Mandukya Upanishad
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
The shortest principal Upanishad, just 12 verses, explaining the syllable Om and the four states of consciousness.
| Tradition | Hindu (Vedic) |
|---|---|
| Type | Upanishad |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Period | c. 1st millennium BCE (scholarly estimate) |
What it contains
- Belongs to the Atharvaveda.
- Om stands for all that was, is and will be, and beyond.
- Four states: waking (A), dreaming (U), deep sleep (M) and turiya, the silent fourth.
- "Ayam atma brahma": this self is Brahman.
- Gaudapada's Karika on it is a key early text of Advaita Vedanta.
Significance
Its analysis of consciousness made it central to the Advaita tradition.