AUM & the Frog Upanishad

This article explores key principles from the Mandukya Upanishad for achieving Self Realization with the guidance of Radhikaji.

The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of all the Upanishads—just 12 verses—but it unlocks the deepest truth of who you really are. The word Mandukya means “frog.” This curious name gives you a hint, but that is something for you to contemplate on.

Mandukya means “frog” Credit: David Vives, Unsplash

AUM isn’t just a chant. It’s the map of your mind.

The Mandukya Upanishad propounds that the entire universe, and your own consciousness, can be understood by understanding AUM.

• The “A” stands for the waking state—when your awareness is outward, engaged with the world.

• The “U” is the dreaming state—when your awareness is inward, weaving stories in the mind from memory and imagination.

• The “M” is deep sleep—a state of rest and bliss where there are no desires, no dreams. Yet, it is not empty.

And then comes the most profound part—the silence after AUM.

That silence represents Turiya—the Fourth. This silence is you—your Individual Consciousness—the Witness behind waking, dreaming, and sleep. It’s beyond words. It’s infinite, eternal and unchanging.

The teaching is simple but revolutionary: You are not just your body or mind. You are Pure Consciousness—Turiya. Realizing this is liberation.

AUM, the 3 levels of consciousness Credit: Radhika Shah Grouven

So the Mandukya Upanishad tells us: if you really know AUM, you know yourself. And if you know yourself, you know the universe.

For the overview of the 12 verses with a short summary of the verse click HERE.