In the previous blog we learnt about the three states how it is apart from the 4th state ‘Turiya’ ( the reality itself).
Through this blog I will share my understandings on the “Exploration of TURIYA” by Gaudapadacharya in the Mandukya Karikas!
| Knower | Known | State |
| 1. Waker | Waking world | Waking |
| 2. Dreamer | Dream World | Dream |
| 3. Sleeper | Sleep Blankness | Deep Sleep |
Now as per Gaudapadacharya’s Mandukya Karikas certain terms have been given to the Knower as :
| Knower | Known | State (Awastha) |
| 1. Waker ( it is called as Viswa) | Waking world ( Jagrit prapanch) | Jagrat |
| 2. Dreamer ( it is called as Taijasa ) | Dream World ( Swapna Prapanch) | Swapnah |
| 3. Sleeper ( it is called as Prajñā) | Sleep Blankness ( Sushupti ) | Sushupti |
These names are given from the upanishad (the reason of the same shall discuss in the upcoming blogs) i.e. Viswa , Taijasa and the Prajñā .
- When you are awake in a waking state you are called as Viswa
- You the same person, when you are dreaming ,you are called as Taijasa
- You the same person when you are in a deep sleep, you are called as Prajñā.
So if I say who am I? I am Viswa when I am awake , I am Taijasa when I am in a dream and I am Prajñā when I am in a deep sleep. And, these are the three states which we experience through out the day or daily we experience it.
But, the upanishad tells us that you are none of them. You are actually in reality , in yourself, you are “TURIYA”.
- It is the Turiya who appears as Viswa in the waking state.
- It is the Turiya alone who appears as Taijasa in the dream state.
- It is the Turiya alone who appears as Prajñā in the dream state.
A fundamental idea of “Advaita Vedanta” States that – “IGNORANCE causes ERROR“
Ignorance —–Causes————–> Error
(e.g. There is a “Rope” in the darkness and I do not know if there is a rope , I see something in the darkness and in the very next moment I thought its a “Snake”. The Sanskrit term for Rope is ” rajju” & for snake is ” sarpa”. Here , Rajju is the reality ( rope) which I do not know. Not knowing that reality I suddenly mistake it for a snake and I say there is snake ( sarpa ) – ” Sarpa brahma ” . Brahma means mistake or delusion.
What caused me to see the snake , there is a actually no snake ( its a mistake or delusion) but what caused me to see the snake is the ignorance of the “Rope” i.e. the reality. I am ignorant of the reality (rope) therefore I mistake it to be a “snake”.
Hence, Ignorance of the “reality” causes me to make a mistake about the reality or Error.
| Ignorance | Error |
| Rope | Snake |
As you are ignorant about the rope , you make an error and thought it to be a Snake . Similarly, we shall explain about why we say we mistake ourselves to be Waker , dreamer and sleeper in the below table!
| Ignorance | Error |
| Turiya | Viswa |
Because ,I do not know my true nature ” Turiya ” I mistake it to be “Viswa” with this physical body and mind.
When we are awake and seeing this world which is actually ” Turiya” & “I am also “Turiya”, but I am seeing it as a limited knower called “Viswa” and I see the world as Jagrit prapanch. Hence, I have an ignorance here about my true nature (Turiya) and I am making a mistake by seeing this Turiya as “Viswa” and as Jagrit (world).
| Ignorance | Error | |
| Viswa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Taijasa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prajñā | ✓ | ❌ |
| Turiya ( the reality itself ) | ❌ | ❌ |
According to the upanishad in the “Waking state ” we are ignorant about our true nature “Turiya” and we think that we are this body and mind (Viswa) and we see this world as distinct from ourselves.
So, we have an ignorance about or true nature (Turiya) and we are making a mistake – what is actually one undivided reality called “Turiya” or “Brahman” or “Pure consciousness ” , we see it as a multifarious divided world. What is actually ” Advaitam” (Non-Dual) we see it as a “dvait” (Dual) world i.e. I am separate from you. All are separate discrete independent entities . That’s what we experience the world as . But, this is not true, truth is that Turiya is “one undivided reality” which you are!!which we all are!!
