Upanishads : "The cream of Vedas"

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-1. ( A  look  at  the  rituals ).  Discussion-2. "A  call  to  all  'Satya-kama-s' ......" Thus,  the  section  starts  with  a  call  to  all  "SATYAKAMA-S"  to  follow  faithfully  the  various  rituals  ordered  in  all  the  Veda-s. "They  are  true,"  says  the  Guru  ---   "True  inasmuch  as  they  give  the  desired  results,  in  case  the  Karma-s  are  properly  done  as  advised  in  the  Veda-s." The  particular  word  used  here  "tretayam" may  mean  either  in  the  "Treta-yugam" or  in  the  three  Veda-s. Next : Discussion-3. the  term '...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-1. ( A  look  at  the  rituals ). Discussion-1. "Re-cap  of  last  section......" In  the  last  section  total  knowledge-possibilities  were  divided  under  two  heads,  1. the  higher,  2.  the  lower. The  Rishi-s  also  gave  out  therein  a  general  hint  as  to  what  constitutes  "apara-vidya" and  what  exactly  constitutes  the  "para-vidya." In  this  section,  we  find,  a  rough  and  ready  sketch  of  the  entire  kingdom  of  the  lower  knowledge,  between  many  dots  and  dashes,  scribbled  in  haste,  only  to  laugh  at  its  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-1. ( A  look  at  the  rituals ). Tad-etat  satyam  mantresu  karmani  kavayo yany-apasyam-stani  tretayam  bahudha  santatani tanya-caratha  niyatam  satyakama esa  vah  panthah  sukrtasya  loke. tat  =  that; etat  =  this; satyam  =  true; mantresu  =  in  the  mantra-s; karmani  =  karma-s,  deeds  ( ritualistic ); kavayah  =  seers; yani  =  which; apasyam  =  saw,  practised; tani  =  those; tretayam  =  in  the  treta  yugam;*** bahudha  =  much; santatani  =  continued; tani  =  those; acaratha  =  saw,  practise; niyatam  =  always; satyakamah  =  with  a  desire ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantra-9. ( "Summing  up" ) Discussion-3. "the  idea  in  the  mantram"  ....... We  have  already  dealt  with  the  theory  of  the  Sruti  that  the  Supreme  Reality  through  a  process  of  brooding  invoked  the  "creative  power" that  was  already  there  and  swelling  with   excitement  and  the  joy  of  Creation,  started  the  game  of  Creation  in  Himsemf,  by  projecting  a  dream-world  Himself,  out  of  the  very  substance  of  Himself!! Hence   the  idea  in  the  mantram  :  "Out  of  this  total  Creative  Urge  are  created, ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantra-9. ( "Summing  up" ) Discussion-2. "two  expressions,  "Sarvajnah  and  Sarvavid" ------ The  Supreme  Reality,  the  Light  of  the  Intelligence,  is  nothing  but  Pure  Wisdom  and  as  such  it  is  'generally' aware  of  all  happenings in  the  entire  cosmos,  and  it  being  the  Light  that  illumines  every  mental  wave  in  the  vegetable,  animal  and  human  life,  and  it  being  the  Existence  Principle  in  everything,  that  is,  there  cannot  happen  anything  which  is  not  directly  under  the  Light  Supreme  nor  can  anything  exist ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantra-9. ( "Summing  up" ) "Yah  sarvajnah  sarva-vid  yasya  jnana-mayam  tapah tasmad-etad  brahma  nama  rupam-annam  ca  jayate." Iti  Mundakopanishadi  prathama-mundake  prathamah  khandah yah  =  he,  who; sarvajnah  =  all-knowing,  aware  of  all; sarva-vid  =  all-wise,  knower  of  all; yasya  =  whose; jnana-mayam  =  full  of  knowledge; tapah  =  austerity,  concentrated  thought; tasmat  =  from  that; etat  =  these; brahma  =  Brahma,  the  Creator  ( Hiranyagarbha ); nama  =  names; rupam  =  forms; annam  =  nourishment; ca  =  also; jayate  =  is  produced. "From  the  '...

  Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  ) Discussion-5. "the  terms -'loka'  ...'Amrtam'  ...." Here  it  may  kindly  be  noted  that  the  word  'loka'  in  its  etymological  meaning  in  'Samskrtam' is  not  merely  this  globe  but  it  means  a  "Plane  of  Experiencing." When  there  is  a  ' field  of  experiencing' and  when  the  above  mentioned  food,  vital-air  and  mind,  are  brought  to  play  in  this  field,  the  individuals  indulge  in  selfish  and  egoistic  actions. Actions  end  but  in  their  reactions. The  reactions  of  actions  are...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  ) Discussion-4. "the term 'Satya' in  the  Upanishad-s........." When  the  mind  is  fully  manifest  with  the  'Prana-s'  from  that  state  of  emergence  of  the  finite,  we  get  the  five  great  elements  which  are  termed  here  in  the  Upanishad  as  "Satya," since  compared  with  the  finite  names  and  forms  in  the  world,  the  five  elements  with  are  relatively  infinite  and  eternal  ( "SATYAM" ). The  combination  of  the  five  great  elements  is  the  entire  world  of  phenomena  that  we  see  a...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  ) Discussion-3. "Creative  urge  in  Reality ...." The creative  urge  in  Reality,  in  its  own  potency,  swells  an  impatience  of  self-expression,  and  then  from  that  the  whole  world  of  objects  constituting  the  plane  of  'matter' emerges  out. From  matter,  life  as  known  to  us  manifests. 'Prana,'  here  means  life;  prana  is  the  centre  of  all  activities. That  there  is  a  close  relationship  between  the  prana  and  the  mind  is  quite  well-known. When  a  mind  is  agitated,  the  rhythm  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  ) Discussion-2. "What  Sruti  does  next ............." Here  Sruti  after  explaining  the  nature  of  the  Supreme  Reality,  is  now  trying  to  describe  the  various  stages  in  the  process  of  Creation. The theory  has  it  hat  the  creation  was  never  a  sudden  and  accidental  out-burst  of  the  entie  world  of  plurality,  but  it  had  an  ordered  scheme  about  it. Herein  we  are  told  how  through  various  stages  of  manifestation,  the  scheme  of  things  that  we  know  of  now  has  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  )  Discussion-1. "the  term  'Tapas'  "   ...... The  word  'Tapas'  has  been  often  misunderstood  as  'austerity.' The  word  'tapas' has  come  to  gather  in  the  folds  of  its  various  significances  'austerity'  also. It  is  the  true  scriptural  meaning  of  'concentrated  thinking'  that  the  word  'tapas,'  it  seems,  has  been  used  here. Mother  Sruti  elsewhere  says : "Aikagryam  paramam  tapah" meaning  : 'development  of  single  pointed  attention  is  the  Supreme  Tapas.'   Next : Discussion-2. "What  Sruti  does  next ....

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-8. ( "Sequence of Creation of the Universe"  ) "Tapasa  ciyate  Brahma  tato-nnam-abhijayate, annat  prano  manah  satyam  lokah  karmasu  camrtam." tapasa  =  by  concentrated  thinking; ciyate  =  augments,  swells; brahma  =  'Brahmaj',  ( total  Creative  urge ); tatah  =  then  (  from  Him ); annam  =  food  ( the  primal  matter ); abhijayate  =  is  produced ),  is  born; annat  =  from  food; pranah  =  prana,  ( breathing ) life; manah  =  mind; satyam  =  the  true  ( the  Five  elements ) Pancha-bhuta-s; lokah  =  the  worlds; karmasu  =  in  karmam; ca  =  and; amrtam  =  ( ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Summation : "on Declaration and  three pictures" .... Thus,  on  the  whole,  the  three  pictures  distinctly  sets  of  ideas  which  we  must  comprehend  fully  in  order  to  grasp  the  entire  process  of  Creation. They  are  : (1). Out  of  Him  ( Lord )  the  world  has  come  without  the  intervention  of  any  other  cause  other  than  Himself  and  in  the  end  the  the  projected  world  is  absorbed  back  again  into  the  Divine. (11) . The  Supreme  has  neither  the  effort  nor ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion-7. "third  picture" ... why,  what  for  ...Great  Rishi-s  answer ... Again,  the  infinite  mercy  and  love  of  the  Rishi-s  forecast  that  even  this  analogy  may  in  its turn   sabotage  the  spiritual  aspirant  with  yet  another  misunderstanding  that  the  Supreme  is  a  dead,  inert,  insentient  matter  like  the  earth,  incapable  of  knowing  or  feeling. In  order  to  avert  this  calamitous  fall  into  a  false  rut  of  thinking,  we  have  here  the  third  picture. S...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe )  Discussion-6. "Second analogy ...  the  purpose"  ... To  deny  any  purposeful  motive  behind  the  Creation,  we  have  the  second  analogy. There  is  no  motive  in  the  earth  to  produce  or  nourish  the  plants. It  is  without  any  personal  motive  that  the  plants  come  out  of  the  earth. Similarly,  the  world  too  comes  out  of  the  Real. Next : Discussion-7. "third  picture" ... why,  what  for  ...Great  Rishi-s  answer ... To be continued  ....   

