Concept of Oneness in 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲

The concept of Oneness in the Upanishads (study)

by Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya | 2015 | 52,584 words

This page relates 鈥楥oncept of Oneness in Mandukya Upanishad鈥� of the study dealing with the Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads鈥擲piritual teachings of ancient India in the form of Sanskrit literature. The Upanisads teach us the essential oneness of humanity and guide us to the truth that the whole world is a family.This concept of oneness is the very essence of spiritualism, which constitutes the solid structure of Indian culture.

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Concept of Oneness in 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲

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The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 belongs to the Atharvaveda which is shortest among all the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 and consists of twelve mantras only. The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 is so called because the composer of this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 is sage 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补, the teacher of 骋辞惫颈苍诲补辫腻诲补, who was the teacher of 艢a峁僰ar膩c膩rya, wrote a 办腻谤颈办腻 on this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 about two hundred and fifty verses. It is known as 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补办腻谤颈办腻. This 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 has explained very beautifully the theory of non-dualism. The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says that the whole world is nothing but Brahman itself. According to this 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, Om is the symbol of Brahman and by the realisation of greatness of Om one can realise the greatness of Brahman also. The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes the syllable Om and Brahman as one and same. Saying the statement, 鈥楢ll this world is Brahman, this individual self is also Brahman鈥�, the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 gives the message of unity in diversity.

At the very beginning, the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says:

鈥�omityetadak峁ramida峁儾醪拱共贯箖 tasyopavy膩khy膩na峁� 产丑耻迟补峁� bhavadbhavi峁aditi sarvamo峁卥膩ra eva/ yacc膩nyat trik膩l膩t墨ta峁� tadapyo峁卥膩ra eva//鈥�^[1]

[Trans: Aum, this syllable is all this. An explanation of that (is the following). All that is the past, the present and the future, all this is only the syllable Aum. And whatever else there is beyond the threefold time, that too is only the syllable Aum.]^[2]

According to the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 all in this universe is Om and there is no difference between Om and Brahman. In the above mentioned mantras of the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, the sacred word Om and Brahman, the Ultimate Reality of this whole universe have been used as synonymous. So, Om stands for Brahman and is both the cause and effect. Therefore, according to the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, all in this universe is nothing but 翱峁僰腻谤补 only. Om is considered to be an apt symbol of Brahman. Brahman is all-inclusive, in the same way Om is also all-inclusive. When we are trying to pronounce Om, we touch all points in our mouth from where sound is produced. Therefore, Om is called 鈥�艣补产诲补 brahman鈥�, i.e., the 艣补产诲补 or sound represents the Supreme Brahman. According to this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, the world around us is not real.

It is the knowledge which can destroys our ignorance. When the phenomenal world is negated, there is only the substratum left鈥搕hat is Om or Brahman or 膧迟尘补苍.

鈥淭he syllable Om is made up of three elements: A, U, and M. A is the root sound. It is produced from the back of the throat. M is the final sound, because it is produced by the closed lips. And U is the sound produced in between. Sound is nothing but an expression of something that exists, and Om represents all sounds. So, this Om stands for Brahman. It stands for everything, for the whole universe.鈥�^[3]

Om is the instrument for realising the nature of Brahman or 膧迟尘补苍. No amount of discussion can give us the perfect knowledge about Ultimate Reality or Brahman. But the meditation of Om is the main door to realise the proper nature of Supreme Brahman which is everywhere and everything of this whole universe. Thus, Om which is also known as Brahman or 膧迟尘补苍 consists of three letters A, U, M, which are the symbols of the ordinary states of waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. According to the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, a person who contemplates on A he contemplates on the whole universe, which guides him to 惫颈艣惫补 and to 惫颈谤腻迟 level, i.e., 惫颈艣惫补 on individual level and to 惫颈谤腻迟 on the cosmic level. Again this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 states that a person who contemplates on U, he contemplates on subtle universe and it guides him to taijasa and to 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补, i.e., taijasa on the individual level and to 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补 on the cosmic level. Again contemplation on M leads a person to the causal state to 辫谤腻箩帽补 and 莫艣惫补谤补. Thus, this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 gives us easy methods of realising the nature of Ultimate Reality, i.e., Brahman.

