Amatra or Turiya, Atman and Brahman – the Self as per Mandukya
Pranava or OM The Mandukya Upanishad is a principal Upanishad in the Athraveda. Mānduka, its etymological root, refers to a “teacher” or ‘spiritual distress” as per Monier’s dictionary. When the world begins each time in its cyclical evolution after pralaya, as per nasadiya suktam* न अस॑त् आ॒सी॒त् नो इति॑ सत् आ॒सी॒त् । ná ásat ā s ī t n á u sát ā s ī t not the non-existent existed, nor did the existent exist then At the time of evolution, there was no sound or soundless-ness as we more commonly understand it. Om or Pranava is the “primordial” or the first sound in the universe. Before the Pranava, there was no sound. It is important to note that both, sound, and absence of sounds, are present only in duality, therefore. This sound is also called as “shabda Brahman” by the shaktas. Amatra – the infinite Now let us examine Amatra. In Sanskrit, Matra denotes a quantity or duration ...