॥ श्रीः ॥          ॥ मुण्डकोपनिषत्  ॥ (part of अथर्व वेद)

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श‍ृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवागुं सस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥

स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

ॐ, भद्रं – what is auspicious, कर्णेभिः – by ears, श‍ृणुयाम – may we hear, देवा: – O देवताs,  भद्रं – auspicious, पश्येम – may we see, अक्षभि: – by eyes, यजत्राः – Oh Ones for whom यज्ञ is performed!,  स्थिरै: – stable, hale & hearty, अङ्गै: – by the limbs, तुष्टुवागुं स: – may we live offering our praises (unto You), तनूभि: – by the body, र्व्यशेम – may we have, देवहितं – for the benefit of the देवताs, यत्-आ युः – entire span of life, स्वस्ति – blessings, न: – to us,  इन्द्र:, वृद्धश्रवाः – ancient & famous, स्वस्ति – blessings, नः – to us, पूषा – सूर्य, विश्ववेदाः – all knowing, स्वस्ति – blessings, न: – to us, तार्क्ष्य:  – वायु, अरिष्टनेमिः – who saves (us) from harm; स्वस्ति – blessings, न: – to us,  बृहस्पति: – बृहस्पति, protector of the अध्यात्म wealth in us, दधातु – may (It) give

O देवताs! May we hear with our ears what is auspicious, O Ones for whom यज्ञ is performed! May we with our eyes see what is auspicious, May we life the entire length of our allotted life stable (hale & hearty) life offering our praises (onto You), May इंद्र, the ancient and the famous and the famous पूषा, the all-knowing, the Lord of swift motion – वायु who saves us from all the harms and बृहस्पति who protects the अध्यात्म wealth in us – bless us (with the intellectual strength to understand the शस्त्र and the heroic heart to follow the teachings).

॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

॥ ॐ ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥

१ ॥ प्रथममुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

ॐ ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः संबभूव विश्वस्य कर्ता भुवनस्य गोप्ता ।

 स ब्रह्मविद्यां सर्वविद्याप्रतिष्ठामथर्वाय

ज्येष्ठपुत्राय प्राह ॥ १॥

अथर्वणे यां प्रवदेत ब्रह्माऽथर्वा तं पुरोवाचाङ्गिरे ब्रह्मविद्याम् ।

स भारद्वाजाय सत्यवाहाय प्राह भारद्वाजोऽङ्गिरसे परावराम् ॥ २॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
ॐ, ब्रह्मा, देवानां – of the देवताs, प्रथमः – being the first, संबभूव – born, विश्वस्य – of the universe, कर्ता – projector, भुवनस्य – of the world, गोप्ता – protector,  स – He, ब्रह्मविद्यां – knowledge of ब्रह्म (Truth/ Reality), सर्व-विद्या-प्रतिष्ठाम् – the knowledge of all knowledges, the foundation of all wisdom, अथर्वाय  – to अथर्वा, ज्येष्ठ-पुत्राय – to his eldest child, प्राह – said (gave out)	Of the देवताs, ब्रह्मा, the projector and the protector the ब्रह्माण्ड, was self-born first. He gave out knowledge of ब्रह्म विद्या (Truth/ Reality), the knowledge of all knowledges, the foundation of all wisdom, to the eldest child, अथर्वा
अथर्वणे – to अथर्वा, यां – which, प्रवदेत – taught, ब्रह्मा, अथर्वा, तं – that, पुरा – in ancient days, उवाच – said, अङ्गिरे – to अङ्गि, ब्रह्मविद्याम् – to knowledge of ब्रह्म विद्या (Truth/ Reality), स – He, भारद्वाजाय – of भारद्वाज family, सत्यवाहाय – to सत्यवाह, प्राह – said, भारद्वाज: – one born in भारद्वाज family, अङ्गिरसे – to अङ्गिरा, परावराम् – from greater to lesser (गुरु to शिष्य)	The very विद्या that ब्रह्मा taught to अथर्वा, he taught it to अङ्गि in ancient days, and he (in turn) taught it to ऋषि सत्यवाह – of the भारद्वाज family and सत्यवाह taught it to अङ्गिरा – the विद्या was so handed down from the greater (गुरु) to the lesser (शिष्य)

व्याख्या: How did this उपनिषद् originate? The गुरु-शिष्य परंपरा is conveyed here – the ज्ञान contained in the उपनिषद् originated from ब्रह्मा and from there, it was passed on to ऋषि अथर्वा, followed by ऋषि अङ्गि, then ऋषि सत्यवाह followed by ऋषि अङ्गिरा. The उपनिषद् contains ब्रह्म विद्या and it is always passed on by someone who has become identified with ब्रह्म. This ब्रह्म विद्या is referred to as the परावराम् – the विद्या of the high and low. This विद्या includes everything that is here and also everything that is not here. The highest Reality (ब्रह्म) as it is in itself, and also the ब्रह्म manifest in the form of creation, is परावराम्. This ब्रह्म विद्या is a knowledge and a study of this great Reality which appears as पर and आवरा, the high and the low at the same time.

This उपनिषद् is a conversation between ऋषि शौनक who has approached ऋषि अङ्गिरा to obtain the विद्या.

शौनको ह वै महाशालोऽङ्गिरसं विधिवदुपसन्नः पप्रच्छ ।

कस्मिन्नु भगवो विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवतीति ॥ ३॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
शौनक, ह वै महाशाल: – great householder indeed, ऽङ्गिरसं – अङ्गिरा , विधिवत् – in the prescribed manner, उपसन्नः – approaching, पप्रच्छ – asked, कस्मिन् नु  – what is that which, भगवो – O भगवान्, विज्ञाते – having known, सर्वम् – all, इदं- these, विज्ञातं – known, भवति – becomes, इति – that	The great householder, शौनक duly approaching अङ्गिरा in the prescribed manner, asked “What is That, O भगवान्!, having known which all these become known?”

व्याख्या: This question may be seen as the question of all questions. In the normal parlance, knowledge of one thing will not reveal anything else other than what has been revealed. However, ब्रह्म being the source and substratum of all, once one knows ब्रह्म, since ब्रह्म is everything, everything becomes known.

तस्मै स होवाच । द्वे विद्ये वेदितव्ये इति ह स्म यद्ब्रह्मविदो वदन्ति परा चैवापरा च ॥ ४॥

तत्रापरा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेदः सामवेदोऽथर्ववेदः

शिक्षा कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दो ज्योतिषमिति ।

अथ परा यया तदक्षरमधिगम्यते ॥ ५॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
तस्मै – to him, स: – He, ह उवाच – said,  द्वे – two, विद्ये – knowledges, वेदितव्ये – to be acquired, इति – that, ह यत् – which, ब्रह्मविद: – those who know ब्रह्म (the great seers of the उपनिषद्s), वदन्ति स्म –usually say, परा – higher, च – and, एव – also, अपरा – lower, च – and	To him (शौनक), अङ्गिरा said “There are two kinds of विद्या to be acquired, namely, अपरा and परा (lower and higher). So say those (the great seers of the उपनिषद्s) who know ब्रह्म.”
तत्र – there, अपरा – the lower विद्याs, ऋग्वेद:,  यजुर्वेदः, सामवेद:, अथर्ववेदः, शिक्षा, कल्प:, व्याकरणं,  निरुक्तं,  छन्द:,  ज्योतिषम्,  इति, अथ – now, परा – the higher विद्या, यया – by which, तत् – that, अक्षरम्, – that beyond the word-meaning in languages, – to immortality, अधिगम्यते – leads	There, the अपरा विद्या is constituted of ऋग्वेद:,  यजुर्वेदः, सामवेद: and अथर्ववेदः and the (six वेदांग),  शिक्षा (phonetics), कल्प: (code of यज्ञ कर्म), व्याकरणं (grammar),  निरुक्तं (etymology),  छन्द: (metrics),  ज्योतिषम् (astrology). Now, the परा विद्या which leads to immortality or that which goes beyond the word-meaning in languages.

व्याख्या: विद्या is categorized into two – परा विद्या and अपरा विद्या. What is  अपरा विद्या?  This essentially means “lower” विद्या

1. The four वेद: ऋग्वेद:,  यजुर्वेदः, सामवेद: and अथर्ववेदः are the four वेद. ऋग्वेद consists of hymns, prayers and मंत्र. यजुर्वेद consists of certain invocations necessary for the performance of यज्ञ. The सामवेद consists of ऋक् मंत्र set in music. अथर्ववेद contains such material that may be regarded as a sequel or an appendix to the three वेद – ऋग्वेद,  यजुर्वेद and सामवेद. These four वेद are not easy to understand. Their language is difficult, their grammar is very hard, and the implications of what they say are so deep that without proper introductory learning, one cannot know what the वेद speak at all.
2. The वेदांग:  The introductory learning referred to above is the वेदांग that is sub-divided further into six domains:
   1. शिक्षा is the subject of phonetics the art of intonation and modulation of the voice in the recitation of a वेद मंत्र. Such a modulation of the sound when chanting the मंत्र is meant to give a special meaning to the मंत्र
   1. कल्प means the performance of a यज्ञकर्म connected with a specific injunction of the वेद, especially of the ब्राह्मण. We have seen आचार्यs & पुरोहितs performing a हवन. While chanting they put something here, something there, such as दर्भ grass here, water there. They will do आचमनम्, wash their hands, put some rice grains there, and so many other things. These are certain techniques of यज्ञकर्म which are elaborately described in the कल्पसूत्र (there are four such कल्पसूत्र – श्रौत सूत्र, गृह्य सूत्र, धर्म सूत्र & शुल्ब सूत्र).
   1. व्याकरणं is grammar. There are two types of grammar:  classical grammar and Vedic grammar. In Panini’s method, both types of grammar are found. Vedic grammar is studied only in advanced stages. Students of संस्कृत usually study only classical works and the well-known व्याकरणं. Unless we know the technology of the method by which words are used in the वेद मंत्र, we will not make any sense out of them, and so व्याकरणं, the study of grammar, is necessary.
   1. निरुक्तं is the etymology of the word—how the word has been formed. इंद्र, मित्र, वरुण, अग्नि, and so on— what is actually meant by these words? They have a root. As every word in a language has a root from which it is derived, Vedic words also have a root from which they arise. The निरुक्तं शास्त्र of भास्कराचार्य is the great textbook which goes into the details of the etymology, or the roots of the words, used in the वेद मंत्र.
   1. छन्द is the metre. Every verse, every मंत्र of the ऋग्वेद संहिता particularly, varies in its metre. It is long or short, it is गायत्री, छन्द or त्रिस्तुभ, and so on, and accordingly the intonation also changes.
   1. ज्योतिषम् is the astronomical science which tells us at what particular time of the conjunction of the stars or the planets we have to undertake a particular कर्म or a यज्ञ. It does not mean that on any day we can do some पूजा and on any day we can do some हवन, and so on. A particular यज्ञ, or हवन, should be done at a particular time, in consonance with the respective conjunction of the planets and the stars. That is ज्योतिषम्, the शास्त्र of astronomy.

A question may arise here. We have ready at many places that वेद is the ultimate and the universal सत्य is contained within it. In fact, each of the उपनिषद्s are also aligned to one of the four वेद. Then how do we understand the view expressed here that वेद together with the वेदांगis अपरा विद्या?

Learning is different from wisdom; scholarship is not the same as insight. One may be a learned scholar of the वेद and very proficient in the performance of यज्ञ and the invocation of देवताs in the स्वर्ग, but eternity is different from temporality. All these glories of the वेद are in the region of time, and the Eternal is timeless. What is that timeless thing, that which is called अक्षरम्, the Imperishable? Wisdom is realization of the अक्षरम् and that knowledge of realization of the ultimate is referred to as the परा विद्या.

यत्तदद्रेश्यमग्राह्यमगोत्रमवर्ण-मचक्षुःश्रोत्रं तदपाणिपादम् ।

नित्यं विभुं सर्वगतं सुसूक्ष्मं तदव्ययं यद्भूतयोनिं परिपश्यन्ति धीराः ॥ ६॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

यत् – which, तत् – that, अद्रेश्यम् – invisible, अग्राह्यम् – ungraspable, अगोत्रम् – un-originated, अवर्णम् – attribute-less, अचक्षुःश्रोत्रं – that which neither has eyes and ears (devoid of इंद्रिय), तत् – that,  अपाणि-पादम् – (which has) neither hands or legs, नित्यं – eternal, विभुं – full of manifestation, of manifold expressions, सर्वगतं – all-pervading, सुसूक्ष्मं – subtlest of the subtle, तत् – that, अव्ययं – imperishable, यत् – which, भूत-योनिं – the source of all creation, परिपश्यन्ति – behold everywhere, perceive, धीराः – the wise

That which is invisible, ungraspable, un-originated and attribute-less, that which has neither eyes, nor ears, not hands and legs – that is Eternal, full of manifestations, All-pervading, subtlest of the subtle – that Imperishable Being is what the wise perceive as the source of all projection (of this visible universe)

व्याख्या: परा विद्या gives us access to ब्रह्म. And how then one describe ब्रह्म that is attained via परा विद्या? It is अद्रेश्यम् (not capable of perceiving via the चक्षु and other इंद्रिय). It is अग्राह्यम् (not capable of being grasped by the इंद्रिय), अगोत्रम् (It does not have an origin – meaning It is always there), अवर्णम् (It has no shape or form), अचक्षुःश्रोत्रं (that which has no eyes and ears (devoid of इंद्रिय) like us), अपाणि-पादम् ( that which has no hands or legs), नित्यं (that which is always there – It is सनातन, viz eternal), विभुं (all of manifestation is filled with It only), सर्वगतं (that which is all-pervading), सुसूक्ष्मं (that which is subtlest of the subtle, अव्ययं (that which is imperishable or cannot be subject to decay), भूत-योनिं (the source of all that comes into this universe) and परिपश्यन्ति (that which is perceivable everywhere). And who has access to ब्रह्म? The धीरा, the wise.

यथोर्णनाभिः सृजते गृह्णते च यथा पृथिव्यामोषधयः संभवन्ति ।

यथा सतः पुरुषात्केशलोमानि तथाऽक्षरात्संभवतीह विश्वम् ॥ ७॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
यथा – as, उर्णनाभिः – spider, सृजते – creates, projects, गृह्णते – withdraws, च – and, यथा – as, पृथिव्याम् – from the पृथ्वी, ओषधयः – herbs, plants, संभवन्ति – sprout out, यथा – as, सतः – living, पुरुषात् – from a human being, केशलोमानि – hair grows on the head and body,  तथा – so, अक्षरात् – from the अक्षरम् (imperishable), संभवति – comes out, इह – here, विश्वम् – the Universe	As the spider projects and withdraws (unto itself) the web, as the herbs and plants sprout out from the earth, as hairs grow on the head and body of a human being, so from the Imperishable being comes out the Universe

व्याख्या: This is an important मंत्र. What is the relationship between ब्रह्म and ब्रह्माण्ड (or जगत् or विश्व)? विश्व is a projection emanating from परमात्मा – but how does one view their relation with one another? We have seen a spider spitting threads from its own body. Threads come out, and it weaves a web around itself. We have seen trees spontaneously growing from under the earth, and we have seen hair growing on the head. In some such way is the manner of the projection of this universe.

Two technical terms are useful to be introduced here – उपादान कारण and निमित्त कारण. If we take a potter who makes a pot from clay, clay be understood as the उपादान कारण (or material cause); however, the potter is understood as the निमित्त (instrumental cause). The pot does not come out of the potter – clay is different from the potter. However, in the case of विश्व, this does not seem to be case. In the case of web of the spider, the web has come out of the spider itself – the उपादान and the निमित्त are from one source only – same may be understood with respect to the universe where परमात्मा may be seen both as निमित्त as well as उपादान कारण.  More particularly, the substance of परमात्मा is present in this विश्व – that is the intent of using this analogy.

What is the purpose of using the analogy – “just as trees & plants come out of पृथ्वी”? Trees draw out their sustenance from पृथ्वी – they draw everything from पृथ्वी for their survival – similarly, परमात्मा sustains the विश्व and विश्व cannot exist without परमात्मा even for a micro-second.

But someone may argue – the विश्व is filled with inanimate matter viz rocks, stones, meteors, dead planets? How can we imagine inanimate matter coming out of परमात्मा? This then becomes the purpose of the third analogy – “just as hairs coming out of a being”. Hair is inanimate, completely different in its structure as compared with a living being but still such a पदार्थ emerges from a being – so also can we imagine the world of inanimate matter coming out of परमात्मा.

Intent of the ऋषि here is to convey (using these analogies) is that eternity (viz परमात्मा) projects temporality.

तपसा चीयते ब्रह्म ततोऽन्नमभिजायते । अन्नात्प्राणो मनः सत्यं लोकाः कर्मसु चामृतम् ॥ ८॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तपसा – by तप (concentrated thinking), चीयते – augments, swells, ब्रह्म,  तत: – then (from Him), अन्नम् – food (primal matter), अभिजायते – is produced,  अन्नात् – from अन्नम्, प्राण:, मनः, सत्यं – the true (the पञ्च-भूत), लोकाः – the worlds, कर्मसु – in कर्म, च – and, अमृतम् – fruits of actions

In brooding meditation or continuous thought (तप), ब्रह्म swells (with the very joy of creation) or increases in size. ब्रह्म, अन्नम्, अन्नम् is produced (to be understood as अव्यक्त or मूल प्रकृति), from अन्नम्, the प्राण is produced (to be understood as हिरण्यगर्भ), from हिरण्यगर्भ, मन is produced (to be understood as the cosmic mind or the विराट स्वरूप), from मन are produced the सत्य (to be understood as the पञ्च-भूतs), from सत्य are produced the various लोक (fourteen लोकs), from all beings present in the लोक are produced कर्मs and from all their कर्म are produced अमृतम् (to be understood as कर्म फल)

व्याख्या: In one मंत्र,the whole of सृष्टि (projection of the universe) is described. This is a difficult mystical मंत्र

ब्रह्म, the Supreme Absolute, distends, swells—becomes large, as it were—by तप. तप means concentration. ब्रह्म तप is the will to create. It becomes extended in the form of the contemplated shape of projection (or creation), as it were. When we think something, the mind takes the form of that thing which we think. Now, ब्रह्म thinks, wills, concentrates itself on the shape which projection has to take, and that is the swelling, or the extending, or the becoming large of ब्रह्म in तप. The swelling, or the extension of being in तप, also means the increase in the potentiality of the one that concentrates. In the case of ब्रह्म, it would mean the contemplation of the form of the विश्व which has to be created in the future. In the case of people like us, तप would mean the intensity of heat generated inside by the concentration of the मन and the प्राण.

Next, it is mentioned that when ब्रह्म concentrates itself in तप, अन्नम् is created. From the point of view of ordinary linguistic exposition, अन्नम् means food, anything that is eaten. But in the उपनिषद्, अन्नम् means something more than that. The material content of चैतन्य is called अन्नम्. The content of the चैतन्य which takes the shape of the content in the act of concentration creates an अन्नम् for it. The object of thought is the food of thought. Anything that we think is the diet of the psychic process. And here, in the case of ब्रह्म, the potential material, the matrix of all creation, is called मूल प्रकृति (in the language of सांख्य and वेदान्त). There must be some stuff which has to manifest itself in the form of projection. The concretisation of the will itself is the stuff; or rather, अन्नम् may be taken in the sense of the substantiation of the will of परमात्मा. It has to take effect. The implementation of the ideation of the Absolute is the अन्नम्, the content, the shape or the form of this तप. Cosmic potentiality is created by the concentrating act of ब्रह्म as तप. When this potential in the form of a concrete substantiality of will wields itself, it immediately vibrates into the form of the future shape in a more distinct form: the creation of space.