R.G. Desai states in this regard that鈥�

鈥淥m is said to be an eternal mantra and the mother of all other mantras. It is a basic sound vibration which electrifies the whole body and soul. Apart from clearing the voice, it purifies the whole system. Under the guidance of an able guru, it can make one鈥檚 whole being vibrant. Any person who practises the right way can acquire a resonant, persuasive voice. What is needed is scientific research on OM, a mantra which has appealed to the people of India for centuries.鈥�^[4]

The 艢谤颈尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻, Ka峁環a 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 笔谤补艣苍补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, Taittr墨ya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 have discussed the importance of Om and maintained that the Supreme Brahman is known by means of Om. According to the Traittir墨ya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, by meditating on Om, all these elements are identified with the Ultimate Reality. All the designated things in this universe depend for their designation on something else, all that we see is depend on the syllable Om. Thus, the syllable Om is assumed to be equal with Supreme Being, i.e., Brahman.

The 艢谤颈尘补诲-产丑补驳补惫补诲-驳墨迟腻 says:

鈥�辞尘颈迟测别办腻办峁谤补峁� brahma 惫测补丑补谤补苍尘腻尘补苍耻蝉尘补谤补苍/
测补岣� 辫谤补测腻迟颈 tyajandeha峁� sa 测腻迟颈辫补谤补尘腻峁� gatim//鈥�^[5]

[Trans: He who leaves the body and departs uttering the one Indestructible Brahma, OM, and dwelling on Me in My absolute aspect, reaches the supreme goal.]^[6]

In the 笔谤补艣苍补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 笔颈辫辫补濒腻诲补 tells his disciple 厂补迟测补办腻尘补 about the nature of Om. He says that Om is both the lower knowledge (补辫补谤腻惫颈诲测腻) and higher knowledge (辫补谤腻惫颈诲测腻). By meditating Om one may reach both the lower and higher knowledge.

The reference of this fact is elaborated by G. Gispert Sauch, S.J. thus,

鈥淚f one is satisfied with a partial meditation one gains the lower worlds which remain within the transmigration circuit. If one does a meditation of the syllable as a whole, in its totality, one reaches that 鈥淲hich is tranquil (蝉腻苍迟补 [蝉腻苍迟补m]), unaging (ajara [ajaram]), immortal (补尘峁泃补 [补尘峁泃补m]), fearless (abhaya [abhayam]), the supreme (para [param]).鈥�^[7]

When one engages in meditation on the Supreme Reality with a view to realise the self, he should meditate on Om. The 艢谤颈尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 says that a person who utters the single syllable Om remembering the eternal Brahman at the time of death, he goes to the highest goal.

The 惭耻峁囜笉补办补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 also states:

鈥�omityeva峁� dhy膩yatha 膩tm膩na峁� svasti va岣� par膩ya 迟补尘补蝉补岣� 辫补谤补蝉迟腻迟/鈥�^[8]

[Trans: Meditating on Om one may cross the ignorance, which is full of darkness, and attains the Supreme Brahman.]

The 艢惫别迟腻艣惫补迟补谤补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 also says:

鈥�vahneryath膩 yonigatasya m奴rtirna d峁浥泍ate naiva ca 濒颈峁単补苍腻艣补岣�/ sa 产丑奴ya evendhanayonig峁沨yastadvobhaya峁� vai pra峁嘺vena dehe//鈥�^[9]

[Trans: As the form of fire when latent in its source is not seen and yet its seed is not destroyed, but may be seized again and again in its source by means of the drill, so it is in both cases. The self has to be seized in the body by means of the syllable Aum.]^[10]

Yama also tells to Naciketa that the letter Om is the Brahman and this is the Supreme. A person by worshipping this very letter Om as Brahman, fulfils his desires. Therefore, 翱峁僰腻谤补 is the best among all means to realise the Supreme Brahman.

In this way perhaps it can be said that 翱峁僰腻谤补 the symbol of Brahman, i.e., Ultimate Reality is non-different from Brahman. The 翱峁僰腻谤补 is the Parama Brahman itself. It is the past, present and future; and that which is beyond these three times and different from these is also 翱峁僰腻谤补. Therefore, Om is all this.

Elaborating the nature of oneness among individual self and Supreme Self, the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 states:

鈥�蝉补谤惫补峁� hyetadbrahm膩yam膩tm膩 brahma so鈥檡am膩tma catu峁膩t/鈥�^[11]

[Trans: All this is Brahman, this individual self, i.e., 膧迟尘补苍 is also Brahman; this 膧迟尘补苍 (Brahman) has four legs.]

