Upanishads : "The cream of Vedas"

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram- 3. { "Brahmam - the Supreme  cause  of  all" }. Discussion-3. Eternal  wisdom  is  that  Knowledge,   "Knowing  which  every  other  knowledge  becomes  known"  ... Removing  all  the  cotton,  neither  the  cloth  nor  the  pattern  can  remain. In  cotton  it  exists,  out  of  cotton  it  has  come  and  into  cotton  alone  can  it  merge  back. Similarly  the  Pure  Consciousness,  the  external  Pure  Wisdom  is : ' That  Knowledge,'  - -    " Knowing  which  every  other  knowledge  becomes  Known";  out  of  this  'Absolute  Knowledge' has  all  the  world  of  names  and  forms  emerged  out, and  in  it  they  exist  and  in  it  they  merge  back. It  is,  in  order  to  make  us  understand  this  'Single  Idea' in  all  its  pregnant  imports,  that  the  "Mother  Sruti" has  started  this  section  with ever  so  many  mantra-s,  each  in  

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram- 3. { "Brahmam - the Supreme  cause  of  all" }. Discussion-2. "Analogy"  ...... In  Vedantam,  this  idea  is  explained  by  means  of  analogy  of  a  piece  of  clth  in  which  some  patterns  and  forms  are  woven  in  by  the  same  thread  as  that  of  the  cloth. So  long  as  the  cloth  is  observed as  such,  the  names  and  forms  represented  in  it  are  true  and  real. But  when  we  drew  out  the  thread  we  find  that  all  the  names  and  forms  merge  themselves  to  form  a  bundle  of  threads;  and  if  the  threads  are  unwound,  nothing  remains  but  a  quantity  of  cotton. In  the  final  analysis,  the  names  and  forms  on  the  piece  of  cloth,  including  the  very  cloth-piece,  were  nothing  but  a  seeming  transformation  of  the  cotton-stuff. Next : Discussion-3.Eternal  wisdom  is  that  Knowledge,   "Knowing  which  every  other  knowledge

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram- 3. { "Brahmam - the Supreme  cause  of  all" }. Discussion-1. "From  the  Supreme  Reality  explained  in  the  previous  mantram,  was  created  the  entire  world,  knowable  and  knowing  objects " ..... Thus  here,  we  have  the  enumeration  explaining  that  the  five  elements,  the  ten  senses,  the  'Prana' and  the  'mind' came  out  of  "Brahmam." It  is  a  Sastrik  declaration  that  the  form  ---  quality  of  creation  has  camr  out  of  seventeen tattva-s. Also,  it  declares  that  the  entire  world  of  activity  ( prana),  of  feelings  (mind),  of  cognition  ( sense-organs),  and  the  outer  world  of  the  Five  great  Elements  have  all  the  same  source  in  the  Eternal  Reality  as  explained  in  the  previous  mantram. In  case,  the  pure  Existence  viz.  the  Reality  is  removed  from  the  created  world,  we  shall  find  the  obs

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram- 3. { "Brahmam - the Supreme  cause  of  all" }. "Etasmaj - jayate  prano  manah  sarvendriyani  ca, kham  vayur - jyotir - apah  prthivi  visvasya  dharini." "From  Him  are  born  the  'Prana' ( life/jivan ),  the  mind,  all  the  organs,  the  'Akasam' ( Sky / Space ),  the  'Vayu'  ( wind ), the  'Jyotiah'  ( Agni / Fire ),  the  'Apah'  ( Jalam / Water ),  and  the  'Prthive'  ( Bhumi / Earth )  which  supports  all." Next : Discussion-1. "From  the  Supreme  Reality  explained  in  the  previous  mantram,  was  created  the  entire  world,  knowable  and  knowing  objects " ..... To be continued  .......

