Mantra 1.5

5. (U⁵). That is called deep sleep where the sleeper desires no desires and sees no dreams. In the region of deep sleep, Hari has unified (Himself with Viśva and Taijasa), is the maker of the torpidity of consciousness of the Jīva, is full of abundance of bliss, enjoys bliss alone, and has a body consisting of pure Intelligence and is called Prājña—the Maker of Unconsciousness. This is the third foot of Viṣṇu.—5.

Notes.

[Note.—Kañcana—anything at all, except—1. the essential form of the Jīva, 2. Time, 3. Nescience and 4. the rest of sleep. The perception or consciousness of these four does no: [not?] vanish even in deep sleep.]

[Note.—Suṣuptasthānaḥ (Suṣuptasthāna)—the region of sleep, i.e, the ether of the heart. The place of suṣupti, the particular petal of the heart, the entrance of the soul in which produces suṣupti.]

[Note.—Ekībhūtaḥ (Ekībhūta)—having become one (as in darkness all things become one, being covered by darkness, without however really becoming one). Or when the Viṣva and the Taijasa aspects are united in Prājña.]

[Note.—Prajñānaghanaḥ (Prajñānaghana)—the revealer to the Jīva of the nescience only. The word ghana means ‘ignorance.’ The whole word means “He who produces the consciousness of ignorance or absence of knowledge.” Ignorance here includes Time, and the bliss of sleep and the idea of Self. The Lord produces in the Jīva the consciousness of these only, and takes away the consciousness of every thing else. Compare this word with the jīva-ghana of the Praśna Up. V. 2. The Jīva wrapped in nescience is called ghana.]

[Note.—Ānandabhuk, Eater of bliss. Enjoys bliss, pure and simple, without objects of sense. The Lord is always “enjoyer of bliss;” but as Viśva and Taijasa He enjoys bliss through the objects; here He enjoys bliss itself.]

[Note.—Cetomukhaḥ (Cetomukha)—whose face is wisdom, i.e., whose whole body is wisdom. Wisdom-faced. The superconscious root of mental consciousness.—Note: The word ‘mukha’ is illustrative of the whole body. Or the word mukha may mean here mukhya or the chief, the best, the “best” here would mean “full of”—and so cetomukha would mean “full of wisdom,” i.e., “cetasā” or “jñānena; mukhaḥ” = “pūrṇaḥ”. The other two aspects, i.e., the Viśva and the Taijasa also possess these two attributes of being ‘full of bliss’ (ānandamaya) and ‘full of wisdom’ (cetomukha).]

[Note.—Prājñaḥ (Prājña)—completely non-knower; according to Śaṅkara it means All-knower, because it knows all things, hence called Prājña or All-knower. But according to Madhva it means non-revealer: little-knower.]

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

The dreamless sleep called suṣupti should be understood to be a state of Tamas or ignorance. The Jīva in that state has reached Hari, called Prājña, and remains then enveloped in tamas. It, therefore, desires nothing and perceives no objects, except the tamas, and itself, and time (and bliss). Hari Himself under the name of Prājña is the Lord of this state of sleep or suṣupta. Hari, the Maker of Dreams, is called Taijasa because He illumines (tejas) the impressions of external objects in the mental body, or citta called also Taijasa, and shows them to the Jīva. Hari, the sifter of Men, is called Prājña, because He does not cause the perception of any external object to the jīva—He prevents external objects or their impressions to reach the jīva-consciousness. The word Prājña is compounded of two words “pra” highest + ajña (ignorance). That which causes highest ignorance or unconsciousness is Prājña—for then Hari causes the Jīva to be enveloped in darkness. (The commentator next explains the word ekībhūta).

The Prājña makes the Viśva and Taijasa become one in Suṣupti, therefore Prājña is said to be ekībhūta,—nified or become one: because Viśva and Taijasa have entered the condition of oneness here.

(Next the word prajñāna-ghana is explained). The Jīva when enveloped in tamas is called ghana (or frigid, or congealed or torpid). Hari is called prajñāna-ghana because He makes the ghana or torpid Jīva have consciousness (prājña) of merely itself (jīva), of time, and of bliss in the sleep-state. The maker of ghana-consciousness is, therefore, called prajñāna-ghana. This we find in prakāśikā.

The word “ānandamaya” means “full of entire bliss.” The word “cetomukha” means the face, the essential nature of which is Intelligence or Jñāna [jñānam], i. e., the pure intelligence is the mouth. The word “prajñānaghana” is an example of inverted compound. The proper form would be ghana-prajñāna. We say so because in the Kārikā verse the word used is ghana-prajña.

Though the Lord in the state of Viśva and Taijasa also enjoys bliss, yet there the bliss is mixed up with objects. But here He enjoys bliss and bliss alone, untinged by objects: and, therefore, He is called Ānanda-bhuk especially.

The attributes Ānandamaya ‘full of bliss,’ cetomukha “pure intelligence-faced,” sarvajña ‘Omniscient,’ and sarveśvara “Lord of all,” though specially mentioned with regard to Prājña, must be understood to apply to His other three states also; and though the two attributes Ānandamaya and cetomukha are read in the verse specially describing prājña, yet they are, by analogy, to be applied to the other states also. The other attributes like omniscient, etc., are read in a verse not specific of Prājña.