---
type: Reference
bundle: upanishadic-core
id: mandukya-upanishad
title: "Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad"
description: "Shortest principal Upanishad; the analysis of Om and the four states, source of ayam atma brahma."
tradition: Atharvaveda
language: Sanskrit
approximate_date: "c. 200 BCE – 200 CE"
key_concepts_in_bundle: [turiya, avastha-traya, jagrat, svapna, sushupti, ayam-atma-brahma]
timestamp: "2026-07-01"
okf_version: "0.2"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad — माण्डूक्य उपनिषद्

The shortest major Upaniṣad — twelve verses — and, in Gauḍapāda's assessment, the most concise and complete statement of Advaita. Associated with the Atharvaveda. Primary text for the Avasthātraya (three-states) analysis and the Turīya teaching.

## Structure

| Verse | Content |
|-------|---------|
| 1 | All this is Brahman (OM = all this) |
| 2 | Four aspects of the Ātman (pādas) |
| 3 | Jāgrat — Viśva, Bahiṣprajña |
| 4 | Svapna — Taijasa, Antaḥprajña |
| 5 | Suṣupti — Prājña, Ceto-mukha, Ānandabhuj |
| 6 | Prājña as Īśvara (entry/exit of creation) |
| 7 | Turīya — the fourth, unseen, ungraspable, non-dual |
| 8–12 | The Praṇava (OM) and its four mātras (A-U-M + silence) |

## Key Verses for Bundle Concepts

**Verse 7** (Turīya):
*na antaḥprajñam na bahiṣprajñam na ubhayataḥprajñam na prajñānaghanaṃ na prajñam na aprajñam; adṛṣṭam avyavahāryam agrāhyam alakṣaṇam acintyam avyapadeśyam ekātmapratyayasāraṃ prapañcopaśamaṃ śāntaṃ śivam advaitaṃ caturthaṃ manyante sa ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ*

**Verse 2** (Ayam Ātmā Brahma):
*sarvaṃ hyetad brahma, ayamātmā brahma, so'yamātmā catuṣpāt*

**Verse 5** (Suṣupti / Prājña):
*suṣuptasthānaḥ ekībhūtaḥ prajñānaghana evānandamayo hyānandabhuk cetomukhāḥ prājñaḥ tṛtīyaḥ pādaḥ*

## The Gauḍapāda Commentary

The Māṇḍūkya Kārikā (by Gauḍapāda, pre-600 CE) is the authoritative commentary and is frequently cited alongside the Upaniṣad itself. See references/mandukya-karika.md for details.

## Recommended Editions

- Gambhīrānanda translation (Advaita Ashrama)
- Swami Satchidanandendra (Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya)
- Nikhilananda translation with Gauḍapāda Kārikā (Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center)
