The Mandukya Upanishad Dhyana Mantra is a meditation verse from the Mandukya Upanishad, one of the shortest yet most profound Upanishads in the Vedantic tradition. The Upanishad itself is part of the Atharvaveda and consists of only twelve verses, but it is revered for its exposition of the four states of consciousness (jāgrat, svapna, suṣupti, turīya) through the sacred syllable Om (praṇava). The dhyana mantra is traditionally chanted to internalize these states and realize the non-dual Self (Ātman) as identical with Brahman.
According to the Mandukya Upanishad (verse 1), “Om is the imperishable, the past, present, and future; all is Om.” The mantra’s beej-akshara is Om itself, composed of the phonemes A, U, and M, representing the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, while the silence after M symbolizes turīya, the fourth state beyond. The purpose of chanting this mantra is to attain self-realization and liberation (mokṣa). The Māṇḍūkya Kārikā of Gauḍapāda, a commentary on the Upanishad, further explains that meditation on Om leads to the cessation of all duality.
Traditional chanting is recommended during brahma muhūrta (pre-dawn hours), with a count of 108 repetitions using a rudrākṣa or crystal mālā. The setting should be a quiet, clean space conducive to introspection. No specific cautions are recorded, but as with all Upaniṣadic mantras, it should be chanted with reverence and an understanding of its meaning.
The mantra is also associated with the deity Brahman/Ātman, as the Upanishad declares (verse 7): “Turiya is the Self, the one to be known.”
Om – this imperishable syllable is all this. Its explanation is: whatever is past, present, and future, all that is Om alone.
The mantra is centered on the beej-akshara 'Om', composed of A, U, and M, representing the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, deep sleep), with the silence after M symbolizing turīya, the fourth state beyond.