Turiya

(“fourth”) The name for the innermost
quarter of the Self (atman), as described
in the Mandukya Upanishad, one of the
speculative religious texts that form the
latest stratum of the Vedas, the oldest
Hindu sacred texts. As with most of the
Upanishads, the Mandukya Upanishad’s
underlying concern is to investigate
ultimate questions, in particular the
nature of the Self. The upanishad
describes the Self as having four
quarters, each of which removes another
layer of egoism. The first quarter is
waking consciousness, which is
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Tumari
Tulsi plant used in Tulsi Vivah festival.
characterized by perceptions of subject
and object; the second is dream
sleep, which is sheer subjectivity; the
third is deep sleep, which has neither
subject nor object; and the last is a
mysterious state simply called “the
fourth” (turiya), which is the Self. This
state is identified as the ultimate truth,
and knowledge of this brings final
liberation of the soul (moksha).