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-2. {  "The  Absolute  nature  of  Brahmam"  } Discussion-4. "Sun -illumination,  Eternal-Pure Consciousness, Supreme-'Greatest  than  the  Great' ......." The  Supreme  is  pure  because  it  is  but  the  illuminator  of  both  purity  and  impurity. The  Sun  neither  gains  the  merits  of  an  'Yajanam' performed  in  its  light  nor  does  he  gather  to  itself  the  sins  of  a  murder  committed  in  his  rays! The  Sun  is  but  the  illuminator  of  both  good  and  bad  actions  performed  in  the  daylight. Similarly,  Pure  Consciousness  is  eternal  and  pure,  in  the  sense  that  the  Supreme  is  "Greater  than  the  Great" only  to  emphasise  the  all-pervasiveness  of  the  Pure  Consciousness  which,  in  its  turn,  emphasisee  Its  Supreme,  subtle  nature. In  saying  that  the  Consciousness  pervades  it,  'Sruti' means  that  even  wh

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-2. {  "The  Absolute  nature  of  Brahmam"  } Discussion-3. "Prana  and  Mind" ........ This  all-pervading  Reality  is  described  here  as  without  'Prana'  and  without  'mind,'  just  as  a  driver  has  no  car  or  even  a  part  of  car  in  his  physical  anatomy,  mental  structure,  intellectual  apparatus  or  spiritual  personality. And  yet,  the  car  cannot  and  will  not  move  without  the  driver. Similarly,  the  Pure  Consciousness,  the  Self,  has neither  the  Mind  nor  Prana  and  yet,  neither  of  them  can  function  without  the  Pure  and  the  Greater  than  the  Great. Next : Discussion-4. "Sun -illumination,  Eternal-Pure Consciousness, Supreme-'Greatest  than  the  Great' ......." To be continued  ....         

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-2. {  "The  Absolute  nature  of  Brahmam"  } Discussion-2. "Divya" ..... Consciousness  expresses  itself  in  the  awareness  we  are  capable  of. When  we  say  that  we  are  aware  of  any  object,  feeling,  or  idea,  we  mean  that,  that  object,  feeling,  or  idea  is  in  a  beam  of  light  emanating  from  us  and  illuminating  it  for  us. Thus  the  life-spark  in  us,  with  reference  to  its  manifestation  as  awareness  in  us,  the  Sruti  is  descibing  as  "Divya." Fro  what  we  have  said,  it  is  possible  that  we  may  conclude  that  the  Self  is  a  limited  speck  within  ourselves  only. In  order  to  remove  the  misunderstanding,  the  Sruti  explains  that  this  Self  is  equally  within  and  without,  and  life  is  possible  only  in  a  medium  of  Truth. This  all-pervading  light  of  wisdom  should  naturally  be  unborn,  since  it  

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-2. {  "The  Absolute  nature  of  Brahmam"  } Discussion -1.  "It  is  a  light  without  any  of  its  qualities  ...... " If  all  names  and  forms  are  nothing  but  sparks  of  that  Spirit  riding  over  specks  of  matter  seemingly  consuming  it,  then,  what  is  the  exact  nature  of  the  pure  Spirit ? This  would  certainly  be  the  question  that  will  arise  in  the  mind  of  every  consistent  seeker. An  attempt  at  its  definition,  descriptive  enough  to  give  a  direct  clue  to  any  sensitive  aspirant,  is  being  made  here  in  this  mantram. He  is  a  mass  of  light  without  any  form;  not  a  tapping  light,  not  an  orb  of  light,  not  a  pinnacle  of  light  ---  but  light  without  shape,  light  without  form. In  short  as  Sri  Ramakrishna  Paramahamsa  has  put  it, " It  is  a  Light  without  any  of  its  qualities." Next : Dis

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-2. {  "The  Absolute  nature  of  Brahmam"  } "Divyo  hyamurtah  purushah  sabahya-bhyantaro  hyajah, aprano  hyamanah  subhro  hy-aksarat  paratah  parah." divyah  =  self-resplendent; hi  =  verily; amurtah  =  formless; purushah  =  the  Supreme; sabahyabhy-antarah  =  ( that  all-pervading  Being )  is  both  within  and  without; hi  =  verily; ajah  =  unoriginated; apranah  =  ( anterior  to )  without  life; hi  =  verily; amanah  =  without  mind; (sah  =  he; ) subhrah  =  pure; hi  =  verily; aksaarat  =  from  the  indestructible; paratah  parah  =  He  transcends  even  the  transcendent. "Self-resplendent,  formless,  unoriginated  and  pure,  that  all-pervading  Being  is  both  within  and  without. Anterior  both  to  life  and  mind,  He  transcends  even  the  transcendent,  unmanifested,  causal-state  of  the  universe." Next : Discu

