MUNDAKA UPANISHAD - 23.2 Swami Advayananda.

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6 Chapters (64 Mantras)

Chapter-2.

(Mantras - 23-32, 10 no.

Section-1 : THE SUPREME PURUSHA)

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Monday, April 03, 2023. 07:30.

 3. THE SUPREME PURUSHA

(Mantras - 23-32, 10 no.)

Thus begins the first Section of the Second Canto.

Post - 23.2

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23. Mantram - 3.1: Sparks From the Flaming Fire (with translauion) :

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tad etat satyam, Know That to be this Truth (from the higher standpoint):

1 

yathaa sudeeptaat paavakaad   =  As issue forth the flaming 

visphulingaah sahasrashah,  =   sparks of fire by the thousands, 

prabhavante saroopaah;  =  similar in nature to the fire;

2 

tathaa aksharaad   =  so also, from the Indestructible Brahman, 

vividhaah somya bhaavaah,  =  various diverse beings, O beloved youth,

prajaayante tatra cha eva  =  originate there and verily once again

api yanti.  =  find their way back into It.

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Bhashyam (Vyakuanam) :

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The last Chapter also began with the same claim: “This is the Truth”. There is no 

contradiction that this Chapter, too, starts in the same way. The context earlier was Apara 

Vidya, or knowledge of the relative world. From the world’s point of view, everything 

described in the Karma Kanda and the Upasanas is certainly true. The results claimed are 

not mere exaggerations. If the ritual is done as prescribed, the results are certain.

However, Apara Vidya is only about the realm of Samsara. It cannot take us higher 

than that. It is very attractive, but is really pitless, like the stem of a banana tree. The Link in 

the Bhashya aims to take the reader to the next level of knowledge.

Therefore the same statement “This is the Truth” is repeated here in the context of 

Para Vidya, from the absolute standpoint. In this case the Truth of the Highest Reality is 

being asserted. The statement now claims that Absolute Truth does exist and is attainable

by man. This is the promise held out to the reader. The knowledge that is to follow in 

subsequent chapters, if practised, will certainly lead one to spiritual perfection.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We have to eat that for ourselves!

The Vedantic Theory of Creation:

The various created beings are compared to sparks from a fire, arising in fire and 

going back into the fire – a most appropriate simile for the creation and dissolution process.

1-2 

Smile : The separate existence of these sparks is only an appearance. In reality 

they are not different from fire they originate from. That is the key idea that is conveyed.

Fire alone remains forever. The sparks that appear flying from the fire have a 

temporary existence and are therefore false in relation to the fire..

3-4 

Application: Fire stands for Existence. It alone remains forever. All the names and 

forms in which it appears are like the sparks flying from the fire – they are all temporary and 

therefore false in relation to Absolute Exitence. 

This ties up with the original question of Shaunaka to Angiras about that knowledge, 

knowing which everything else is known. There can be an answer to this question only if 

everything in creation has one common ingredient, namely Brahman. Thus knowledge of 

that Supreme ‘Fire’ is needed to understand everything else as sparks from that Fire. 

*****

Next
24. Mantram - 3.2: Absolute Nature of Brahman
To be continued

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