There is another state called Turiya and it is the state of supreme awareness. What is this form of the Turiya state? A story is narrated by Swami Niranjananda on Turiya state.

Maharishi Yajnavalkya (Vedic scholar) asked Gargi (a female Upanishadic thinker), “In whose light does a man do his work?” Gargi answered that a man does his work in the light of the sun. Yajnavalkya asked again that when the light of the sun is absent then how does a man do his work? Gargi replied that then the man does his work under the light of the moon. Yajnavalkya again asked what if the light of the moon is absent? Gargi replied that then the light of the stars would guide him.

Yajnavalkya persisted and said what if the light of the stars was not there, then under whose light would he perform his actions and live his life? Gargi then said that if there was darkness everywhere and no light outside, at that time the man would discharge his duties only through the light of the soul, the self or atman.

The luminosity of the atman can neither be found in the sun, the moon or the stars. In the same way, in the conscious state is the light of the sun, in the subconscious state is the light of the moon, in the unconscious state is the light of the stars, and in the Turiya, state is the light of the soul.

This is the message of the Upanishads and the dialogue between Yajnavalkya and Gargi.

Aim Hrim Klim