Sushupti - Pure Consciousness

Understanding Sushupti

In deep sleep, there's no "I am this" or "I am that" - just pure being-awareness. No thoughts, no world, no problems, yet YOU are still there. You know you slept well. This shows that your essential nature exists independent of thoughts and experiences.

Attaining Sushupti (deep sleep state) while awake is a subtle spiritual goal. It refers to entering the state of pure consciousness — the silence and stillness of deep sleep — but consciously and with awareness. This is often called:

• Turiya ("the Fourth state") — beyond waking, dreaming, and sleeping.

• Jagrat Sushupti — deep-sleep-like awareness in waking state.

The Practice: Recognizing What's Already Here

The Direct Approach:

• Right now, notice the awareness that's reading these words
• This awareness doesn't come and go - it's the constant background of all experience
• It's the same awareness present in waking, dreaming, and deep sleep
• This is the sushupti state - you're just usually focused on the content rather than the awareness itself

Practical Steps:

1. The Gap Practice:

• Between thoughts, there are tiny gaps of pure awareness
• Instead of jumping to the next thought, rest in that gap
• This gap-awareness is the same as deep sleep consciousness, just without the unconsciousness

2. The "I Am" Meditation:

• Sit quietly and repeat "I Am" very slowly
• Eventually drop even these words
• Rest in the pure sense of existing - not "I am something" but just "I Am"
• This is the sushupti state while awake

3. The Witness Practice:

• Throughout the day, step back into the awareness that observes everything
• Notice: "I am aware of thoughts... I am aware of feelings... I am aware of the body..."
• Rest as this witnessing awareness - it's naturally peaceful like deep sleep

4. The Background Awareness:

• Even while active, maintain a sense of the spacious awareness in which all activity appears
• Like being aware of the screen while watching a movie
• This background awareness is your sushupti nature 

The Paradox

The beautiful paradox is that you can't "attain" sushupti while awake because you ARE it already. You're the awareness in which waking and sleeping both appear. The practice is simply recognizing what's always been here.

Key Insight: Every night in deep sleep, you prove you exist without thoughts, without a world, without problems. That same essence is here right now, just with thoughts and world appearing in it.

Try this right now: 

Can you sense the aware presence that's reading this? That's it. That's your sushupti nature, awake and present.

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To attain sushupti (deep sleep) while awake—often referred to as jagrat-sushupti or "wakeful sleep"—is to experience the stillness and peace of deep sleep without losing awareness. This state is highly regarded in Advaita Vedanta and yogic traditions as a mark of advanced spiritual realization and is sometimes equated with samadhi or turiya, the "fourth" state beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.

Key insights and methods:

• Still the mind while awake: Ramana Maharshi teaches that the essence of sushupti is the absence of thoughts and mental activity. In deep sleep, the mind is inactive, but so is conscious awareness. The goal in jagrat-sushupti is to remain fully awake and aware, but with the mind completely still. This is achieved by persistent effort to quieten thoughts, even for brief moments, which gradually leads to longer periods of inner quiescence.

• Awareness without identification: Sadhguru and other yogic sources emphasize that to experience conscious sleep, identification with the body and mind must be transcended. Only when you are not identified with your physical or mental processes can you remain aware while the mind is at rest, as in deep sleep. This state is sometimes glimpsed in deep meditation practices such as Shoonya meditation.

• Difference from ordinary deep sleep: In ordinary sushupti, there is no awareness—just peaceful oblivion. In jagrat-sushupti, there is the peace of deep sleep, but also the awareness of the waking state. It is described as "neither sleep nor waking but intermediate between the two". Some teachers clarify that the true non-dual state is actually turiya, which is beyond even the seed-like identification present in sushupti.

   

• Practice: The path involves:

  • Meditation and self-inquiry: Regular meditation aimed at stilling the mind and observing the sense of "I" can help approach this state.

  • Witnessing thoughts: Cultivate the ability to witness thoughts without getting involved, gradually reducing their hold until the mind is silent but you remain awake.

  • Letting go of identification: Deepen your practice so that identification with the body, mind, and senses falls away, leaving pure awareness.

"So stillness is the aim of the seeker. Even a single effort to still at least a single thought even for a trice goes a long way to reach the state of quiescence. Effort is required and it is possible in the waking state only. There is the effort here: there is awareness also; the thoughts are stilled; so there is the peace of sleep gained. That is the state of the Jnani. It is neither sleep nor waking but intermediate between the two. There is the awareness of the waking state and the stillness of sleep. It is called jagrat-sushupti.

To still your thoughts and consciously enter sushupti (the deep sleep state) while awake, several meditative and yogic practices are recommended by various spiritual traditions. Here are the most effective approaches, based on your query and the provided sources:

Meditation on the Heart or Divine Light

• Heartfulness Meditation suggests gently closing your eyes and focusing your attention on the heart, imagining the presence of Divine Light pulling your attention inward. If thoughts arise, gently remind yourself of your focus and return to meditating on the Divine Light. Over time, this helps train the mind to follow the heart's intention and cultivates deep inner stillness

Cultivating Thoughtless Awareness

• Regular meditation helps create gaps between thoughts. As these gaps widen, the mind naturally enters a state of thoughtless awareness (nirvichara samadhi), where attention is still and deep inner peace emerges

Practice of Natural Silence and Non-Reactivity

• By remaining silent and still, both inwardly and outwardly, you distance yourself from the mind's constant chatter. Practicing silence—refusing to answer the mind's questions or react to thoughts—reduces the mind's dominance and gradually leads it to stop on its own

Witnessing and Letting Go

• Witnessing thoughts without attachment and letting go of mental colorings (vrittis) through abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (dispassion) is essential. As you progress, you resonate more with the original state of stillness, and the boundary between waking and deep sleep states diminishes

Breath and Prana Awareness

• Observing the breath and realizing the unity of prana (inhalation) and apana (exhalation) can naturally bring the mind and breath to a standstill, facilitating entry into deep stillness

  This practice can lead to a state where thoughtlessness takes over, akin to sushupti, as you gradually gain control over unconscious mental activity.

  The goal is to have the mind become as still as a lake without ripples, reflecting the underlying bliss and peace of the soul. This natural silence is said to bring you closer to the experience of unity with the Supreme Self, where you can enter all states (waking, dreaming, deep sleep) with awareness. Advanced meditators can experience a state similar to sushupti in deep samadhi, where there is awareness in nothingness—this is the turiya or sahaj samadhi state

  Summary of steps:

• Still the mind completely while remaining awake and aware

• Disidentify from body and mind

• Practice deep meditation or self-inquiry

• Persist until you experience awareness without thoughts, akin to the peace of deep sleep

Note: This is a rare and advanced state, typically associated with realized sages. For most practitioners, glimpses may occur during deep meditation, but sustained jagrat-sushupti requires dedicated spiritual practice and guidance from a qualified teacher

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In spiritual traditions, particularly Vedanta and Yoga, "Sushupti" refers to the deep sleep state where there is no dreaming and a sense of bliss, but also a lack of conscious awareness of oneself or the external world.

The concept of "attaining Sushupti when awake" is usually a metaphorical way of referring to a higher state of consciousness, often called Jagrat Sushupti (wakeful deep sleep) or, more accurately, Turiya (the fourth state).

Here's a breakdown of what that means and how it's approached:

Understanding the States of Consciousness (as per Mandukya Upanishad):

1. Jagrat (Waking State): Our normal, everyday state of consciousness, where we interact with the external world through our senses and mind. We identify with our physical body and external objects.

2. Swapna (Dream State): The state where the mind is active, creating an internal world of dreams, thoughts, and emotions. The physical body is inactive, but the mind experiences a subtle reality.

3. Sushupti (Deep Sleep State): A state of dreamless, deep sleep. There's a sense of peace and bliss, but no awareness of the external world, internal thoughts, or even a clear "I" consciousness.³ It's often described as a state where the individual ego or identification is temporarily lost, but a "seed" of identification remains, allowing one to wake up.

4. Turiya (The Fourth State): This is the state that is often implied when people speak of "Sushupti when awake." Turiya is pure consciousness, the witness to the other three states, yet beyond them. It's not a state you "enter" and "leave" like sleep or waking; rather, it's the underlying reality that is always present. In Turiya, there is profound awareness without any object of awareness – no thoughts, no external world, no dreams, no "I" that identifies with a limited body or mind. It's a non-dual state of ultimate reality and bliss.

Why "Sushupti when awake" (Turiya) is sought:

While Sushupti (deep sleep) offers a temporary respite from the agitation of waking and dreaming, it lacks conscious awareness.⁵ The goal in spiritual practice is to experience the profound peace, bliss, and non-dual nature of Sushupti consciously, while fully awake and functional in the world. This is Turiya.

How to approach attaining Jagrat Sushupti/Turiya:

Achieving this state is the culmination of advanced spiritual practice and is not something one can simply "do" on command. It involves transcending the identification with the mind, body, and ego. Here are some key principles and practices from various traditions that aim towards this:

1. Meditation (Dhyana):

   • Focus on the Self/Awareness: Instead of focusing on external objects or even thoughts, the practice is to shift attention to the nature of awareness itself. Who is the "I" that is aware?

   • Stillness of Mind: Through practices like Vipassana or Samatha, the aim is to quiet the incessant chatter of the mind (thoughts, emotions, desires).⁷ This involves observing thoughts without getting entangled in them, allowing them to subside naturally.

   • Transcendence of States: Gradually, through deep meditation, one seeks to go beyond the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states, recognizing the underlying pure consciousness that is always present.

2. Self-Inquiry (Atma Vichara - particularly in Advaita Vedanta):

   • This practice, popularized by Ramana Maharshi, involves constantly asking "Who am I?" and tracing the "I-thought" back to its source.⁸ The idea is to realize that the "I" is not the body, not the mind, not the emotions, but the pure, unconditioned consciousness (Atman/Brahman). 

   • As one delves deeper, the identification with the limited self (ego) is said to dissolve, revealing the ever-present Turiya state.

3. Yoga Nidra:

   • While often called "yogic sleep," Yoga Nidra is a systematic method of guided relaxation that aims to bring one to a state between waking and sleeping, where the body is deeply relaxed, but the mind remains alert and aware.