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-8. "Summation"..... Similarly,  an  individual  seems to  exist,  exhibiting  all  the  qualities  of  a  reality  only  so  long  as  the  conditioning  is  not  eaten  up. A  jivatma   is  born  only  to  burn  up  his/her  fruits-of-actions,  and  when  this  accomplished,  the  body  falls  down  to  perish  and  the  spark-of-life  rolls  back  to  merge  with  the  TOTAL  LIFE   ( PARAMATMA ). END. Next : Mantram-2. To be continued   ....           

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-7. "an  effect  can  only  perish  to  become  the  cause" ........ It  is  a  theory  in  philosophy,  accepted  in  scientific  observations  also,  that  "an  effect  can  only  perish  to  become  the  cause;"  the  seed  dies  away  to  become  the  tree;  water,  when  decomposed,  becomes  but  hydrogen  and  oxygen,  a  physical  structure  made  up  of  the  five  elements;  all  ornaments  made  of  gold  can  change  only  to  become  a  mass  of  gold. Similarly,  a  spark  of  fire  riding  on  a  little  matter,  seems  to  have  wandered  away  from  the  main  fire-place  and  exists  as  such  only  during  such  time  at  it  has  not  finished  away  with  its  eating  up  of  the  "matter." It  is  only  a  conditional  fire  that  comes  out  as  a  spark  and  the  sp

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-6. Recap to  be   continued  ... An  incomparably  beautiful  and  inimitably  complete  analogy  is  used  here  to  explain  this  relationship. The  individual  is  nothing  but  the  Supreme  itself,  inasmuch  as,  the  individual  has  risen  from  it,  exist  in  it,  and  merges  back  into  it. The  example  of  a  spark  from  a  bid  fire  is  made  use  of  here. The  spark  has  risen  from  the  fire-place,  and  it  floats  about  and  around  the  very  same  fire-place  ---  not  very  far  away  ---   and  when  it  has  exhausted  itself  in  eating  up  the  material,  the  ash  is  thrown  out,  and  the  fire  in  the  spark  disappears;  and  since  it  cannot  go  anywhere  else,  it  merges  the  very  fire  in  the  fire-place. Next : Discussion-7. "an  effect  can  only  perish  to  

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-5. "Recap  of  the  previous  chapter  in  this  context   ......  " In  the  previous  chapter,  a  very  complete  and  broad  hint  has  been  given  defining  the  field  of  the  higher  knowledge. Out  of  that  formless,  eternal,  unborn,  pure  Consciousness,  how  these  finite,  mortal,  limited  individuals  have  emerged,  would  be  the  greatest  of  problems  in  the  heart  of  a  seeker. No  seeker  who  comes  to  seriously  enquire  into  the  what  and  how  of  the  names  and  forms  that  he  sees  around  him,  can  choke  this  doubt  in  his  mind. There  must  be  some  relationship  between  the  Infinite  and  finite,  since  according  to  the  declarations  of  the  Upanishad-s,  the  finite  is  nothing  other  than  Infinite. Next : Discussion-6. Recap to  be   continued

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-4.  "Hear  what  Mother  Sruti  tells  us  .....  " There  is  no  contradiction  at  all here  to  those  who  know  the  technique  of  the  'Sruti.' The  Rishi-s  of  the  Upanishad-s  first  insisted  that  ritualism  alone  is  Supreme,  in  order  to  encourage  a  seeker  to  go  through  those  initial  techniques  in  self-perfection. Having  lived  a  few  years  in  sincere  ritualim  the  seeker  develops  his  mental  and  intellectual  integration  and  higher  meditation. If  from  the very  outset,  Sruti  had  declared  that  ritualism  is  a  subsidiary  activity,  certainly  no  seeker  would  have  gone  through  it,  but  would  have  straight  away  walked  into  the  halls  of  meditation  only  to  sit  and  sleep. To  avert  this  calamity,  out  of  sheer  kindness  'Moth

