Mandukya Upanishad Explained: OM and the Four States of Consciousness

Introduction: The Shortest Upanishad with the Deepest Teaching

The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of all the principal Upanishads. It contains only 12 verses. Yet its importance in Vedanta philosophy is immense. Adi Shankaracharya, the great Advaita teacher, said that the Mandukya Upanishad alone is sufficient for the seeker to attain liberation. Gaudapada, Shankara’s grand-teacher, wrote a famous commentary called the Mandukya Karika, which is one of the most profound philosophical works in the Indian tradition.

The Upanishad is named after the sage Manduka (or Mandukya), though some traditions associate it with the frog (manduka) because of its leaping, penetrating insight. It belongs to the Atharva Veda and is considered the essence of all Upanishadic teaching. Its central focus is the sacred syllable OM (AUM) and its correlation with the four states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the fourth state (Turiya). This article explains the Mandukya Upanishad’s teaching on OM and consciousness in simple, clear language.

The Structure of the Mandukya Upanishad

The Mandukya Upanishad has 12 verses. The first two verses introduce the syllable OM as the whole universe. Verses 3-7 correlate the four parts of OM with the four states of consciousness. Verses 8-11 further explain the nature of the fourth state (Turiya). The final verse (12) declares the result of knowing this teaching.

Verse 1: OM is the Whole Universe

“AUM — this syllable is all this. An explanation of it: all that is past, present, and future is, indeed, AUM. And whatever else there is beyond the three times — that also is AUM.”

The Upanishad opens with a bold declaration: OM is everything. Not “OM represents everything” or “OM is a symbol for everything.” OM is everything. The entire universe — past, present, and future — is nothing but the sacred syllable. And not only the manifest universe of time and space, but even that which transcends time (Brahman itself) is OM.

This is not a statement about the sound “OM” as a physical vibration. It is a statement about the reality that OM points to. OM is the name and the named, the symbol and the symbolized, the signifier and the signified. To know OM is to know the whole universe. To know OM is to know Brahman.

Verse 2: Brahman is the Whole Universe

“All this is, indeed, Brahman. This Self (Atman) is Brahman. This same Self has four quarters (aspects).”

This verse states the central teaching of Advaita Vedanta: Sarvam khalvidam brahma — “All this is indeed Brahman.” There is no reality other than Brahman. The individual Self (Atman) is not different from Brahman. However, for the purpose of understanding, the Self can be described as having four aspects or “quarters” (padas). These four aspects are the three states of consciousness and the fourth state that transcends them.

The Upanishad then spends the next five verses explaining these four aspects.

Verse 3: The First State — Waking (Vaishvanara)

“The first quarter is Vaishvanara (the waking state). Its sphere is the waking world. It is conscious of external objects. It has seven limbs and nineteen mouths.”

The first state is the waking state (jagrat). In this state, the Self is known as Vaishvanara — “the one who dwells in all human beings.” The consciousness in the waking state is turned outward, aware of external objects through the senses. The “seven limbs” and “nineteen mouths” are technical terms from the Upanishads, describing the subtle anatomy of the waking self.

In the waking state, you experience a world of separate objects, time, space, and causality. You identify with your body and mind. You say, “I am this person, living in this world.” This is the most tangible state, but it is not the highest reality.

Verse 4: The Second State — Dreaming (Taijasa)

“The second quarter is Taijasa (the dreaming state). Its sphere is the dream world. It is conscious of internal objects. It has seven limbs and nineteen mouths.”

The second state is the dreaming state (svapna). In this state, the Self is known as Taijasa — “the luminous one” or “the one made of light.” The consciousness in the dreaming state is turned inward, creating its own objects from the impressions of the waking state. In a dream, you see a world, interact with people, feel emotions — but the entire dream world is a projection of your own mind.

The dreaming state is a powerful analogy for the waking state. Just as the dream world appears real while you are dreaming but is seen as unreal upon waking, the waking world appears real but is seen as relative upon the awakening to Brahman. The dreaming self has the same “seven limbs and nineteen mouths” as the waking self, but they are internal, not external.

