three levels of non-attachment. One might be the one which we practice. I am practicing being detached. I am not getting trapped in samsara. I am being cool and unconcerned. So a monk, for example, practices non-attachment. But deeper than that is... consciousness itself which illumines and reveals everything but by its very nature is non-attached. What sticks to consciousness? A very good example is light. So the light here illumines this room. It reveals the book and the laptop and this body. The light reveals all the objects. Objects come and go. The light doesn't come with them. Light doesn't go with them. Objects are maybe pure and impure. It may reveal the image of a deity, it may reveal something dirty. But the light doesn't become pure or dirty. So the light is revealing everything and it reveals itself. You don't need another light to reveal this light. The light is self-revealing and revealing everything, so prakasha. And also completely unattached with what it reveals. Consciousness is like that. Good for consciousness, but I am in trouble. You are consciousness. Okay, even this is the middle stage. There is a higher stage than this. This is what Gaudapada is talking about. When you give the light and objects example notice, it's still dualistic the light is something may be unattached very nice But there's a world of objects which are different from the light there is the light But there are so many other objects which are not the light the books and table and people and things like that good and bad All revealed by the light, but they are not the light. It's still dualistic. So this is Sankhya consciousness and its objects Gaurapada is saying even this has to be have to go beyond this. This is not enough These objects so called objects are they really different from you the consciousness? So if I had time I would actually we can actually demonstrate this how an object does not exist outside you the awareness right now So you will see that what seems to be outside and I'm going out there and illuminating actually is in consciousness There is no difference between me the pure consciousness Completely untouched and the objects which arise and disappear in me. That is what he is talking about And that is the highest non-attachment. So see, three are non-attachments. One is what we do, a practice of non-attachment, detachment, physical level, mental level. Then a more profound level of non-attachment, which is consciousness itself, the sankhyam. And then the highest level of non-attachment is where everything is nothing but Dathuria.