Incase of a Dream ( Taijasa ) we do not feel we are fully conscious in dream . Like this waking world , mind is constructing the dream world so we are unware and unconscious about it. Hence , in dream also we are ignorant of our true nature i.e. Turiya (pure consciousness) and yes we have Error in the dream state, because we are seeing a dream world , with a dream body experiencing the dreams , & only after we wake up we realize its a dream but there it seems to be pretty real.
In the state of Deep sleep ( Prajñā ) , I am asleep there is complete blankness or nothing. I don’t even know that I am asleep. I don’t know any thing. I don’t know myself and I don’t know the world also. Nothing just blankness .
So, now in Prajñā do we have “Ignorance” ?? Yes, we do have “Ignorance”. The reason is because I don’t know myself in a deep sleep.
Do we have “Error” in Prajñā?? No, we do not have “Error”. In deep sleep the error of “Dvait” i.e. there is separate existence apart from me , that error is not there. The knowledge of Advaita or Pure consciousness is not there but the error is also not there!
And finally Gaudapadacharya mentions – In Turiya , there is neither Ignorance nor Error! When we realize ourselves as “Turiya” then there is no error. I know that I am Pure Consciousness. When I see this world I see everything thing but I know its no different from me. I am the pure consciousness , what I am, appears infront of me . I am one with all of you! I am the one with everything that I experience! This knowledge will be there when I am looking at the world & experiencing it as Turiya in the waking state .
That is the reason great saints have instinctive identity with the people. They feel the sense of “Oneness” with everybody!!
In Bhagavad Gita , again and again you will come across this term ” समदर्शन:” (Samdarshan) i.e.
- Saints who have realized that they are pure consciousness they have समदर्शन: (samadarshan) towards friends and enemy !! Deep inside they know that ‘I am appearing inside these forms’.
- Towards wealth & poverty the have समदर्शन: (samadarshan)
| Ignorance | Error |
| Agrahanam / अग्राह्यम् ( which cannot be grasped) or Non- Perception | anyatha-grahanam /अन्यथाग्रहण (grasped something else or wrongly grasped ) or Non-apprehension |
| Karanam /कारणम् (Cause) | Karyam / कार्यं (effect) |
| bijam/बीज ( seed) | Ankur /अङ्कुर(Sprout) |
| Nidra /निद्रा (Sleep) / spiritual ignorance | svápna / स्वप्न (Dream)/ |
There are few terms which Gaudapadacharya has used for ignorance and error-
- Ignorance is अग्राह्यम् / Agrahanam about my true nature due to which I make an error i.e. anyatha-grahanam , which means you have not even grasped the true nature who you are but also have understood it wrongly . That’s why it is an error.
- Ignorance is the cause (कारणम् ) and Error is the effect (कार्यं ) . As mentioned in the above example for a rope & snake – I don’t know the “rope” that is the cause of seeing a snake. And the moment I realise its a rope the effect is gone , and I no longer say its a snake .
- Ignorance is the seed (बीज ) and Sprout (अङ्कुर() is the effect. Hence, from Ignorance comes the seedling (sprout) of Error. All the problems of this world (Saṃsāra) has come from a small seed of not knowing the reality i.e. Turiya
- Gaudapadacharya says not knowing the true nature is Sleep (निद्रा ) . i.e. you are asleep, and the Error you make is that – “I am this body & mind” , “I am this limited individual” , “these are my friends”, “these are my enemies” , “this is my goal in life” , “this is my failure”, “happiness”, “sadness”, etc. all this , this enormous world (Saṃsāra) which we see infront of us that is an ERROR called as “DREAM”(स्वप्न).
The interesting thing is that both the “Waking” state and the “Dream” state are called DREAM by Gaudapadacharya. We do not know the reality in both states.
Your life is like a dream (स्वप्नवत) and the waking which you have got that’s also a Dream!
We are in the sleep of Ignorance making the dream of Error!