Verse 5: The Third State — Deep Sleep (Prajna)

“The third quarter is Prajna (the state of deep sleep). Its sphere is the state of deep sleep. It is a mass of consciousness, made of bliss, and the door to the knowledge of the other two states.”

The third state is deep sleep (sushupti). In this state, the Self is known as Prajna — “consciousness” or “wisdom.” In deep sleep, there are no external objects and no internal dream objects. The mind is completely stilled. There is no perception, no desire, no fear, no suffering. The Upanishad describes this state as “a mass of consciousness, made of bliss” (prajnanaghana).

In deep sleep, you are not aware of anything — yet upon waking, you remember: “I slept peacefully. I knew nothing.” This memory indicates that consciousness was present even in deep sleep, though it had no objects. Deep sleep is a state of unmanifest consciousness, a blissful rest. However, it is still a state of ignorance. You have not realized Brahman. You have simply withdrawn from the world.

Verse 6: The Fourth State — Turiya (Pure Consciousness)

“This is the Lord of all. This is the knower of all. This is the inner controller. This is the source of all. This is the beginning and end of all beings.”

The fourth state is Turiya — literally “the fourth.” It is not a state like waking, dreaming, or deep sleep. It is the reality that underlies, pervades, and transcends all three states. Turiya is pure, objectless, non-dual consciousness. It is the Self (Atman) itself, identical with Brahman.

The Upanishad describes Turiya with a series of negations (in the next verse), because it cannot be described positively. It is not this, not that. It is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond language.

Verse 7: The Fourth State Described

“They consider Turiya to be that which is not conscious of the internal world, nor conscious of the external world, nor conscious of both, nor a mass of consciousness, nor consciousness, nor unconsciousness. It is unseen, beyond transaction, ungraspable, without distinguishing marks, unthinkable, indescribable. The essence of the knowledge of the one Self, the cessation of all phenomena, peaceful, blissful, non-dual. This is the Atman. This is to be realized.”

This verse is one of the most famous in all Vedanta. It describes Turiya by saying what it is not (neti neti — “not this, not this”):

• Not conscious of the internal world (like dreaming)
• Not conscious of the external world (like waking)
• Not conscious of both
• Not a mass of consciousness (like deep sleep)
• Not consciousness (as an object)
• Not unconsciousness

Then positive descriptions — but these are not positive qualities in the ordinary sense:

• Unseen (cannot be perceived as an object)
• Beyond transaction (not involved in worldly dealings)
• Ungraspable (cannot be held by the mind)
• Without distinguishing marks (no features to identify it)
• Unthinkable (cannot be conceptualized)
• Indescribable (cannot be captured in words)

And yet:

• The essence of the knowledge of the one Self
• The cessation of all phenomena
• Peaceful, blissful, non-dual

This is the Atman. This is Brahman. This is what you truly are. And this is to be directly realized, not merely believed or understood intellectually.

Verses 8-11: OM as the Self

The Upanishad now correlates the four parts of OM with the four states of consciousness.

A (the first sound) corresponds to the waking state (Vaishvanara). Just as A is the first sound from which all other sounds emerge, the waking state is the first, most manifest state of consciousness.

U (the second sound) corresponds to the dreaming state (Taijasa). Just as U is between A and M, the dreaming state is between waking and deep sleep.

M (the third sound) corresponds to the deep sleep state (Prajna). Just as M closes the sound, deep sleep closes the cycle of manifest consciousness.

The silence after OM (the amatra, or “measureless”) corresponds to the fourth state (Turiya). The silence is not separate from OM. It is the ground from which OM arises and into which it subsides. Similarly, Turiya is not separate from the three states. It is the ground of all consciousness, the silent witness that underlies waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

Verse 12: The Fruit of This Knowledge

“One who knows OM as the Self (Atman) attains the Self. Such a one enters the Self (becomes one with Brahman).”