   • It can be a powerful tool for exploring the deeper layers of consciousness and experiencing a conscious relaxation similar to Sushupti, but with maintained awareness.

4. Bhakti (Devotion) and Karma Yoga (Selfless Action):

   • For some, intense devotion to a higher power or selfless action can lead to a dissolution of the ego and a realization of unity, which can manifest as Turiya. When the sense of "doer-ship" (ahankara) dissolves, the pure consciousness shines through.

5. Understanding and Discrimination (Jnana Yoga):

   • Through studying scriptures (like the Upanishads) and receiving guidance from a realized teacher, one gains intellectual understanding of the true nature of reality and the self. This knowledge (Jnana) helps to dismantle misconceptions and paves the way for direct experience.

   • The discrimination between the real (Atman/Brahman) and the unreal (Maya, the illusory world) is crucial.

Important Considerations:

• Not Unconsciousness: "Sushupti when awake" or Turiya is not a state of unconsciousness, dullness, or blankness. It is a state of heightened awareness, but without any specific content.

• Beyond Effort: While practices are necessary to prepare the mind, the actual realization of Turiya is often described as a cessation of effort, a "dropping" of identification, rather than something actively achieved through striving.

• Integration: The ultimate aim is not to just experience Turiya in isolated moments, but to integrate this pure awareness into daily waking life, transforming one's perception and experience of the world. A Jnani (enlightened sage) is said to live in the state of Jagrat-Sushupti.

It's a profound journey that requires consistent practice, patience, and often, guidance from an experienced teacher.

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How to Attain Sushupti While Awake

Understand What Sushupti Truly Is

• In Sushupti, there is no ego, no thoughts, no mental activity, but there is existence and bliss.

• The mind is completely dissolved.

• Bringing this thoughtless, blissful silence into the waking state is the goal.

Practice Witness Consciousness (Sakshi Bhava)

• Be a witness to all thoughts, sensations, and emotions.

• Do not engage — just observe silently.

• This distances you from the ego-mind and leads to inner stillness.

"I am not the body, not the mind, not the senses. I am the silent witness of all."

Use Deep Meditation Techniques

• Nididhyasana (Vedantic meditation): Contemplation on “I am Brahman” (Aham Brahmasmi).

• Self-inquiry (Atma Vichara): Ask “Who am I?” until all thought dissolves.

• Yoga Nidra: Enter states of body-sleep and mind-alertness.

• Samadhi practices (Patanjali Yoga): Especially Asamprajnata Samadhi, where awareness remains but objects dissolve.

Cultivate Vairagya (Detachment)

• Reduce attachments to body, emotions, desires.

• A quiet mind naturally slips into deep awareness.

Balance Effort and Letting Go

• Effort is needed to turn inward.

• But Sushupti happens when the "doer" disappears.

• Let go of trying. Stay alert, silent, and relaxed. 

Signs You’re Approaching Jagrat Sushupti

• Thoughts slow down or stop naturally.

• Time feels meaningless.

• You feel peace and bliss without any reason.

• You are fully awake, but feel no ego.

Summary

Attaining Sushupti while awake means resting in pure awareness, where the mind is silent but consciousness is present. It is like deep sleep without unconsciousness — known as Turiya. This is the true goal of many spiritual traditions: abiding as the Self beyond waking, dreaming, and sleeping.

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Attaining a state similar to *Sushupti* (the deep, dreamless sleep state in Yoga and Vedanta) while awake is a profound spiritual practice. This state is associated with *Turiya* (the fourth state of consciousness), where one remains aware yet free from mental modifications, akin to the peace of deep sleep. 

 Here’s how to approach it:

1. Cultivate Inner Silence (Mauna)
   - Practice *Antar Mouna* (inner silence) by withdrawing attention from external stimuli.
   - Observe thoughts without engaging, allowing the mind to settle into stillness.

2. Deep Meditation (Nididhyasana)
   - Meditate on the *witness consciousness* (the observer behind thoughts, emotions, and perceptions).
   - Focus on the gap between thoughts—this space resembles *Sushupti*.
   - Techniques like *Yoga Nidra* (yogic sleep) can help induce deep relaxation while maintaining awareness.

3. Self-Inquiry (Atma Vichara)
   - Ask, *"Who is awake?"* or *"Who is experiencing this?"* to detach from the waking ego.
   - Recognize that the true Self (*Atman*) is always in a state of peace, untouched by waking, dreaming, or deep sleep.

4. Surrender & Detachment
   - Let go of all mental effort, just as in deep sleep where there is no "doer."
   - Practice *Ishvara Pranidhana* (surrender to the Divine) to dissolve the sense of individuality.

5. Breath Awareness & Pratyahara
   - Slow, deep breathing (*Pranayama*) helps calm the mind.
   - Withdraw senses (*Pratyahara*) to disconnect from external distractions.

6. Recognize the Underlying Awareness
   - Understand that the same awareness present in *Sushupti* is also here now—just obscured by thoughts.
   - Abide as the silent witness, untouched by the waking state’s activities.

