Meditating on Amatra: The Silence Beyond Om Sound
The Mandukya Upanishad systematically explains Turiya—meaning "the fourth"—by mapping the structural components of Om (Aum) to the states of human consciousness.
While the three audible sounds (Matras)—A, U, and M—represent the three ordinary states of consciousness (Jagrat or waking, Swapna or dreaming, and Sushupti or deep sleep), Turiya corresponds to the silence that follows the chanting. This unmanifest silence is called Amatra (without measure or parts).
Key aspects of Turiya as taught in the scripture include:
- The Underlying Awareness: Just as silence is the origin, container, and final destination of the sound A-U-M, Turiya is the infinite background of pure consciousness (Atman) from which all physical, subtle, and causal realities arise and dissolve.
- Non-Dual Reality: Verse 7 describes Turiya as Shantam (peaceful), Shivam (auspicious), and Advaitam (non-dual). It is not a temporary experience or state of mind, but the permanent, unchanging true nature of the self (Brahman).
- The Fourth Quarter: Verse 12 explicitly identifies this measureless aspect: amatraschaturtho'vyavaharyah—the soundless, partless, peaceful, non-dual fourth aspect of Om is the ultimate Self to be realized.
Through contemplating the silent resonance after chanting Om, a practitioner shifts identification away from limited states of mind and abides in the pure, undivided awareness of Turiya.
FOLLOW-UP: How can one practically contemplate the silent state of Amatra during Om meditation?
SIMPLE EXPLANATION
Practicing meditation on the silent state after chanting Om is like listening to a ringing bell fade into the quiet room around you. Imagine striking a heavy brass temple bell. At first, the ring is strong and vibrant. Slowly, the sound grows softer, humming gently in the air, until it gradually fades away into total silence. Although the sound stops, your mind remains alert, still, and calm, resting in that peaceful stillness.
The ancient tradition teaches that the sacred sound Om consists of three audible parts that blend together—A, U, and M. However, the most profound moment of the chant happens right after the sound vanishes into silence. This measureless, uncreated silence is called Amatra (the partless or measureless state).
When people practice this contemplation, they do not just make a sound; they use the sound as a bridge to cross over into absolute quietness. By focusing entire attention on the silent gap between breaths and chants, the restless mind naturally settles down. Daily worries, endless mental chatter, and stress melt away into the quiet background. This practice helps seekers recognize that beneath all the noisy events and thoughts of everyday life, there is an inner sanctuary of steady, eternal peace sitting quietly within the heart.
PRACTICAL ASPECTS
To practice this contemplation, sit comfortably in a quiet space with an upright spine during early morning hours like Brahma Muhurta (the sacred period before sunrise).
- Breathing: Begin with slow, deep abdominal breaths to steady the mind.
- Audible Sound: Inhale fully, then exhale while chanting A-U-M, letting the sound reverberate naturally from the navel up to the crown of the head.
- Fading Vibration: Allow the final M sound to taper off softly, like a distant echo.
- Resting in Silence: When the sound completely ends, do not rush to inhale. Hold your awareness entirely within the silent stillness (Amatra) for several seconds.
- Observation: Notice that while sound comes and goes, your inner awareness of the silence remains constant.
No special ritual tools are required—only a quiet room, a seat cushion, and dedicated regular practice for 10 to 20 minutes daily.
ADVANCED EXPLORATION
Contemplating Amatra is the subtle transition from external ritual worship (Karma Kanda) to direct self-inquiry (Jnana Kanda). In Nada Yoga, sound travels through four stages of manifestation: Vaikhari (spoken sound), Madhyama (mental thought-sound), Pashyanti (visualized or intuitive sound), and Para (transcendent silence). The practice of Pranava meditation systematically retracts sound through these layers back into its origin, Para or Amatra.
This contemplative process unfolds across four semantic layers:
- Kriya (Action): The physical vibration of A-U-M moves energy from the Muladhara Chakra up through the Ajna Chakra, terminating at the Sahasrara, where physical sound ceases.
- Artha (Meaning): The practitioner consciously dissolves the waking state (Jagrat), dreaming state (Swapna), and deep sleep state (Sushupti) into the non-dual consciousness of Turiya.
- Mantra (Hymn): The transition moves from Ahata Nada (struck, audible sound) to Anahata Nada (unstruck inner resonance), ultimately dissolving into absolute silence.
- Tattva (Philosophy): The seeker shifts identity from the individual sheaths (Koshas)—from Annamaya Kosha to Anandamaya Kosha—and merges into the unconditioned witness awareness (Sakshi).
This process purifies the subtle body through Antahkarana Shuddhi (cleansing of the mind and intellect). As Patanjali outlines in the Yoga Sutras, this journey encompasses Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) and Dharana (concentration), culminating in Dhyana (meditation) upon Turiya. While the three sounds of A-U-M represent Saguna Brahman (manifest reality with attributes and creation, preservation, and destruction), the silent Amatra represents Nirguna Brahman (attributeless, unmanifest, supreme reality).
Philosophical Significance:
The silent state of Amatra reveals that consciousness is not an activity of the mind, but the primary background in which all mental activities arise and dissolve. While audible sounds have a beginning and an end, the silence after the sound is uncreated, infinite, and continuous. By abiding in Amatra, the practitioner realizes that the true Self (Atman) is untouched by waking troubles, dream illusions, or deep-sleep ignorance. It establishes direct realization of Advaita (non-duality), where the illusion of separation between subject and object dissolves into pure, unbroken Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda).
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
The primary authority for Amatra contemplation is the Mandukya Upanishad, which dedicates its 12th verse to this ultimate state of Omkara. In his commentary (Mandukya Karika Bhashya), the great philosopher Adi Shankara explains that Amatra is identical to Turiya and the absolute Atman. He emphasizes that while the three sound-measures (Matras) serve as conscious pointers, liberation occurs solely through realizing the measureless soundless state.
In the Gaudapada Karika, Acharya Gaudapada teaches that one who knows both the sound-measures (Matras) and the soundless state (Amatra) is a true sage (Muni). The Amritabindu Upanishad similarly notes that sound centered in the letters leads to the unlettered, soundless Supreme (Aswara).
MANTRAS
The soundless, partless aspect of **Om** is the Fourth state (**Turiya**). It is beyond empirical transactions, the quiet cessation of all phenomenal dualities, ever-peaceful, auspicious, and non-dual. Thus, the syllable **Om** is truly the supreme Self. He who knows this merges his individual self into the supreme Self by his own realized awareness.