The purpose of discussing the dream state in the upanishads

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In his bhAshya on brahmasUtra III.ii.4 Shri Shankara says that the purpose

of introducing the topic of dream in the upanishads is to bring out

distinctly the fact that the witnessing Self is self-effulgent. In

brihadAraNyaka upanishad, IV.iii.9 it is said, " In this (dream) state the

purusha (Self) himself becomes the light " . In the waking state there is

contact between the sense-organs and the objects and there is also the light

of the sun or lamp, etc. The effulgence of the Self cannot therefore be

distinguished from the external lights. In dream there is no other light and

so it is clear that all the experiences are made possible only by the light

of the Self itself. That is why it is stated particularly that the Self is

the light in the dream, though the Self is the light in the waking state

also. In his commentary on br. up. IV.iii.9 Shri Shankara points out that in

deep sleep there is no object to be revealed and so the Self cannot be shown

to be the light in that state.

 

br. up. IV.iii.23 says: " That the Self does not see anything in deep sleep

is because, though seeing then, it does not see; for the vision of the

witness can never be lost, because it is imperishable. But there is no

second thing separate from it which it can see " . In deep sleep avidya does

not project other objects as it does in the waking state. This is the reason

why nothing else is seen. The power of the witnessing consciousness to see

remains unaffected always.

 

In br. up. IV.iii.10 it is said that there are no chariots, nor animals to

be yoked to them, nor streets there, but the dreamer creates the chariots,

the animals and the streets. These creations are only modifications of the

mind, resulting from the impressions of the waking state and of the person's

past actions.

 

In the bhAshya on brahmasUtra III.ii.4 Shri Shankara says: This creation in

dream is not of the same order of reality as the creation of space, etc. And

yet the creation of space, etc., also has no absolute reality; for, under

the sutra II.i.14, " The effect is non-different from the cause since terms

like 'origin', etc., are met with " , it was shown that the whole creation is

but mAyA. But before the realization of the identity of the Self with

brahman, creation counting from space, etc., continues just as it is,

whereas the creation in dream is abrogated every day. Hence the statement

that dream is merely mAyA has a special significance.

 

The objects in the dream state have only prAtibhAsika reality, i.e., they

come into existence only when they are seen, like rope-snake, shell-silver,

etc. The objects of the waking state have vyAvahArika reality, i.e., they

exist even before they are seen. They too cease to exist on the realization

of one's identity with brahman.

 

Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri