Mandukya Upanishad - Translated By Swami Lokeswarananda with notes based on Sankara's Commentary
The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad is a brief text from the Atharva Veda that uses the sacred symbol Aum (Om) to explain Brahman (Ultimate Reality) and non-dualism.Instead of a story, it uses a symbolic approach to meditation, linking the letters of Aum to the different states of consciousness:
A represents the waking state (Virāṭ).
U represents the dream state (Hiraṇyagarbha).
M represents deep sleep (Īśvara).
Going beyond these letters leads to turīya—pure consciousness beyond duality, where one realizes they are Brahman.The book includes Gauḍapāda’s Kārikā, a strict non-dualist auxiliary work that rejects creation and cause-and-effect, claiming the phenomenal world is an illusion and only the Self exists. Ultimately, meditating on Aum serves to dispel ignorance and help you realize your true nature as Brahman.