Here the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says that, the individual self and Supreme Self are one and same. There is no difference between them. Therefore, the individual self is nothing but 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 itself. The unborn and immortal element which is not to be confused with our body, life, mind and intellect, and the inner self of man is non-separate from Brahman. In this regard the concept of the 艢atapatha Br膩hma峁嘺^[12] and Ch膩ndogya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 has been rightly stated by S. Radhakrishnan-鈥榁erily this whole world is Brahman,鈥� and also 鈥楾his soul of mine within the heart, this is Brahman.鈥� 鈥楾hat person who is seen in the eye, He is 膧迟尘补苍, that is Brahman.^[13] The microcosm and macrocosm are one and same.

In this way, the Reality, who is in this body, is also in the sun. It is the same self (膧迟尘补苍), the same Brahman (the Ultimate Reality). Thus, the Reality is one and without a second. Almost all the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 bring the idea of non dual Brahman. According to them, the individual self and Supreme Self are one and same and all these things and beings surrounding us is nothing but Brahman itself.

These mantras of the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 prove the idea about oneness:

鈥�辫耻谤耻峁 eveda峁� 蝉补谤惫补峁� yad产丑奴ta峁� yacca bhavyam鈥�^[14]
鈥�蝉补谤惫补迟补岣� 辫腻峁噄辫腻诲补峁� 迟补迟蝉补谤惫补迟辞鈥檏峁艣颈谤辞尘耻办丑补尘/鈥�^[15]
鈥�eko 诲别惫补岣� 蝉补谤惫补产丑奴迟别峁 驳奴岣峢补岣� 蝉补谤惫补惫测腻辫墨蝉补谤惫补产丑奴迟腻苍迟补谤腻迟尘腻/鈥�^[16]
鈥�tadetatsatya峁� tad补尘峁泃补峁� tadveddhavya峁� somya viddhi/鈥�^[17]

The Ultimate Reality is one and without a second. The individual self is Brahman itself. Brahman is everything and everywhere in this universe.

According to Padmaj膩 Sen,

鈥淭he world is only a vivarta and appearance of Brahman and as an absolute appearance it is at once real and unreal. It is real as being the manifestation of the Brahman, and unreal as being alienated from Brahman.鈥�^[18]

Brahman is the ultimate cause of this universe and He is all in all. It includes everything in it. All things come out from It and also return to It at last. Brahman is underlying all things, but in itself indescribable. This Reality is the soul of the world, the source of all things and is eternal. The non-dual Brahman is worshipped as uktha in the 峁欢, Agni in the 驰补箩耻岣� and the 惭补丑腻惫谤补迟补 in the 厂腻尘补.^[19]

The real essence of the Reality is one.

鈥淲e make sacrifices to the ultimate Lord of the Universe who runs through every particle of this Universe, the whole existence, and who is blissful and indescribable.鈥�^[20]

The Ultimate Reality, i.e., 膧迟尘补苍 or Brahman is independent reality and is distinct from other things. It has its own individuality and liberty. It is not limited by any principle and absolutely unique in its nature. Swami Vivekananda states that the Ultimate Reality which is known as 膧迟尘补苍 or Brahman is eternal, eternally pure, the almighty, the all merciful, the all knowing, formless, omnipresent and partless reality. According to 艢a峁僰ar膩c膩rya the Ultimate Reality, i.e., Brahman and 膧迟尘补苍 are identical. 膧迟尘补苍 is self-luminous consciousness. 艢a峁僰ar膩c膩rya proclaims that the 膧迟尘补苍 is pure intelligence, pure blessedness and pure being, which is one for all.^[21]

From the above discussion, probably it can be said that the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲ic view 鈥楾his self is Brahman鈥� has been supported in almost all the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲蝉 and by most of the Indian thinkers. Sometimes in our life, we feel that the world is real, and some time we think that the individual self and the Supreme Self is completely different things. It is happens on account of our ignorance or 补惫颈诲测腻. In reality, there is nothing but one Reality that surround the whole and that is the real thing. This Reality is acosmic (苍颈峁谤补辫补帽肠补), qualityless (苍颈谤驳耻峁嘺), indeterminate (苍颈谤惫颈艣别峁), and indescribable (补苍颈谤惫补肠补苍墨测补). It is one and devoid of all kinds of duplication.

