Om, Brahman, and the fourfold self

Om encompasses time and the timeless; all is Brahman, and the self is taught through four quarters.

Dr. Ronald Steiner

Nils Jacob Liersch

Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 1

ॐ इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानं भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वम्ॐकार एव |

oṃ ity etad akṣaram idaṃ sarvaṃ tasyopavyākhyānaṃ bhūtaṃ bhavad bhaviṣyad iti sarvam oṃkāra eva | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

oṃ	oṃ particle	Om
iti	iti particle	thus
etat nominative singular neuter	etad pronoun dem	this
akṣaram nominative singular	akṣara substantive neuter	syllable
idam nominative singular neuter	idam pronoun dem	this
sarvam nominative singular neuter	sarva adjective	all
tasya genitive singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	of it
upavyākhyānam nominative singular	upavyākhyāna substantive neuter	explanation
bhūtam nominative singular neuter past participle passive	bhū verbal root	past
bhavat nominative singular neuter present participle active	bhū verbal root	present
bhaviṣyat nominative singular neuter future participle passive	bhū verbal root	future
iti	iti particle	thus
sarvam nominative singular neuter	sarva adjective	all
oṃkāraḥ nominative singular	oṃkāra substantive masculine	Om
eva	eva particle	indeed

यच्चान्यत्त्रिकालातीतं तदप्य्ॐकार एव ||1||

yac cānyat trikālātītaṃ tad apy oṃkāra eva ||1|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

yat nominative singular neuter	yat pronoun rel	which
ca	ca particle	and
anyat nominative singular neuter	anya pronoun quant	other
trikālātītam nominative singular neuter past participle passive	tri numeral kāla substantive masculine ati previx i verbal root	beyond the three times
tat nominative singular neuter	tad pronoun dem	that
api	api particle	also
oṃkāraḥ nominative singular	oṃkāra substantive masculine	Om
eva	eva particle	indeed

Metre: none

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

Om—this imperishable syllable is all that exists. Its unfolding is this: whatever was, whatever is, and whatever will be is nothing but Om. Whatever lies beyond the three divisions of time is also Om.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Gaudapāda’s Kārikā reads the passage through ajāti (non-origination) and explains Om as the verbal symbol of time as a whole and of what transcends time. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Gauḍapāda's Kārikā on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad

Śaṅkara explains Om as the verbal symbol of time as a whole and of what transcends time. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Śaṅkara's Bhāṣya on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad

Ānandagiri sharpens Śaṅkara’s argument and emphasizes Om as the verbal symbol of time as a whole and of what transcends time. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Ānandagiri's Ṭīkā on the Māṇḍūkya Bhāṣya

Śaṅkarānanda presents the passage in a meditative and systematic way and emphasizes Om as the verbal symbol of time as a whole and of what transcends time. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Śaṅkarānanda's Māṇḍūkyopaniṣaddīpikā

om. LV1958 ] add. hariḥ oṃ Anand1900 ante oṃ ity etad

sarvaṃ tasyopavyākhyānaṃ Anand1900 ] sarvam | tasyopavyākhyānam | LV1958

sarvam oṃkāra Anand1900 ] sarvam oṅkāra LV1958

apy oṃkāra Anand1900 ] apy oṅkāra LV1958

Critical Apparatus

Om!—This syllable<1> is this whole world. Its further explanation is:—The past, the present, the future—everything is just the word Om. And whatever else that transcends threefold time<2>—that, too, is just the word Om.
<1: Inasmuch as akṣaram means also ‘imperishable,’ the word may in this connection be used with a double significance.>
<2: A similar phrase occurs at Śvet. 6.5b.>

Robert Hume - 1921

Om! Diese Silbe ist die ganze Welt. Ihre Erläuterung ist wie folgt: Das Vergangene, das Gegenwärtige und das Zukünftige, dieses alles ist der Laut Om. Und was außerdem noch über die drei Zeiten hinausliegend ist, auch das ist der Laut Om.

Paul Deussen - 1921

Aum is the word, all this is an explanation of its (meaning and power) past, present and future. All, indeed, is Aum; even all that is beyond the triple conception of time.

Manilal Nabhubhai Dvivedi - 1894

“Om” this is immortal. Its explanation is this all; what was, what is, and what will be, all is verily the word “Om;” and every thing else which is beyond the threefold time is also verily the word “Om.”

Edward Röer - 1853

Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 2

सर्वं ह्येतद्ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सो ऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ||2||

sarvaṃ hy etad brahmāyam ātmā brahma so 'yam ātmā catuṣpāt ||2|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴

sarvam nominative singular neuter	sarva adjective	all
hi	hi particle	for
etat nominative singular neuter	etad pronoun dem	this
brahma nominative singular	brahman substantive neuter	Brahman
ayam nominative singular masculine	idam pronoun dem	this
ātmā nominative singular	ātman substantive masculine	Self
brahma nominative singular	brahman substantive neuter	Brahman
saḥ nominative singular masculine	tad pronoun dem	that
ayam nominative singular masculine	idam pronoun dem	this
ātmā nominative singular	ātman substantive masculine	Self
catuṣpāt nominative singular masculine	catur numeral pād substantive masculine	four-quartered

Metre: none

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal

All this is Brahman. This Self is Brahman. This Self has four quarters.

Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

Gaudapāda’s Kārikā reads the passage through ajāti (non-origination) and explains the identity of Brahman and Self and their didactic division into four quarters. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Gauḍapāda's Kārikā on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad

Śaṅkara explains the identity of Brahman and Self and their didactic division into four quarters. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Śaṅkara's Bhāṣya on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad

Ānandagiri sharpens Śaṅkara’s argument and emphasizes the identity of Brahman and Self and their didactic division into four quarters. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Ānandagiri's Ṭīkā on the Māṇḍūkya Bhāṣya

Śaṅkarānanda presents the passage in a meditative and systematic way and emphasizes the identity of Brahman and Self and their didactic division into four quarters. Its terms are treated as stages in recognizing the one Ātman, not as independent realities.

Śaṅkarānanda's Māṇḍūkyopaniṣaddīpikā

brahmāyam Anand1900 ] brahma | ayam LV1958

ātmā brahma so Anand1900 ] ātmā brahma | so LV1958

Critical Apparatus

For truly, everything here is Brahma; this self (ātman) is Brahma. This same self has four fourths.

Robert Hume - 1921

Denn dies alles ist Brahman, Brahman aber ist dieser Ātman (die Seele), und dieser Ātman ist vierfach.

Paul Deussen - 1921

For all this is Brahman, this Ātman is Brahman, and this Ātman has four quarters (pādas).

Manilal Nabhubhai Dvivedi - 1894

For this all (represented by “Om”) is Brahma; this soul is Brahma. This soul has four conditions.

Edward Röer - 1853

Om, Brahman, and the fourfold self

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