7. Non-Dual (Advaita) Approach
   - Realize that *Sushupti* is not a separate state but the substratum of all states.
   - The peace of deep sleep is always present—it’s the mind that veils it.

Key Insight:
The goal is not to "sleep while awake" but to *remain as the pure awareness* that underlies all states (waking, dreaming, and deep sleep). This is the essence of *Turiya*—consciousness without objects.

Additional Guidance:

Do not force silence; allow it to arise naturally as understanding deepens

By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you can gradually still your thoughts and approach the conscious experience of sushupti while awake.

Consistency and patience are necessary—these are advanced states that develop with sustained practice and inner maturity

While sushupti itself is usually unconscious, the conscious experience of its peace and stillness is what is sought in advanced meditation (turiya or sahaj samadhi). 

Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya

The "Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya" stotra is a beautiful chant offered in reverence to Lord Shiva, recognizing him as the Lord of Yoga (Yogeshwara) and the Great God (Mahadeva). This stotra invokes his attributes—detachment, silence, fierce compassion, and transcendence.

 

It is a popular version of the "Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya" chant as taught by Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation.

🕉 Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya Stotram

Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya  
Trayambakaya Tripurantakaya  
Kaalakaalaya Kalpantaaya  
Kaalabhairavaya Namaha

Gangadharaaya Shooline  
Ardhanarishwaraya Namaha  
Ashutoshaya Digambaraaya  
Panchavaktraaya Namaha

Sadashivaya Namaha  
Shambhave Namaha  
Shankaraaya Namaha  
Shivaya Namaha

 

Meaning

• Yogeshwaraya Mahadevaya – To the Lord of Yoga, the Great God

• Trayambakaya Tripurantakaya – The three-eyed one, destroyer of Tripura (three cities of ego)

• Kaalakaalaya Kalpantaaya – Lord of Time, who ends all eras

• Kaalabhairavaya Namaha – Salutations to Kaalabhairava, fierce form of Shiva

• Gangadharaaya Shooline – Bearer of the Ganga and the Trishula (trident)

• Ardhanarishwaraya Namaha – Who is half man, half woman—union of Shiva and Shakti

• Ashutoshaya Digambaraaya – The easily pleased one, clothed in the directions (sky-clad)

• Panchavaktraaya Namaha – The five-faced one, representing five aspects of Shiva

• Sadashivaya – The eternal benevolent Shiva

• Shambhave – Source of bliss

• Shankaraaya – The one who brings auspiciousness

• Shivaya – To Shiva, the Supreme 

   

When & Where?

• Can be chanted during meditation, Shivaratri, or daily worship.

• Brings a deep sense of reverence, groundedness, and inner stillness.

• Often used by sadhakas (spiritual seekers) walking the yogic path.

AUM - 🕉 - Turiya - Sushupti while awake - Mandukya Upanishad - 4 states of consciousness

The Māṇḍūkya Upanishad is one of the shortest yet most profound Upanishads, consisting of only 12 verses. It is highly revered in Advaita Vedānta, especially by Gaudapāda and Adi Shankaracharya, for its radical non-dualistic teachings centered around the four states of consciousness.

While the text itself doesn’t list “practices” in the conventional sense like Yoga Sutras or Tantras do, it points directly to a state of realization through jnāna (knowledge) and contemplation. Still, many meditative insights and methods can be drawn from its teachings.

🕉 The Core Framework: The Four States

The Māṇḍūkya Upanishad describes Atman (Self) as having four aspects:

State	Description	Sanskrit Term
1. Waking	Outward cognition; active sense experience	Vaiśvānara
2. Dream	Inward cognition; subtle impressions and imagination	Taijasa
3. Deep Sleep	No desire, no dream; blissful ignorance	Prājña
4.Transcendental	Pure Awareness; neither inward nor outward, but the silent witness         of all three	Turīya

 

Turīya is not a state you enter but the background awareness of all states. Realization of this is the core goal. Here are the 12 verses of the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad along with detailed meanings. This Upanishad is one of the shortest but most profound texts in Vedanta, offering a complete map of consciousness and the nature of the Self (Atman).

🕉 Verse 1

Sanskrit:
ॐ इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानं भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोंकार एव।
यच्चान्यत् त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योंकार एव॥

Transliteration:
Om ityetadakṣaram idaṁ sarvaṁ tasyopavyākhyānaṁ bhūtaṁ bhavad bhaviṣyad iti sarvam oṅkāra eva
yac cānyat trikālātītaṁ tad apy oṅkāra eva.

Meaning:
Om is all this—whatever was, is, and will be. Everything that transcends time is also Om.
→ Om is the ultimate symbol of all existence and the Self.

🕉 Verse 2

Sanskrit:
सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात्॥

Transliteration:
Sarvaṁ hy etad brahmāyam ātmā brahma so’yam ātmā catuṣpāt.

Meaning:
All this is verily Brahman. The Self (Atman) is Brahman and has four aspects.
→ You are the Absolute, expressed in four modes.

🕉 Verse 3

Sanskrit:
जागरितस्थानो बहिष्प्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः स्थूलभुग्वैश्वानरः प्रथमः पादः॥

Transliteration:
Jāgaritasthāno bahiṣprajñaḥ saptāṅga ekonaviṁśatimukhaḥ sthūlabhug vaiśvānaraḥ prathamaḥ pādaḥ.

