mundaka upanishad

 

The Mundaka Upanishad ( मुण्डकोपनिषद्,) is an ancient Sanskrit Vedic text, embedded inside Atharva Veda.[1] It is a Mukhya (primary) Upanishad, and is listed as number 5 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads of Hinduism. It is among the most widely translated Upanishads.

It is presented as a dialogue between sage Saunaka and sage Angiras. It is a poetic verse style Upanishad, with 64 verses, written in the form of mantras. However, these mantras are not used in rituals, rather they are used for teaching and meditation on spiritual knowledge.

The Mundaka Upanishad contains three Mundakams (parts), each with two khandas (sections).

The first Mundakam,  defines the science of "Higher Knowledge" and "Lower Knowledge", and tasserts that acts of oblations and pious gifts are foolish, and do nothing to reduce unhappiness in current life or next, rather it is knowledge that frees. 

The second Mundakam describes the nature of the Brahman, the Self, the relation between the empirical world and the Brahman, and the path to know Brahman. 

The third Mundakam expands the ideas in the second Mundakam and then asserts that the state of knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, complete liberation, self-sufficiency and bliss

some verses

Mundaka 3.2.3

 Back

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । 
यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम् ॥ ३ ॥

 

3. This Atman cannot be attained by dint of study or intelligence or much hearing—whom he wishes to attain—by that it can be attained. To him this Atman reveals its true nature. 

Shankara’s Commentary:

Com.—If  the realisation of the atman is the greatest gain of all, it may be thought that means such as study, etc., should be largely employed for its attainment. This text is intended to dispel that notion.

 This atman which has been explained and whose realisation is the highest object of human desire cannot be attained by means of much study of the Vedas and the Sastras. 

Similarly not by intelligence, i.e., by a retentive memory of the purport of writings; nor by much heard, i.e., by much hearing.

 By what then could the Atman be attained is explained.

 The Paramatman whom this knower wishes to attain, by that seeking alone can that Brahman be attained; not by any other means, because his nature is always attained. 

What is the nature of this knower’s attainment of the Atman is explained. 

As pot, etc., reveals its form where there is light, so does the Atman concealed by ignorance reveal his true nature when there is knowledge. 

The drift is the wish for the realisation of the Atman after renouncing all others is alone the means to the attainment of the Atman.