In the पञ्चदशी, we have a very clear-cut description of how this kind of manifestation takes place. ब्रह्म is like a canvas on which somebody paints a picture. It is the background of everything. If we invoke some चैतन्य into a canvas, we may imagine that in order to paint on it, the canvas has to concentrate itself on the thickening process that has to take place by applying starch on it, because painting cannot be done on ordinary cloth. There should not be pores in the canvas. So, inorder to paint a picture, the cloth of the canvas is stiffened with starch. This stiffening is the process of the will, and it is the अन्नम् that is spoken of here. Then there is प्राण, the vibration. The painter’s mind vibrates in the form of the outline of the picture that he is intending to draw. But we do not bring the question of the painter in the case of ब्रह्म, because ब्रह्म itself is the painter here. ब्रह्म itself visualises, in the form of the vibratory process of its will, the outline of the creation that is to take place. After the outline is drawn, it is filled with ink. Then the projection is complete.

Likewise, there is, first of all, a will or an idea wherein the painter—or ब्रह्म, in the case of this मंत्र —has the idea of what it has to become, and then it stiffens itself into the will by तप, concentration, as a painter would concentrate on the painting that has to be done, and then there is a vibratory force of प्राण. Here the word ‘प्राण indicates the cosmic प्राण, or हिरण्यगर्भ तत्व. हिरण्यगर्भ is प्राण, the cosmic vibration of the energy of ब्रह्म through the manifested stuff called अन्नम्, or potentiality. Then there is a further diversification of this concentrated universal प्राण in the form of thinking. We may compare this मन, or thinking of ब्रह्म, to the विराट स्वरूप, which has emanated from the outline of the creative process available in हिरण्यगर्भ. In the cosmic mind, which is विराट, everything is clear. It is the ink-filled picture, as it were.

सत्य —the words are all very intricate. सत्य is the order and law of the universe that comes together with the manifestation of हिरण्यगर्भ and विराट. The law and order of the universe is also created simultaneously. The unified integration of the cosmic प्राण, हिरण्यगर्भ or विराट, is the principle behind the law and order that has to operate in the manifested universe, just as in a constitution of a government it is an integrated thought of the central law authority that manifests itself as diversified forms in various departments, until it goes to the lowest level of administration. Then the world is created— लोक: the fourteen worlds, which are made up of the five elements of पञ्च भूत (आकाश, वायु, अग्नि, आप and पृथ्वी) – then कर्म proceeds. That is to say, beings emerge from this cosmic manifestation of the पञ्च भूत. Then comes अमृतम्, the fruit of कर्म. And why is कर्म फल referred to as अमृतम्? कर्म फल is not destroyed as long as कर्म is not eliminated even in the crores of कल्प (cycles).  

Thus, how many things are there? Firstly, there is the Supreme Absolute viz ब्रह्म. Secondly, there is अन्नम्, or the potential for the future manifestation in the form of तप. Thirdly, there is हिरण्यगर्भ, the vibratory cosmic प्राण. Fourthly, there is thinking, which is the cosmic thought identifiable with विराट. Fifthly, there is law and order (viz कर्म). Sixthly, there is the manifestation of the fourteen लोक. Seventhly, there is individuality, the individuals or जीव, who are propelled towards action, कर्म. Eighthly, there is the कर्म फल, the fruit of action.

यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद्यस्य ज्ञानमयं तपः । तस्मादेतद्ब्रह्म नाम रूपमन्नं च जायते ॥ ९॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
यः – he, सर्वज्ञः – all-knowing, aware of all, सर्वविद् – all-wise, knower of all, यस्य – whose, ज्ञानमयं – full of knowledge, तपः – austerity, तस्मात् – from that, एतत् – these,  ब्रह्म, नाम – names, रूपम् – forms, अन्नं – nourishment, च – and, जायते – is produced	From ब्रह्म, who is omniscient in general and all-knowing in detail and whose तप is constituted by ज्ञान, evolve this (derivative) ब्रह्म – नाम, रूप and अन्नं.

व्याख्या: ब्रह्म is both a सर्वज्ञः as well as सर्वविद् – both are translated as all-knowing but there is a difference, as per the commentators. By सर्वज्ञः is meant to convey that ब्रह्म is knowledge at a general level while सर्वविद् means knowledge of the particular. There is a general control over whole of विश्व and there ब्रह्म has a cosmic generality of knowledge. But the particularity is every little detail, even to counting the number of hairs of a person or the breaths that he breathes. That also is known to ब्रह्म.

Next, what तप does ब्रह्म do? Does तप of ब्रह्म involve starving? No. By तप of ब्रह्म is meant the ज्ञान of ब्रह्म. ब्रह्म’s ज्ञान, ब्रह्म’s चैतन्य, ब्रह्म’s intention, ब्रह्म’s purpose, ब्रह्म’s awareness – that is तप of ब्रह्म.  The knowledge of ब्रह्म is also the action of ब्रह्म. The awareness of ब्रह्म is also the concentration of ब्रह्म. The existence of ब्रह्म is the same as the work of ब्रह्म. So ब्रह्म’s तप is ज्ञान. The greatest तप is the concentration of ज्ञान, and every other तप is secondary.

तप of ब्रह्म leads to evolving of a secondary ब्रह्म – by secondary ब्रह्म is meant प्रकृति from which नाम and रूप get manifested. The inward characteristic of an object is called नाम, and its outward characteristic is called रूप. The indication—the determining factor of a particular shape that an individual has to take—is called लिङ्ग शरीर in our case, and the subtle body is called the सूक्ष्म शरीर. Here, नाम does not simply mean a name such as राम or कृष्ण; it is the indicative लिङ्ग, or the specific character, of the would-be individual in the form of a body. रूप is the actual physical form. Thus, the subtle and the physical shapes emanate as नाम and रूप from this original ब्रह्म, मूल प्रकृति.

Last, the उपनिषद् mentions अन्नं – by अन्नं is meant field of activity. अन्नं means actual matter is the field of particular individual action for the जीव to reap their fruits according to their deeds.

The last two मंत्र provide an overall picture of सृष्टि – one may memorize these and reflect upon their implication while engaging with the day to day life as a साधक. These are very important मंत्रs.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि प्रथममुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

॥ प्रथममुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

तदेतत्सत्यं मन्त्रेषु कर्माणि कवयो यान्यपश्यंस्तानि त्रेतायां बहुधा संततानि ।

तान्याचरथ नियतं सत्यकामा एष वः पन्थाः सुकृतस्य लोके ॥ १॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तत् – that, एतत् – these,  सत्यं – true, मन्त्रेषु – in the मंत्रs, कर्माणि – कर्मs, deeds (of the नित्य/ नैमित्तिक/ यज्ञ type), कवय: – seers, यानि – which,  अपश्यन् – saw, practiced, तानि – those, त्रेतायां – in the three वेद,  बहुधा – much, संततानि – continued, तानि – those, आचरथ – saw, practice, नियतं – always, सत्यकामा – with a desire for true results of the कर्म, एष – this, वः – your, पन्थाः – way, सुकृतस्य – fruits of कर्म, लोके – to the world

The various कर्म which seers found in the मंत्रs are true and much practiced in the three वेद; practice them always with a desire for the true results. This is your way for attaining to the worlds of the fruits of कर्म.

व्याख्या: From now, there is an elaboration of the lower knowledge. The मंत्र of the वेद are utilized in the performance of यज्ञ – this is the secondary character of the वेद मंत्र. So, one aspect of वेद मंत्र is to do उपासना of परमात्मा or a specific देवता and the secondary aspect being performance of यज्ञ.

This is true. Whatever suggestion for the performance of कर्म as यज्ञ, was visualised by the great ऋषि in the वेद मंत्र, that vision has to be considered as true. That is to say, the Vedic यज्ञ are not just concoctions of the mind or someone’s whim and fancy. There is a truth in it. The entire body and mind gesticulate when performing the यज्ञ. It is not merely the body; even the mind puts on a gesture, an attitude, when a यज्ञ क्रिया is performed. When the mind and the body are in a state of unison in the performance of a क्रिया, the स्तुति assumes a physical shape. The मंत्र are स्तुति (of the देवता). The वेद मंत्र are स्तुति offered to देवता, and the implementation, or actual practice of this स्तुति, is the क्रिया thereof. These suggestions of actual action proceeding from the मंत्र in the form of क्रिया are true. It is not untrue, says the मंत्र.

त्रेतायां here means the three वेद – ऋग्वेद, यजुर्वेद and सामवेद (some commentators also say that this means three types of मंत्र present in all four वेद – ऋक् मंत्र, यजुस् मंत्र and साम मंत्र). Every मंत्र is a potential for action. Knowledge is the medium of the action. After we know something, we do something – we do not keep quiet after knowing. Thus, incentive for action is the potential present in every मंत्र in the form of क्रिया and यज्ञ. Note further that त्रेतायां is also understood as त्रेता युग – which is the second of the four युग (सत्युग, त्रेतायुग, द्वापरयुग and कलियुग) – this is because in the सत्युग, it is understood that there was no वेद, no यज्ञ, no government system, no ruler, no necessity for law & order while त्रेता युग was a descent of moral order of creation and वेद and related यज्ञ started in this युग.

This मंत्र therefore states that one must perform यज्ञ daily, नियतं, if one seeks स्वर्ग that comes from performs of good deeds. It is the path of blessedness open to you. All people come. If you recite the

वेद मंत्र properly, perform यज्ञ and offer oblations to the देवता, the flames of the यज्ञ uniting themselves with the rays of the Sun will take you, by your सूक्ष्म शरीर, to the glorious realm of स्वर्ग लोक – this view expressed here is aligned to the view of मीमांस शास्त्र

यदा लेलायते ह्यर्चिः समिद्धे हव्यवाहने ।

तदाऽऽज्यभागावन्तरेणाऽऽहुतीः प्रतिपादयेत् ॥ २॥ (प्रतिपादयेच्छ्रद्धया हुतम्)

श्लोक	अर्थ
यदा – when, लेलायते – moves, kindled, हि-अर्चिः – Fire, समिद्धे – when flames begin to move (well-kindled), हव्यवाहने – in the हविस् (sacred अग्नि),  तदा – then, आज्यभागौ-अन्तरेण –on the space between the two portions of fire, आहुतीः – the oblations (of घी),   प्रतिपादयेत् – should be offered	When अग्नि is kindled and flames begin to move, let the sacrificer offer oblations (with श्रद्धा) in the space between the two portions of the हविस् (sacred अग्नि) where the घी shall be poured

व्याख्या: When we perform a हवनम्, a यज्ञम्, the flames should shoot forth. The अग्नि should not be smouldering, and it should not be smoking. If that is the case, then the यज्ञ is not done properly. सविता is the flaming forth of the heated fire. When the flames move like tongues of fire, lapping hither and thither with a roaring sound, into those tongues of fire coming up from the vigorous burning of the यज्ञ अग्नि, we must offer the holy घी, the clarified butter, between the flames. The offerings are to be poured between the lapping flames. This is an instruction as to how we must conduct यज्ञ.

यस्याग्निहोत्रमदर्शमपौर्णमास-मचातुर्मास्यमनाग्रयणमतिथिवर्जितं च ।

अहुतमवैश्वदेवमविधिना हुत-मासप्तमांस्तस्य लोकान् हिनस्ति ॥ ३॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

यस्य – whose, अग्निहोत्रम्, अदर्शम् – not accompanied by दर्श (कर्म and यज्ञ to be performed on the new-moon day). अपौर्णमासम् – not accompanied by यज्ञ क्रिया to be performed on the full-moon day, अचातुर्मास्यम् – not accompanied by यज्ञ क्रिया to be performed on the four months of autumn season,  अनाग्रयणम् – not accompanied by first fruit offerings at harvest time, अतिथि-वर्जितं – unattended by guests, च – and, अहुतम् – without offerings, अवैश्व-देवम् – without the worship of वैश्व-देव, अविधिना – not according to the विधि prescribed by the शस्त्र, हुतम् – performed, आसप्तमांन् – upto the seventh, तस्य – his, लोकान् – worlds, हिनस्ति – destroys

If a person’s अग्निहोत्रम् यज्ञ is not accompanied by: The new-moon and full-moon यज्ञsBy the four months of autumnal season’s यज्ञsBy the यज्ञ of offering the first fruits at harvest time or if it is unattended by guests or is without offering or performed without the worship of वैश्व-देवs or not performed strictly according to the विधि prescribed by the शस्त्र   then such कर्म destroys (all) his worlds till the seventh

व्याख्या: Here, we have a tremendous instruction from the मीमांस शास्त्र —कर्मकाण्ड gone to its extreme, we may say. It is not enough if we just perform one हवन and keep quiet, as an अग्निहोत्रम्, for instance. The मंत्र here says that if a person does not, at the same time, together with the performance of अग्निहोत्रम्, also perform the special sacrifices called दर्श and पौर्णमास during the new moon and the full moon, and does not also perform the special offerings required to be done during the four months of the rainy season, and does not also perform the special हवन intended to be done during the spring season, and if the हवन is performed without guests being fed at the same time during the यज्ञ, and if the flames do not come forth properly and are only smouldering and smoking, and if the feeding of animals, etc., is also not taken care of at the same time, and if the मंत्र in the यज्ञ are not chanted with the proper intonation and recitation, what will happen?

Seven generations of theirs will be destroyed. It is a very terrible curse. It also means that for them, the seven worlds will be destroyed. भूलोक, भुवर्लोक, सुवर्लोक, महर्लोक, जनलोक, तपलोक and सत्यलोक will expel them and not allow them to enter. Therefore, imagine how difficult it is to perform a यज्ञ. If we make a little mistake—a little wrong intonation, a little fumbling, it will break the यज्ञ. कर्मकाण्ड is very difficult. If we do it, wonderful; but if we do not do it properly, to नरक we go.

काली कराली च मनोजवा च सुलोहिता या च सुधूम्रवर्णा ।

स्फुलिङ्गिनी विश्वरुची च देवी लेलायमाना इति सप्त जिह्वाः ॥ ४॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
काली – the black one, कराली – the terrible one, च – and, मनोजवा – as swift as mind, च – and, सुलोहिता – deep-red coloured, या – who, च – and, also, सुधूम्रवर्णा – the smoke-coloured, स्फुलिङ्गिनी – the sparkling, विश्वरुची देवी – the variegated, the bright, all-shining, च – and, लेलायमाना – flickering, इति – that, सप्त – even, जिह्वा: – tongues	The seven flickering tongues of flames are – काली, कराली, मनोजवा, सुलोहिता, सुधूम्रवर्णा, स्फुलिङ्गिनी and विश्वरुची देवी

व्याख्या: In a properly performed यज्ञ, seven flames of the fire are supposed to shoot up, not just one or two. The hungry fire will lap up in seven tongues. The seven tongues have their own names— काली: the black one; कराली: the blacker one; मनोजवा: rapid-like the movement of the mind; सुलोहिता: reddish in colour; सुधूम्रवर्णा: brownish in colour; स्फुलिङ्गिनी: sparking forth; विश्वरुची देवी: radiant divine are the flames. The अग्नि देवता rises up to receive our offering and take us to the देवताs so that, in their satisfaction, they lift us up to the abode of the देवताs. Oscillating flames of the अग्नि, to which we offer the oblations, are designated in this manner. These names are to be remembered.

एतेषु यश्चरते भ्राजमानेषु यथाकालं चाहुतयो ह्याददायन् ।

तं नयन्त्येताः सूर्यस्य रश्मयो यत्र (तन्नयन्त्येताः) देवानां पतिरेकोऽधिवासः ॥ ५॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
एतेषु – into these, य: – he who, चरते – moves, भ्राजमानेषु – shines, यथाकालं – in proper time, च – and, आहुतय: – obligations,  हि – verily/ indeed, आददायन् – offering, तं – him, नयन्ति – lead, एताः – lead, सूर्यस्य – of the सूर्य, रश्मय: – rays, यत्र – where, देवानां – of the देवs, पति: – Controller/ Leader, एक: – one, अधिवासः- dwelling place	One who offers oblations in proper time into these shining flames – such a one, the oblations as Sun’s rays, lead to the place where the one Controller/ Leader of the देवs (इंद्र) resides.

व्याख्या: If we are in a position to perform these यज्ञ meticulously without committing mistakes, as we calculate a mathematical problem right from the beginning to the end without making any error, if we can perform the यज्ञ as mentioned in these मंत्र in the holy अग्नि which is radiating with its power, if offerings are made in this way, then what happens? The अग्नि assumes a very subtle form as soundless ethereal shapes, into which it enters when it becomes inaudible; and its colour also becomes invisible and merges into the subtle rays of the Sun. The flames of the अग्नि transmute themselves into fine forces of light converging into the intensity of the rays of the Sun.

The जीव, the subtle body of the performer of the यज्ञ, is drawn out when the body is shed, and by the

gravitational pull of the rays of the Sun and the propulsion given by the flames of अग्नि into which the performer has offered the अग्नि, the आत्मा that departs from the body of the जीव rises up. Where do we go? We go to the Sun, the solar orb. From there we are transported. We are very graciously, lovingly escorted to the great स्वर्ग of इंद्र, who rules the whole स्वर्ग. So be prepared for the great blessedness of going to स्वर्ग and do यज्ञ every day.

The मीमांस doctrine of the efficacy of the performance of यज्ञ, tells us that attainment of स्वर्ग, ruled by इंद्र, is the great glory that is to be expected as the consequence of the performance of these यज्ञ. The आत्मा of the performer, after shedding the physical body, is led along the rays of the Sun to the glorious regions of स्वर्ग.

Why is the above being conveyed? If the above alone is true, no one can be expected to reach स्वर्ग as the knowledge of यज्ञ is not known to most of the people. The position of मीमांस is being conveyed so as to argue later that performance of यज्ञ will not guarantee मोक्ष – therefore, the position is being conveyed first following which later मंत्र will provide arguments countering this position and placing the truth.

एह्येहीति तमाहुतयः सुवर्चसः सूर्यस्य रश्मिभिर्यजमानं वहन्ति ।

प्रियां वाचमभिवदन्त्योऽर्चयन्त्य एष वः पुण्यः सुकृतो ब्रह्मलोकः ॥ ६॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

एहि – come hither, एहि – come hither,  इति – that, तम् – to him, आहुतयः – oblations, सुवर्चसः – brilliant, सूर्यस्य – of the सूर्य, रश्मिभि: – through the rays, यजमानं – the one performing the यज्ञ, वहन्ति – carry, प्रियां – pleasant, वाचम् – words, अभिवदन्त्य – addressing, अर्चयन्त्य – praise, एष – this, वः – thy, पुण्यः – virtue (holy), सुकृतो – gained by good works,  ब्रह्मलोकः – the लोक of ब्रह्मा

“Come hither, Come hither”, say these brilliant oblations unto Him and carry the performer of the यज्ञ (यजमान) through the rays of सूर्य, addressing to him the pleasant words of praise, “This is the पुण्यलोक of ब्रह्मा gained by the good words”

व्याख्या: The Sun’s rays, as the flames of fire, are not dead things; they are consciousness. They speak to you: “Come. Glorious one, here are the flames. Come, come.” The oblations, when offered properly with the recitation of the मंत्र correctly pronounced, create a situation wherein the oblations start assuming life.  The living voice of the flames of अग्नि in the यज्ञ, and the glorious rays of the Sun, join together and speak very delightful words. “How blessed you are. How good it is of you to have done the यज्ञ. Glory is awaiting you. इंद्र is wanting to see you. Blessedness shall be your future. We are here at your service. Come on, sit in this chariot of the rays of the Sun. Rise up and be eternally blessed.” These flames and the rays speak gloriously in a melodious, loving voice to the यजमान, the performer of the यज्ञ, who has succeeded in conducting it systematically, perfectly. “We shall take

you to ब्रह्मलोक” The glory of spiritual experience is supposed to reach its upper limits in a realm that is described in the scriptures as ब्रह्मलोक. This is a word we have heard many a time. Literally it means the लोक or the world of ब्रह्म. It is not the Absolute ब्रह्म that is referred to here, but the Creative Principle. ब्रह्मा. It is a state of affairs where the world melts into a state of intermingling activity of waves of consciousness.

There are some mystics who have gone into ecstasy over the description of what this so-called penultimate state of the liberation of the आत्मा actually is, where the sea of radiance billows, as it were, with its ripples and waves dashing one over the other, where every wave is like every other wave, where each reflects the other, each is mirrored in the other, and everything is found everywhere. Each one is everything else also, and everything else is also each one. The general is the particular, the particular is the general.

The उपनिषद् will suddenly take a surprising turn. In the last few मंत्र, it appears to be stating the position of those who insist on the performance of यज्ञ properly as the ultimate कर्म that one must be to attain the ultimate goal of life, viz attainment of स्वर्ग. Says आदि शंकर about the following मंत्र – “This कर्म (meaning यज्ञ), un-associated with ज्ञान (viz उपासना or meditation), is being decried by showing that it has only this limited result; that it is the product of ignorance, desire and action; and that it is for this reason unsubstantial and the source of misery”.

प्लवा ह्येते अदृढा यज्ञरूपा अष्टादशोक्तमवरं येषु कर्म ।

एतच्छ्रेयो येऽभिनन्दन्ति मूढा जरामृत्युं ते पुनरेवापि यन्ति ॥ ७॥

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः ।

जङ्घन्यमानाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ ८॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
प्लवा: – boats, हि – verily/ indeed, एते – these, अदृढा – undependable, यज्ञ-रूपा – form (or boat) of यज्ञ, अष्टादश- उक्तम् – is said to be manned by eighteen (supporters) in number, अवरं – inferior/ lower, य: – he, एषु – on whom, कर्म – ceremonial, एतत् – this,  श्रेय: – (as) the highest, ये – these, अभिनन्दन्ति – acclaim, मूढा – the ignorant persons, जरा – old, मृत्युं – death, ते – they, पुन: – again and again, एव – alone अपि – even, यन्ति – go (are subject to)	Undependable (frail) is this boat of यज्ञ, is said to be manned by eighteen supporters, on whom depend the lower ceremonials. Those ignorant persons who acclaim this as the highest, are subject, again and again, to old age and death
अविद्यायाम् – in अविद्या (ignorance), अन्तरे – in the midst of, वर्तमानाः – existing, स्वयं – themselves, धीराः – wise, पण्डितंम् – learned,  मन्यमानाः – fancying themselves, जङ्घन्यमानाः  – oppressed and miserable, परियन्ति – go round and round, मूढा – ignorant, अन्धेन एव – by the blind, नीयमाना – when led, यथा – as, अन्धाः -as the blind people,	Ignorant beings existing (gloating) in the midst of अविद्या (ignorance), but fancying themselves to be wise and learned, go round and round oppressed and miserable, as blind people when led by the blind.

व्याख्या: Unreliable boats are these on which you try to cross the ocean of संसार in the form of यज्ञ. These boats in the form of यज्ञ, are like bubbles. They will burst one day, and you cannot entirely rely on them forever because these forces, called अपूर्व in the language of the मीमांस शास्त्र, which are responsible for lifting you up to the region of इंद्र, or to even higher regions, lose their potency one day. It is like sitting in a rocket going up by using fuel, and the fuel will be exhausted in the middle, and you know what will happen. Such is the case with these performers of यज्ञ who rely on the force generated by the performance of यज्ञ. They are reliable up to the extent of the momentum they carry and are reliable indeed for some distance; but in the middle they will leave you in the lurch, and you will fall. All those who go to इंद्रलोक rejoice, but then they will fall headlong, as many fell.

Poor indeed are these so-called यज्ञ which are performed by eighteen ingredients of persons. Sixteen priests, and the यजमान and his wife, constitute eighteen in number in large sacrifices like the अश्वमेध, राजसूय, etc.

Fools who cannot exercise their understanding properly, as they are called, who imagine that this is real blessedness, who think they will go to इंद्रलोक and be happy there, what happens to them? They come back to this Earth. Once again, they are born, and they will die as creatures that are plenty in this world. That is, you will be reduced to the same condition in which you were before commencing the यज्ञ. Therefore, relying on them will be the height of unintelligence of a person. Ignorance is at the back of the imagination that blessedness will be in इंद्रलोक, or any kind of लोक whatsoever. You do not want to go to any लोक at all. What you experienced in this world is only magnified in these लोक, which are conditioned by space and time in the same manner as this world of physical experience is conditioned by space and time, etc.

These ritualists imagine that they know everything in the world, that they are omniscient, that they know what is good and that others do not know anything. Such is the astounding profundity of human ignorance. They suffer afterwards as a consequence of this ignorance. They go on circling round and round in metempsychosis. As a blind man can be led by a blind man, leading to no destination whatsoever, so these arguments of यज्ञ and the promise of स्वर्ग in a world which is not going to be permanent, are based on ignorance. Beware! This is the word of caution exercised to Upanishadic students of true spirit.

अविद्यायां बहुधा वर्तमाना वयं कृतार्था इत्यभिमन्यन्ति बालाः ।

यत्कर्मिणो न प्रवेदयन्ति रागा-त्तेनातुराः क्षीणलोकाश्च्यवन्ते ॥ ९॥

इष्टापूर्तं मन्यमाना वरिष्ठं नान्यच्छ्रेयो वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः ।

नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृतेऽनुभूत्वेमं लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति ॥ १०॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
अविद्यायां – in the ways of the ignorant, बहुधा – many, वर्तमाना – present (being), वयं – we, कृतार्था – reached the goal, इति – that, अभिमन्यन्ति – think, बालाः – people of childish nature, यत् – because, कर्मिण: – men of कर्म (actions), न – not, प्रवेदयन्ति – attain knowledge, रागात् – by passion and attachment,  तेन – by that, आतुराः – dejected, wretched,  क्षीण-लोक: – when the fruits of their good deeds deplete (or are exhausted), च्यवन्ते – (they) fall down	Engrossed in the many ways of the ignorant, these people childishly think  that they have gained the ends (goal) of life. But being subject to passions and attachment, they never attain knowledge, and, therefore, they fall down wretched, when the fruits of their good deeds are exhausted.
इष्टापूर्तं – acts of यज्ञ and दान, मन्यमाना: – regarding, वरिष्ठं – most important, न – not, अन्यत् – any other thing,  श्रेय: – bliss,  वेदयन्ते – know, प्रमूढाः – these ignorant people, नाकस्य पृष्ठे – in the abode of स्वर्ग (the abode of pleasure), ते – they, सुकृते – good deeds, अनुभूत्वा – having enjoyed, इमं – this, लोकं – world, हीनतरं – inferior, वा – or, विशन्ति – enter	These ignorant persons, fancy यज्ञ and दान कर्म as most important, do not know any other way of bliss. Having enjoyed in the heights of स्वर्ग, the लोक pleasures, they enter again into this (human life) or even inferior (animal) लोकs.

व्याख्या: The arguments made in the previous मंत्र are continued here. Engrossed in the ways of the ignorant, these people childishly think that they have gained the aims of life. Being subject to desires and attachments, they never attain to true knowledge. They sink down immeasurably when the fruits of their good deeds get exhausted. Anything that has a beginning must also have an end. Inasmuch as your virtues did have a beginning, they should end one day. You cannot have endlessness of a thing that once began. Impermanence was the beginning, and impermanence shall also be the end. Therefore, impermanent shall be the joys that are apparently there, hung before your nose as a carrot before a donkey. You will not get it.

इष्टा and पूर्तं are two types of good deeds that people do in this world. यज्ञ along the lines of the Vedic injunctions are called इष्टा. Other philanthropic deeds such as distributing wealth, planting trees, giving charity, constructing rest houses, all these are called पूर्तं. These are the two types of charity that one can think of. One is heavenly; the other is earthly. But people may imagine that this is the be-all and end-all of all things. Just because you please the देवताs in स्वर्ग such as इंद्र, etc., and the people in this world, it does not mean you have pleased the realities of life. They are quite different things.

Very ignorant people are aware that this pursuit of यज्ञ is futile in the end. Having reached the peak of the blissful experience of स्वर्ग लोक on account of the consequences of their good deeds, they come back to this world, or they may go to even worse worlds.  The कर्म of an individual work in inscrutable ways. When a person like a king has the facility to perform यज्ञ like the अश्वमेध, it only means that some aspect of his प्रारब्ध कर्म which is conducive to his progress in the world has manifested itself, subjugating certain other aspects of his कर्म which are there in store as सञ्चित कर्म, which also have to germinate one day or the other. So when, due to the pressure exerted by the onrush of the good कर्म which have led him to this body of a king and permit him to perform यज्ञ of this kind, enabling him to go to the स्वर्ग लोक, are exhausted when they get used up, what happens? The force exerted by these good कर्म constituting this present प्रारब्ध will vanish completely like mist before the sun. Then suddenly he falls. He will fall into a condition which would be the area of action of another set of प्रारब्ध which is waiting to be experienced and to come forward in due course of time.

That remnant of प्रारब्ध which would be the cause of his future birth may not be equivalent to that earlier one which made him king. It may be another thing altogether. He may be born as a poor man. He may be born on this very Earth, or he may have such प्रारब्ध which may have been suppressed earlier on account of the overwhelming power of the other प्रारब्धs, which may bring him down to a lower level, lower than even the human species. So, it is very, very unsafe to rely on certain temporary experiences through which you are passing in this world.

Therefore, no कर्म can break the chain of birth and death caused by कर्म itself (यज्ञ, दान, etc are a kind of कर्म only, after all). कर्म cannot destroy कर्म. There must be some super-active force that has to be employed for the purpose of breaking down the chain of metempsychosis, the series of births and deaths. A prisoner cannot release another prisoner. The prisoner has to become free first. People who are bound by कर्म and are involved in the experience of the fruits of कर्म cannot destroy further fruits of कर्म of a similar nature. Only those can be regarded as really blessed who restrain themselves and do not go for the imagined joys of the temporal, स्वर्ग लोक, and who internally restrain themselves by tapas and intense concentration of the mind.

तपःश्रद्धे ये ह्युपवसन्त्यरण्ये शान्ता विद्वांसो भैक्ष्यचर्यां चरन्तः ।

सूर्यद्वारेण ते विरजाः प्रयान्ति यत्रामृतः स पुरुषो ह्यव्ययात्मा ॥ ११॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तपःश्रद्धे – तप (austerity, discipline), devout worship (श्रद्धा),  ये – they who, हि – indeed/ verily, उपवसन्ति – live, अरण्ये – in the forests (solitude), शान्ता – having control over their इंद्रिय, विद्वांसो –  the learned, भैक्ष्यचर्यां – life of a भिक्षक, चरन्तः – moves about (living), सूर्य-द्वारेण – through the orb of सूर्य, ते – they, विरजाः – good and bad deeds consumed, प्रयान्ति – go, यत्र – where, अमृतः – immortal, स: – that, पुरुष:,  हि – indeed/ verily, अव्ययात्मा – un-decaying

But those who perform तपस्या with श्रद्धा in the forest (solitude), having control over their इंद्रिय, are learned and are living the life of a भिक्षक, go through the orb (path) of सूर्य, their good and bad कर्म consumed, where That eternal and un-decaying पुरुष is.

व्याख्या: Those seekers of Truth who lead a life of simplicity, austerity, तप and internal devotion, live in seclusion, and do not want to live in large cities. They feel happier to be alone to themselves than to be in the midst of families and large crowds of people. The progress in the spiritual path can be gauged by the extent of satisfaction and joy that you feel in your own self when you are alone. The more are you alone, the more are you happy.

It will be difficult for a socially oriented mind to understand how aloneness can be a spiritual condition, and how social relations are the contrary of it, because a spiritual outlook is actually a manifestation of the intentions of the आत्मा of man. The indivisibility of the आत्मा is contrary to the relationship one psychologically establishes with the outer world. The आत्मा is not related to anything. It is totally unrelated. Therefore, the desire to be related, the desire to be in the midst of people—that is, to be externally conditioned in one’s own life—is to limit the longings of the आत्मा and to manifest an unspiritual outlook rather than a purely religious one, whereas the desire to be alone is a manifestation of the inner longings of the आत्मा, which is alone by itself. The आत्मा has no friends, it has no family, it has no father and mother, it has nothing whatsoever. Those people who, by an austere life and devotional worship, live in seclusion, wanting nothing from the world, are calm and quiet in their minds, very learned, intelligent, discriminating and wise in themselves, live on meagre sustenance, even on alms.

And what happens to a जीव who embraces alone-ness? Such people, when they depart from this body, are received by the solar orb. Sun, astronomically considered as the centre of the solar system, is somehow or other connected with the आत्मा of the individual. Astrologers tell us that the Moon conditions the mind, and the Sun conditions the आत्मा. Free from passion, greed and anger, and all the dross of the mind, these great आत्माs, who are devoted to the highest call of spiritual experience, pierce through the Sun, as it were, and the Sun opens the gates. Through the passage of the Sun,

the blessed soul reaches the realm which is the abode of the Immortal Being.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन ।

तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ १२॥

तस्मै स विद्वानुपसन्नाय सम्यक् प्रशान्तचित्ताय शमान्विताय ।

येनाक्षरं पुरुषं वेद सत्यं प्रोवाच तां तत्त्वतो ब्रह्मविद्याम् ॥ १३॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
परीक्ष्य – after examining, लोकान् – लोक of experiences, कर्मचितान् – gained by कर्म, ब्राह्मणो – a ब्राह्मण (aspirant), निर्वेदम् – freedom from all desires, आयात् – reflecting, न अस्ति – cannot be hand, अकृतः – that which is eternal, कृतेन – by कर्म, तत् – that, विज्ञानार्थं – in order to obtain the knowledge, स: – he, गुरुम् – गुरु, एव – alone, अभिगच्छेत् – (let him) approach, समित्पाणिः – with यज्ञ fuel in hands, श्रोत्रियं – (he who is) well-versed in the वेद, ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् – (he who is) established in ब्रह्म	Let a ब्राह्मण (an aspirant), after he has examined the लोकs gained by कर्म, acquire freedom from all desires, reflecting that nothing that is eternal can be gained by कर्म. Let him, in order to obtain the knowledge of the eternal, take fuel of यज्ञ (समित्) in his hands and approach that गुरु alone who is श्रोत्रियं (well-versed in the वेद) and is a ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् (established in ब्रह्म)
तस्मै – to that (शिष्य), स: – that, विद्वान् – wise गुरु, उपसन्नाय – (to him) who has approached, सम्यक् – in a proper manner, प्रशान्त-चित्ताय – (to him) whose mind is at rest, शमान्विताय – (to him) whose इंद्रिय are subdued, येन – by which, अक्षरं – eternal/ immortal, पुरुषं – पुरुष, वेद – is known, सत्यं – true, प्रोवाच – let (His teacher) teach, तां – that, तत्त्वत: – truly, ब्रह्मविद्याम् – ब्रह्म विद्या	To that शिष्य who has thus approached him in a proper manner, whose mind is at rest and whose इंद्रिय are subdued, let the wise गुरु truly teach that ब्रह्म विद्या by which the true eternal/ immortal पुरुष is known

व्याख्या: Approach a गुरु who is a श्रोत्रियं (well-versed in the वेद) as well as a ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् (meaning one who is established in ब्रह्म) – these are stated as essential qualifications of a गुरु. And when does one approach such a गुरु? One who is convinced that continuous conduct of कर्म is meaningless. Having seen this world properly, having investigated the futility of expressing permanent happiness through कर्म which are perishable in nature because every कर्म has a beginning and an end—that which has an origin will also have a cessation one day or the other—therefore, it us understood that कर्म which are essentially of an impermanent nature will not be an adequate means to carry the आत्मा to that which is absolutely permanent. That which is not the product of any kind of कर्म cannot be reached by कर्म, which are products. कर्म are emanations of personality, and are not self-existent. कर्म cannot hang in the air. They have to emanate, or rise, from some personality. Therefore, they are in the form of an effect. An effect is that which is produced by a cause; it is a product. That which is a product cannot become the cause of the attainment of that which is not a product. ब्रह्म is not created by anybody. It is a non-created eternal. Temporal things cannot take us to the eternal. Time has no connection with eternity. The three-dimensional world is a shadow, as it were, cast by an eternity which is supposed to be multi-dimensional, or infinite-dimensional. Let a person get disgusted with this world and want nothing from it, realising that this world cannot actually fulfil its promises. Its promises are empty. Properly investigating into the transient character of all things in the world which are attained by the performance of यज्ञ, a ब्राह्मण (meaning a learned one) should become fed up with this world. Having enjoyed everything in the world, such a one will finally not like to have anything from this world. The end of this world enjoyment is retirement from any kind of contact with it.

As stated above, one is meant to approach a गुरु who is learned as well as established in ब्रह्म. must be immensely learned, and also spiritually established. If a person is spiritually established but does not feel competent to expound the शस्त्र, he will not be able to speak to you. But if a person is learned but is not established in ब्रह्म, then his speeches will be empty. Hence, both are required within a गुरु.

The शिष्य is expected to approach the गुरु with humility. The first thing that the शिष्य would offer to the गुरु was firewood, and every day शिष्य would go to the forest to collect it which, in those days, was a very important duty of शिष्यs. This was because in those days, गुरुs were householders and used to perform अग्निहोत्र यज्ञ every-day in their homes. It is in this context that it is mentioned to approach the गुरु humbly, with holy firewood in one’s hand, or it may simply be an offering that is the need of the गुरु. In those days firewood was a necessity, but in other cases it may be something else. So, whatever is a requirement of the गुरु is that which has to be offered by a शिष्य. With such offering, humbly let a seeker of ब्रह्म approach that गुरु.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि प्रथममुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

२ ॥ द्वितीय मुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

तदेतत्सत्यं यथा सुदीप्तात्पावकाद्विस्फुलिङ्गाः सहस्रशः प्रभवन्ते सरूपाः ।

तथाऽक्षराद्विविधाः सोम्य भावाः प्रजायन्ते तत्र चैवापियन्ति ॥ १॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तत् – that, एतत् – this, सत्यं – truth, यथा – as, सुदीप्तात् – from the flaming, पावकाद् – (from) fire, विस्फुलिङ्गाः – sparks, सहस्रशः – by many (thousands), प्रभवन्ते – issue forth, spring out, सरूपाः – of the same form, तथा – as, अक्षरात् – from the eternal (ब्रह्म), विविधाः – various, diverse, सोम्य – beloved youth, भावाः – जीवs, beings, प्रजायन्ते – originate, born, तत्र – there, च – and, एव – verily/ indeed, अपि – again, यन्ति – go (find way into)

This is the truth; as from the flaming fire thousands of sparks, similar to its form (nature) issue forth, so from the eternal (ब्रह्म), O! my beloved youth, diverse (manifold) जीवs (beings) originate and they find their way back into it

व्याख्या: From here, the higher knowledge of ब्रह्म, the eternal reality or truth, is explained. Questions are often raised – 1) Where did we come from, and 2) What is the relation between the ultimate reality (or truth) and the world? The मंत्र here provides a fascinating analogy –

From a large conflagration of fire, thousands of sparks emanate in all directions. In a similar manner, varieties of individualities—species of beings and things—emerge from this Imperishable Reality and return to it, as sparks of fire that rise from the conflagration shoot up and then go back to their source, which is the fire itself. Thus is the world coming from its cause, which is the Imperishable ब्रह्म. It comes, it is sustained, and it returns. There is a beginning, and a middle, and an end for this world. Therefore, the world is not real, merely because of this simple fact that it has a beginning and an end, and a tentative middle.

Note here that the quality of the world (and thus ourselves) is similar to the ultimate reality – just as the spark of the fire is qualitatively the same as the fire. There is thus a relationship between the effect (spark) and the cause (fire). If the effect is totally disconnected from the cause—if there is nothing in the effect which can be called similar to the essence of the cause—there will be no relationship between them. This is to indicate that in spite of our separation from ब्रह्म, our fall from ब्रह्म, as it were, we are still endowed with that potential for returning to ब्रह्म, because the feet of ब्रह्म are planted in our own heart. The आत्मा that we are is an indication of the Universal that ब्रह्म is, just as the character of the spark is, in essence, the same as the character of fire. This illustration makes out that basically we are verily that which we are seeking. If we are entirely dissociated from that, there will be no possibility of our returning to it. The आत्मा is ब्रह्म basically.

दिव्यो ह्यमूर्तः पुरुषः सबाह्याभ्यन्तरो ह्यजः ।

अप्राणो ह्यमनाः शुभ्रो ह्यक्षरात्परतः परः ॥ २॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
दिव्य: – self-resplendent, हि – indeed/ verily, अमूर्तः- formless, पुरुषः, सबाह्याभ्यन्तर: – (that all-pervading being) is both within and without, हि – indeed/ verily, अजः – not born or originated, अप्राण: – (anterior to) without life, हि – indeed/ verily, अमनाः – without mind, शुभ्र: – pure,  हि – indeed/ verily, अक्षरात् – from the indestructible, परतः परः – It transcends even the transcendent	Self-resplendent, formless, un-originated and pure, that all-pervading Being is both within and without, anterior to both life and mind, It transcends even the transcendent, un-manifested, causal state of the universe.

व्याख्या: This मंत्र provides a few words to enable understanding what ब्रह्म represents.

1. दिव्य: ब्रह्म is divine. Divinity may be understood as resplendent by virtue of self-effulgence (just as light and heat is innate within the Sun). ब्रह्म may be seen as resident in Its own resplendent state of being.
2. पुरुष: पुरुष is to be understood in the sense of essential चैतन्य (consciousness). The origin of all things is चैतन्य. It presupposes all thoughts, all actions, and all types of awareness of objects. Even to think, there must be चैतन्य behind the thought. Even when we assert or deny a thing, consciousness is behind the act of affirmation and denial. If we totally doubt and become a confirmed agnostic or atheist, even in that act of our agnosticism or atheism there is a चैतन्य of our being such a thing. Even if we say nothing exists, there is a consciousness that affirms that nothing exists; therefore, something exists. That something is the चैतन्य of even the denial of all things. Such is the पुरुष, which is the Supreme चैतन्य.
3. अमूर्तः ब्रह्म is formless (and to add, It is the basis or substratum of all forms in the world)
4. सबाह्याभ्यन्तर: Inside and outside, it is there. चैतन्य cannot be divided into parts. It has no fractions. There is no division in चैतन्य. It is indivisible. Because of the fact that it is indivisible, it is all-pervading. If it is only in one place, it can be divided. If it is only in one place, there should be a place where it is not. Now, to know that चैतन्य is not in some place, चैतन्य has to be there already, because the absence of चैतन्य cannot be known except by चैतन्य itself, and so even the location of the absence of चैतन्य is चैतन्य itself. We cannot negate it in any manner whatsoever. The denial of चैतन्य is an act of चैतन्य only; therefore, it is to be considered as pervading all things and not located somewhere. It is not only in one place, it is everywhere.
5. अजः It is unborn; it has no beginning. To conceive the beginning of चैतन्य is impossible, because there must be somebody to conceive that चैतन्य as the beginning. If we imagine that चैतन्य was created at some time, we must imagine that there was something prior to चैतन्य which created चैतन्य. Then there will be what is called an infinite regression of argument: Who created that which causes the coming of चैतन्य? Then we can ask another question: Who caused that second one? and so on. Finally, we will find that we will land on the lap of चैतन्य. It cannot be created by anybody, because the very question of the creation of चैतन्य is raised by चैतन्य itself. Hence, finally we have to accept that चैतन्य is the Ultimate Reality; it is unborn in its nature.
6. अप्राण: हि अमनाः It is not individual प्राण — breathing, etc. It has no mind, because there is no necessity for it to think anything. As there are no objects in front of it, why should there be a mind? As it is not an individual with a body, therefore there is also no प्राण.
7. शुभ्र: Pure, simple radiance
8. अक्षरात्: परतः परः प्रकृति is stated in certain places as imperishable. Here, the मंत्र says that even the so-called imperishable प्रकृति is perishable in the light of a still higher imperishability that is beyond प्रकृति. One way to reconcile these seemingly contrary positions is to state that at the highest state, प्रकृति (referred to as मूल प्रकृति), even though existing, becomes dormant (and therefore has no impact by its presence).

एतस्माज्जायते प्राणो मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च ।

खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवी विश्वस्य धारिणी ॥ ३॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
एतस्मात् – from it (Him or It), जायते – born, प्राण:, मनः,  सर्वेन्द्रियाणि – all the इंद्रिय, च – and, खं – sky (आकाश), वायु:, ज्योति:, आप:, पृथिवी, विश्वस्य – of all (the Universe), धारिणी = supporter (that which supports)	From It (Him) are born प्राण, मन, all the इंद्रिय, आकाश, वायु:, ज्योति: (or अग्नि), आप: and पृथिवी which supports all

व्याख्या: From this great पुरुष, everything comes. The Cosmic प्राण, हिरण्यगर्भ, emanates from this Supreme ब्रह्म. The विराट, which is called here the मन, also emanates from that ब्रह्म. All the इंद्रिय (or the sense organs) also emanate from That. They are actually the feeders, the tentacles of चैतन्य. The पञ्चभूत —पृथ्वी, आप, अग्नि, वायु and आकाश —the very Earth that sustains us, the basis of all, emanate from That. The whole ब्रह्माण्ड, the fourteen worlds, seven above and seven below, which are the permutations and combinations, modifications of gross forms or subtle forms, or the real forms of the पञ्चभूत, all these come from one breath, as it were, of this one परमात्मा.

अग्निर्मूर्धा चक्षुषी चन्द्रसूर्यौ दिशः श्रोत्रे वाग्विवृताश्च वेदाः ।

वायुः प्राणो हृदयं विश्वमस्य पद्भ्यां पृथिवी ह्येष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा ॥ ४॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

अग्नि: – Fire (the celestial region called द्यूलोक), मूर्धा – (is )the head, चक्षुषी – the two eyes, चन्द्र, सूर्य:, दिशः – directions, श्रोत्रे – the two ears, वाक् – Its speech, विवृता: – declared, च – and, वेदाः – वेदs, वायुः, प्राण:, हृदयं – (His) mind, विश्वम् – the Universe,  अस्य – of this inner आत्मा of all beings, पद्भ्यां – feet, पृथिवी,  हि – Indeed/ verily, एष: – He, सर्व-भूत-अन्तरात्मा – the inner आत्मा of all beings

अग्नि (Fire) is Its Head, सूर्य and चंद्र – Its eyes, दिशः or four quarters or directions – Its ears, the declared वेदs – Its वाक् (speech), वायु – Its breadth, the Universe – Its मन (हृदय), पृथ्वी originated from Its feet. It is indeed the inner आत्मा of all beings.

व्याख्या:  This Cosmic Being is described here as something like the विश्वरूप दर्शन of the Eleventh Chapter of the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता. अग्नि here represents स्वर्ग. The radiant स्वर्ग is the head of the Supreme Being. सूर्य and चंद्र are the eyes of that Supreme Being. The entire quarters of space are the ears, as it were, of that Being. The वेद are its words, or the speech it utters. The entire cosmic breath, the entire air, the wind, the universal प्राण, is its breath. The whole universe is its हृदय. The gross form of physical manifestation in the form of this Earth may be regarded as its footstool. This is a picture before you of the all-pervading आत्मा of all beings. This illustration is to point out that all things that we can conceive in our mind or see with our eyes are part of this Great Being, limbs of the विराट पुरुष. That something is the eye, something is the head, something is the foot is only illustrative of everything being somehow or other organically connected with this Being. The whole universe is its शरीर.

तस्मादग्निः समिधो यस्य सूर्यः सोमात्पर्जन्य ओषधयः पृथिव्याम् ।

पुमान् रेतः सिञ्चति योषितायां बह्वीः प्रजाः पुरुषात्संप्रसूताः ॥ ५॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तस्मात् – from It, अग्नि: – the sky (which is the first fire), समिध: – fuel (used in यज्ञ),  यस्य – whose, सूर्यः, सोमात् – from सोम (moon), पर्जन्य – the rain clouds (second fire), ओषधयः – herbs (plants), पृथिव्याम् – on पृथ्वी (third fire), पुमान् – the man (fourth fire), रेतः – semen, सिञ्चत: – casts, sheds, योषितायां – into the woman (fifth fire), बह्वीः – many, प्रजाः – progeny, पुरुषा – from the पुरुष, संप्रसूताः – are (born) produced

From It are produced the sky (which is the first fire) whose fuel is सूर्य; from सोम (चंद्र), the rain clouds (the second fire), from the clouds, the herbs that grow on earth (the third fire), from these (herbs eaten) the man (the fourth fire), who sheds his seeds into the woman (the fifth fire). In this manner, many living beings are born from the पुरुष, the all-pervading being.

व्याख्या:  This मंत्र provides the पञ्चाग्नि विद्या in a summary form (described in more detail in the छाँदोग्य उपनिषद्).

Events do not take place merely on Earth; they take place in sky first. A vibration takes place in the highest heaven, and here this vibration in the sky is called अग्नि, or the supreme fire of the original cosmic activity. सूर्य is expressed here as providing fuel for this अग्नि – the role of सूर्य is understood very well today and needs no further elaboration. Similar role is given to the moon whose presence is seen as essential to support life on Earth (it is said that but for the presence of moon, there would have been no life on our planet). What next? This vibration in the sky , therefore, is the cause of everything that is taking place here. The vibrations created by the solar orb produce such an impact upon the atmosphere that the heat of the Sun sucks the water of the oceans and converts it into vapour which forms clouds, and by the action of wind blowing in various directions according to the circumstances of nature, rain falls.

When rain falls, plants grow. There is harvest in the fields, and vegetables and all edibles in the world become available to us. But how does rain fall? A great activity is taking place in the sky, over which we have no control. We cannot create rain, and we will all perish if there is no rain. These vegetables and foodstuffs are eaten by man and are finally converted into the bloodstream, and then into the essences which are responsible for the production of children while living a married life.

Simply put, the initial vibration from पुरुष creates multiple sub-vibrations in the lower orders thus sustaining life again and again. पुरुष may thus be seen as the cause-less cause – meaning that there is no cause of पुरुष since it is always there. And while all subsequent vibrations have an immediate cause, पुरुष is the primal cause of all causes. This causeless cause must also be an intelligent cause.

Therefore, this ultimate cause is, firstly, without any cause behind it; there is no other cause for it. Secondly, it is intelligent because it is purposive and knows what to create. And thirdly, it is all-pervading because if it is located in one place only, it will be a perishable object. Thus, the Supreme

पुरुष is indivisible consciousness, all-pervading, and causative of everything in this world.

Why is the above narration important to know? The उपनिषद् is a knowledge that cuts off all attachments. The occurrences in the world, the events taking place in space and time, the very historical process of mankind—all these are certain occurrences first taking place in the worlds that are above this Earth, just as the manifestation of our own physical body is not a sudden occurrence or an abrupt manifestation from nowhere but a gradual concretisation of impulsions and intentions coming from within. There is a cause for the body, which is the प्राण. There is a cause for the प्राण, which is the mind. There is a cause for the mind, which is the reason. There is a cause for the reason, which is the जीवत्व, or finitude. And there is a cause for that, which is the will of the आत्मा. So is this production of things and events in this world, which are occasioned by certain vibrations. The vibrations are one behind the other.  The तप of ब्रह्म creates all activity – as we have seen earlier. And once a student connects with this truth, they too will focus their minds not on the activities around them but move towards the centre of everything, the ब्रह्म, the ultimate reality.

तस्मादृचः साम यजूंषि दीक्षा यज्ञाश्च सर्वे क्रतवो दक्षिणाश्च ।

संवत्सरश्च यजमानश्च लोकाःसोमो यत्र पवते यत्र सूर्यः ॥ ६॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तस्मात् – from It, ऋचः – ऋक् (type of मंत्र), साम  – (another type of मंत्र), यजूंषि – यजुस् (another type of मंत्र), दीक्षा – preliminary कर्म undertaken by one doing यज्ञ, यज्ञा: – यज्ञ (like अग्निहोत्र),  च – and. सर्वे – all, क्रतव: – ceremonies which require a यूप (a post kept in the यज्ञ to which the would-be-sacrifice will be tied to during the यज्ञ),  दक्षिणा – gifts given to the पुरोहितs who undertake the यज्ञ, संवत्सर: – the year (time of the यज्ञ), च – and, यजमान: – the one performing the यज्ञ, च – and, लोकाः – the worlds (the worlds of experiences), सोम: – the moon, यत्र – where, पवते – purifies, यत्र – where, सूर्यः

From It are the three types of वेद मंत्र – ऋक्, साम and यजुस्, the formulae adopted for यज्ञ, ceremonies related to the यज्ञ, the दक्षिणा (given to the पुरोहितs who perform the यज्ञ), the time of the यज्ञ, यज्ञ offering, the performer of the यज्ञ and the worlds, purified by सूर्य and सोम (which come to one as the fruits of the यज्ञ)

व्याख्या:  From this Being, everything proceeds, it is said. The वेद मंत्र are also emanations of this Being, which means the truths contained in the वेद मंत्र are eternally there as projections of certain aspects in the manifestation of ब्रह्म तत्व. The chants, the यजुर्वेद मंत्र and the formulae that are employed in the performance of यज्ञ, the क्रिया connected with these यज्ञ, the ceremonies of various types, the gifts and so on, even the time chosen for the यज्ञ, and the worlds purified by सूर्य and चंद्र which the आत्मा will attain after the departure from this शरीर, all these are conditioned by that original तप of ब्रह्म. Our past, our present, as well as our future are in the hands of ब्रह्म. This is what is actually meant by this passage. The condition into which we are born in this world, the community in which we find ourselves, the length of life for which we will be living in this world, and the experiences which we will pass through are all written down while we are still in our mother’s womb.

तस्माच्च देवा बहुधा संप्रसूताः साध्या मनुष्याः पशवो वयांसि ।

प्राणापानौ व्रीहियवौ तपश्च श्रद्धा सत्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं विधिश्च ॥ ७॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तस्मात् – from It,  च – and, देवा: – देवताs, बहुधा – many (various orders viz वसुs  , रुद्रs, etc), संप्रसूताः – are born, साध्या – the celestials, मनुष्याः – human beings, पशवो – animals, वयांसि – the birds, प्राण:-अपान: – the in-breaths and the out-breaths, व्रीहियवौ – corn and barley, तप:, च – and,  श्रद्धा – the devotion, सत्यं – truth, ब्रह्मचर्यं – self-control, विधि – values of life, च – and

From It also the देवताs of various orders, the साध्याs (a particular class of देवताs), the human beings, the beasts, the birds, the in-breaths and the out-breaths, the corn and barley, thought, devotion, truth, self-control and the values of life (were born).

व्याख्या:  Here, the ऋषि has conceived of various aspects of life – external and internal and added that everything has come about and runs about owing to the तप of ब्रह्म.

सप्त प्राणाः प्रभवन्ति तस्मा-त्सप्तार्चिषः समिधः सप्त होमाः ।

सप्त इमे लोका येषु चरन्ति प्राणा गुहाशया निहिताः सप्त सप्त ॥ ८॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

सप्त प्राणाः – seven प्राणs (or organs of senses), प्रभवन्ति – are born, तस्मात् – from It, अर्चिषः – seven flames of fire which are powers of recognition, समिधः – (seven-fold sense objects) fuel, सप्त होमाः – seven oblations (knowledge), सप्त – seven, इमे – these, लोका – worlds (seats of sense life), येषु – where, चरन्ति – move, प्राणा – the प्राणs (life forces), गुहाशया – lying in the cave (हृदय), निहिताः – seated, सप्त – seven, सप्त – seven

From It are born seven प्राणs, the seven flames, seven-fold fuel, the seven-fold oblations, as also the seven worlds where the प्राणs move in the cave of all living creatures; seven and seven

व्याख्या:  Multiple “sevens” are seen here – each is elaborated below:

1. सप्त प्राणाः (seven senses: Seven orifices above the neck are referred to here as seven senses—the two nostrils, the two eyes, the two ears, and the mouth. These are the seven apertures which act like senses, performing their respective functions. These senses, and their powers of cognition—not only the location of the eyes, nose, ears, etc., but also the capacity involved in them to perform their function, and the particular objects to which they are directed, as also the knowledge that such objects are the requisites for the function of a specific sense organ, and the physical locations of these senses— are what is meant by these cryptic words प्राण, अर्चिषः, समिधः and होमाः. The terminology of sacrifice is used here to describe an otherwise vital function that is taking place in us.
2. सप्त अर्चिषः – Seven प्राणs are the seven functions of the इंद्रिय mentioned, and the flaming anguish of these senses to grab their particular food, or object, is known as सप्त अर्चिषः, seven flames. Our desires are like flames. They rush forth like burning heat in the direction of their objects.
3. समिधः And the objects themselves are called समिधः, which are offered into the यज्ञ.
4. सप्त होमाः This refers to the consumption of the object.

Thus, just as activities happen in an external यज्ञ, the above process refers to the internal यज्ञ while consuming food (or living life). And internal यज्ञ too must be done with prayer. Life is a prayer. The इंद्रिय, in their greed for their objects, are actually praying for relief from the agony, or the involvement, in this grizzly action of their longings for things. There is a देवता operating inside the ear as a point of consciousness at the back of the nervous system and the eardrum, etc., that appear to be the causes of the sounds that we hear. So is the case with all the other इंद्रिय. If we ignore the presence of these consciousness points called देवताs, we would be paying disrespect to them, and the अग्निहोत्र यज्ञ would not then be performed. Those who eat without offering to the देवताs first as a sacrament are actually thieves, says the श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता.

Seven are the worlds which will be reached by the performer of this kind of internal अग्निहोत्र, पञ्चाग्नि विद्या तत्व, and any one of these worlds will be our fruit thereof. We know what the seven worlds are (भू, भुव:, सुव:, etc) , and we may be reborn there in any way, in any fashion, according to the devotion with which the यज्ञ has been performed. Both outer यज्ञ as well as inner यज्ञ have a common intention of lifting the जीव above this physical body and taking it into the heavenly regions, even up to the highest ब्रह्मलोक.

अतः समुद्रा गिरयश्च सर्वेऽस्मा-त्स्यन्दन्ते सिन्धवः सर्वरूपाः ।

अतश्च सर्वा ओषधयो रसश्च येनैष भूतैस्तिष्ठते ह्यन्तरात्मा ॥ ९॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
अतः – from It, समुद्रा – the oceans, गिरय: – the mountains, च – and, सर्वे: – all, अस्मात् – from It, स्यन्दन्ते – flow, सिन्धवः – the rivers, सर्व-रूपाः – of all descriptions, अतः – from It, च – and, सर्वा – all, ओषधयो – plants and herbs, रस: – the saps, च – and,  येन – by which, एष: – this,  भूतै: – by the gross elements of matter, तिष्ठते – exists, हि – indeed, अन्तरात्मा – the subtle body	From It, all the oceans and mountains, from It, the rivers of every description, from It too, all herbs and saps by which the subtle body exists encircled by the gross elements of matter.

व्याख्या: This internal आत्मा is the cause of even the mighty oceans and the towering Himalayan mountains. The rivers flow in a particular direction only, and not in another direction. The Sun rises only in one direction, and not elsewhere. The stars scintillate and maintain their positions not in any other manner, only because of terror of the operation of the system of law and order of ब्रह्म तप. All the trees and plants grow only because of the will of that तप. There cannot be a breeze moving, wafting through the leaves of trees in the thick of the forest, unless that तप operates. Through all these manifestations mentioned in various ways, this inner आत्मा rejoices and glories in itself. It plays in the form of this universe. Simply put, behind all the diversity that we witness in the universe, there is an internal आत्मा whose will is the cause of the presence and operation of everything within the universe.

पुरुष एवेदं विश्वं कर्म तपो ब्रह्म परामृतम् । एतद्यो वेद निहितं गुहायां सोऽविद्याग्रन्थिं विकिरतीह सोम्य ॥ १०॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
पुरुष:, एव – alone, इदं – this, विश्वं – the universe, कर्म,  तप: – austerity, discipline, ब्रह्म, परा-अमृतम्- the highest and the immortal, एतत् – this, य: – he who, वेद – knows, निहितं – seated in, गुहायां – in the cavity of the heart, स: – It, अविद्या-ग्रन्थिं – knot of अविद्या (ignorance), विकिरति – unties, इह – (even) here, सोम्य – O good-looking youth	The पुरुष alone is all this Universe – the कर्म and तप. O Good-looking Youth! He who knows this highest and immortal ब्रह्म as seated in the cavity of the हृदय, unties the अविद्या-ग्रन्थिं (knot of ignorance) even here, in this very life

व्याख्या: The whole cosmos is पुरुष only. Whatever we may be seeing, everything is a manifestation of पुरुष only. Our कर्म, our तपस्या,         our studies and our कर्म फल – all are included in this vast manifestation. The गुरु speaks, “My dear disciple, listen! Whoever knows this secret that I have been telling you all the while, in connection with the आत्मा which is the deepest reality of every individual and the deepest reality of the cosmos, whoever knows this correctly and lives it, such a person breaks the अविद्या-ग्रन्थिं (knot of ignorance).”  It tears it apart and scatters it into pieces. It scatters the knot of the ignorance which has caused us to believe that we are here as isolated individuals, and the world is outside.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि द्वितीयमुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

॥ द्वितीय मुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

आविः संनिहितं गुहाचरं नाम महत्पदमत्रैतत्समर्पितम् ।

एजत्प्राणन्निमिषच्च यदेतज्जानथ सदसद्वरेण्यं परं विज्ञानाद्यद्वरिष्ठं प्रजानाम् ॥ १॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

आविः – bright, संनिहितं – existing very close, गुहाचरं – moving in the cavity of the हृदय, नाम – known as, महत् – great, पदम् – the support, अत्र – here (in that ब्रह्म), एतत् – this, समर्पितम् – (in It is all the universe) centered around, एजत् – moves, प्राणत् – breathes, निमिषत् – winks,   च – and, यत् – this (ब्रह्म), एतत् – this, जानथ – know, सत् – with form (gross), असत् – without form (subtle), वरेण्यं – the most adorable, परं – the highest of beings, विज्ञानात् – beyond the understanding of, यत् – this, वरिष्ठं – the one being adored, प्रजानाम् – of creatures

(It is) effulgent, near at hand, and well known as moving in the heart, and (It is) the great goal. On It are fixed all these that move, breathe, and wink or do not wink. Know this One which comprises the gross and the subtle, which is beyond the ordinary knowledge of creatures, and which is the most desirable and the highest of all.

व्याख्या: Manifest outside is this very thing that is the deepest source of our aspirations. Verily, in front of our eyes is manifest that very thing which is otherwise inconceivable. The deepest within is also there as the perceivable form before the senses. It is deepest in the heart, no doubt, but it is also

capable of appearing before our very eyes as the thing that we see. This ब्रह्म is the great manifested support of all beings. It is the cause of all our experiences. It is very close to us, nearer than our neck, yet it is inside in the cavity of the heart. Everything that breathes, everything that is alive, all beings whether moving or not moving, anything that winks, all these are rooted in this one single Being as spokes are fixed in the hub of a wheel. It is the cause of both the gross and the subtle. It is the most adorable of all beings.

Might and attraction, both qualities are in आत्मा. Very few things combine these characteristics. There is great strength in a bulldozer; it can crush us if we go near it, but it has no beauty. It does not attract us, and we do not want to go on looking at it. It has a great force, a crushing force, a great power, but no beauty. But certain beautiful things have no power, such as a flower in the garden. A rose, a jasmine, a lotus are very beautiful, but they are not strong and powerful like an elephant. आत्मा is power and beauty combined.

वरेण्यं is the adorable. It is adorable because it is great and grand, and adorable because it is lovable and dear. It has two aesthetic characteristics, sublimity and beauty, and both are to be seen in पुरुष. This is the great ब्रह्म तत्व, the आत्मा तत्व.

यदर्चिमद्यदणुभ्योऽणु च यस्मिँल्लोका निहिता लोकिनश्च ।

तदेतदक्षरं ब्रह्म स प्राणस्तदु वाङ्मनः तदेतत्सत्यं तदमृतं तद्वेद्धव्यं सोम्य विद्धि ॥ २॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

यत् – that which, अर्चिमत् – luminous, यत् – that which, अणुभ्य: – than the subtlest, अणु – subtle, च – and, यस्मिँन्  – in which, लोका: – worlds,  निहिता – seated, लोकिन: – inhabitants, च – and, तत् – that, एतत् – this, अक्षरं – eternal/ immortal, ब्रह्म, स: – He, प्राण: – life, तत् – that, उ – alone, वाक्, मन:, तत् – that, एतत् – this, सत्यं – truth/ reality, त् – that, अमृतं – immortality, तत् – that, वेद्धव्यं – that which should be penetrated, सोम्य – O my friend!, विद्धि – penetrate

Luminous, subtler than even the subtlest, that imperishable ब्रह्म alone is the abode of the world and all its inhabitants. He is life, speech, mind, reality and immortality. This is the mark (goal) which should be penetrated by the mind. Penetrate it, O my friend.

व्याख्या: The great reality is manifesting its radiance, its flames, in the form of this projection (of the universe). The world, as an emanation from ब्रह्म, is actually the rays of this Supreme Being manifesting themselves, as it were. It is the light of ब्रह्म that is visible here as the world of perception, light getting condensed into solid matter, but it is nevertheless more subtle than even the subtlest atomic particles of life. It is subtle because of its not being an object of perception. All things that can be conceived, thought of, spoken about or perceived are gross in their form. But this one, which is the knower and the seer of things, and cannot in any way be equated with objectivity of any kind, should naturally be very subtle. It cannot be known at all, inasmuch as it is the knower of things. Inasmuch as it is the knower of things, it cannot be known; therefore, it is अणु, subtle.

All this weighty mass of physical manifestation, this physical cosmos, as large as it is, together with all the inhabitants of this world, is rooted, fixed in this subtlest of realities. The subtler a thing is, the

more powerful it is. A strong electric current, which is not a physical object like tangible bricks or stones, etc., may break a mountain and reduce it to powder if its voltage is sufficiently intense. We cannot even see it with our eyes, but it can damage everything and dismantle huge structures. The subtlest of things is also the strongest of things, and therefore the weighty mass of the physical manifestation of the world is nowhere in comparison with this subtlest invisible reality on which everything is fixed. Invisible things control visible objects. The visible world is not the real; the real is that which cannot be seen. The invisible is the real. The more invisible and subtle a thing becomes, the more real it is.

This अक्षरम् ब्रह्म (imperishable ब्रह्म) is the vitality of the cosmos as well as the individual. That also is the reason why we speak. The energy that is necessary for the modulation of the vocal cords in the articulation of sounds is itself manifested in one form. That is the mind that thinks. It is the law, it is the rule, it is the regulation, it is the system, it is the order that maintains this cosmos—सत्य. This great order is the Truth of truths. It is the will of the Absolute. It reigns supreme, triumphs always, and anything other than that cannot triumph.

It is अमृतं (eternal). It is immortal nectar, sweet as delicious honey. Immortal experience does not mean just existing for a long time, doing nothing. That is not अमृतं. It is a duration-less experience where the concept of individual existence is completely abolished and transcended. For us who are living in a world of space and time, for us who are physical bodies, to be अमृतं would seem like living for a long time in some place, without dying. This is a crude, childish idea of deathlessness. That which is deathless is also not physical. That which is not physical is also not in space and time; therefore, it is not in some place that it may endure for a long time. The very idea or notion of immortality has to be re-imagined.

This great being is our goal. Fix one’s mind on pursuit of this great goal. No other goal stands in front of this one – this is the ultimate and highest goal.

धनुर्गृहीत्वौपनिषदं महास्त्रं शरं ह्युपासानिशितं संधयीत । (संदधीत)

आयम्य तद्भावगतेन चेतसा लक्ष्यं तदेवाक्षरं सोम्य विद्धि ॥ ३॥

प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत् ॥ ४॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
धनु: – bow, गृहीत्वा  – having taken औपनिषदं – furnished by उपनिषद्s, महास्त्रं – the great weapon, शरं – arrow, हि – indeed, उपासानिशितं – sharpened by जप, संधयीत – must be fixed, आयम्य – having drawn, तद्भाव-गतेन – fixed on ब्रह्म, चेतसा – with mind, लक्ष्यं – goal, तत् – that, एव – alone, अक्षरं – immortal ब्रह्म, सोम्य – O Friend! विद्धि – penetrate (learn)	Having taken the great weapon – the bow furnished by the उपनिषद्s and fixed in it the arrow rendered pointed by constant meditation, and having drawn it with the mind fixed on the ब्रह्म, O good-looking youth! Penetrate that mark – the immortal ब्रह्म
प्रणव: – the प्रणव,  धनुः – bow, शर: – arrow, हि – indeed, आत्मा – जीव here, ब्रह्म, तत् – that, लक्ष्यम् – goal, mark, उच्यते – is said to be, अप्रमत्तेन – steady and undeflected, वेद्धव्यं – should be hit, शर-वत् – like the arrow, तन्मय: – one with the mark, भवेत् – should become	The प्रणव is the bow, the आत्मा is the arrow and ब्रह्म is said to be its mark (goal). It should be hit by one who is self-collected and like the arrow, becomes one with the mark i.e., ब्रह्म.

व्याख्या: In the first मंत्र, analogy of a bow and arrow has been given to explain the goal of life. That Imperishable Being is the लक्ष्यं (goal) which you have to hit with this arrow of your mind, struck and discharged by the bow of knowledge (of the उपनिषद्), and bent with tremendous strength arisen from your longing for मोक्ष. In the next मंत्र, ॐकारा has been named as the bow meaning here that ॐ is the essence of the knowledge of the उपनिषद्s. Since it is the जीव आत्मा which is seeking मोक्ष, जीव is expressed as the arrow and ब्रह्म is the लक्ष्यम्

Arrow can be hit by one who is अप्रमत्तेन – steady and undeflected (like अर्जुन) especially since ब्रह्म is subtle and subtle cannot be approached without complete focus. How can the gross mind, which is accustomed to thinking of objects, succeed in thinking of subtle things? ब्रह्म is subtle because of its universality on one hand and its inwardness on the other hand. The combination of these two aspects is very difficult to consider in the mind. Either we think of an expanse or we think something inside us. It is not merely an expanse outside, and it is also not something sitting inside us. It is a blend of the inwardness of subjectivity together with the expanse of objectivity, the infinity. As these two thoughts cannot combine easily, it is hard for the mind to concentrate on ब्रह्म. It can concentrate on a form—on idols, on concepts, on an image that it places before itself—because it is outside. But

ब्रह्म is not outside. How will you concentrate on it? Very cautious you have to be, very careful. Do not be in a hurry. Then your mind will unite itself with the object of your meditation as the arrow merges into the object.

यस्मिन् द्यौः पृथिवी चान्तरिक्षमोतं मनः सह प्राणैश्च सर्वैः ।

तमेवैकं जानथ आत्मानमन्या वाचो विमुञ्चथामृतस्यैष सेतुः ॥ ५॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
यस्मिन् – in whom,द्यौः – स्वर्ग, पृथिवी,  च – and, अन्तरिक्षम् – inner space, ओतं – centered, मनः, सह – together with, प्राणै: – life-breaths (प्राणs), च – and, सर्वैः – of all, तं – him, एव – alone, एकं – one, जानथ – know, आत्मानम् – as the आत्मा, अन्या – all other, वाच: – talks, विमुञ्चथ: give up/ desist, अमृतस्य – of immortality, एष: – this is, सेतुः – bridge	He in whom the स्वर्ग, पृथ्वी and the inner-space are centered, together with मन and all प्राणs – know Him alone as the one आत्मा of all and desist from all other talk. This is the man’s bridge to the shore of immortality (across the ocean of life).

व्याख्या:  It is that on which space itself is fixed, which is the foundation of the whole Earth. The entire space is an object in front of that subtler, larger-than-space Reality. And all things, including the mind and the प्राण, are fixed on that Reality. That alone should be the goal of your life. Know it as the deepest reality of your own heart, the आत्मा.

Do not speak too much. When you speak, speak only about the आत्मा. Do not speak about anything else. All other words are weariness of speech. Therefore, concentrate yourself on this great ideal of your life, and mind your business, as they say. Do not engage yourself in other kinds of business in this world. This should be your only business, your only aim, and nothing else should attract your attention. This साधना, this practice, if it can be carried on successfully, will be the bridge to eternality.

अरा इव रथनाभौ संहता यत्र नाड्यः  । स एषोऽन्तश्चरते बहुधा जायमानः ।

ओमित्येवं ध्यायथ आत्मानं स्वस्ति वः पाराय तमसः परस्तात् ॥ ६॥ (पराय)

श्लोक

अर्थ

अरा: – spokes, इव – like, रथ-नाभौ – in the hub of a chariot wheel, संहता – meet, यत्र – where, नाड्यः – nerves, स: – He, एष: – this (आत्मा), अन्त:चरते – dwells (moves in the heart), बहुधा – in many ways, जायमानः – becoming manifold, ॐ, इति – as, एवं – thus, ध्यायथ – you meditate, आत्मानं – on the आत्मा, स्वस्ति – blessings, वः – to you, पाराय – (in crossing to the) farther shores, तमसः – of the darkness, परस्तात् – beyond

Where all the nerves meet like the spokes of a chariot wheel in the hub, there within the heart He moves, becoming manifold. Do ध्यान on that आत्मा as ॐ. Blessings to you in the crossing to the farther shores beyond darkness.

व्याख्या:  All the nerve currents of the body and the देवताs of the cosmos are fixed in this universal consciousness, ब्रह्म, as spokes in a wheel are fixed in the hub of the wheel. This One, in which everything is fixed, is moving inside the heart, and it manifests itself in various forms as visualisations by the mind of a variety of conceptualisations of objects. It was said you must meditate on ब्रह्म. How

do you meditate on ब्रह्म? The prescription is given here – Meditate on ब्रह्म as ॐ, by recitation of ॐ. Deeply chant ॐ like a vibration rising from the navel to the heart, as it were, and moving upwards through the heart and the throat until it becomes an articulated sound through the vocal organs. Inversely, when the sound formation of ॐ is recited through the vocal organs, it becomes subtler and subtler as the chanting becomes calmer and calmer, more and more inward, and becomes inverted into its original source until it reaches its vibratory condition where sound is absent. This ultimate vibration, which is the final shape of ॐ, is identical with cosmic power, the very will of परमात्मा. Therefore, meditate on ब्रह्म as ॐ. ॐ is the name of ब्रह्म. Every word in language has a particular object in front of it, located in some place, whereas ब्रह्म is not an object located in some place. Hence, any word that can connote only a located object will not suffice in defining ब्रह्म, which is everywhere. You require a universal name to denote Universal Being. The universal name is ॐ, according to universal vibrations. Therefore, through ॐ meditate on ब्रह्म. गुरु wishes the शिष्य well in the journey to attain ब्रह्म.

यः सर्वज्ञः सर्वविद्यस्यैष महिमा भुवि । दिव्ये ब्रह्मपुरे ह्येष व्योम्न्यात्मा प्रतिष्ठितः ॥ (संप्रतिष्ठितः)

मनोमयः प्राणशरीरनेता प्रतिष्ठितोऽन्ने हृदयं संनिधाय ।

तद्विज्ञानेन परिपश्यन्ति धीरा आनन्दरूपममृतं यद्विभाति ॥ ७॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

यः – He who, सर्वज्ञः – all-wise, सर्वविद् – all knowing, यस्य – to whom, एष: – this, महिमा – glory, भुवि – in the world, दिव्ये = luminous, ब्रह्मपुरे – in the city of ब्रह्म (viz हृदय), हि – indeed, एष: – this व्योम्नि  – in the sky, आत्मा, प्रतिष्ठितः – seated, established, मनोमयः – one with मन, प्राण: – life, शरीर, नेता – controller, प्रतिष्ठित: – seated, established, अन्ने – in the food (meaning in the whole body of the being), हृदयं, संनिधाय – clothed, तत् – that, विज्ञानेन – by perfect knowledge, परिपश्यन्ति – realizes, धीरा – the wise one, आनन्दरूपम् – blissful, अमृतं – eternal/ immortal, यद् – which विभाति – manifests

He is “all-wise” and “all-knowing” and His, is indeed, this glory manifest in the world. In the space of हृदय, this luminous city of ब्रह्म, He is established, clothed in mind and guiding life and body. With His seat in the हृदय, He lives in the whole body of the living being. In the perfect knowledge of Him, the wise realize the state of blissful immortality.

व्याख्या:  We have discussed earlier that सर्वज्ञः refers to all-knowing aspect of आत्मा at a general level while सर्वविद् refers to all-knowing aspect of आत्मा at a particular level. The glory of the universe that is visible to all is the expression of आत्मा. Or one may say that the whole universe is praising आत्मा in all its forms, in all its shapes, through all its historical processes and every shape that it takes through evolution. The world as a whole is a total prayer that is offered to आत्मा by Its own creation. Sometimes it is said that आत्मा created the world so that the world may pray to It. ब्रह्म is located in the हृदय of all. The highest reality is planted in the हृदय of all. The forms of the मन, the प्राण and the शरीर, all forms are its manifestations.

भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः ।

क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टे परावरे ॥ ८॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
भिद्यते – is broken, untied, हृदय-ग्रन्थि: – the knot of the हृदय, छिद्यन्ते – dispelled, solved, सर्व-संशयाः – all doubts, क्षीयन्ते – consumed, च – and, अस्य – his, कर्माणि – कर्मs, तस्मिन् – in it, दृष्टे – when seen, परावरे – in the higher and the lower	When He is seen both in the higher and the lower, the knots of his हृदय become untied, all doubts are dispelled and all his कर्मs is consumed

व्याख्या:  The हृदय-ग्रन्थि have already been explained—ब्रह्म- ग्रन्थि, रुद्र- ग्रन्थि and विष्णु- ग्रन्थि. They are actually अविद्या, काम and कर्म (ignorance, desire and action). These knots are broken at once by the rise of the knowledge of ब्रह्म. All doubts are dispelled in one second. You will have no doubt in your mind; everything is so clear, as if in the midday sun. All the karmas will be destroyed – by all कर्मs is meant the सञ्चित कर्म, the आगामी कर्म as well as the प्रारब्ध कर्म – all three are destroyed (there is a debate that प्रारब्ध remains till the death but there are arguments against this too – I am avoiding that discussion here). All the effects of karma that cause rebirth will be burnt into ashes. When does this happen? This happens only when you behold the Great Being (viz the आत्मा) which is high (viz the cause) and low (viz the effect) combined, as “I am this”, The idea is that one becomes free on the eradication of the causes of the worldly state.

हिरण्मये परे कोशे विरजं ब्रह्म निष्कलम् ।

तच्छुभ्रं ज्योतिषां ज्योतिस्तद्यदात्मविदो विदुः ॥ ९॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
हिरण्मये – golden, परे – the highest, innermost, कोशे – sheath (covering), विरजं – stainless, ब्रह्म, निष्कलम् – indivisible, तत् – that, शुभ्रं – pure, ज्योतिषां – of all lights, ज्योति: – light, तत् – that, यत् – which, आत्मविद: – knowers of आत्मा, विदुः – know	The stainless, indivisible ब्रह्म, the pure, the light of all lights, is in the inner-most sheath of the golden hue – the highest. That is what the knowers of the आत्मा know

व्याख्या:  Light of lights is this Brahman. The Sun and the Moon do not shine there. Within the golden sheath of the intellect of the human being, this Pure Consciousness scintillates like a spark which is without smoke and without any kind of limitation or location, the purest of purities, the Light of lights. That is beheld by those people who have known the आत्मा as identical with the light that they behold in other bodies also. The whole world will look like a mass of radiance to the जीवनमुक्त पुरुष. Such a one sees oneself present and moving in all bodies. It is a cosmic experience, incapable of articulation in ordinary words of language.

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः ।

तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥ १०॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
न – neither, तत्र – there, सूर्य:,  भाति – shines, न – nor, चन्द्र, तारकं – stars, न – not, इमा – these, विद्युत: – lightnings, भान्ति – shines, कुत: – how, अयम् – this, अग्नि:, तम् – Him,  एव – indeed, भान्तम् – who shines, अनुभाति – shines after, सर्वं – all, तस्य – His, भासा – by light, reflection, सर्वम् – all,  इदं – this world, विभाति – is illuminated	There the सूर्य does not shine, nor Chandra nor नक्षत्र; these lightnings also do not shine – how then (can) this earthly fire (अग्नि)? Indeed, everything shines after Him reflecting His glory. This whole world is illuminated with His light.

व्याख्या:  In that realm of eternal light, there is no radiance of the Sun. This brilliance of the Sun which is so intolerable to our eyes is like a shadow cast by that eternal light. Just as candle flames do not shine before the light of the Sun, so also the Moon, the stars, fire, and all the luminaries of the world do not shed their light in that eternal radiance. There is no Sun or Moon, no stars, no lightning, no fire or any kind of illumination that we can think of. All these illuminations are external, but this great eternal light is internal, and that is the difference. The internal light is brighter than the external light. The objective lights of the Sun, the Moon, and so on, do not play any role in that realm of eternal daylight. All the luminaries borrow light from that Eternity, as it were. A fraction of the intense incalculable frequency of the eternal radiance is responsible for the lights that are considered as great lights in this world.

That is the light of all lights. There are lights in the world, no doubt, but that is the light of even these lights. Due to the light of that Eternal Being, everything shines. We are able to cognise the presence

of things on account of the radiance that emanates from within us. We do not know things in the world because of sunlight. Sunlight cannot create knowledge, because it is inert in its nature. The awareness that there is an object, this world, cannot arise merely by shedding a ray of sunlight on it. Who is responsible for the knowledge, which is the light shed on the objects? It is our Self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is the greatest light, and it does not require an external light for it to perform its functions. All this world is illumined by this great internal light which is universal light.

ब्रह्मैवेदममृतं पुरस्ताद्ब्रह्म पश्चाद्ब्रह्म दक्षिणतश्चोत्तरेण ।

अधश्चोर्ध्वं च प्रसृतं ब्रह्मैवेदं विश्वमिदं वरिष्ठम् ॥ ११॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
ब्रह्म, एव – indeed, इदं – this, अमृतं – immortal, पुरस्तात् – in front, ब्रह्म, पश्चाद् – at the back, ब्रह्म,  दक्षिणत: – at the right, च – and,  उत्तरेण – on the left, अध: – below, च – and, ऊर्ध्वं – above, च – and, प्रसृतं – everywhere, ब्रह्म, एव – indeed, इदं – this, विश्वम् – the world, इदं – this,  वरिष्ठम् – the Supreme	Indeed, all this is the immortal ब्रह्म. He is everywhere – above, below, in the front, at the back, on the right, on the left. All this world is indeed the Supreme ब्रह्म.

व्याख्या:  Where is this eternal ब्रह्म? How far is it from us? It is this eternal, immortal ब्रह्म that is shining in front of us. It is this eternal ब्रह्म that is at the back of us. It is this eternal ब्रह्म that is to our right side. It is this eternal ब्रह्म that is to our left side. It is this very ब्रह्म that is above. It is this very ब्रह्म that is below. Everywhere it is spreading itself out, and the whole universe is its radiance. All the light, and all the joy, and all the perfection that we apparently see in things in this world are little titbits.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि द्वितीयमुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

३ ॥ तृतीय मुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते । तयोरन्यः  पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥ १॥

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नो-ऽनीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः । जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीश-मस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥ २॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
द्वौ – two, सुपर्णा – birds, सयुजा – closely united, सखाया – in friendship, समानं – the self-same, वृक्षं – tree, परिषस्वजाते – perched on, तयो: – among the two, अन्यः – one, पिप्पलं – fruit, स्वादु  – with relish, अत्ति – eats, अनश्नन् –  without eating, अन्य: – the other, अभिचाकशीति – (just) looks on	Two birds bound to each other in close friendship perch on the self-same tree. One of them eats the fruits of the tree with relish, while the other (just) looks on, without eating.
समाने – in the same, वृक्षे – on the tree, पुरुष:,  निमग्न: – is sunk in ignorance, अनीशया – by its impotence, शोचति – grieves, मुह्यमानः – being deluded, जुष्टं – the worshipful, यदा – when, पश्यति – sees, अन्यम् – the other, ईशम् – the Lord, अस्य – His, महिमानम् – glory, इति – thus, वीत-शोकः – free from dejection	Seated on the self-same tree, one of them – the अहंकार – sunk in ignorance and deluded, grieves for his impotence. But when he sees the other – the Lord, the Worshipful – and also His glory, he becomes free of dejection.

व्याख्या:  There are two birds in this tree of life. This tree of life may be either this body of the individual, or it may be the entire creation itself. ईश्वर and जीव are present in the visible world, as well as within each शरीर. They are friends. They are compared to birds living on a single tree, which is this vast universe, and they enjoy their existence on the tree. The only difference is, one of these birds is busy

enjoying the delicious fruit of this tree, and the other bird is not interested in eating anything. It is merely looking on, unconcerned and unattached. This unattached bird is ईश्वर, seated in our own hearts and everywhere in this world. The bird that is eating the sweet fruit of this tree is the individual जीव, the mind-body complex. The detached consciousness is called as कूठस्थ चैतन्य and stands uncontaminated even in the state of deep sleep and enables us to regain our consciousness of identity of personality when we awake the next morning and feel that we are there.

This awareness of our being the same person that we were yesterday, is not the action of the मन, not of the इंद्रिय, not of the शरीर. The शरीर cannot know anything because it is unconscious, and the मन and the इंद्रिय were not functioning in deep sleep. So, who told us that we existed yesterday? There is some minimal awareness, which is our essence that existed in deep sleep, and which is responsible for our memory of the fact of our having existed yesterday also. That is the uncontaminated, detached चैतन्य in us. It is not connected with शरीर, मन and इंद्रिय. That is the ईश्वर तत्व that is in us. The जीव तत्व is our own selves. The very चैतन्य that is contaminated by the शरीर, मन and इंद्रिय becomes the जीव. चैतन्य connected with the इंद्रिय, मन and शरीर is the जीव—the individual, so-called. The detached चैतन्य, unconnected with these, is ईश्वर Itself because the general चैतन्य we experience in the state of deep sleep, unconnected with the शरीर, मन and इंद्रिय, is universal in its nature. Because चैतन्य cannot be located only in one place, cannot be divided into parts, cannot have fractions, it is therefore universal.

Is the जीव aware of that we have a universe background in us? No. We always think we are this शरीर, that शरीर, this individual, that individual, performing this work and that work. Because we are eating the sweet fruit of life, we are very busy indeed. Let the Universal be there; what does it matter to us? So this bird that is eating the sweet fruit does not even know that another bird is sitting there, as it is so much engrossed in the indulgence of the bliss, joy, pleasure of eating the sweet fruit. These are the two birds.

Helplessly sunk in the apparent joy of the sweetness of the fruit, one of these birds is also, at the same time, sunk in sorrow, because we do not merely suck the fruit, the fruit also sucks us. We do not merely get stuck in the object, the objects sticks to us. The more we try to grab objects, the more will objects try to grab us, like crocodiles. If we try to grab a crocodile with our hands, it will grab us with greater force. In the उपनिषद्, the इंद्रिय are called ग्रह because they grasp, and the objects are called अति ग्रह, the greater grabbers. Our condition may be really pitiable if we give a long rope to these sense organs and allow them to go on grabbing objects, because the result would be that the

objects will grab us with a greater force. The result would be utter helplessness, and one will be reduced to slavery to such an extent that it will be difficult to distinguish between oneself and the object outside. The slave is like an object and has no subjectivity. Such a one does not think in terms of himself; he always thinks in terms of his master. So, we are like slaves thinking in terms of our master, which is this world of objects, and we have no independence ourselves. We are caught and bound in the chain of this helplessness caused by our indulgence in the objects which appear to be our masters. Deluded is this bird that is indulging itself like this.

When by chance this indulgent bird has time to look around and see the other bird seated there, the most adorable Being, the moment we behold it, our bondage is snapped. The vision of ईश्वर is also the end of all sorrow. The consciousness of universality is the cessation of attachment to particularity.  When the glory of that Universal bird is seen, all the sorrow of indulgence and involvement in things in the world ceases at once, as night departs when the Sun rises. They are simultaneous, and do not come one after the other. This vision is further elaborated in the next मंत्र.

यदा पश्यः पश्यते रुक्मवर्णं कर्तारमीशं पुरुषं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ।

तदा विद्वान् पुण्यपापे विधूय निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति ॥ ३॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
यदा – when, पश्यः – seer, पश्यते – realizes, रुक्म-वर्णं – self-effulgent (of the golden colour), कर्तारम् – the maker, ईशं – the Lord, पुरुषं, ब्रह्म-योनिम् – the source of ब्रह्मा;  तदा – then, विद्वान् – the wise, पुण्य-पापे – all deeds of पुण्य and पाप, विधूय – shaking off, निरञ्जनः – stainless, परमं – the Supreme, साम्यम् – state of equipoise, उपैति – attains	When the seer realizes the self-effulgent Supreme Being – ruler, maker and source of ब्रह्मा even – then that wise one, shaking off all deeds of पुण्य and पाप, becomes stainless and attains the Supreme state of साम्यम् (equipoise)

व्याख्या:  When this seer, the जीव, beholds this glorious, luminous, radiant, Universal bird nearby—which is really the ruler, the originator, the controller of all things, which is the seat of ब्रह्म itself, the Supreme पुरुष, महापुरुष, पुरुषोत्तम —then the knower of this Universal bird sheds all the effects of पुण्य  and पाप, merit and demerit. Freed from contact with the effects of good and bad deeds, one attains equality with the Universal. The moment we are conscious of the Universal, we have become one with the Universal.

Here, in this case, knowledge is the same as being. In ordinary life, knowledge is not being. If we know there is a lot of money in a bank, it does not follow that we possess that money. In ordinary life, knowledge is not power, and it is also not being. But here, knowledge is at the same time power and being. The being of the object is, at once, the being of the knowledge of that object. The knower of

ब्रह्म becomes ब्रह्म. Universal equality is attained by the चैतन्य of there being such a thing called Universality. Therefore, we have to awaken ourselves to the चैतन्य of our true nature, which is Universal existence, and not this शरीर-मन complex.

प्राणो ह्येष यः सर्वभूतैर्विभाति विजानन् विद्वान् भवते नातिवादी ।

आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिः क्रियावा-नेष ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः ॥ ४॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
प्राण:,  हि – indeed, एष: – this, यः – who, सर्वभूतै: – from all beings, विभाति – shines, reveals, विजानन् – knowing well, विद्वान् – wise, भवते – becomes,  न – does not, अतिवादी – a vain blabber,  आत्म-क्रीड: – sporting in आत्मा, आत्म-रतिः – delighted in आत्मा, क्रियावान् – doing acts (devotional practices), एष: – this,  ब्रह्म-विदां – of those who know ब्रह्म, वरिष्ठः – the best	Knowing It – the प्राण, revelling in all beings, the wise man stops all his blabberings. Sporting in आत्मा, delighted in आत्मा and doing acts (enjoined by the शस्त्रs), this person is the best of those who know the ब्रह्म

व्याख्या:  This great हिरण्यगर्भ प्राण, the Universal life principle, is visible in the form of the life of

every little creature in this world. Having known this, our mouths are shut and we will not speak afterwards. Like a drowning person whose mouth is filled with water, Eternity will fill us to such an extent that we will have no occasion to open our mouths, and we will not speak. Silence is golden.

Not merely is it a policy, but it is a result that follows from the highest vision. The more we know, the less we speak. As it is said, it is only half-filled pots that make a lot of noise. One who is filled with this knowledge of the Universal प्राण operating through all life in this world is the true knower, and one does not speak afterwards. What does such a one do then?

He is the Knower supreme. He is the best of the knowers of ब्रह्म. He rejoices not with things outside; he rejoices with himself— आत्मक्रीड. He plays with himself, he rejoices with himself, he works through himself, not with instruments outside. ईश्वर does not have instruments like a pickaxe, a fountain pen, etc. By Its very existence, It works. So is this knower of ब्रह्म capable of working miracles in this world by his very existence.

The words used here are ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः, which means the best of the knowers of ब्रह्म. The four stages of ब्रह्मज्ञान described in the योगवशिष्ठ are – ब्रह्मविद्, ब्रह्मविद्वर, ब्रह्मविद्वारीय and ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठ. There are seven stages of knowledge in the ascent of the जीव to ईश्वर —शुभेच्छा, विचारण, तनुमानसी, सत्त्वपत्ति, असंसक्ति, पदार्थ भावना and तुरीया.

The fourth stage is called सत्त्वपत्ति, where light flashes from ब्रह्म, and that condition of the awareness of the flash of light from ब्रह्म is called the state of ब्रह्मविद्. Then the next stage comes. When we are totally detached from everything on account of the perception of this light everywhere, that is ब्रह्मविद्वर. When we see चैतन्य illuminating through every brick, every stone and every atom, that stage is ब्रह्मविद्वारीय. Then we feel that the light is scintillating within us also, and we become indistinguishable from this mass of light everywhere; that is तुरीया. Such a stage is called ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठ. He plays with himself, he rejoices with himself, he is satisfied with himself, and he works through the आत्मा, and not by any kind of external instruments. Such a great आत्मा, a true knower of ब्रह्म the Supreme, is called ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठ.

सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् ।

अन्तःशरीरे ज्योतिर्मयो हि शुभ्रो यं पश्यन्ति यतयः क्षीणदोषाः ॥ ५॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

सत्येन – by veracity (truth), लभ्य: – is attained, तपसा – by concentration, austerity, हि – indeed, एष: – this, आत्मा, सम्यक्-ज्ञानेन – by true knowledge, wisdom, ब्रह्मचर्येण – by self-control, continence, नित्यम् – constantly, अन्तःशरीरे – within the body (or mind), ज्योतिर्मय: – resplendent, हि – indeed, शुभ्र: – stainless, यं – whom, पश्यन्ति – see (behold), यतयः – self-controlled साधक, क्षीण-दोषाः – who are purified, sinless

The आत्मा is attained through सत्य, तप, सम्यक्-ज्ञान and ब्रह्मचर्य (veracity, concentration, wisdom and self-control); cultivate all of them constantly. When impurities (thus) dwindle, the साधक beholds Him – stainless, resplendent – within his very शरीर.

व्याख्या:  How does one gain the आत्मा state of being? It is gained by practicing four aspects:

1. सत्य (or truth): Truth is adherence to fact, whether absolute or relative. It is proceeding along the way of the unity of existence. Relatively, it takes the form of acting in conformity with facts that are experienced through the process of individual knowledge. Absolutely, it is living in the light of the fact that Existence is absolute and indivisible. Falsehood is the opposite of truth, and is the result of clinging to the falsehood of individuality. Truth is the way of disintegrating the individual personality through presentation of the good and not the pleasant. Truth is that which is universally good; but falsehood, when it is deliberately resorted to for the fulfilment of a definite purpose, appears pleasant only to an individual or certain individuals. Falsehood, therefore, fattens the individuality, whereas truth breaks open the individuality and enables one to realise the आत्मा.
2. तप (or discipline): तप, in its true sense, consists in the withdrawal of the इंद्रिय and the concentration of the mind. Austerity, or penance, is only a means to the end, and not the end itself. It is a means inasmuch as it disciplines the individual functions and directs them to ध्यान, which leads to wisdom and realisation. By तप, what is meant is not merely bodily mortification, because bondage does not consist in the body, but in the mind that animates the body. The cause of bondage is the mind alone, and therefore the discipline of the mind is तप.
3. सम्यक्-ज्ञान (wisdom):  Proper knowledge or wisdom is equal vision, or perception of the one Atman in all. This is a function deeper than that of speaking truth or practising tapas. It is a function of the spirit which realises itself in every form of existence.
4. ब्रह्मचर्य (self-control): is the method of the abstraction of sense-energy from the externals, and the conservation of the same for the sake of steadying the mind and giving it the energy necessary for the practice of concentration and ध्यान.It means leading a life that is befitting the nature of ब्रह्म. Such control is not merely the abandonment of objects, but is the absence of the taste for objects. Bondage is not caused by the existence of objects, but by the connection of the mind with those objects. In short, self-control is absence of sense-experience, giving rise to mental equilibrium, light, consciousness and joy.