Meaning:
The first aspect is the waking state (Vaiśvānara), outwardly aware, with seven limbs and nineteen mouths, enjoying gross objects.
→ Your waking personality is just one limited expression.

The “seven limbs” and “nineteen mouths” mentioned in verse 3 and 4 of the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad are symbolic descriptions of the Vaiśvānara (waking consciousness) and Taijasa (dream consciousness) respectively. These expressions are metaphorical and are intended to explain how consciousness interacts with the world through various aspects of the body, senses, and mind.

Seven Limbs (Saptāṅga) – for Vaiśvānara (Waking Consciousness)

The seven limbs represent the macrocosmic body of Vaiśvānara (universal Self in waking). This is based on Vedic cosmology, especially from the Chāndogya Upanishad (5.18.2).

Limb	Representation in the World
1. Heaven (Dyuloka)	Head of Vaiśvānara
2. Sun (Sūrya)	Eyes
3. Air (Vāyu)	Breath / Prāṇa
4. Fire (Agni)	Mouth (speech and digestion)
5. Water (Āpah)	Bladder / Stomach (digestive fluids)
6. Earth (Pṛthivī)	Feet (foundation, support)
7. Space (Ākāśa)	Body (container for all)

Meaning: Vaiśvānara pervades all of creation—the universe is His body. This emphasizes unity between the Self and cosmos in the waking state.

Nineteen Mouths (Ekonaviṁśati-Mukhaḥ) – for Both Vaiśvānara and Taijasa

These 19 mouths are the means through which consciousness experiences the world—whether externally in waking or internally in dreaming. 

The color-coded infographic of the 19 faculties (mouths) of the Self as explained in the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad. Each group is clearly highlighted to show how the Self interacts with the waking and dream states through:

• Perception (Blue)

• Action (Yellow)

• Vital Energies (Green)

• Inner Faculties (Red)

 

They are grouped into:

Five Organs of Perception (Jñānendriyas) (Sense inputs) - These are the sense faculties used to gain knowledge from the external world.

Organ	Function
1. Ears (śrotra)	Hearing
2. Eyes (cakṣus)	Seeing
3. Skin (tvak)	Touch
4. Tongue (jihvā)	Taste
5. Nose (ghrāṇa)	Smell

Five Organs of Action (Karmendriyas) (Sense outputs) - These are the faculties through which action is performed in the world.

Organ	Function
6. Speech (vāk)	Speaking
7. Hands (pāṇi)	Grasping
8. Feet (pāda)	Movement
9. Anus (pāyu)	Excretion
10. Genitals (upastha)	Procreation

Five Vital Prāṇas (Pañca Prāṇa) (Physiological forces) - These govern physiological functions and maintain the life-force.

Prāṇa	Function
11.     Prāṇa	Respiration
12.     Apāna	Excretion
13.     Vyāna	Circulation
14.     Udāna	Speech, upward movement
15.     Samāna	Digestion

Four Inner Faculties (Antaḥkaraṇa) (Aspects of the mind) - These are the internal faculties of the mind which form the subtle body’s core psychological functions.

Faculty	Role
16.     Manas	Thinking, processing
17.     Buddhi	Intellect, discrimination
18.     Ahaṅkāra	Ego, sense of “I”
19.     Chitta	Memory, subconscious

Why "Mouths"? These are metaphorically called “mouths” (mukhaḥ) because:

• They are the channels through which consciousness “feeds on” experiences.

• They interface with the world and create the illusion of identity with body and mind

Aspect	Description
Seven Limbs	Cosmic body of the Self (waking state)
Nineteen Mouths	Functional instruments of perception, action, life-force, and mind
Purpose	To explain how pure consciousness (Atman) expresses and experiences itself as individual and universal

This symbolic language teaches us that the Self is not limited to the body, but encompasses all forms of experience, and ultimately transcends them in Turīya.

🕉 Verse 4

Sanskrit:
स्वप्नस्थानोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः प्रविविक्तभुक्तैजसो द्वितीयः पादः॥

Transliteration:
Svapnasthāno’ntaḥprajñaḥ saptāṅga ekonaviṁśatimukhaḥ praviviktabhuk taijaso dvitīyaḥ pādaḥ.

Meaning:
The second is the dreaming state (Taijasa), inwardly aware, enjoying subtle objects through nineteen faculties.
→ Your dream self is powered by inner impressions.

Together, these 19 faculties define the subtle body (sūkṣma śarīra).

• In waking (Vaiśvānara), they operate externally.

• In dreaming (Taijasa), they turn inward and create an internal world.

• In deep sleep (Prājña), all 19 become dormant.

• In Turīya, the Self is free of all 19, as pure witnessing awareness.

🕉 Verse 5

Sanskrit:
यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम्।
सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः॥

Transliteration:
Yatra supto na kañcana kāmaṁ kāmayate na kañcana svapnaṁ paśyati tat suṣuptam.
Suṣuptasthāna ekībhūtaḥ prajñānaghana evānandamayo hyānandabhuk cetomukhaḥ prājñas tṛtīyaḥ pādaḥ.

