Different states of consciousness
The Lord manifests in the four states of consciousness, viśva, taijasa, prājña and turīya, which correspond to the states of external consciousness, dream, deep sleep and transcendental realization.
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Different states of consciousness
The Lord is the center of the energies of the body, the central connection for all the nāḍis. Because the energy of the Lord circulates inside the body, it's said He moves inside the body. It's only because the Lord permeates it with His potency that the body can function. Apart from maintaining the body, this potency of the Lord manifests in the four states of consciousness, viśva, taijasa, prājña and turīya, which correspond to the states of external consciousness, dream, deep sleep and transcendental realization. In the conditioned state, our consciousness swifts between the first three stages, and the goal of the process of devotional service is to reach the fourth state, the stage of Krsna consciousness.
Text 2.2.6
arā iva ratha-nābhau samhatā yatra nāḍyaḥ
sa eṣo ’ntaś carate bahudhājāyamānaḥ
om ity evam dhyāyatha ātmānam
svasti vaḥ pārāya tamasaḥ parastāt
All the nāḍis of the body are fixed to the heart, like spokes to the central hub of a chariot wheel. The Lord moves about within, manifesting in many ways. Meditate on this transcendental Lord through the transcendental sound vibration and by His mercy, cross beyond the darkness of ignorance. May you be blessed.
Commentary: The nāḍis are subtle energetic pathways, through which the vital airs flow. There are thousands of nāḍis in the body, and they intersect in the chakras. Because they are very subtle pathways, the nāḍis are not understood in modern medicine, which is limited to the study of the nerves and the circulatory system. However, the nāḍis receive great importance in the Vedic sciences.
All the nāḍis are connected to the heart, and the reason they are connected to there, and not some other part of the body, is because the Lord is there, as Paramatma. Because the ātmā (the Lord) is inside the heart, together with the other ātmā (the spirit soul), the heart is the center of energy for the whole body. The Lord permeates the whole body, just like He permeates everything with His potency, and that's how the body can function. Because the potencies of the Lord circulate through the whole body maintaining all the organs, etc. it is said that the Lord moves (antaś carate) inside the body.
The word bahudhā means "in various forms". The potency of the Lord manifests in the different states of consciousness: viśva (the awakened state), taijasa (the dream state), and prājña (deep sleep). In the viśva state, the consciousness of the soul is connected with the senses, and one becomes aware of the outside world, free to perform activities according to his desires. In the taijasa state, the consciousness is disconnected from the external senses, but still acts through the mind, in dreams, while in the prājña state, the consciousness fully retracts to inside the heart and merges into Paramamatma. The soul then rests from material activity. All these states of consciousness emanate from the Lord and are thus connected with Him.
By the transcendental vibration, the omkāra, or the mahā-mantra, we can focus our meditation on the transcendental Lord, and thus gradually recover our original consciousness that has been for so long covered by false material identification. By doing so, one can attain the state of turīya, the fourth state of consciousness, where the soul reattains his original, transcendental consciousness.
These four states of consciousness are described in the Mandukya Upanisad, which is the shortest of the Upanisads. It was spoken by Varuna, who assumed the form of a frog (maṇḍuka).
Mayavadis gives a monistic interpretation of these verses, with the individual soul being the cause of the different states of consciousness and the ultimate stage as merging into Brahman. This is however not what the verses speak about. The Lord is the source of the different stages of consciousness experienced by the soul, and ultimately He is their supreme enjoyer. In fact, each of the four stages is a manifestation of the Lord. Turīya is thus simultaneously a state of consciousness and a form of the Lord, the same for Taijasa and so on, just like Vāsudeva is an expansion of the Lord, the source of consciousness, and also a state of consciousness. The ultimate goal is to revive one's original consciousness as an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, beyond all material contamination.
Here are the verses with a translation from the Vaishnava perspective:
1- Om-ity-etad-akṣaram-idam sarvam, tasyopavyākhyānam bhūtam bhavad bhaviṣyad iti sarvam-omkāra eva, yac ca anyat trikālātītam tad api omkāra eva.
Om. Indeed, this imperishable syllable is everything. All that is material exists under the purview of past, present, and future, and all of that is Om. And everything that transcends space and time (the spiritual realm) is also Om. There is nothing apart from the Lord. He is full of all auspicious attributes, He is close to all, and He is unchangeable, beyond all transformations of matter.
2- sarvam hyetad brahma ayam-ātmā brahma so’yam-ātmā catushpat
All of this is indeed Brahman. Brahman is the Supreme Self (ātma), the controller of all beings. He manifests Himself in four aspects (catushpat).
3- jāgarita-sthāno bahiḥ-prajñaḥ saptānga ekonavimśatimukhaḥ sthūla-bhug vaiśvānaraḥ prathamaḥ pādaḥ
The first state is the waking state (viśva), where consciousness is directed outward, connected with the cosmic body of seven limbs, enjoyed through the nineteen faculties. In this state, the soul becomes the enjoyer of the objects of the senses that are part of this world. The Lord of this state is called Vaiśvānara, the universal person.
