Mandukya Upanishad
With an Advaita Commentary from our Understanding
by Kenneth Jaques | 31,733 words
The Mandukya Upanishad is a short, just twelve verses, description of the material manifestation and the eventual return to unmanifest form of the Universe....
Verse 3
3. The first quarter is Vaisvanara. Its field is the waking state. Its consciousness is outward-turned. It is seven-limbed and nineteen-mouthed. It enjoys gross objects.
"The first quarter is Vaisvanara. Its field is the waking state"
Vaisvanara means "all men" it is the material forms of "self" in creation, the same material, merely many different forms.
The meaning is that this "waking state" describes the experiencing of everyday life of the person existing through desire and birth.
it is described as "waking state" rather than "awake" because the very experience of birth and duality within this universe is said to be Maya, resulting from the forgetting of our true identity with the Non-Dual Absolute. Therefore, in terms of Consciousness, until this individual "self" Realises the one Self as the Self of all, and surrenders desire, we cannot be considered as fully realised, conscious or awake.
"Its consciousness is outward-turned"
In the waking state which is described as awake in our limited awareness, our consciousness awareness is fed through our senses. Our senses being "outward-turned" inform us that this material universe is the truth of all there is. It follows that our desires will be of a material nature.
"It is seven-limbed and nineteen-mouthed"
Vaisvanara is described as this material universe which resulted from that original desire to experience worldly knowledge.
The seven limbs being :- heaven=head, sun=eye, air=vital force, space=middle part, water=bladder, earth=two feet, fire= mouth.
The nineteen mouths (gates of experiences) being :- five senses, five organs of action, vital force (consisting of five forms of breath), mind, intellect, ego and thoughts.
All of these represent the means of experiencing the satisfaction of material desire. The universe is the material of desire, AUM is desire.
This form of "Self" described as consisting of limbs and mouths is to enable our interaction with the universe as the means of fulfilling desire.
The ultimate meaning is that the being in the "waking state" relies on his senses. Mans desires are to feed and satisfy his senses.
"It enjoys gross objects".
Relying on our senses our world is a material world. The world of gross creation. Within this "waking state" what we understand or enjoy are "gross objects".
In the waking state man works to create the objects of his desire.