The Upanishad ends with a promise: The one who knows OM as the Self — who has realized that the sacred syllable is not a mantra to be repeated but the very nature of consciousness — attains liberation. They are not reborn. They merge into Brahman, which is their own true nature.

The Four States of Consciousness: A Summary

State	Sanskrit Name	OM Part	Description
Waking	Jagrat (Vaishvanara)	A	Outward-facing; aware of external objects; the world of time, space, and causality
Dreaming	Svapna (Taijasa)	U	Inward-facing; creates its own objects from mental impressions; the dream world
Deep Sleep	Sushupti (Prajna)	M	No objects; no desires; a mass of blissful consciousness; but still ignorance
Fourth	Turiya	Silence after OM	Pure, objectless, non-dual consciousness; the ground of all three states; the Self

Key Concepts of the Mandukya Upanishad

1. OM is the Universe and the Self

The Mandukya Upanishad’s central teaching is that OM is not a symbol. OM is reality. The sound, the syllable, the letters, and the silence — all correspond to the structure of consciousness itself. To meditate on OM is to meditate on the nature of your own Self. To know OM is to be liberated.

2. The Four States of Consciousness

The Upanishad provides a complete map of human experience. It does not dismiss waking, dreaming, or deep sleep as unreal in a trivial sense. It includes them all, showing how each is a manifestation of the one Self. The goal is not to escape these states but to recognize the Turiya that underlies them all.

3. Turiya is Not a State

Turiya is often called “the fourth state,” but this is misleading. Turiya is not a state like waking, dreaming, or deep sleep. It is the reality that remains when all states are recognized as appearances. You do not “go into” Turiya. You realize that Turiya is what you have always been.

4. The Silence After OM

The most profound teaching of the Mandukya Upanishad is that the silence after OM is not the absence of OM. It is the ground of OM. Similarly, the silence of Turiya is not the absence of consciousness. It is consciousness itself, free from objects. To rest in that silence is to rest in your own true nature.

The Mandukya Upanishad and the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita incorporates the teaching of OM and the four states. In Chapter 8, Verse 11, Krishna says:

“I shall declare to you the supreme state, which the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable, which ascetics freed from attachment enter, desiring which they practice celibacy.”

This supreme state is Turiya. In Chapter 8, Verse 13, Krishna teaches the practice of OM:

“One who departs the body while uttering the single syllable OM — the syllable of Brahman — and remembering Me, attains the supreme goal.”

The Gita, like the Mandukya Upanishad, teaches that OM is the vehicle to the highest realization.

Practical Application: Meditating on OM

The Mandukya Upanishad is not just philosophy. It is a meditation manual. Here is a simple practice based on its teaching:

Step 1: Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths.

Step 2: Chant OM aloud three times. Feel the vibration in your body.

Step 3: Begin to chant OM silently in your mind. Feel the “A” — the waking state, the outward-moving energy. Feel the “U” — the dreaming state, the inward-moving energy. Feel the “M” — the deep sleep state, the dissolving of all objects.

Step 4: After the “M” fades, rest in the silence that follows. Do not try to do anything. Do not expect anything. Simply rest as the silent, aware presence that is already here.

Step 5: Recognize: This silence is not empty. It is full of consciousness. It is not separate from you. It is what you are.

Conclusion: The Sound of Silence

The Mandukya Upanishad takes the simplest of all mantras — OM — and reveals it as the key to the entire universe. The four states of consciousness are not abstract concepts. They are your own experience. You wake. You dream. You sleep. And through all of these, there is the silent, unchanging witness — Turiya — that is your true Self.

To know OM is to know yourself. To know yourself is to know that you are not the waking self, not the dreaming self, not the sleeping self. You are the fourth — the Turiya — the silent, blissful, non-dual consciousness that is the ground of all existence.

As the Upanishad declares: “OM is this whole universe. This is the Atman. This is Brahman. One who knows this enters the Self, attains the Self, becomes the Self.”

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.