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-3. "the  unprepared  western  readers   ....." The  unprepared  western  readers  invariably  feel  confused  and  confounded,  when  they  directly  take  up  the  study  of  the  Bharatheeya  ( Hindu ) Scriptures  without  the  aid  of  a  true  Master. The  opening  mantram of  this  chapter  gives  us  an  example  wherein  an  uninitiated  would  feel  an  ever-lasting  confusion. In  the  previous  section,  the  "Sruti   asserted"  that  the  ritualistic  part  of  religion  is  the  Truth. Now,  in  this  chapter,  'Sruti' with  equal  emphasis  is  declaring : "This  is  the  Truth  ----   the  theme  of  Supreme  Consciousness,  which  lies  beyond  all  the  fields  of  ritualism. This  kind  of  emphasis,  asserting  at  one  point  that  ritualism  is  the  Supreme  a

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } Discussion-2.  "the Supreme"  ... The Supreme,  being  Infinite,  will  not,  and  cannot  come  within  the  expressiveness  of  language  which  is  but  an  expression  of  the  finite. The  Infinite  cannot  be  expressed  in  terms  of  the  finite  and  yet,  no  other  scripture  in  the world,  we  can  most  assuredly  say,  has  succeeded  in  pointing  out  to  us  the  Infinite  so  successfully  as  the  Upanishads  have  done. Some  wondrous  expressions  pointing  to  the  Infinite  and  some  perfect  techniques  of  explanation  are  employed  in  this  chapter. In  short,  we  may  say  that  without  this  chapter  "Mundakopanishad" could  not  have  been  considered  as  the  scripture  at  all. Next : Discussion-3. "the  unprepared  western  readers   ....." To be continu

Mundakopanishad : Chapter-2. Section-1. Mantram-1. { Birth  of  all  beings  from  "Brahmam" like  sparks  from  fire. } tad-etat  satyam  yatha  sudiptat  pavakad visphulingah  sahasrasah  prabhavante  sarupah tatha-ksarad  vividhah  somya  bhavah prajayante  tatra  caivapi-yanti. tat  =  that; etat  =  this; satyam  =  truth; yatha  =  as; sudiptat  =  from  the  flaming; pavakat  =  ( from )  fire; visphulingah  =  sparks; sahasrasah  =  by  thousands; prabhavante  =  issue  forth,  spring  out; sarupah  =  of  the  same  form; tatha  =  as; aksarat  =  from  the  immortal  ( Bramam ); vividhah  =  various  diverse; somya  =  beloved  youth; bhavah  =  jiva-s; prajayante  =  originate,  are  born; tatra  =   there; ca  =  and' eva  =  verily; api  =  again; yanti  =  go  ( find  way  into ). "This  is  the  truth :  as  from  the  flaming  fire  thousands  of  sparks,  similar  to  its  form

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-13. { 'Instructions  to  teachers  on  initiating  fit  students' } Mantram-13. ( Very Important  for  the  present  teachers, students, parents, and the  society( Whole Nation ). Discussion-2. "Mother Sruti  says  further ........" And,  when  such  a  disciple  approaches  a  "true  guru,"  here  the  "Sruti" dictates  that  he  should  explain  the  "Truth,"  in  all  its  purity  to  the  student,  and consistently  encourage  him  to  live  that  life  and  reach  the  goal. A"true  guru" has  no  right  to  deny  instructing  any  disciple. But,  the  disciple  also  must  have  the  necessary  qualifications,  such  as  a  complete  self-control  and  a  degree  of  mental  tranquility. To  such  a  disciple,  the  'guru'  must  explain,  not  merely  the  word-meaning  of  the  scripture,  but  also  the  indicative

