Mandukya Upanishad Class 66

After negating all the other systems
of philosophy, Gowdapadha is summarizing vedantic teachings of Mandukaya
Upanishad, from 29 to 46th verses. He summarized with the help of dream
example. From 47th verse to 56th verse, he is summarizing the same
teaching by changing the example.

Alantham means torch – a flaming
fire with a handle. For our study, we will take incense stick as
alantham, instead of the fire with a handle. The glowing fire tip is
compared to Brahma Chaithanyam. We are taking this incense stick with a
glowing tip in a dark room. You are moving in the dark room, creating
many patterns. These patterns are generated by the motion of the fire
tip. These patterns can be straight, circular – you can get any number of
patterns with the motion of fire tip. These pluralistic patterns are
compared to dwaida prabanja – objects of the world. So alandham is
compared to Brahman and the patterns are compared to dwaida prabanja.

Ekam and anekam: This incense stick has one
glowing stick whereas the patterns are anekam or dwaidam. Similarly,
Brahman is ekam and the dwaida prabanja is anekam.
Swayamparakasam and paratha prakasam: The glowing
fire tip is self-effulgent or self-revealing or self-evident; similarly
Brahman is also self-effulgent or self-evident or self-revealing..
Dwaida prabanja is paratha prakasm.
Karanam and kariyam: When this glowing tip is in
motion because of its motion, varieties of pattern are generated. Therefore,
the moving fire tip becomes the karanam or cause. The patterns are
kariyam.
Sudandaram and parathantharam: This alantham or
fire tip can exist independently in the dark room; whereas the patterns
can’t exist independently.

We can extend this that one fire tip
in motion appears as many patterns; similarly, chaithanyam is responsible for
the appearance of the prabanja. In jagrath and swapna, the chaithanyam is
in motion because of thought and therefore there is the appearance of jagrath
prabanja and swapna prabajna; in shusukthi, chaithanyam is not in motion,
because thoughts are not in motion and we do not experience jagrath prabajanja
or swapna prabanja. There is no dwaida prabanja other than chaithanyam.

In the case of fire tip, the motion is a real
phenomenon; in the case of chaithanyam the motion is an apparent motion
caused by thoughts or maya. When the maya ends, when there are no
thoughts in sushukthi, there is no objects. Chaithanyam sathyam and
jagath mithya. Chaithanyam doesn’t have real motion only seeming
motion.
We do say that the fire tip is the karanam and the
patterns are kariyam. We initially accept this karana kariya
sambandha. But later we reject this karana kariya sambantha because
sambandha requires two things; but alandham and abasa can’t be counted as
two because the patterns do not exist separate from the incense
stick. They are together as one substance. We initially accept
clay as the karanam and pot as the kariyam. Later we do not accept
this because there is no substance called pot. They are two names
for the same substance. Similarly, we do not accept karana kariya
sambandha between Brahman and Jagath; they are both one and the
same. Motionless consciousness is Brahman, moving consciousness is
world; there is not kariya karana sambandha. Brahman is beyond
kariyam and karanam

At micro level, this is caused by
thought and at macro level is is caused by maya. There is no world
separate from consciousness in motion.

In the next sloka, the vethireka
logic is discussed. When there is no fire tip, there is no pattern.
When consciousness is absent, the world doesn’t exist. Therefore, there
is no world separate from the consciousness. Anvaya is co-present and
vethireka is co-absent.

Verse 48

Patterns are no more created or
generated when there is no fire tip. Only the motion of fire tip causes
the pattern. If the patterns are not there, this fire tip can no longer
be called the cause or akaranam. When there are no patterns, kariyams are
not there and therefore there is no kariyam. In the same way, when the consciousness
is without motion – when maya is not there in cosmic lever (pralayam) or when
thoughts are not there (sushukthi) – there is no objective world. When it
is without dwaida prabanja, consciousness is not even a karanam. Only
when there is a prbanja then alone you can say it is a kariyam. Therefore,
there is no jagat separate from chaithanyam.

Verse 49

When you try to analyze the nature
of the appearance of those patterns, when the alantham is in motion, the
patterns appear. Do the patterns come from outside and they are sticking
to the alantham. Can you say the patterns come from inside out of the
fire tip? Patterns do not come from inside or outside of the fire
tip. Similarly, when the alantham comes to rest, then all the patterns
disappear. Where did they go? Do the patterns go outside the
alantham or did they go inside the alantham? You can’t say they come from
outside; or inside; you can’t say they go inside or outside. Similarly,
when the world appears and disappears, you can’t say the world come from inside
or outside of Brahman. When the pralayam happens, you can’t say it went
inside or outside of Brahman. Because there is no substance called
pattern; since there is no substance called pattern, you can’t discuss its
arrival or departure. Similarly, you can’t discuss the arrival or
departure of the world, because there is no substance called world.

Verse 50

Patterns do not come from inside the fire tip.
The patterns do not emerge from the fire tip.
Patterns do not come from outside the fire tip.
When the fire tip is in motion, you do see the pattern, but they do not
come outside.
Patterns do not go outside the fire tip. When the
fire tip is not in motion, the patterns disappear, but they do not go
outside.
Patterns do not go inside the fire tip.

Why is it we are not able to
logically explain the pattern? Because we assumed that the pattern is a substance
similar to assuming bangle is a substance. We have made a similar
assumption regarding the world also. All these problems are because
patterns are not substantial; it is a mere nama and roopa. When substance
is not there, how can you talk about arrival or departure. World never
comes, never goes because world never is. Pattern never comes; pattern
never goes; because pattern never is. The patterns do not have an isness
of their own and that isness belongs to fire tip. This is mithya.
If you practice this method of thinking, you will understand that bangle, table
etc. are nama roppa. Later you have to extend this to the whole universe.

With regards to Brahma chaithanyam,
you have to extend the same argument also. Dwaida parbanja is also an
appearance like the pattern. Consciousness in motion appear as akasa,
vayu, agni, jalam, earth, sthula sareeram, sukshma sareeram, sthula parabanja,
shukshma prabanja. This is difficult but the ultimate truth

Verse 51

Gowdapatha gives the same four statements
for consciousness also. Verse 51 and 52 are similar to verse 49 and 50.

When consciousness is in motion, the
dwaida prabanja appears but you can’t say it is real.

Because there is no substance called
world. It is nothing but nama and roopa; consciousness itself in motion
is mistaken is world.

Dwaida prabanja does not come from consciousnes
Dwaida prabanja does not from outside consciousness
dwaida prabja does not go inside the consciousness
Dwaida prabnja does not go outside the consciouss.