4- svapna-sthāno’ntah-prajñaḥ saptānga ekonavimśatimukhaḥ praviviktabhuk taijaso dvitīyaḥ pādaḥ
The second is the dreaming state, where consciousness is turned inwards. In this state, called taijasa, the seven limbs and nineteen faculties contact subtle sense objects in dreams. In this way, the jīva enjoys dreamy experiences, enabled by Taijasa, the luminous Lord.
5- yatra supto na kancana kāmam kāmayate na kancana svapnam paśyati tat sushuptam, sushupta-sthāna ekībhūtaḥ prajñānaghana evānandamayo hyānandabhuk cetomukhaḥ prajñaḥ tritīyaḥ pādaḥ
The third is the state of deep sleep, called prājña, where one does not desire anything nor see any dreams. In this state, the soul experiences a blissful state of union with the Prajñānaghana (the Lord, the undivided source of consciousness and enjoyer of bliss) through the gateway of pure consciousness.
6- eṣa sarveśvara eṣa sarvajña eṣo’ntaryāmī eṣa yoniḥ sarvasya prabhavāpyayau hi bhūtānām
This Supreme Self, the Lord of all, the Supreme Lord, is omniscient and all-knowing (sarvajñaḥ), the inner controller (antaryāmī), the source of everything. Indeed, He is the origin and dissolution of all beings.
7- nāntaḥ-prajñam na bahiḥ-prajñam nobhayataḥ-prajñam na prajñāna-ghanam na prajñam nāprajñam adṛṣṭam-avyavahāryam-agrahyam-alakṣaṇam-acintyam-avyapadeśyam-ekātma-pratyaya-sāram prapañcopaśamam śāntam śivam advaitam caturtham manyante sa ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ
In the fourth state, the individual soul recovers his original state of consciousness. This consciousness is not connected with a material body in any way. It is not turned to the outside, nor the inside; it is not materially conscious or unconscious. It is also not a state of unconscious contact with the Lord. This original state of consciousness is beyond the perception of the senses, beyond the comprehension of the mind, beyond the speculations of intelligence, and the perception of material consciousness. This ultimate state consists of the spiritual awareness of the soul, beyond the material manifestation. In this state, which is beyond material duality and fully auspicious, the soul attains the association of the Supreme Lord. This Supreme Lord, called Turīya (the Fourth), who is invisible, transcendental, inconceivable by reasoning, full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, who is the destroyer of bodily bounds and false knowledge, should be realized as the ultimate goal of knowledge.
8- so’yam-ātmā adhyakṣaram omkāro’dhimātram pādā mātrā mātrāś ca pādāḥ akāraḥ ukāraḥ makāra iti
This Supreme Self, indeed, is the syllable Om, which encompasses all measures and is imperishable. His forms are represented in the constituent phonemes of the syllable, the letters A (akāraḥ) U (ukāraḥ), and M (makāraḥ)..
9- jāgarita-sthāno vaiśvānaro'kāraḥ prathama mātrā apterādimatvād-vāpnoti ha vai sarvān kāmān ādiś ca bhavati ya evam veda
The waking state, presided by Lord Vaiśvānara is associated with the letter A, the first part of the syllable Om, because is associated with the all-encompassing and primordial nature of the Lord. One who knows this attains all his desires and is saved by the Lord.
10- svapna-sthānas taijasa ukāro dvitīyā mātrā utkārṣād-ubhayatvād-utkṛṣyati ha vai jñāna-santatim samānaś ca bhavati na syābrahmavit kule bhavati ya evam veda
The Lord of the dream state, Taijasa, is designated by the letter U, the second part of the syllable Om, because of its excellence and its position in the middle, drawing the soul from the outward state into the interior world. One who knows this attains an unbroken flow of consciousness and becomes free from material contamination. None of his descendants will lack spiritual knowledge.
11- suṣupta-sthānaḥ prājño makāras tṛtīyā mātrā miter-apiter vā minoti ha vā idam sarvam-apitiś ca bhavati ya evam veda
The third form of the Lord, Prajña, presiding over the state of deep sleep is designated by the letter M, the third part of the syllable Om because He carries the consciousness of the soul into the innermost, destroying all consciousness. He is the destroyer of all sorrow and the pervader of everything. One who knows this fully understands this material manifestation and becomes free from all distress.
12- amātras-caturtho’vyavahāryaḥ prapañcopaśamaḥ śivo’dvaitaḥ evam omkāra ātmaiva samviśaty-ātmānam ātmānām ya evam veda
The unlimited and indivisible fourth is beyond sensory experience, beyond actions and interactions. He brings the cessation of all material phenomena. He is beyond material duality, the destroyer of false knowledge, and fully blissful. This Omkāra is indeed the Supreme Self. One who knows this attains the Supreme Self, entering into the spiritual nature by His grace.