nāntaḥ-prajñaṁ na bahiṣ-prajñaṁ nobhayataḥ-prajñaṁ na prajñāna-ghanaṁ na prajñaṁ nāprajñam | adṛṣṭam avyavahāryam agrāhyam alakṣaṇam acintyam avyapadeśyam ekātma-pratyaya-sāraṁ prapañcopaśamaṁ śāntaṁ śivam advaitaṁ caturthaṁ manyante sa ātmā sa vijñeyaḥ ||
"Not inwardly conscious, not outwardly conscious, not conscious both ways, not a mass of consciousness, not conscious, not unconscious — unseen, beyond transaction, ungraspable, without characteristics, unthinkable, indescribable, the essence of the awareness of one Self, the cessation of the world, peaceful, auspicious, non-dual — this they consider the fourth. This is the Self. This is to be known."
What This Means:
The fourth state (Turiya) is described by what it is NOT — not waking, not dreaming, not deep sleep, not conscious in any ordinary sense, not unconscious either. It's beyond all description. This is your true Self — pure awareness itself, peaceful, non-dual, the end of all illusion.
Going Deeper:
This famous verse uses negation (neti neti method) because Turiya cannot be grasped by thought or described by words. It's not a state among other states but the background awareness in which all states appear. "Cessation of the world" (prapañcopaśama) means the illusory appearance of multiplicity dissolves when Turiya is recognized.
How To Apply This:
You cannot "achieve" Turiya because you already ARE it. It's not a special experience to be gained but your ever-present nature to be recognized. Look for what is present in waking, dreaming, and deep sleep — that unchanging awareness is the fourth.
Key Sanskrit Terms: