3 (d) Analysis of Experience of States of Consciousness Described in Mandukya Upanishad
9:05 AM Posted In Yogic Experience of States of Consciousness Edit ThisTuriya State of Consciousness
Against the background of these three states, is the fourth one called turiya. According to Mandukya Upanisad, it concerns the Supreme Being directly and has been clearly distinguished from these three. The Upanisad distinguishes this state of consciousness from the waking, dream and deep sleep. It is a state which cannot be categorised as it transcends all opposites. It is inconceivable, it surpasses mind and expression, is sublime and profound and no mundane comparison can give idea of this state of consciousness. It is pure consciousness because it is the cessation of all ideas and is the causes of bliss and beatitude. In the words of the Upanisad:
"He who is neither inward-wise nor outward-wise, nor both inward and outward-wise, nor wisdom self gathered, nor possessed of wisdom, nor unpossessed of wisdom. He who is unseen and incommunicable, unseizable, featureless, unthinkable, and unnameable, Whose essentiality is awareness of the Self in its single existence, in Whom all phenomena dissolve, Who is Calm, Who is Good, Who is the One than Whom there is no other, Him they deem the fourth: He is the Self, He is the object of Knowledge." (Mandukya Upanishad 7)
Thus, being distinguished from the three states of consciousness, the fourth state of consciousness is imperceptible, free of involvement in behaviour, incapable of being grasped by the intellect, shorn of properties of inference, unthinkable, inexpressible and confined only to the experience of non-duality between the individual self and the Ultimate Reality, absolutely away from diversity or duality.
It is also distinct from the third state of consciousness. While the third state is characterised as prajna or prajnaghana, that is consciousness in its aloneness or lump of consciousness, the fourth is distinguished by exclusion as neither a lump of consciousness nor consciousness in its aloneness, nor intensively conscious or devoid of consciousness.
Like all the three lower states, turiya also has four states which include the state of turiyatita. They are as follows:
1. Turiya-jagrat (Turiya in Waking):
In this state, the mind as we know it, retires completely and its function ceases and the unmana or supermind becomes. It is called manonmana.
2. Turiya-svapna (Turiya in Dreaming):
It is that state in which a Yogi crosses all boundaries of limitations of knowledge and enters into the region of unlimitedness. This state is, therefore, called ananta or unlimited.
3. Turiya-susupti (Turiya in susupti):
The experience of this state of the Fourth is called sarvartha because in this state everything appears as a form of divine Sakti.
The common man simply calls it turiya because it is beyond the three known states of waking, dream and deep sleep and he has no experience of the turiya state. The Yogis call this state as rupatita because in this state common form of both the object and the subject is transcended. The jnanins call it pracaya or collectivity for they experience in this state that everything is steeped in the divine delight.
4. Turiyatita:
It is that state which is full of uninterrupted divine rapture of Consciousness and there is no question of phases of this state since it is a state of complete realisation and once in this state of consciousness, Yogi no longer requires any Yogic practice. The jnanins call this state mahapracaya. In it all distinction between the transcendent and the immanent disappears.
It may also be mentioned that the discovery of five kosas by Bhrgu, namely, annamaya kosa, pranamya kosa, manomaya kosa, vijnanamaya kosa and andamaya kosa are nothing but the fives states of consciousness – jagrat, svapna, susupti, turiya and turyatita.
Concluded
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