Mundaka Upanishad

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धनुर्गृहीत्वौपनिषदं महास्त्रं शरं ह्युपासानिशितं संधयीत । आयम्य तद्भावगतेन चेतसा लक्ष्यं तदेवाक्षरं सोम्य विद्धि ॥

dhanurgṛhītvaupaniṣadaṃ mahāstraṃ śaraṃ hyupāsāniśitaṃ saṃdhayīta āyamya tadbhāvagatena cetasā lakṣyaṃ tadevākṣaraṃ somya viddhi

Take up the bow of the Upanishad, that mighty weapon, set to it an arrow sharpened by adoration, draw the bow…

Spirituality is not for the timid, the lukewarm, the ones who live life in a diplomatic way, the ones who like to keep all ends secured and covered. You have to be unreasonably, outrageously in love. You have to be in love with that immensity, and then you can easily reject all the petty things, and you won’t feel bad. After all, we are lovers of joy.

Those who are anywhere close to the Truth know what is being said. The journeying fructifies only when one is at the destination in the beginning itself. Be at the destination right in the beginning, and then the journey will be successful. But if one is traveling to reach the destination, one will never reach because the traveler is designed to not reach. If he were to reach, why would he be a traveler?

बृहच्च तद्दिव्यमचिन्त्यरूपं सूक्ष्माच्च तत्सूक्ष्मतरं विभाति । दूरात्सुदूरे तदिहान्तिके च पश्यन्त्विहैव निहितं गुहायाम् ॥

bṛhacca taddivyamacintyarūpaṃ sūkṣmācca tatsūkṣmataraṃ vibhāti dūrātsudūre tadihāntike ca paśyantvihaiva nihitaṃ guhāyām

Vast is That, divine, its form unthinkable; it shines out subtler than the subtle: very far and farther than farness, it is here close to us,…

स यो ह वै तत् परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति । तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥

sa yo ha vai tat paramaṃ brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati nāsyābrahmavitkule bhavati tarati śokaṃ tarati pāpmānaṃ guhāgranthibhyo vimukto'mṛto bhavati

He, verily, who knows that Supreme Brahman becomes himself Brahman;…

तस्मादग्निः समिधो यस्य सूर्यः सोमात्पर्जन्य ओषधयः पृथिव्याम् । पुमान्रेतः सिञ्चति योषितायां बह्वीः प्रजाः पुरुषात्संप्रसूताः ॥

tasmādagniḥ samidho yasya sūryaḥ somātparjanya oṣadhayaḥ pṛthivyām pumānretaḥ siñcati yoṣitāyāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ puruṣātsaṃprasūtāḥ

From Him is fire, of which the sun is the fuel, then rain from the soma, herbs upon the earth, and the…

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः । ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे ॥

vedāntavijñānasuniścitārthāḥ saṁnyāsayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ te brahmalokeṣu parāntakāle parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve

Doers of askesis who have made sure of the aim of the whole knowledge of Vedanta, the inner being purified by the Yoga of renunciation, all in the hour of…

यं यं लोकं मनसा संविभाति विशुद्धसत्त्वः कामयते यांश्च कामान् । तं तं लोकं जयते तांश्च कामांस्तस्मादात्मज्ञं ह्यर्चयेत्भूतिकामः ॥

yaṃ yaṃ lokaṃ manasā saṃvibhāti viśuddhasattvaḥ kāmayate yāṃśca kāmān taṃ taṃ lokaṃ jayate tāṃśca kāmāṃstasmādātmajñaṃ hyarcayetbhūtikāmaḥ

Whatever world the man whose inner being is purified sheds the light of his mind upon,…

न चक्षुषा गृह्यते नापि वाचा नान्यैर्देवैस्तपसा कर्मण वा । ज्ञानप्रसादेन विशुद्धसत्त्वस्ततस्तु तं पश्यते निष्कलं ध्यायमानः ॥

na cakṣuṣā gṛhyate nāpi vācā nānyairdevaistapasā karmaṇa vā jñānaprasādena viśuddhasattvastatastu taṃ paśyate niṣkalaṃ dhyāyamānaḥ

Eye cannot seize, speech cannot grasp Him, nor these other godheads; not by austerity can he be held nor by…

मनोमयः प्राणशरीरनेता प्रतिष्ठितोऽन्ने हृदयं सन्निधाय । तद्विज्ञानेन परिपश्यन्ति धीरा आनन्दरूपममृतं यद् विभाति ॥

manomayaḥ prāṇaśarīranetā pratiṣṭhito'nne hṛdayaṃ sannidhāya tadvijñānena paripaśyanti dhīrā ānandarūpamamṛtaṃ yad vibhāti