These observances should be practised continuously without exceptions to the rules, and not practised for some time alone and with certain exceptions. These should be practised until the realisation of the आत्मा, because the stoppage of such practices may lead to the assertion of individuality and impede the process of आत्मा प्राप्ति. The उपनिषद् says that the आत्मा is attained by those in whom there is no crookedness, no falsehood and no play of tricks. This आत्मा is realised within oneself, and not outside oneself. Though the process of realisation is an inward one, the goal that is attained includes the outward also. साधना starts with an introversion of the mind, but in the end, the result achieved is not simply internal but is infinite. From the point of view of the individual, it is said that this आत्मा is realised in one’s own हृदय in the form of a splendid effulgence, perfectly pure and limitless in its nature, which is realised only by those who are free from attachments, पाप, काम, and all kinds of greed. This realisation is effected through the practice of virtues such as सत्य, enumerated above. आदिशंकर was of the opinion that only a सन्यासि — that is, a person of complete renunciation—will be able to achieve this Supreme End which requires of the aspirant a total transcendence of the universe.

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं (जयति) सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः ।

येनाक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत्सत्यस्य परमं निधानम् ॥ ६॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
सत्यम् – truth, एव – alone, जयते -wins, न – not, अनृतं – untruth, सत्येन – by truth, पन्था: – paths, वितत: – is laid out, देवयानः – the दैवी path, येन – by which, आक्रमन्ति – ascend, ऋषय: – the seers, हि – indeed, आप्तकामा – those who have fulfilled all their desires, यत्र – where, तत् – that, सत्यस्य – of truth, परमं – Supreme, निधानम् – abode	Truth alone wins; not untruth. By truth is laid out the दैवी path along with the ऋषिs, free from desires, ascend to the supreme abode of truth.

व्याख्या:  सत्यमेव जयते – “Truth Alone Triumphs” is the motto in the Supreme Court in India.

Falsehood does not win. Through सत्य the divine path is spread out, by which the ऋषिs whose desires have been completely fulfilled reach to where that supreme treasure of सत्य is. सत्य is more than truth-speaking. सत्य is the symbol of perfection, a representation of the Divine Being. Adherence to सत्य means embracing the universal nature of Reality. Therefore, सत्य wins victory everywhere. सत्य is the essence of the Universal movement consisting of evolution and involution. असत्य is negative, whereas सत्य is positive. Through सत्य the consciousness blossoms into more expanded experience, but असत्य attempts to stifle consciousness altogether and disallows the expansion of consciousness causing, at the same time, the hardening of individuality. The ऋषिs got a vision of this सत्य because they were absolutely free from defects such as deceit, delusion, fraud, pride, vanity and falsehood. They found the consummation of their desires and aspirations in this Absolute सत्य. They became first desireless and then sought the सत्य. Desire breeds falsehood, and desireless-ness gives rise to सत्य. सत्य enables one to attain the Supreme Treasure, which is the Absolute सत्य.

बृहच्च तद्दिव्यमचिन्त्यरूपं सूक्ष्माच्च तत्सूक्ष्मतरं विभाति ।

दूरात्सुदूरे तदिहान्तिके च पश्यत्स्विहैव निहितं गुहायाम् ॥ ७॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

बृहत् – vast, च – and, तत् – that (the truth of ब्रह्म), दिव्यम् – effulgent, divine, अचिन्त्य-रूपं – beyond all imaginations, सूक्ष्मात् – than the subtlest, तत् – that, सूक्ष्मतरं – subtler, विभाति – shines, दूरात् – than the farthest, सुदूरे – farther, तत् – that, इह – here (in this शरीर), अन्तिके – within, च – and , पश्यत्सु – to those who realize,  इह – here (in this life), एव – indeed, निहितं – fixed, seated, गुहायाम् – in the (cave of) हृदय

Vast, divine, beyond all imaginations, shines the truth of ब्रह्म – subtler than the subtlest, farther than the farthest. It is here within the शरीर. The ऋषिs realize It, indeed in this life, as fixed in the हृदय

व्याख्या:  बृहत् is this ब्रह्म, larger than space in Its size; दिव्यम् means It is divinity supreme; अचिन्त्य-रूपं means Its form is unthinkable; सूक्ष्मात् तत् सूक्ष्मतरं विभाति means It is subtler than the subtle in Its inner subjectivity – we thus see both expressions that It is larger than the largest and It is also subtler than the subtlest.

दूरात्सुदूरे तत् means most remote It is but It is also very near. We cannot touch it; we cannot know where it is. The horizon recedes further and further the more we move in its direction, and we will never touch it. The end of space cannot be seen. Space is so far, but this is even further. That is the distance between us and ब्रह्म. But it is so near because it is our very आत्मा.

पश्यत्सु इह एव निहितं गुहायाम् हृदय means It is in the cave of the हृदय of the individual, and also in the cave of the हृदय of the universe. It is the आत्मा of the universe and is also the आत्मा of every individual being. The question of distance does not arise here in चैतन्य. The ideas of remoteness and nearness, etc., arise from our living in space, time and objectivity. As there is no distance or measuring of separation of one thing from another, and there is no duration of time, and there is nothing external—neither space nor time, nor objectivity—the statement that it is farther than the farthest and nearer than the nearest has to be taken in the sense of a metaphor explaining that ब्रह्म is everywhere and all things. It is the deepest root of our हृदय.

न चक्षुषा गृह्यते नापि वाचा नान्यैर्देवैस्तपसा कर्मणा वा ।

ज्ञानप्रसादेन विशुद्धसत्त्व-स्ततस्तु तं पश्यते निष्कलं ध्यायमानः ॥ ८॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

न – neither, चक्षुषा – by the eyes, गृह्यते – perceived, न अपि – nor even, वाचा – (described) by words, न – neither, अन्यै: – (by) others, देवै: by the इंद्रिय (senses), तपसा – by तपस्या, कर्मणा – by कर्म (rituals), वा – or, ज्ञान-प्रसादेन – by understanding, विशुद्ध-सत्त्व – becomes calm and refined, तत: – then,  तु – alone, तं – Him, पश्यते – sees (realizes), निष्कलं – the Absolute (without parts), ध्याय-मानः – in ध्यान

The आत्मा cannot be described by words, nor perceived by eyes or इंद्रिय, nor revealed by कर्म (meaning कर्म-कांड here) and तपस्या. When the understanding becomes calm and refined, then alone, in ध्यान, one realizes It, the Absolute

व्याख्या:  Not with the eyes is it to be seen, not with the speech is it to be described. No देवता can help us in reaching it. We can worship any देवता, but we will reach only that देवता, and nothing beyond. All

the gods were created after the manifestation of space and time. As they are effects, how can they know the cause? ब्रह्म exists prior to all these देवताs, and so we cannot know it by worship of these देवताs. We also cannot know it merely by intense तप of the शरीर and मन without concentration of चैतन्य. कर्म, which produce perishable fruit, also cannot take us there because, as already mentioned in earlier मंत्र, the perishable results of कर्म cannot take us to the Imperishable. Not by eyes, not by speech, not by worship of देवताs, not by sheer तप, not by कर्म of any kind is this ब्रह्म to be known. Not by work, not by progeny, not by wealth can this world of ब्रह्म be attained.

By knowledge alone is this ब्रह्म realised. How is this knowledge attained? It is attained by the dispersal of the clouds that are covering चैतन्य in the form of अविद्या, काम, and कर्म – the three ग्रंथिs, three knots.

They are not easy of overcoming. The profundity of our अविद्या is known very well. We can never have even an inkling of the existence of आत्मा anywhere in this world. We have to scratch our heads day in and day out to bring into our minds the little श्रद्धा that आत्मा must be existing. Otherwise, for all practical purposes, आत्मा does not exist. We have other works, and therefore this idea never arises. Such is the depth of our अविद्या, and the impulsion of our काम. This must be done, that must be done, this project, that project, this industry, and so on. We set up plants to increase industry. We have so many desires, so many desires, because the idea of आत्मा has gone and कर्म immediately rises like a whirlwind. We are busy with what we are doing every day due to our desires, created by the ignorance of the existence of आत्मा. ज्ञान alone is the source of this dispelling of अविद्या. Then with deep ध्यान, we will thus know that radiance which is within us and that radiance which is spreading itself around. The whole world is the radiance of ब्रह्म.

एषोऽणुरात्मा चेतसा वेदितव्यो यस्मिन्प्राणः पञ्चधा संविवेश ।

प्राणैश्चित्तं सर्वमोतं प्रजानां यस्मिन्विशुद्धे विभवत्येष आत्मा ॥ ९॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

एष: – this, अणु: – subtle, आत्मा, चेतसा – by mind (light of the बुद्धि ie. Intuitive faculty), वेदितव्य: – should be known (realized), यस्मिन् – in which (body), प्राण:, पञ्चधा – five-fold, संविवेश – has entered (is pervading),  प्राणै: – by प्राणs, चित्तं – mind, सर्वम् – all, ओतं – is inter-woven, प्रजानां – to the men, यस्मिन् – which, विशुद्धे – when purified, विभवति – shines, एष – this, आत्मा

By means of the Light of the Intellect (intuitive faculty), one should know the subtle truth of the आत्मा within the body which is pervaded by the प्राण in a five-fold way. Man’s intellect is interwoven with the इंद्रिय. When that intellect is purified, the आत्मा shines forth.

व्याख्या:  This subtle आत्मा is to be known only through intuition, in which the मन, the बुद्धि and the इंद्रिय stand together as if they melt into a single faculty. The मन thinks, the बुद्धि understands, the चक्षु sees, the स्रोत्र hear, and so on, but intuition, or insight, is a single faculty which operates as sight, hearing, thinking, understanding, and everything that the other functions are capable of reporting to us. Intuition is actually the आत्मा operating from inside. The आत्मा has no चक्षु and स्रोत्र; therefore, the knowledge which the आत्मा manifests from itself is not seeing, hearing, etc. It is direct, immediate apprehension. Here the word ‘चेतसा is used to signify the deepest intuition possible.

The fivefold प्राण and the मन are all located in this central function. The five pranas are प्राण, अपान, व्यान, उदान and समान. The मन is enveloped by the powers of the इंद्रिय, and amidst these functions there is the आत्मा shining independently of these separated functions, and yet causing the functions

to take place independently. As the Sun who has no colour may appear as sevenfold in colour when its light is passed through a prism, for instance, the single faculty of intuitional apprehension may look like sensory operations, mental thinking, intellectual understanding, etc., because of the prism-like action taking place in the psyche of the individual through which the integral light of the आत्मा passes. This integral light is called intuition, insight, direct experience, etc. Subtle is this आत्मा, capable of being known only through inward intuition in which all the पञ्चप्राण and the इंद्रिय are located, and in which the मन, together with इंद्रिय, is fixed, in the midst of which this आत्मा shines.

यं यं लोकं मनसा संविभाति विशुद्धसत्त्वः कामयते यांश्च कामान् ।

तं तं लोकं जयते तांश्च कामां-स्तस्मादात्मज्ञं ह्यर्चयेद्भूतिकामः ॥ १०॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

यं यं – whichever, लोकं – world, मनसा – by the mind, संविभाति – desires, concentrates, विशुद्ध-सत्त्वः – man of purified nature, कामयते – desires to have, यान् – those, च – and,  कामान् – objects of desire, तं तं – those, लोकं – worlds, जयते – wins, तान् – those, च – and,  कामान् – desires, तस्मात् – therefore, आत्मज्ञं – man of self-realization, हि – indeed,  अर्चयेत् – should honour, भूतिकामः – who is desirous of property

Whatever sphere the man of purified nature desires, whatever objects he fixes his heart upon, he obtains those worlds and those objects. Therefore, he who is desirous of prosperity should honour the man of self-realization.

व्याख्या:  When we apprehend this आत्मा in direct experience, whatever we wish to have will be in our

hand. Whatever world we want to reach will be reached by us instantaneously. It may be the highest स्वर्ग, and we shall be there instantly. Ancient ऋषिs were of this power. नारद can traverse through all the लोकs as we can move through all the countries in this world with a vehicle. They have the capacity to adjust their spiritual personality to the conditions, laws and regulations of the different worlds. When they descend into the gross world, they adjust their personality into the gross conditions necessary; when they go to the स्वर्गलोक, they make their whole personality subtle, and they can even reach ब्रह्मलोक as well. नारद is the son of ब्रह्मा himself. He can go to वैकुंठ and engage with नारायण. So is the case with the knower of ब्रह्म.

All regions come under the control of this knower of ब्रह्म. And all the visualisations through the mind as objects of desire also get fulfilled in an instant. There is no time process. The objects of desire do

not come tomorrow, they come just now; and we do not reach a place after some time, but immediately. A spaceless movement and a timeless achievement of purpose follows from the realisation of the आत्मा, which is eternity and space-like identity.

Therefore, it is proper for all people to worship the knower of ब्रह्म. Because of the power of that person, the glory and greatness of that person who has known the आत्मा, such a one’s blessing is wonderful. His blessing itself is a great virtuous benefit that accrues to us, because even to come in contact with a great आत्मा should be regarded as the result of some meritorious deeds of the past. We shall not come in contact with anything worthwhile if our कर्मs do not permit.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि तृतीयमुण्डके प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

॥  तृतीयमुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

स वेदैतत्परमं ब्रह्म धाम यत्र विश्वं निहितं भाति शुभ्रम् ।

उपासते पुरुषं ये ह्यकामास्ते शुक्रमेतदतिवर्तन्ति धीराः ॥  १॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

स: – he (the man of self-realization), वेद – knows, एतत् – this, परमं – the supreme, ब्रह्म, धाम – the basis, यत्र – on which, विश्वं – world, निहितं – rests, fixed, भाति – shines, शुभ्रम् – pure, radiant, उपासते – serve, do उपासना of, पुरुषं – the man of discrimination, ये – those who, हि – indeed,  अकामा: – without any desire, ते – they, शुक्रम् – the seed (i.e., the human birth), एतत् – this, अतिवर्तन्ति – go beyond, धीराः – the wise,

The man of self-realization knows the Supreme ब्रह्म on whom the world is based, and who shines radiantly. And those men of discrimination, who without any worldly desire are devoted to such persons, go beyond all changes of rebirth.

व्याख्या:  Whoever knows this ब्रह्म in which the universe in all its vastness is fixed, and which shines more radiantly than the Sun, and those people who are devoted to such a person without any kind of earthly desire, go beyond the chances of coming back to this world by rebirth. The possibility of rebirth is severed completely because the causes of rebirth, which are the remainder of the सञ्चित कर्मs, are burnt and become like a burnt seed.

The कर्म of the जीवनमुक्त पुरुष is compared to a burnt seed or a burnt cloth. A burnt cloth may look like a cloth, but if we touch it, it is ashes. A burnt seed cannot germinate into a plant, though it may look like a seed to all outside perception. So is the condition of the knower of ब्रह्म in this world. He transcends the causes of rebirth; therefore, people adore these great beings. By the vibration that automatically arises around this person, a kind of purifying atmosphere is created. There is an aura around the knower of ब्रह्म which reaches some distance according to the intensity of the realisation. It may be some feet, some kilometres, or even longer distances. The light of the आत्मा emanating from within into longer distances outside the body is called the aura of a person. The radiance cannot be seen with the eyes, but those effects can be felt. The attraction of people towards समाधि is for this very reason.

कामान् यः कामयते मन्यमानः स कामभिर्जायते तत्र तत्र ।

पर्याप्तकामस्य कृतात्मनस्तु इहैव सर्वे प्रविलीयन्ति कामाः ॥ २॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

कामान् – objects of desires, यः – he who, कामयते – desires (wants), मन्यमानः – brooding over, स: – he,  कामभि: – by those desires (i.e., for their satisfaction), जायते – born, तत्र तत्र – have and there, पर्याप्त-कामस्य – whose longings have found consummation (in the आत्मा), कृतात्मन: – who have realized the आत्मा, तु – but, इह – here, एव – even, सर्वे – all, प्रविलीयन्ति – vanishes, कामाः – all desires

Whoever longs for objects of desire, brooding over them, they are born here and there for the fulfilment of those desires. But in the case of a seer whose longings have found their final consummation in the आत्मा and who has realized the आत्मा, such a one’s desires vanish even here, in this life.

व्याख्या:  If we desire anything, we will be born according to the nature of the desire. Inasmuch as every day we accumulate desires and go on piling them one over the other, and the duration of our lifespan is not long enough to permit us to enjoy all those desires, we die before the desires are fulfilled. Some of them are of course fulfilled, but many of them are not, and our unfulfilled desires will decide where we will be reborn. Therefore, it is up to each person to go on investigating into their own mind and probe into what kind of desires are inside—whether subtle or gross, visible or invisible, covert or overt. It is proper and good for everyone to make a list of all their desires if desires are there, though it is better if they are not there. If desires are there, we must fulfil them in this birth itself in some manner, or we must sublimate them by a higher means. One way or the other, desires

should not be there at the time of passing; otherwise, the जीव, the सूक्ष्म शरीर, the मनस् and the इंद्रिय will directly gravitate in the direction of that location where it is possible for the mind to fulfil its desires. So, rebirth is unavoidable for those who entertain desires in the mind.

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन ।

यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्य-स्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम् ॥ ३॥ (आत्मा वृणुते)

श्लोक

अर्थ

न – not, अयम् – this, आत्मा, प्रवचनेन – by discourses, लभ्य; – is attained, न – not, मेधया – by intellect, knowledge, न – not, बहुना – much, श्रुतेन – hearing, यम् – whom (which आत्मा), एव – alone, एष: – this (the aspirant), वृणुते – wishes to attain it with the whole heart, तेन – by him, लभ्य:  – is attained, तस्य – to him, एष: – this, आत्मा, विवृणुते – reveals, तनूं – true nature, स्वाम् – of its own

The आत्मा is not attained through discourses nor through memorizing शास्त्रs, nor through much learning. It is gained only by him who wishes to attain it with his whole heart. To such a one, the आत्मा reveals its true nature.

व्याख्या:  Logical discussions are not means of knowing the आत्मा. Not by intellection, not by academic knowledge, and not by scriptural study— it shall be known only by that person who is chosen by the आत्मा. If परमात्मा wills that we should know It, we shall know It. It is the grace of परमात्मा. The grace of परमात्मा is operating everywhere as events in this world, cosmic history, and the fate of people. The past, present and future of every individual are written in the firmament of the cosmos; therefore, it

is up to us to devote ourselves to the Supreme आत्मा, the आत्मा of the universe, परमात्मा, that we shall be in Its good books.

नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो न च प्रमादात्तपसो वाप्यलिङ्गात् ।

एतैरुपायैर्यतते यस्तु विद्वां-स्तस्यैष आत्मा विशते ब्रह्मधाम ॥ ४॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

न – not, अयम् – this, आत्मा, बल-हीनेन – by the weak (in spirit), लभ्यो – is attained, न – not, च – and, प्रमादात् – insincerity, carelessness, तपस: – from तप, austerities, वा – or, अपि – and, अलिङ्गात् – improper, unintelligent (direct translation of the word is “without proper sign), एतै: – by these, उपायै: – practices, means, यतते – strives, य: – that, तु – but, विद्वान् – wise man, तस्य – to him, एष: – this, आत्मा, विशते – attains, ब्रह्म-धाम – state of ब्रह्म

आत्मा is not gained by the weak (in body, mind, intellect or spirit), nor by the insincere, nor by those practicing (unintelligent) austerities, but wise men who strive with vigour, attention and propriety attain union with ब्रह्म.

व्याख्या:  A weakling cannot attain the आत्मा. Here, strength means toughness of the inner spirit. Of course, it also means physical health, which is very necessary; but more than that, it means inner toughness of spiritual aspiration and the power of तप, the strength of freedom from काम. The आत्मा is great energy, power and potency; and that can be reached only by a powerful person, spiritually great in energy. Therefore, weaklings cannot reach the most powerful. Neither should we be physically weak, nor mentally, nor intellectually, nor spiritually, nor ethically. We should be strong in every field.

न च प्रमादात्: A heedless, careless and slipshod attitude towards the आत्मा will not take us there. How

concentrated our mind has to be is mentioned here. Today I think of the आत्मा, tomorrow I think of the अनात्मा; today I sleep away, tomorrow I shall do work; the day after tomorrow I shall eat, and go for a walk, then go on tour, and do every blessed thing distractedly, in a perfunctory manner. This is called प्रमाद, or careless behaviour. A person who is careless in his attitude towards the आत्मा will not reach it.

तपस: वा अपि अलिङ्गात्: By any kind of ostentation, pretension, vainglorious appearance in public life, this is not to be attained. A great person in society need not be really great in the eye of परमात्मा. And तप which are just physically oriented, and even torturous mental restraints, may not be adequate for the sake of the आत्मा, because the highest तप is love of परमात्मा. मुमुक्षुत्व, and all तप, converge in this intense longing, devotion; and any kind of तप or austerity, minus devotion or longing, ends only in a kind of mortification of the spirit, and will not lead us to the आत्मा. Unless intense ध्यान is carried on day in and day out for a protracted period, the हृदय-ग्रंथि cannot be broken, अविद्या , काम, कर्म cannot go, and the body may leave one at any time.

संप्राप्यैनमृषयो ज्ञानतृप्ताः कृतात्मानो वीतरागाः प्रशान्ताः ।

ते सर्वगं सर्वतः प्राप्य धीरा युक्तात्मानः सर्वमेवाविशन्ति ॥ ५॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

संप्राप्य – having attained, एनम् – this (the आत्मा), ऋषय: – ऋषिs, ज्ञान-तृप्ताः – satisfied with knowledge (and not left longing for anything else), कृत- आत्मान: – with their purposes fulfilled, वीत-रागाः – from attachment, प्रशान्ताः – peaceful, ते – they, सर्वगं – all-pervading (ब्रह्म), सर्वतः – everywhere, प्राप्य – having attained, धीरा – the wise, युक्तात्मानः – devoted to आत्मा, सर्वम्- all, एव – alone, आविशन्ति – enter into

When the ऋषिs have attained the आत्मा they become satisfied with their knowledge, their purpose is fulfilled, they become free of desire and they gain tranquility. Having attained the all-pervading आत्मा everywhere, the wise, thereafter devoted to the आत्मा, enter into everything.

व्याख्या:  Those who are calm and quiet in their minds, free from internal desires and external constraints of the senses, wanting nothing—those who have done everything that is to be done in this world and are ready to leave, bag and baggage, satisfied with knowledge only and wanting nothing else through knowledge, knowing knowledge as the final end in itself, realising that knowledge is being, and it is not an instrument for the acquisition of something outside—having attained the ब्रह्म by these means, the blessed आत्माs enter into that which is everywhere, from all sides, and become all themselves. The आत्मा, when it enters ब्रह्म, enters into that which is everywhere; and it enters not only from one direction or from one passage, it enters from all sides. When we enter a house, we enter through one door only, and not through all the doors. But the आत्मा, inasmuch as it has expanded its dimension to infinity, enters ब्रह्म, which is everywhere, from every side. From all ten directions, the आत्मा will enter ब्रह्म; and having entered it, the आत्मा becomes all things.

What is meant by ‘all things’? This is a question of interpretation according to the school of thought. It may mean becoming all things; it may mean becoming the परमात्मा, which is all things. This is a simple and plain answer. Or it may mean becoming all the fourteen लोकs at one stroke so that, in our very personality, we will see the fourteen worlds लोक as the विराट स्वरूप itself. Or it may mean that we are able to see ourselves in every little creature in this world, in every tree, leaf, stone and atom. The Sun, the Moon, the stars and the firmament—we will find ourselves spread out everywhere. Whatever be the manner in which we understand this state of affairs, the final significance is that the आत्मा, having become infinite on account of total freedom from all desire, enters the Infinite. It is the Infinite entering the Infinite. Therefore, it enters in an infinite manner and becomes the Infinite itself. So the Infinite enters the Infinite in infinite ways, and becomes the Infinite. It is a great blessedness to listen to these words. Even listening to these words, and bestowing a little thought on what this means, will purge us of all our पाप and past कर्मs.

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः ।

ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे ॥ ६॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

वेदान्त-विज्ञान – knowledge of उपनिषद्, सुनिश्चितार्थाः – having well ascertained, संन्यास-योगाद् – with the योग of renunciation (i.e., by a life of striving and renunciation), यतयः – all renunciates, sages, शुद्ध-सत्त्वाः – purified, ते – they, ब्रह्म-लोकेषु – in the ब्रह्म लोक, परान्त-काले – at the time of death (i.e., illumination), परामृताः – having attained immortality, परि-मुच्यन्ति – liberated, सर्वे – all

Having well-ascertained beyond all doubts the exact import of the उपनिषद्s and having purified their minds with the संन्यास-योग, all sages attain the world of ब्रह्म having attained immortality and at the time of death become fully liberated.

व्याख्या:  Those seekers, knowers, whose internal nature has been purified by a life of intense quest

and renunciation, and those who are well established in the आत्मा and who have been illumined by the knowledge of the वेदान्त शास्त्र, whose mind has been fixed forever in one given direction, who have attained a conviction which is forever certain, and no shaking of that conviction is ever possible, such great souls reach ब्रह्मलोक.

There are two kinds of मुक्ति mentioned here. The previous verse describes सद्योमुक्ति. What we are reading just now describes क्रममुक्ति. सद्योमुक्ति is immediate liberation, just here. Wherever we depart, whichever be the place where we die or cast off the body, at that very spot we merge into ब्रह्म. If a drop in the ocean is to unite itself with the ocean, it need not have to travel some hundreds of kilometres to reach the ocean; it is just there. It dives into the very bosom of its own source, the ocean. In a similar manner, the आत्मा need not have to travel in some direction—to go to the Sun, the Moon, stars, etc. It dissolves here itself because that which it has to reach is at the very spot where it is. That is called सद्योमुक्ति, immediate liberation, which is very rarely obtained. It is attained with great difficulty by those most blessed ones who have no desires at all of any kind.

Otherwise, the lesser ones reach ब्रह्मलोक gradually through the देवयान मार्ग, through the rays of the

Sun, through the Sun, and then through lightning, and through a महापुरुष who comes and takes the आत्मा by the hand to ब्रह्मलोक. It is said that this आत्मा will remain in ब्रह्मलोक for as long as this universe lasts, which means to say, for such length of time as ब्रह्मा Himself rules the cosmos. At the end of the universe—the प्रलय, or the ultimate dissolution of the cosmos—the universe is dissolved, and together with it, ब्रह्मा is also dissolved. And when ब्रह्मा and the universe are dissolved in ultimate प्रलय, the souls abiding there will also dissolve, and will attain Absolute ब्रह्म. Until that time, they will be in the region of the ब्रह्मा for as long as the universe lasts. This is called क्रममुक्ति, the graduated system of attainment of मुक्ति in the case of those who have सात्विक काम, who have done great

सात्विक उपासना and have worshipped भगवान् with devotion, but सात्विक karma is still persisting, and therefore they will not immediately merge with ब्रह्म. They will reach up through the graduated scale prepared by प्रकृति through the सत्वगुण, and having reached ब्रह्मलोक at the end of time, they merge with ब्रह्म. Either way it is good; there is no harm. Let us go through ब्रह्मलोक if we cannot have immediate मुक्ति:

गताः कलाः पञ्चदश प्रतिष्ठा देवाश्च सर्वे प्रतिदेवतासु ।

कर्माणि विज्ञानमयश्च आत्मा परेऽव्यये सर्वे एकीभवन्ति ॥ ७॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
गताः – gone away or enter into, कलाः – parts (phases), पञ्चदश – fifteen, प्रतिष्ठा – sources, elements देवाश्च – and देवताs, सर्वे – all, प्रति-देवतासु – in the corresponding देवताs, कर्माणि – deeds, विज्ञानमयश्च – and, full of knowledge, आत्मा, परे – supreme highest, अव्यये – imperishable, सर्वे – all, एकीभवन्ति – get united	The fifteen कलाs (parts) enter into their elements; their देवताs (इंद्रिय) into their corresponding देवs (deities), and their deeds and their “Self-full-of-knowledge” (intellectual आत्मा) all get united, in the highest and imperishable ब्रह्म.

व्याख्या:  Here fifteen faculties are mentioned, which are actually the पञ्च-प्राण , the पञ्च ज्ञान इंद्रिय, and the पञ्च कर्म इंद्रिय. With the मन included, it becomes sixteen. But here fifteen are mentioned, and these fifteen कलाः, or we may say sixteen कलाः —all the perceptive and cognitive faculties—dissolve.  They suddenly melt like snow before the heat of the Sun. Together with that dissolution, individuality itself dissolves.

All the देवताs superintending over the इंद्रिय withdraw themselves. They also get dissolved because the locations of these देवताs are dissolved. When one’s seat is gone, one has to quit that place. So, the देवताs who were controlling our इंद्रिय, our faculties—ब्रह्मा was ruling the बुद्धि, the चंद्र was ruling the मन, रुद्र was ruling the अहंकार, विष्णु was ruling the चित्त, the सूर्य was ruling the चक्षु, and so on—these देवताs will no longer have a function to perform. They return to their original sources, and the faculties merge.

Even our कर्मs are dissolved. We need not pay a penalty for what we have done, because the fire of ज्ञान has burnt all कर्म to ashes. The fire of ज्ञान can reduce to ashes even a mountain of sins. And the बुद्धि, which is the seat of the अहंकार, also goes with it. What happens? This individual जीव, with all these faculties mentioned, with all its properties and belongings, psychically in their nature, go and settle themselves in that अक्षरम् ब्रह्म and get united with it. This is the state of मोक्ष.

यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रे-ऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय ।

तथा विद्वान् नामरूपाद्विमुक्तः परात्परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ ८॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
यथा – as, नद्यः – rivers, स्यन्दमानाः – flowing, समुद्रे – into the sea, अस्तं – disappear, गच्छन्ति – get, नाम-रूपे – name and form, विहाय – losing, तथा – thus, विद्वान् – the wise person, नाम-रूपाद् – from name and form, विमुक्तः – being free, परात्परं – the highest of the high, पुरुषम् – Supreme divinity, उपैति – attains, दिव्यम् – eternal	As flowing rivers get themselves disappeared in the ocean losing their special names and distinct forms, so the wise man free from all his identifications with names and forms goes unto the highest of the high – the पुरुषम् दिव्यम् (Supreme Divinity)

व्याख्या:  We attain to that परम सनातन पुरुष and merge into that पुरुष, uniting ourselves with that परब्रह्म. As rivers flowing in different directions commingle with the ocean and we cannot know where what river is, all the जीवs who have been liberated will melt into this great आत्मा, the Universal Being, as rivers melt in the ocean. As नाम and रूप (names and forms), are dissolved in the ocean—गंगा is no more गंगा, यमुना is no more यमुना, and no river is there as its name and form because it is one mass of equality and merger—so this person, that person, this thing and that thing, whatever we see in this world, casts aside name and form. It is lifted above the encasement of नाम and रूप in that big sea, and made to identify itself only with the vast ocean of अक्षरम् ब्रह्म. The knower of ब्रह्म, having cast aside all names and forms, attains to that परब्रह्म above all conceivable देवताs in the cosmos. That परम् पुरुष becomes our whole.

स यो ह वै तत्परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति ।

तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥ ९॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
स: – he,  य: – who, ह वै – indeed, तत् – that, परमं – Supreme, ब्रह्म, वेद – know, ब्रह्म, एव – indeed, भवति – becomes, न – not, अस्य – his, अब्रह्मवित् – one who does not know कुले – in his line (family), भवति – becomes, तरति – crosses, शोकं – grief, तरति – crosses, पाप्मानं – पाप, गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो – knots of the हृदय, विमुक्त: – being free, अमृत: – immortal, भवति – becomes	He who knows that Supreme ब्रह्म becomes ब्रह्म, and in his line (family), none who knows not the ब्रह्म will ever be born. He crosses grief, crosses पाप and being free from the knots-of-the-हृदय, becomes immortal

व्याख्या:  If you know this ब्रह्म, you shall become ब्रह्म. Whatever you think you are, that you really are. If you know that your existence is inseparable from that Universal ब्रह्म, you shall become That. Whoever knows ब्रह्म becomes ब्रह्म. In case the knower of ब्रह्म is a गृहस्थ, no non-knower will be born in his family for seven generations, because of the power of the Realisation of this person. It is said that if one person in a family attains ब्रह्म, seven generations behind and seven generations ahead also will attain liberation by the power of this one person attaining ब्रह्म. So, parents should not cry if their child attains ब्रह्म. You cross over sorrow, cross over all पाप, and break all the हृदय-ग्रंथि. अमृत: (meaning eternal) does one become.

तदेतदृचाऽभ्युक्तम् ।

क्रियावन्तः श्रोत्रिया ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः ।

तेषामेवैतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत शिरोव्रतं विधिवद्यैस्तु चीर्णम् ॥ १०॥

श्लोक

अर्थ

तत् – that, एतत् – this, ऋचा – by one ऋक्,  अभ्युक्तम् – explained, क्रियावन्तः – one who performs (यज्ञ) क्रिया, श्रोत्रिया – who read and study the वेद, ब्रह्म-निष्ठाः – one who pursues उपासना upon ब्रह्म, स्वयं – by oneself, जुह्वत – offer oblation to यज्ञ-अग्नि, एकर्षिं – the यज्ञ-अग्नि called as एकर्षि, श्रद्धयन्तः – with श्रद्धा, तेषाम् – to them, एव – alone, एतां – this, ब्रह्मविद्यां – knowledge of ब्रह्म, वदेत – should tell, शिरोव्रतं – a व्रत to carry अग्नि on the head, विधिवत् – according to the rules, यै: – by whom, तु – and, चीर्णम् – observed, performed

This very doctrine has been explained in a वेद मंत्र as follows “To them alone let one teach this ब्रह्म विद्या who perform यज्ञ क्रिया, who read and study the वेद, who pursue उपासना on ब्रह्म, who possess श्रद्धा and offer oblations themselves to the अग्नि called as एकर्षि and have strictly observed शिरोव्रतं

व्याख्या:  This उपनिषद् is not to be taught to everybody. This is what this मंत्र says. We should not go on blabbering it in public, unless they are sufficiently purified in their minds to receive its import and meaning.

क्रियावन्तः: Only those people who have performed their duties well in this life should listen to it. Otherwise, they will have a wrong notion of there being no duty in this world and will be like a half-baked pot or a raw vegetable, which is of no utility. They will be neither here nor there. Attainment of ब्रह्म does not mean violating duties and rules that bind us to the conditions in which we are. The

duties that we are expected to discharge in this world are the automatic consequence of the location of our personality in society. We must find out where we are actually seated. Our physical body, our mind, and our very existence are conditioned by certain external atmospheres. We know very well what the requirements of our existence in the world are, and the sources which fulfil the requirements are those to which we owe some obligation. Somebody serves us, somebody protects us, somebody is taking care of us, somebody sees that we are secure. We know very well how our life in this world is made possible by the operation of various social and natural factors. To those things, we owe an obligation. Therefore, क्रियावन्तः: Those who have fulfilled their duties and discharged their obligations; श्रोत्रिया: who know very well the import of the शास्त्र, and do not have any kind of misunderstanding about them; ब्रह्म-निष्ठाः whose mind is fixed in ब्रह्म and who have no desire at all apart from that; स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः who have performed those यज्ञ that are expected to be performed through the stages of life that they have passed— ब्रह्मचर्य, गृहस्थ, वानप्रस्थ, संन्यास, etc.; तेषाम् एव एतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत: you shall speak this ब्रह्म-विद्या, the knowledge of this उपनिषद्, only to these people,

and do not speak it to other people.

शिरोव्रतं विधिवत् यै: तु चीर्णम्: You should speak this उपनिषद् only to those who have performed शिरोव्रतं.

The word शिरोव्रतं has been explained in various ways. It is said to mean the vow of the head. Some commentators say it is संन्यास, as shaving the head or carrying fire on the head is also one form of यज्ञ that is performed before one enters into the संन्यास order. It is also called the मुण्डक उपनिषद्. मुण्डक means shaving, मुण्ड, and so the word ‘मुण्डक, as well as the word ‘शिरोव्रतं, seem to imply that this उपनिषद् is intended only for those who have entered the संन्यास order. Those who have not discharged their duties as गृहस्थ, ब्रह्मचर्य, or whatever they are in the world under the conditions they are placed in life, cannot become संन्यासी, and those who have desires in their mind also cannot become संन्यासी. But those who have fulfilled this condition, to them this उपनिषद् may be taught, and only then this instruction will become properly fructified.

तदेतत्सत्यमृषिरङ्गिराः पुरोवाच नैतदचीर्णव्रतोऽधीते ।

नमः परमऋषिभ्यो नमः परमऋषिभ्यः ॥ ११॥

श्लोक	अर्थ
तत् – that, एतत् – this, सत्यम् – truth, ऋषि-अङ्गिराः,  पुरा – in ancient times, उवाच – said, न – not, एतत् – this, अचीर्णव्रत – who has not observed any व्रत, अधीते – study, नमः – salutations, परमऋषिभ्य; – to the great ऋषिs, नमः – (our) prostrations, परमऋषिभ्यः – to the great ऋषिs	That is the Truth. ऋषि अङ्गिरा communicated this to his disciples in ancient times. No one, who has not observed any व्रत, is fit to study this. Our salutations to the great ऋषिs; our prostrations to the great ऋषिs.

व्याख्या:  One who has not fulfilled one’s duties, one who has not undergone the necessary discipline for this purpose, will not read this उपनिषद्. Prostrations be to the great ऋषिs, prostrations be to the great ऋषिs who have given us this great knowledge of the Upanishad.

॥ इति मुण्डकोपनिषदि तृतीयमुण्डके द्वितीयः खण्डः ॥

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श‍ृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ।

स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाँसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥

स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ।

स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥

॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

॥ इत्यथर्ववेदीय मुण्डकोपनिषत्समाप्ता ॥