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-13. { 'Instructions  to  teachers  on  initiating  fit  students' } Mantram-13. ( Very Important  for  the  present  teachers, students, parents, and the  society( Whole Nation ).  Discussion-1.  " A  direction  to  the  teacher-class,  by  "Sruti" ...... Here  in  this  mantram,  'Sruti' is  giving  a  direction  to  the  teacher - class. { NOTE :Please  follow  carefully,  this  direction  of  "SRUTI" IS  STILL APPLICABLE  IN  THE  PRESENT  MODERN  AGE. " In  Bharatham  at  present  ( way  back  too )  various  scams  occurred  in  our  education  system,  and  the  last  "VYAPAM-SCAM" MADHYAPRADESH........see  how  deep  we  have  fallen!!!} Earlier,  "Mother  Sruti" instructed  and  advised  how  a  true  brahmana  (disciple/student ),  having  lived  intensively  the  ritualistic  life  for  a  long  number  of  years,  

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-13. { 'Instructions  to  teachers  on  initiating  fit  students' } Mantram-13. "Tasmai  sa  vidvan-upasannaya  samyak prasanta-cittaya  saman-vitaya, yenaksaram  purusham  veda  satyam provaca  tam  tattvato  brahma-vidyam." tasmai  =  to  that  ( pupil ); sah  =  that; vidvan  =  wise  teacher; upasannaya  =  ( to  him )  who  has  approached; samyak  =  in  a  proper  manner; prasanta-cittaya  =  ( to  him )  whose  mind  is  at  rest; saman-vitaya  =  ( to  him )  whose  senses  are  subdued; yena  =  by  which; aksaram  =  =  immortal; purusham  =  supreme  head; veda  =  is  known; satyam  =  true; provaca  =  let  ( his  teacher ) teach; tam  =  that; tattvatah  =  truly; brahma-vidyam  =  brahma  vidya  ( Science  of  Brahmam ). "To  that  pupil  who  has  thus  approached  him  in  a  proper  manner,  whose  mind  is  at

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaninglessness  of  the  worldly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." }  Mantram-12. Discussion-10. Summation..... Whatever  it  is,  it  only  indicates  that  the  disciples,  in  the  olden  times,  sought  a  Master  and  reached  his  feet,  not  through  appointments  'made  by  letters  or  telegrams  or  telephones-calls!' Today,  if  we  are  doing  so,  we  are  thereby  denying  to  ourselves  the  maximum  benefit  which  we could  otherwise  gain  out  of  these  Masters  by  repeating  the  old  practice  and  approaching  them  in  that  attitude  of  surrender  and  true  seeking. Next : Mantram-13. To be continued  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaninglessness  of  the  worldly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." }  Mantram-12. Discussion-9. "The  term  ' Samit-panih' in  the  fourth  line  of  the  mantram  ...." "Samit-panih"  :  Here  is  a  bit  of  instruction  to  a  perfect  student  on  how  he  must  approach the  teacher. In  olden  days,  the  practice  was  to  carry  a  bundle  of  fire-wood  ( samit ) ( i. e , fuel  for  cooking, )  or  it  may  be  Margo  ( Nima ) -twigs  (  used  for  brushing  the  teeth)  as  a  symbol  of  the  desciple's  readiness  to  surrender  totally  to  the  Master  and  tune  himself  through  continuous  and  tireless  service. Somewhere,  we  have  seen  another  interpretation  given  to  this  significant  sign. According  to  that,  the  twigs  may  symbolize  that

Mundaka-Upanishad  Chapter-1.  Section-2. ( Rituals )  Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaninglessness  of  the  worldly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." }  Mantram-12. Discussion-8. "If  pandita-s  cannot  serve  the  world  as  teachers,  then  who........" Thus,  a  teacher  is  he  who  has  a  'thorough  knowledge  of  the  science  of  Religion'   which  is  in  the  Upanishad-s  and  is  one  who  is  also  rooted  in  his  'own  subjective  experience  of  that  plane  of  Consciousness'   which  is  indicated  by  the  'Sruti.' Such  a  Master  alone  can  convincingly  propagate  the  'Sruti' and  Kindle  enthusiasm  of  the  youth  to  brave  the  difficulties  and  stand  the  challenges  of  life,  till  he  slowly  reaches  the "Eternal  Goal  of  Life." Next : Discussion-9. "The  term  ' Samit-panih' in