The mental being, leader of the life and the body, has set the heart in matter, in matter He has taken His firm foundation. By its…

यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रेऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय । तथा विद्वान्नामरूपाद्विमुक्तः परात्परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥

yathā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudre'staṃ gacchanti nāmarūpe vihāya tathā vidvānnāmarūpādvimuktaḥ parātparaṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam

As rivers in their flowing reach their home in the ocean and cast off their names and forms, even so one who knows is…

गताः कलाः पञ्चदश प्रतिष्ठा देवाश्च सर्वे प्रतिदेवतासु । कर्माणि विज्ञानमयश्च आत्मा परेऽव्यये सर्वे एकीभवन्ति ॥

gatāḥ kalāḥ pañcadaśa pratiṣṭhā devāśca sarve pratidevatāsu karmāṇi vijñānamayaśca ātmā pare'vyaye sarve ekībhavanti

The fifteen parts return into their foundations, and all the gods pass into their proper godheads, works and the Self of Knowledge,…

यस्मिन्द्यौः पृथिवी चान्तरिक्षमोतं मनः सह प्राणैश्च सर्वैः । तमेवैकं जानथ आत्मानमन्या वाचो विमुञ्चथामृतस्यैष सेतुः ॥

yasmindyauḥ pṛthivī cāntarikṣamotaṃ manaḥ saha prāṇaiśca sarvaiḥ tamevaikaṃ jānatha ātmānamanyā vāco vimuñcathāmṛtasyaiṣa setuḥ

He in whom are inwoven heaven and earth and the mid region, and mind with all the life currents, Him know to…

तदेतदृचाऽभ्युक्तं क्रियावन्तः श्रोत्रिया ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः । तेषामेवैतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत शिरोव्रतं विधिवद्यैस्तु चीर्णम् ॥

tadetadṛcā'bhyuktaṃ kriyāvantaḥ śrotriyā brahmaniṣṭhāḥ svayaṃ juhvata ekarṣiṃ śraddhayantaḥ teṣāmevaitāṃ brahmavidyāṃ vadeta śirovrataṃ vidhivadyaistu cīrṇam

This is That declared by the Rig Veda. Doers of works, versed in the Veda, men absorbed in the Brahman,…

यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद्यस्यैष महिमा भुवि । दिव्येब्रह्मपुरे ह्येष व्योम्न्यात्मा प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavidyasyaiṣa mahimā bhuvi divyebrahmapure hyeṣa vyomnyātmā pratiṣṭhitaḥ

The Omniscient, the All-wise, whose is this might and majesty upon the earth, is this Self enthroned in the divine city of the Brahman, in his ethereal heaven.

~ Verse…

आविः संनिहितं गुहाचरन्नाम महत्पदमत्रैतत्समर्पितम् । एजत्प्राणन्निमिषच्च यदेतज्जानथ सदसद्वरेण्यं परं विज्ञानाद्यद्वरिष्ठं प्रजानाम् ॥

āviḥ saṃnihitaṃ guhācarannāma mahatpadamatraitatsamarpitam ejatprāṇannimiṣacca yadetajjānatha sadasadvareṇyaṃ paraṃ vijñānādyadvariṣṭhaṃ prajānām

Manifested, it is here set close within, moving in the secret heart. This is the mighty foundation and into it is consigned all that moves and breathes and…

भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टे परावरे ॥

bhidyate hṛdayagranthiśchidyante sarvasaṃśayāḥ kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi tasmindṛṣṭe parāvare

The knot of the heartstrings is rent, cut away are all doubts, and a man’s works are spent and perish, when is seen That which is at once the being below and…

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते । तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte tayoranyaḥ pippalaṃ svādvattyanaśnannanyo abhicākaśīti

Two birds, beautiful of wing, close companions, cling to one common tree: of the two one eats the sweet fruit of the tree, the other eats…

संप्राप्यैनमृषयो ज्ञानतृप्ताः कृतात्मानो वीतरागाः प्रशान्ताः । ते सर्वगं सर्वतः प्राप्यधीरा युक्तात्मानः सर्वमेवाविशन्ति ॥

saṃprāpyainamṛṣayo jñānatṛptāḥ kṛtātmāno vītarāgāḥ praśāntāḥ te sarvagaṃ sarvataḥ prāpyadhīrā yuktātmānaḥ sarvamevāviśanti

Attaining to Him, seers glad with fullness of knowledge, perfected in the Self, all passions cast from them, tranquilised, these, the wise, come to the all-pervading…

एतस्माज्जायते प्रणो मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च । खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवी विश्वस्य धारिणी ॥

etasmājjāyate praṇo manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca khaṃ vāyurjyotirāpaḥ pṛthivī viśvasya dhāriṇī

Life and mind and the senses are born from Him, and the sky and the wind and light and the waters and earth upholding all that is.