Meaning:
The third state is deep sleep (Prājña), where there is no desire or dream. It is blissful, undivided, and the enjoyer of bliss.
→ You are blissful in deep sleep, though unaware of it.

🕉 Verse 6

Sanskrit:
एष सर्वेश्वरः एष सर्वज्ञः एषोऽन्तर्याम्येष योनिः सर्वस्य प्रभवाप्ययौ हि भूतानाम्॥

Transliteration:
Eṣa sarveśvaraḥ eṣa sarvajñaḥ eṣo’ntaryāmyeṣa yoniḥ sarvasya prabhavāpyayau hi bhūtānām.

Meaning:
This (Prājña) is the Lord of all, the knower of all, the inner controller, and the source and dissolution of all beings.
→ The deep sleep state connects you to the source of creation.

🕉 Verse 7

Sanskrit:
नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिष्प्रज्ञं न उभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम्।
अदृष्टम् अव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणं अचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः॥

Transliteration:
Nāntaḥprajñaṁ na bahiṣprajñaṁ na ubhayataḥprajñaṁ na prajñānaghanaṁ na prajñaṁ nāprajñam…

Meaning:
The fourth (Turīya) is not inwardly or outwardly aware, not a state of knowing or unknowing. It is unseen, beyond transaction, beyond logic, indescribable, the essence of Self, the end of all phenomena, peaceful, blissful, and non-dual. That is the Self to be realized.
→ Turīya is your true nature—pure, silent awareness beyond all states.

🕉 Verse 8

Sanskrit:
सोऽयं आत्माअदशर्चत्वारि पादमात्रा। अपादं पादविभागेन निबोधितम्।

Transliteration:
So’yaṁ ātmādhyakṣaracatuṣpāt pādamātraḥ. Apādaṁ pādavibhāgena nibodhitam.

Meaning:
This Self is expressed as Om, which has four parts corresponding to the four states.
→ Om is the symbol that maps consciousness.

🕉 Verse 9

Sanskrit:
अकारः प्रथमामात्रा, वैश्वानरः, जागरितस्थानो, अप्तिवादनादिलाभत्वात्॥

Transliteration:
Akāraḥ prathamā mātrā, vaiśvānaraḥ, jāgaritasthānaḥ, āptivādanādilābhatvāt.

Meaning:
The letter “A” represents the waking state (Vaiśvānara), being the beginning and most manifest.
→ Start of Om = Start of conscious experience.

🕉 Verse 10

Sanskrit:
उकारो द्वितीयामात्रा, तैजसः, स्वप्नस्थानो, उत्कर्षाद्वा उभयत्वाद्वा॥

Transliteration:
Ukāro dvitīyā mātrā, taijasaḥ, svapnasthānaḥ, utkarṣād vā ubhayatvād vā.

Meaning:
“U” is the dream state (Taijasa), a middle sound linking waking and deep sleep.
→ Represents the subtle, in-between awareness.

🕉 Verse 11

Sanskrit:
मकारस्तृतीयमात्रा, प्राज्ञः, सुषुप्तस्थानः, मिति मीलनात्॥

Transliteration:
Makāras tṛtīyā mātrā, prājñaḥ, suṣuptasthānaḥ, miti mīlanāt.

Meaning:
“M” is deep sleep (Prājña), the closing sound, representing dissolution and merging.
→ Like merging into silence.

🕉 Verse 12

Sanskrit:
अमात्रश्चतुर्थः अव्यवहार्यः पश्यन्तो न वर्णं न वर्णमात्रं अनवस्थितः।
शान्तः शिवः अद्वैतः, स एव आत्मा स विज्ञेयः॥

Transliteration:
Amātraś caturthaḥ avyavahāryaḥ… śāntaḥ śivaḥ advaitaḥ sa eva ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ.

Meaning:
The fourth part, the silence after Om, is beyond syllables and beyond transaction. It is peace, auspiciousness, non-dual. That is the Self, to be known.

→ The silence after “A-U-M” is your true nature—pure awareness.

Summary of Teachings

State	Name	Sound	Meaning
Waking	Vaiśvānara	A	Gross, external experience
Dreaming	Taijasa	U	Subtle, inner experience
Deep Sleep	Prājña	M	Blissful ignorance
Transcendent	Turīya	—	Pure Awareness, Self

 Key Practices Inspired by the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad

Awareness of the Four States

Practice: Witness the transitions between waking, dream, and sleep.

• As you fall asleep or wake up, stay alert.

• Ask: “Who is aware of these changing states?”

• This detaches you from identification with body, mind, and sleep.

This develops Turīya-sākshātkāra — realization of the fourth.

AUM Contemplation (AUM Upāsanā)

A central teaching is the symbolism of AUM (Om). Each sound maps to a state:

• A = Waking (Vaiśvānara)

• U = Dreaming (Taijasa)

• M = Deep Sleep (Prājña)

• Silence after AUM = Turīya (Pure Awareness)

Practice:

• Chant AUM slowly and mindfully.

• Pause after chanting and rest in the silent awareness.

• Meditate on the “I am” that is beyond thought—just presence.

This integrates sound (nāda) with jnāna and bhāva (beingness).

Neti-Neti (Not This, Not This)

Gaudapāda’s Kārikā (commentary) on the Māṇḍūkya expands this:

• You are not the waking body, nor the dreamer, nor the sleeper.

• Reject all identifications — thoughts, emotions, doership.

Practice:

• Use self-inquiry: “Am I the thought? the body? the dreamer?”

• Gradually arrive at the direct experience: “I am none of these.”

The final realization is: “I am Turīya, the unchanging witness.”

Drik-Drishya Viveka (Seer-Seen Discrimination)

From Advaita logic rooted in the Upanishad:

• All that is perceived is not the Self.

• What changes is not you.

Practice:

• Observe sensations, thoughts, waking/dreaming states as objects.

• Ask: “What is the unchanging Seer of all these?”

This leads to abidance in pure consciousness.

Abidance in Silence (Mauna)

The Upanishad ends with:

“This Self is Brahman. This is the end of all teaching.”

Practice:

• Instead of pursuing more mental knowledge, rest in Silence.

• No mental effort. No mantra. Just be.

Turīya is not known by doing, but by being.

Complementary Texts

While Māṇḍūkya itself is terse, for practice-related insights, study these:

• Māṇḍūkya Kārikā by Gaudapāda – elaborates on non-dual meditation, ajātivāda (non-origination), and deep contemplation.

• Yoga Vāsiṣṭha – for applying waking-dream-deep sleep insights in daily life.

• Ashtavakra Gītā – for radical non-dual pointers to Turīya.

  Final Realization

  The Māṇḍūkya Upanishad is not for mystical experiences but for recognizing your Self as the ever-present, formless awareness that:

• Witnesses all changes,

• Is never born nor dies,

• Is the only reality (Brahman).

  When this realization becomes unshakable and lived, the “sushupti while awake” you asked about is fulfilled.

Mumukshutva - Intense Longing for Liberation

Mumukshutva - the intense longing for liberation - is beautiful because it's both the fuel for the spiritual journey and a practice you can cultivate. 

 

It is a Sanskrit term that means “intense desire for liberation” (moksha). It is one of the four essential qualifications (Sadhana Chatushtaya) for a spiritual seeker, especially in Advaita Vedanta. Mumukshutva is the deep, burning aspiration to be free from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) and attain self-realization — the direct experience of one’s true nature as Brahman (pure consciousness).

“Mokṣo me bhūyat iti icchā mumukṣutvam.”
– The desire: “Let me attain liberation” is mumukshutva.

 

Here's how to develop and deepen it:

 

Understanding What You're Longing For

First, get clear on what liberation actually means to you. It's not escaping life, but recognizing your true nature - the peace, freedom, and wholeness that's already here beneath all the mental noise and identity-seeking.

"Neti, Neti" (Not this, Not this): 

You are not your body, thoughts, emotions, or roles. 

You are the awareness that observes all these.

Start each day asking: 

Who is the one who is thinking these thoughts? 

Who is aware of these feelings? 

You're the observer, not the observed.

 

Daily Practices to Cultivate Mumukshutva

Morning Intention Setting:

• Upon waking, before checking your phone or getting busy, ask: "What do I really want today?" Let yourself feel the deeper longing beneath surface desires.
• Set an intention: "May I recognize my true nature today."
   
   

Evening Reflection:

• Before sleep, contemplate: "What brought me closest to peace today? What pulled me away from it?"
• Notice how pursuing temporary pleasures or avoiding discomfort creates suffering.
  

  Mantralayam, North Karnataka 

"Enough!" Moments:

• When you catch yourself in repetitive mental patterns, drama, or seeking validation, pause and say internally: "Enough of this! I want to be free."
• Use frustration with mental suffering as fuel for spiritual aspiration.
   
   

Deepening the Longing

Study Stories of Liberation:

• Read about sages who found freedom. Let their peace inspire your own longing.
• Notice how they describe the relief of no longer being trapped by thoughts and identities.
   
   

Contemplate Impermanence:

• Observe how everything changes - thoughts, feelings, circumstances, relationships.
• Ask: "What in me doesn't change? What remains constant through all experience?"

Feel the Cost of Unconsciousness:

• Notice how much energy you spend on worry, comparison, seeking approval, or defending positions.
• Let the exhaustion of this fuel your desire for the simplicity of just being.
   
   

The key is making liberation feel more compelling than the familiar patterns of seeking happiness in temporary things. When that longing becomes stronger than your attachment to the drama of the separate self, you're naturally drawn into deeper practice.

Shiva Dhyana Mantra

Shiva Dhyana Mantra

 Gogarbha Shiva Cave

The "Karacharana Krtam Vaa" shloka is a prayer of repentance and surrender to Lord Shiva. It is traditionally recited at the end of Shiva worship or meditation to seek forgiveness for any known or unknown mistakes. 

