jāgarita-sthāno bahiṣ-prajñaḥ saptāṅga ekonaviṁśati-mukhaḥ sthūla-bhug vaiśvānaraḥ prathamaḥ pādaḥ ||
"The first quarter is Vaishvanara, whose sphere is the waking state, who is conscious of external objects, who has seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and who experiences gross (physical) objects."
What This Means:
The first state is the waking state — when you're aware of the external world through your senses. In this state, consciousness seems to flow outward, and you experience physical objects. This is called Vaishvanara (the "universal person").
Going Deeper:
The "seven limbs" refer to the cosmic body described in another Upanishad (head=heaven, eyes=sun, breath=air, etc.). The "nineteen mouths" are the five sense organs, five action organs, five pranas, plus mind, intellect, ego, and memory. This shows that even the waking state connects us to cosmic dimensions.
How To Apply This:
Right now, reading this, you're in the waking state — consciousness directed outward through eyes and mind. Notice how this feels like reality. But you'll soon sleep, and that will seem equally real. The waking state is just one mode of experience, not the only reality.
Key Sanskrit Terms: