Cheto-Mukhah
Ceto-Mukhaḥ (IAST)Translation: "whose mouth is consciousness"
From Mandukya Upanishad (Verse 5)
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: चेतोमुखः
Transliteration: Ceto-Mukhaḥ
Translation: "gateway to cognition"
Definition:
- It is used as a name for deep sleep (Suṣupti).
Mundaka and Mandukya Upanishads (Swami Sharvananda)
Sanskrit: चेतोमुखः
Transliteration: Ceto-Mukhaḥ
Translation: "mouth of knowledge (or one who is the cause of knowledge)"
Definition: "i.e., who is at the back of all mentation and cognizance, who is the root of the other two states of consciousness viz., the awakened and the dreaming states. That is why it is also called the causal state."
The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad (Swami Krishnananda)
Commentary: "Ānanda-Mayo Ananda-Bhuk Cetomukhah: What is the instrument through which you enjoy this Ānanda? Not the senses, not the mind. While there were nineteen mouths for you in the waking and dreaming states, there are no such mouths in deep sleep. Here, the mouth is not the mind or the senses, but consciousness alone is the mouth – Cetomukhah. Consciousness enjoys bliss. Who enjoys bliss? Consciousness alone, is the answer. It is Cit that experiences Ānanda, not the Indriya(s) or the Mānās, the senses or the mind. In deep sleep there is only Ānanda experienced by Cit. You experience Satchidānanda, here, Consciousness-Being, as such."
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Sharvananda, Swami (1920). Mundaka and Mandukya Upanishads: With Sanskrit Text; Paraphrase with Word-For-Word Literal Translation, English, Rendering and Comments. Mylapore, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math
- Krishnananda, Swami (1996). The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. Retrieved from https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/mand_0.html. p. 74.