Shri Mahabaleshwar Atmalinga, Gokarna 

|| Karacharana Kritam Vaa Kaayajam Karmajam Vaa

 Shravana Nayanjam Vaa Maanasam Vaaparadham

Vihitam Avihitam Vaa Sarva Me Tat Kshamasva

Jaya Jaya Karunaabdhe Shree Mahadeva Shambho ||

करचरण कृतं वाऽकायजं कर्मजं वा
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वाऽपराधम्।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो॥ 

 Atmalinga

 

Atmalinga 

Meaning:

“O compassionate ocean of mercy, Mahadeva Shambhu!

Whatever sins I have committed — 

through my hands and feet, body and actions, ears and eyes, or mind — 

knowingly or unknowingly, rightfully or wrongfully — please forgive them all.

Victory to You, O Lord of compassion!” 

 

Mahadev Khola Dham, Shillong, Meghalaya 

I seek your blessings, Lord Shiva, 

May I be forgiven for the sins of my hands, feet, speech, actions, ears, eyes, or mind.

May my body, mind, and spirit be cleansed, 

O merciful Lord Shiva.

 

Shri Murdeshwar Atmalinga, Karnataka 

 

For a more thorough explanation of the mantra, look below:

Karacharana Kritam Vaa : Whatever Sins have been Committed by Actions Performed by my Hands and Feet

Kaayajam Karmajam Vaa : Produced by my Speech and Body, Or my Works

Shravana Nayanjam Vaa : Produced by my Ears and Eyes

Maanasam Vaaparadham : Sins Committed by my Mind

Vihitam Avihitam Vaa : While performing actions that are Prescribed (i.e. duties prescribed by tradition or allotted duties in one's station of life), as well as all other actions that are not explicitly prescribed (i.e. actions done by self-judgment, by mere habit, without much thinking, unknowingly etc.)

Sarva Me Tat Kshamasva : Please Forgive Them All

Jaya Jaya Karunaabdhe : Victory, Victory to You Ocean of Compassion.

Shree Mahadeva Shambho : O Sri Mahadeva Shambho

 

 

Surathkal Atmalinga, Karnataka 

 

A heartfelt surrender seeking total forgiveness for all conscious and unconscious wrongs, placing complete trust in Lord Shiva's boundless compassion. 

Moksha/Liberation through Mindfulness and Self-observation

Attaining Moksha (liberation) through mindfulness and self-observation is a practical and deeply transformative path. It aligns closely with Raja Yoga, Buddhist vipassana, and certain schools of Advaita Vedanta, and is especially suitable for householders and meditators in the modern world.

                                                         Karkala Gomateshwara, Karnataka

Here’s a clear breakdown of how mindfulness (smṛti/sati) and self-observation (atma-vichara) can lead to Moksha:

Path to Moksha Through Mindfulness & Self-Observation

1. Understand What You Are Not (Self-Observation Begins)

• Observe the body, emotions, and thoughts as not-self.

• Realize: “This body changes. These thoughts come and go. I am the one witnessing them.”

• This helps disidentify from ego and form.

“You are not the body. You are not the mind. You are the witness of both.” – Nisargadatta Maharaj

Salugara Monastery, North Bengal
 

2. Cultivate Constant Mindfulness (Present Moment Awareness)

• Be aware of:

  • Bodily sensations

  • Breathing

  • Emotions

  • Reactions

  • Thought patterns

• Remain as a neutral observer without judgment.

• This gradually dissolves mental conditioning and egoic identification.

“Mindfulness is the path to the deathless (Nirvana).” – Buddha

 

Ghoom Monastery (Samten Choeling), Darjeeling

 

Brahmaputra river, Guwahati 

3. Watch the Mind Without Controlling It

• Let thoughts arise and pass.

• Don’t react. Just observe.

• You begin to see that you are not the thinker, but the awareness in which thoughts arise.

“Let thoughts come and go. Just be the silent witness.” – Ramana Maharshi

 

Sowparnika River, Karnataka 

4. Discover the Gap (Pure Awareness)

• As mindfulness deepens, you begin to experience stillness between thoughts.

• This space is pure consciousness—your real Self.

• Abide in this silence. This is the gateway to Moksha.

5. Dissolution of Ego

• Continuous observation weakens the false ‘I’ (ego).

• The sense of separateness dissolves.

• What remains is unconditioned, ever-free awareness—Brahman or Nirvana.

“Awareness watching awareness is the direct path to freedom.”

 

                                              Mawjymbuin Caves, Meghalaya

6. Liberation Here and Now (Jivanmukti)

• Moksha is not going somewhere.

• It is awakening to your ever-present nature—free from craving, fear, and bondage.

• You become a Jivanmukta: liberated while living.

Daily Practices to Cultivate This Path

• Morning Silence: 10–30 mins of sitting in awareness.

• Mindful Breathing: Watch the breath throughout the day.

• Self-inquiry: Gently ask “Who am I?” when disturbed.

• Non-Reactivity: Watch anger, desire, and fear like clouds passing.

• Retreats: Attend vipassana or Advaita-style silent retreats.

Summary

Practice	Outcome
Self-observation	Disidentification from mind-body
Mindfulness	Living in the now, dissolving karma
Silence and Inquiry	Realization of the true Self
Abidance in Awareness	Liberation (Moksha)

“Moksha is not an attainment. It is the recognition of what you have always been — pure, silent, ever-free consciousness.”