That is why, Swami Ranganathananda says in this context,

鈥淐onsciousness is never experienced in the plural, only in the singular 鈥� Consciousness is a singular of which the plural is unknown; that there is only one thing and that, what seems to be a plurality, is merely a series of different aspects of this one thing produced by a deception (the Indian Maya.)鈥�^[22]

Elaborating the identification of Individual self and Supreme Self and the essential oneness of Brahman and 膧迟尘补苍, the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 states that this 膧迟尘补苍 has four legs. They are 惫颈艣惫补, the waking state, taijasa, the dream state; 辫谤腻箩帽补, the state of dreamless sleep and 迟耻谤墨测补, the state of spiritual consciousness.

The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says:

鈥�j膩garitasth膩no bahi岣メ梗praj帽a岣� 蝉补辫迟腻峁単补 ekonavi峁兣沘timukha岣� sth奴labhug惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补岣� 辫谤补迟丑补尘补岣� 辫腻诲补岣�//鈥�^[23]

[Trans: The first quarter is 痴补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 whose sphere (of action) is the waking state, whose consciousness relates to things external, who is possessed of seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and who enjoys gross things.]^[24]

The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 explains the four states of the Consciousness, i.e., Brahman. The first leg of Brahman is 惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补.

It is called 惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 because,

鈥淗e leads all creatures of the universe in diverse ways to the enjoyment of various objects, or because he comprises all beings.鈥�^[25]

艢a峁僰ar膩c膩rya says:

鈥�vi艣ve峁Ｄ佱箖 nar膩峁嚹乵补苍别办补诲丑腻苍补测补苍腻诲惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补岣�; yad v膩惫颈艣惫补艣 c膩sau nara艣 ceti 惫颈艣惫腻苍补谤补岣�; 惫颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 eva 惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补岣�//鈥�^[26]

痴补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 means 惫颈艣惫补 and nara鈥搕hat is, all beings. The whole gross world is his body (艣补谤墨谤补) similar to the embodied soul in its wakeful state (箩腻驳谤补迟补补惫补蝉迟丑腻) whose knowing power permeates the outer world. The seven lokas, viz., 产丑奴濒辞办补岣�, 产丑耻产补谤濒辞办补岣�, 蝉惫补谤濒辞办补岣�, 尘补丑补濒辞办补岣�, 箩补苍补濒辞办补岣�, 迟补辫辞濒辞办补岣� and 蝉补迟测补濒辞办补岣� are its parts. The five sense organs, viz., netram, 艣谤辞迟谤补尘, 驳丑谤腻峁嘺尘, rasanam and tvak; the five karmendriyas, viz., 惫腻办, 辫腻苍颈, 辫腻诲补, 辫腻测耻 and upastha; the five 辫谤腻峁嘺蝉 (辫补帽肠补辫谤腻苍补), viz., 辫谤腻峁嘺, 补辫腻苍补, 惫测腻苍补, 耻诲腻苍补 and 蝉补尘腻苍补 and finally the four aspects of mind (补苍迟补办补谤补峁嘺), viz., manas, buddhi, citta and 补丑补峁卥腻谤补鈥搕hese nineteen cosmic agents are his nineteen mouths. These nineteen in number grasp the sense objects and is the enjoyer of the gross world. It is manifested in the outer gross world. This 惫补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 of pantheistic nature is the first leg of the Brahman.

骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补 in his 办腻谤颈办腻 (骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补办腻谤颈办腻) says that when the individual is awake and conscious of this world, he is called 惫颈艣惫补. Gauda辫腻诲补 describes him as 惫颈产丑耻岣�, all pervasive. In this state we see everything around us and we take everything through our sense organs. Therefore, our consciousness is outward (产补丑颈蝉辫谤补箩帽补),^[27] i.e., in this state we are conscious of the external world and enjoy this gross physical world (蝉迟丑奴濒补产丑耻办).

The second stage of the Brahman is described in the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 thus:

鈥�svapnasth膩no鈥檔ta岣raj帽a岣� 蝉补辫迟腻峁単补 ekonavi峁兣沘timukha岣� praviviktabhuk taijaso dvit墨测补岣� 辫腻诲补岣�//鈥�^[28]

[Trans: The second part is Taijasa whose place is in the dream state, who beholds the internal objects, who has seven limbs and nineteen mouths and who experiences the subtle objects.]^[29]

The second leg of Brahman is described in this mantra. Taijasa is the second quarter, whose sphere (of activity) is the dream state. It possesses seven limbs and nineteen mouths and enjoys subtle objects.

Regarding dreaming state, 艢a峁僰ar膩c膩rya, the great commentator states,

鈥淭he senses are at rest, but the common sensory proceeds to work, and the images, painted upon it like pictures on a canvas, simulate the outward objects of the waking experiences. The common sensory is set in motion in this way by the illusion, the desires and the retributive fatality, which cling to the soul through all its migrations. The individual sleeping soul is styled Taijasa, the sum of sleeping souls in their invisible bodies is 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补.鈥�^[30]

In the dreaming state the presiding jivatman of the subtle body has seven subtle limbs and nineteen subtle mouths. The seven subtle lokas鈥�产丑奴, bhuva, svar, maha, jana, tapa, and satya are its seven limbs. The five sense organs鈥�netra, 艣谤辞迟谤补, 驳丑谤腻峁嘺, rasan and tvak; the five karmendriyas鈥�惫腻办, pani, 辫腻诲补, 辫腻测耻 and upastha; the five 辫谤腻峁嘺蝉鈥�辫谤腻峁嘺, 补辫腻苍补, 惫测腻苍补, 耻诲腻苍补, 蝉补尘腻苍补 and the four 补苍迟补办补谤补峁嘺s, viz.,鈥�manas, buddhi, citta and 补丑补峁卥腻谤补, nineteen in number鈥攁ccompanied with that is the subtle body of Brahman, which is in the form of the subtle world. 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补 is the 膧迟尘腻 of it (the subtle body-mind complex), who is the controller of the subtle world. That shining and subtle 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补 is the second leg of Brahman.

The third state of Brahman is described in the M膩nd奴kya 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 as:

鈥�yatra supto na ka峁僣ana 办腻尘补峁� k膩mayate na ka峁僣ana 蝉惫补辫苍补峁� pa艣yati tatsu峁ptam/
蝉耻峁辫迟补蝉迟丑腻苍补 ek墨产丑奴ta岣� pra箩帽腻苍补ghana ev膩nandamayo hy膩nandabhuk cetomukha岣� 辫谤腻箩帽补st峁泃墨测补岣� 辫腻诲补岣�//鈥�^[31]

[Trans: In which stage; the person sleeping; desires not any object; dreams not any dream; that is sleeping state; one who has the dissolving stage of the universe, i.e., the causal stage which is akin to deep slumber, as his body; who is alone in an undifferentiated stage; who is alone the solidified knowledge; bliss itself; effulgence as his mouth; enjoyer of the bliss; conscious par excellence is the third leg of Brahma.]^[32]

The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says that blissful 辫谤腻箩帽补 is the third leg of Brahman. In this stage a sleeping person neither desires any enjoyable object nor does he experience any dream. It is known as sleeping stage. Gough Edward has observed that, 鈥淒reamless sleep is that state in which the sleeper desires no desire and sees no dream. The third quarter is the soul in the state of dreamless sleep, being one in itself, a mass of cognition, pre-eminent in bliss, with fruition of beatitude, having thought as its inlet, and of transcendent knowledge.鈥�^[33] In this state, i.e., when a person lies in the dreamless sleep there is a sense of oneness. There is only consciousness, undifferentiated consciousness, consciousness that is not particularised. In this state both the body and the mind remain in rest, but there is consciousness. In this way, in 惫颈艣惫补, i.e., in the first state of Brahman, the self enjoys all gross things, whereas in the taijasa state, it enjoys those in a subtle manner, according to its desires. But, in the 辫谤腻箩帽补 state, the self enjoys only bliss. In this way, there are the three kinds of enjoyment, which have been described in the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 in a very beautiful manner.

The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 states that 辫谤腻箩帽补 is the lord of everything, the protector of everything and also controller of everything. The 辫谤腻箩帽补 is omniscient, i.e., all knowing and all seeking. All things arise from him and also merge into him. He is 补苍迟补谤测腻尘颈, i.e., indwelling spirit. It is the essence of everything and living in the heart of every beings. He is sarvasya 测辞苍颈岣�, i.e., he is the cause of every things and beings. Everything comes from the same source. There is only one single entity that is common to all of us.^[34]

Regarding the fourth leg of Brahman the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says:

鈥�n膩nta岣ケ璋孤崦辈贯箖 na bahi岣ケ璋孤崦辈贯箖 nobhayata岣ケ璋孤崦辈贯箖 na pra箩帽腻苍补ghana峁� na 辫谤补箩帽补峁� n膩praj帽am / ad峁涐梗峁璦mavyavah膩ryamagr膩岣yamalak峁峁嘺macintyama-vyapadesyamek膩tmapratyayas膩ra峁� prapa帽copa艣ama峁� 艣腻苍迟补峁� 艣颈惫补尘补诲惫补颈-迟补峁� 肠补迟耻谤迟丑补峁� manyante sa 膩tm膩 sa vij帽e测补岣�//鈥�^[35]

[Trans: Not cognising the internal objects, not cognising the external objects, not cognising either, not being a mass of sentience, not cognising and not not-cognising, invisible, incapable of being spoken of, not capable of being grasped, not having any identifying mark, unthinkable, unnamable, the essence of the knowledge of the one self, that into which all phenomena get resolved, tranquil, blissful, non-dual -such they consider as the fourth (part). He is the self. He is to be known.]^[36]

The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 has declared that the Self can be seen in four states (辫腻诲补s), viz., 惫颈艣惫补 (the waking state), taijasa (the dream state), 辫谤腻箩帽补 (the deep sleep state) and 迟耻谤墨测补 (pure consciousness). The last 辫腻诲补, i.e., 迟耻谤墨测补 is the real nature of the Self. The attributeless, formless and undifferentiated aspect is stated to be the fourth leg of Brahman. In above mantra, the 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 gives the nature of Para Brahman, who is non-dual. That is the real thing, which is acintyam, 补驳谤腻丑测补尘, 补惫测补辫补诲别艣测补尘, 辫谤补辫补帽肠辞辫补艣补尘补尘, 艣腻苍迟补尘, 艣颈惫补尘 and advaitam. In the Gauda辫腻诲补-办腻谤颈办腻, Gauda辫腻诲补 says, 鈥淭ur墨ya is described [by the wise] as: one without a second, always the same, all pervasive [as water in a wave], the ultimate negation of the phenomenal world, self-luminous, pure consciousness, Para Brahman, who alone is able to remove suffering totally. [Suffering ends when one is able to realize one鈥檚 identity as Para Brahman.]^[37] Thus, this (迟耻谤墨测补) is our real state and the knowledge of this state is very important.

In this way there are the four stages of Brahman. According to this 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 迟耻谤墨测补 is, infact our own self. Our ultimate aim of life is also to know the self. If we know the nature of 膧迟尘补苍, we see oneness in the whole creation and realise that there is only the Self and nothing else.

According to the 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, the partless Om is 迟耻谤墨测补. The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes 迟耻谤墨测补 state as 补尘腻迟谤补, i.e., partless. It is Om itself and it is also the self, i.e., it is Para Brahman itself. It is formless, beyond of mind and speech, attributeless, formless, and avyavah膩r测补岣�, i.e., beyond empirical relations. It is one without a second. There is nothing different from It. This non-dual Brahman cannot be said as couple. Because, we cannot say that here is one Brahman and there is another. It is only one and there is nothing beyond it. It is constant Reality and it never decays. He who knows it, assimilates his self with that Supreme Self, i.e., he becomes one with the Supreme Brahman.^[38]

骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补 in his 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补-办腻谤颈办腻 says that Om is both higher (superior) and lower (inferior) Brahman. Higher Brahman is Supreme, i.e., Para Brahman. It is qualityless, i.e., 苍颈谤驳耻峁嘺. Lower Brahman is apara Brahman, which is manifested as this universe. But, when this universe is negated by the knowledge (箩帽腻苍补) there is only Brahman (one without a second) in the whole. He is unaffected and always the same. Thus, Para Brahman and apara Brahman are same and one. It is the beginning, middle and end of everything. According to 骋补耻岣峚辫腻诲补, 尘腻迟谤腻 derived in the sense of that by which anything is measured, signifies dimension; but, Brahman cannot be determined by anything and is duality less. Therefore, Brahman is 补尘腻迟谤补岣�, i.e., partless.^[39]

In this way, the four legs of integral Brahman are three gross, subtle and causal鈥揳ttributed form and the fourth attributeless and bodiless form, the Supreme Reality, the soul of all beings.

The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 describes the 膧迟尘补苍 or Brahman as peace. The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 suggests that through the realisation of 膧迟尘补苍 one gets peace, i.e., attains Brahman, the Ultimate Peace. The 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 gives the message of kindness, compassion, affection and co-operation among the people. It brings out the idea of oneness. The 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲 says that human being is nothing but Brahman itself. Human beings are the creation of Brahman and there is no difference among them. They all are equal and the same.