~…

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥

na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti

There the sun shines not and the moon has no splendor and the stars…

अग्नीर्मूर्धा चक्षुषी चन्द्रसूर्यौ दिशः श्रोत्रे वाग्विवृताश्च वेदाः । वायुः प्रणो हृदयं विश्वमस्य पद्भ्यां पृथिवी ह्येष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा ॥

agnīrmūrdhā cakṣuṣī candrasūryau diśaḥ śrotre vāgvivṛtāśca vedāḥ vāyuḥ praṇo hṛdayaṃ viśvamasya padbhyāṃ pṛthivī hyeṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā

Fire is the head of Him and His eyes are the sun and moon, the quarters His organs…

प्रणो ह्येष यः सर्वभूतैर्विभाति विजानन्विद्वान्भवते नातिवादी । आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिः क्रियावानेष ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः ॥

praṇo hyeṣa yaḥ sarvabhūtairvibhāti vijānanvidvānbhavate nātivādī ātmakrīḍa ātmaratiḥ kriyāvāneṣa brahmavidāṃ variṣṭhaḥ

This is the life in things that shines manifested by all these beings; a man of knowledge coming wholly to know this, draws back from creeds…

कामान्यः कामयते मन्यमानः स कामभिर्जायते तत्र तत्र । पर्याप्तकामस्य कृतात्मनस्विहैव सर्वे प्रविलीयन्ति कामाः ॥

kāmānyaḥ kāmayate manyamānaḥ sa kāmabhirjāyate tatra tatra paryāptakāmasya kṛtātmanasvihaiva sarve pravilīyanti kāmāḥ

He who cherishes desires and his mind dwells with his longings, is by his desires born again wherever they lead him, but the man…

तस्मादृचः साम यजूंषि दीक्षा यज्ञाश्च सर्वे क्रतवो दक्षिणाश्च । संवत्सरश्च यजमानश्च लोकाः सोमो यत्र पवते यत्र सूर्यः ॥

tasmādṛcaḥ sāma yajūṃṣi dīkṣā yajñāśca sarve kratavo dakṣiṇāśca saṃvatsaraśca yajamānaśca lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra sūryaḥ

From Him are the hymns of the Rig Veda, the Sama and the Yajur, initiation, and…

“He who cherishes desires and his mind dwells with his longings is by his desires born again wherever they lead him but the man who has won all his desires and has found his soul for him, even here in this world vanish away all desires.” ~Mundaka Upanishad

Questioner (Q):…

एषोऽणुरात्मा चेतसा वेदितव्यो यस्मिन्प्राणः पञ्चधा संविवेश । प्राणैश्चित्तं सर्वमोतं प्रजानां यस्मिन्विशुद्धे विभवत्येष आत्मा ॥

eṣo'ṇurātmā cetasā veditavyo yasminprāṇaḥ pañcadhā saṃviveśa prāṇaiścittaṃ sarvamotaṃ prajānāṃ yasminviśuddhe vibhavatyeṣa ātmā

This Self is subtle and has to be known by a thought-mind into which the life-force has made its fivefold entry: all the conscious…

स वेदैतत्परमं ब्रह्म धाम यत्र विश्वं निहितं भाति शुभ्रम् । उपासते पुरुषं ये ह्यकामास्ते शुक्रमेतदतिवर्तन्ति धीराः ॥

sa vedaitatparamaṃ brahma dhāma yatra viśvaṃ nihitaṃ bhāti śubhram upāsate puruṣaṃ ye hyakāmāste śukrametadativartanti dhīrāḥ

He knows this supreme Brahman as the highest abiding place in which this radiant universe is placed and…

हिरण्मये परे कोशे विरजं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् । तच्छुभ्रं ज्योतिषं ज्योतिस्तद्यदात्मविदो विदुः ॥

hiraṇmaye pare kośe virajaṃ brahma niṣkalam tacchubhraṃ jyotiṣaṃ jyotistadyadātmavido viduḥ

In a supreme golden sheath the Brahman lies, stainless, without parts. A Splendor is That, It is the Light of Lights, It is That which the self-knowers know.…

आचार्य प्रशांत: गिरीश मोहन हैं, कह रहे हैं उपनिषद् में बहुत पहले पढ़ा था, “नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो”। आपकी बातें सुनता हूँ तो वो श्लोक याद आ गया, मुझे समझाइए कि आप ताकत पर, बल पर इतना ज़ोर क्यों देते हैं ?

गिरीश मोहन! बल तो चाहिए न, नहीं तो बह…