Mandukya + Isha + Kena — verse-by-verse

ॐ इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानं भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोङ्कार एव। यच्चान्यत्त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एव॥

"Om" — this imperishable is all. Its exposition: the past, present, future — all is verily Om. Whatever else is beyond the three times — that too is verily Om.

सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात्॥

All this is verily Brahman. This Self is Brahman. This Self has four quarters.

जागरितस्थानो बहिःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः स्थूलभुग्वैश्वानरः प्रथमः पादः॥

The first quarter — Vaishvanara — abides in the waking state, knows external objects, has 7 limbs + 19 mouths (5 jnana-indriyas + 5 karma-indriyas + 5 pranas + manas + buddhi + chitta + ahamkara), enjoys the gross.

स्वप्नस्थानोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः प्रविविक्तभुक्तैजसो द्वितीयः पादः॥

The second quarter — Taijasa — abides in the dream state, knows internal objects, has the same 7 limbs + 19 mouths, enjoys the subtle.

यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत्सुषुप्तम्। सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः॥

Where one sees no dream and desires no object — that is deep sleep. The third quarter — Prajna — abides in deep sleep, is unified, is the mass of consciousness, full of bliss, enjoys bliss, the consciousness-faced.

एष सर्वेश्वर एष सर्वज्ञ एषोऽन्तर्याम्येष योनिः सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम्॥

This (Prajna) is the lord of all, the all-knowing, the inner controller, the source of all — the origin and dissolution of all beings.

नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिःप्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम्। अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः॥

Not inwardly conscious, not outwardly conscious, not both-ways conscious, not consciousness-mass, not conscious, not unconscious. Unseen, beyond commerce, ungraspable, beyond all marks, unthinkable, unspeakable. Knowable only as the essence of the Self-cognition. The cessation of phenomena. Peaceful, auspicious, non-dual. THIS the wise consider as the 4th (Turiya). THIS is the Self. THIS is to be known.

सोऽयमात्माध्यक्षरमोङ्कारोऽधिमात्रं पादा मात्रा मात्राश्च पादा अकार उकारो मकार इति॥

This Self, with respect to the syllable, is Om. With respect to the matra (sound-component) — the quarters are the matras, and the matras the quarters: A, U, M.

जागरितस्थानो वैश्वानरोऽकारः प्रथमा मात्राप्तेरादिमत्त्वाद्वाप्नोति ह वै सर्वान्कामानादिश्च भवति य एवं वेद॥

Vaishvanara, abiding in the waking state, is the syllable A — the first matra. Because of pervading + being first. He who knows thus attains all desires + becomes the first.

स्वप्नस्थानस्तैजस उकारो द्वितीया मात्रोत्कर्षादुभयत्वाद्वोत्कर्षति ह वै ज्ञानसन्ततिं समानश्च भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति य एवं वेद॥

Taijasa, abiding in the dream state, is the syllable U — the second matra. Because of excellence + intermediate-ness. He who knows thus exalts the line of knowledge + becomes the same (as Brahman). In his family, none is born without Brahman-knowledge.

सुषुप्तस्थानः प्राज्ञो मकारस्तृतीया मात्रा मितेरपीतेर्वा मिनोति ह वा इदं सर्वमपीतिश्च भवति य एवं वेद॥

Prajna, abiding in deep sleep, is the syllable M — the third matra. Because of measuring or merging. He who knows thus measures all this + becomes the merger.

अमात्रश्चतुर्थोऽव्यवहार्यः प्रपञ्चोपशमः शिवोऽद्वैत एवमोङ्कार आत्मैव संविशत्यात्मनात्मानं य एवं वेद य एवं वेद॥

The matraless 4th (Turiya) — beyond commerce, the cessation of phenomena, auspicious, non-dual — that itself is the syllable Om, the Self. He who knows thus enters the Self by the Self. He who knows thus.

ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥

All this — whatever moves in this moving world — is pervaded by the Lord. Enjoy by renunciation. Do not covet anyone's wealth.

कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतँ समाः। एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे॥

Performing actions here, one should wish to live a hundred years. For one like you, there is no other way — by this, karma does not bind the man.

यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति। सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते॥

He who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings — therefore he does not hate.

यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मैवाभूद्विजानतः। तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः॥

When in him who knows, all beings have become the Self — what delusion, what sorrow can there be for him who sees the oneness?

विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह। अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययामृतमश्नुते॥

Knowledge + ignorance — he who knows both together: crossing death through ignorance, he reaches immortality through knowledge. (The supreme jnana+karma synthesis.)

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्। तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये॥

The face of Truth is covered by a golden lid. O Pushan (Surya), uncover it for one whose dharma is the truth-vision.

वायुरनिलमृतमथेदं भस्मान्तँ शरीरम्। ॐ क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर क्रतो स्मर कृतं स्मर॥

May this breath enter the immortal Air. May this body end in ashes. Om — O resolve, remember; remember the deed. O resolve, remember; remember the deed. (Recited at antyeshti — the final breath of the dying.)

अग्ने नय सुपथा राये अस्मान्विश्वानि देव वयुनानि विद्वान्। युयोध्यस्मज्जुहुराणमेनो भूयिष्ठां ते नमउक्तिं विधेम॥

O Agni, lead us by the good path to wealth. O Deva, knowing all our deeds, remove the deceitful sin from us. We offer to you the most ample salutations. (The closing Vedic prayer.)

Khanda 1: The supreme question

केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः। केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति॥

"By whom directed does the mind fall on its object? By whom commanded does the first prana proceed? By whose will do men utter speech? Which deva directs the eye + ear?"

Reply — The reply: "It is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of speech, the prana of prana, the eye of the eye." The Self is the witnessing-substrate behind every faculty.

Khanda 2: The unknowing-knowing

यदि मन्यसे सुवेदेति दभ्रमेवापि नूनं त्वं वेत्थ ब्रह्मणो रूपम्। यदस्य त्वं यदस्य देवेष्वथ नु मीमांस्यमेव ते मन्ये विदितम्॥

If you think "I know well", you know only a little of Brahman's form. That part of Brahman which you (think you know), and that which is in the devas — even this is to be inquired into. I think you know.

Reply — Disciple: "I do not think I know. Yet, not that I do not know. He among us who knows the meaning of 'I know and I do not know' — he knows."

Khanda 3: The Yaksha story

ब्रह्म ह देवेभ्यो विजिग्ये तस्य ह ब्रह्मणो विजये देवा अमहीयन्त॥

Brahman conquered for the devas. By Brahman's conquest, the devas were celebrated.

Reply — Indra + Agni + Vayu cannot identify a mysterious yaksha. Vayu boasts: "I can blow anything." Yaksha places a blade of grass. Vayu cannot move it. Agni: "I can burn anything." Cannot burn the grass. Indra approaches; the yaksha vanishes. Uma-Haimavati appears + tells Indra: "That was Brahman."

Khanda 4: The closing exhortation

तस्यै तपो दमः कर्मेति प्रतिष्ठा वेदाः सर्वाङ्गानि सत्यमायतनम्॥

Its (Brahman's) foundation is — tapas + dama (control) + karma. The Vedas are all its limbs. Truth is its abode.

Reply — The Upanishad closes: "He who knows thus, having burnt away sin, becomes established in the limitless heaven-world."