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion-5. "Spider  picture" .....and  ...  "another  analogy"  ...... If  the  spider-picture  gives  us  the  how  and  why  of  the  entire  game  of  Creation,  why  should  Mother  Sruti  give  yet  another  analogy  in  the  the  picture  of  "the  herbs  sprouting  forth  from  the  earth?" This  is  to  deny  a  possible  false  suggestion  which  is  in  the  previous  analogy  ( Spider-picture). The  Spider  creates  the  web  certainly  for  a  personal  end,  for  a  personal  gratifica...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion-4. "Creation"  ..... The  moment  we  hear  of  Creation  in  our  tradition  of  associated  ideas,  we  come  to  picture  the  Lord  as  pot-maker  sitting  up  and  creating  the  world  out  of  a  substance  which  is  other  than  Himself. This  is  denied,  and  this  wrong  concept  is  readjusted  in  our  mind,  by  this  mantram  with  its  picture  of  the  spider  creating  the  web,  not  out  of  anything  other  than  itself,  but  out  of  its  ow...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion-3. "Evaluation  of  triple  picture"...... With  this  very  preliminary  knowledge  of  the  style  of  the  Upanishad-s,  if  we  evaluate  the  why  and  the  how  of  this  triple  picture  painted  in  the  mantram,  we  come  to  glimpse  through  the  picture  a  triple  purpose. The  spider  creates  the  web  out  of  itself  and  withdraws  it  ( the  web )  unto  itself   ---   the  material  of  the  web  becomes  the  bery  substanse  of  the  spider. In  short,  the ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion-2. 'the  three  different  pictures' .... The  economy  of  the  scriptural  style  is  flouted  here.  if  the  three  different  pictures  given  are  only  to  emphasise  the  one  and  same  point  of  comparison. The  Rishi-s  have  the  unique  style  of  using  minimum  words  with  maximum  significance  in  the  sacred  Mantra-s. Certainly,  analogies  are  the  only  instruments  of  expressing  the  inexpressible. But  even  in  the  usage  of  analogies  in  the  scriptures,  we  never ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) Discussion - 1. The  Imperishable  ( Brahmam / Lord ) alone  is  real. The  things  and  beings  arise  from  Him ( Brahmam ) and  merge  back  into  Him,  just  as  innumerable  sparks  fly  upwards  from  the  blazing  fire  and  after  burning  themselves  out  merge  back  into  the  fire. All  creatures  descend  from  the  Imperishable  ---  from  Him  the  sky,  from  the  sky  the  rain,  from  the  rain  the  food,  and  from  the  food  the  seed  in  male  which  he  gives  to  female....

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-7. ( "Imperishable  Brahmam" ----  cause  of  the  Universe ) (Dear members : Very important Mantram - follow carefully - this is about Creation ..) "Yathorna-nabhih  srjate  grhnate  ca yatha  prthivyam-osadhayah  sambhavanti, yatha  satah  purusat  kesalomani tatha - ksarat  sambhavatiha  visvam." yatha  =  as; urnanabhih  =  the  spider; srjate  =  creates,  projects; grhnate  =  withdraws; ca  =  and; yatha  =  as; prthivyam  =  from  the  earth; osadhayah  =  herbs,  plants; sambhavanti  =  sprout  out; yatha  =  as; satah  =  living; purusat  =  from  man; kesalomani  =  hairs  grow  on  the  head  and  th...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-6. ( Explanation  about  the  higher  Knowledge ) Summation : In  fact,  my  dear  members,  Mother  Sruti  would  ultimately  guide  you  all  to  the  fact  that  there  never  was  finite  world  except  in  the  mind  ( manas )  and  intellect  ( buddhi )  of  you  and  me. The  Supreme  alone  supremely  exists  ---  all  alone! There  is  not  even  a  trace  of  our  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars,  our  Universe,  our  World,  its  economic,  political  and  domestic  problems,  your  ego  or  my  worries,  this  blog  writing,  the  discussions ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-6. ( Explanation  about  the  higher  Knowledge ) Discussion-11. "Bhuta Yoni"  significance of  this  term.....(see first  part  of  the  .last   line  of  the  mantram) Bhuta Yoni :  ( As  the  womb  of  'matter'  )   Every  effect  has  a  cause. There  is  no  effect  without  a  cause. Causation-hunting  is  the  very  function  of  the  intellect ( buddhi ). Where  there  is  no  cause-effect-relationship,  the  intellect  is  stultified. So,  to  a  disciple,  who  is  in  the  plane  of  the  intellect,  a  teacher  must  talk  in  terms  of  the  student's ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-6. ( Explanation  about  the  higher  Knowledge ) Discussion-10. "Guru Rishi Angira  and  disciple Saunaka" .... When  'Rishi  Angira'  thus  defined  the  Supreme  in  the  above  exhaustive  and  supra-mental  definition,  surely,  'Saunaka',  the  disciple,  must  have  got  more  than  confused  and  confounded! Under  the  very  weight  of  significance  of  the  statement,  the  poor  disciple,  must  have  felt  himself  crushed! There  must  have  been  an  expression  of  disbelief  and  confusion  of  his  own  sense  of  hopelessness  spreading  on  his  face. As  though ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1, Section-1, Mantram-6. ( Explanation  about  the  higher  Knowledge ) Discussion-9. "Eternal"  etc  :   ...... The  other  epithets  used  in  the  mantram  are  all  logical  conclusions  which  one  must  arrive  at  when  one  accepts  the  above-  described  ideas. That  which  is  unoriginated  must  be  Eternal;  that  which  is  Eternal  must  be  All-pervading,  and  if  it  is  All-pervading,  then  the  entire  world  of   'matter' must  be  in  a  sense  nothing  but  Its  own  manifestations;  and  all-pervasiveness  indicates  a  state  of  the  highest  subtlery  and ...