The Thread!

7th Verse ; "Mandukya Upanishad"

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( Disclaimer : This is not a religious blog. Any reference to any religion, if at all, is purely incidental )

If you are a busy person like me, and don’t get time to ask the fundamental question “who am I?”, then this blog might be useful.

Some facts:

• There are 4 “Vedas”

• There are 108 major “Upanishads”

• “Upanishads” are also known as “Vedanta” (anta: means end, so referring to last chapters (parts) of Veda.)

• Upanishads are also known as the highest "Object" or " Purpose" of Vedas.

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said that Upanishads are  "the most profitable and elevating reading which is possible in the world".

However, as we all are so busy, I did some research and being the lazy person I am, I found that there is one particular Upanishad, which is the shortest and the most important of the 108 Upanishads. 

This is the "Mandukya Upanishad"  

Mandukya Upanishad found in the "Atharva Veda ( one of the 4 Vedas)"  is the shortest of all Upanishads. It has just 12 verses. As per various scriptures and school of thoughts, the knowledge, understanding and experience of “Mandukya Upanishad” alone is sufficient to gain "Moksha."

Yet, I didn't stop there; being the lazy person I am, I did further research and found that one particular verse, the verse no 7 ( my lucky number:), is THE most important verse of THE most important Upanishad. 

In effect, Verse no 7 of Mandukya Upanishad is THE most important verse known to humankind.

I was surprised that it took me so long to figure this out and it would have been a real shame had I missed it any further.

So, considering the importance of this verse, let's dive right into it. 

Verse no 7;  Mandukya Upanishad; Atharva Veda 

नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिःप्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम् | अदृश्यमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः || 7 ||

nāntaḥprajñaṃ na bahiḥprajñaṃ nobhayataḥprajñaṃ na prajñānaghanaṃ na prajñaṃ nāprajñam | adṛśyamavyavahāryamagrāhyamalakṣaṇamacintyamavyapadeśyamekātmapratyayasāraṃ prapañcopaśamaṃ śāntaṃ śivamadvaitaṃ caturthaṃ manyante sa ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ || 7 ||

This Verse alone is the shortest yet most comprehensive and an most precise answer to the oldest question of humankind : "Who Am I?"

To understand " Whom Am I" , this verse first explains who " Who I am NOT? 

1. I am NOT the one who is deeply asleep 

2. I am NOT the one who is dreaming 

3. I am NOT even the one who is awake  

What is left then  ?

I am that ONE who is observing myself. While I am asleep, while I am dreaming, and, while I am awake.

For example, I am that thread that runs through pearls and beads that binds them together to form a necklace.

Photo by Tiffany Anthony on Unsplash

Without me, there is no necklace, still, I am. I am very much there, invisible yet strong and potent.

I am that, who flows through the three states of sleep, dream and wakefulness, yet not disturbed by any of these states. I am just there, holding all of that together like a transparent glue. Without me, nothing can exist.

I am that without which there can't be any experience, including my own experience.

I am that magnetic field that pulls the iron pieces together. I am that invisible force that holds the earths and planets around sun. I am that strong nuclear force that holds together the quarks that make up protons and neutrons. I am also the same strong force that keeps the protons and neutrons of an atom's nucleus together.

I can’t be touched or felt. I am invisible. Yet, I am always there, surrounding you, surrounding everything in your experience including everything in my own experience.

Photo by Yong Chuan Tan on Unsplash

Verse 7 further provides some attributes of who I am, which are : 

• I can only be realized by negating all the three states described above, " Sleep, Dream, Awake."

• No amount of knowledge can establish me until I am experienced by myself through negating the three states. Negation shall lead to a state of absolute zero or " Shoonya" which is my real nature.

• I myself am the knowledge, and no other instrument of knowledge can act upon me. Knowledge only helps in removing ignorance.

• I do not need any demonstration as I have always existed and will continue to exist. 

• I can't be bound by linear thinking like start and end. I have no beginning, and I have no end.

• I have always been, like I am now and like I always will be, FOREVER...

  This is who I am ! 

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tát tvam ási ( You are that ! )

Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi ( "I am Brahman" )