Upanishads : "The cream of Vedas"

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaningless-ness  of  the  wordly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." } Mantram-12. Discussion-3. "Sruti's  advice  to  such  brahmana,  ....." Such  a  brahmana  is  being  advised  by  the  Sruti  here  to  examine  ruthlessly  the  various  fields  of  results  that  they  can  gain,  due  to  the  ritualistic  acts  of  piety  and  ceremony. Mother  Sruti,  here  is  directing  the  attention  of  such  an  enquirer  to  consider  whether  he  can  ever  gain ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaningless-ness  of  the  wordly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." } Mantram-12. Discussion-2.  "QUALITIES  REQUIRED  IN  A  TRUE  BRAHMANA.............." The  qualities  required  in  a  true  brahmana  are  not  physical; they  are,  to  be  to  an  extent  mental; to  a  large  degree  intellectual; and  in  the  main  "Spiritual." "He  who  has  all  these  qualities  : 1. 'Purity  of  thought, 2. Clarity  of  reasoning,  3. Sincerity  of  motives  and  an  4. Insatiable  EAGERNESS ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaningless-ness  of  the  wordly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." } Mantram-12. Discussion-1. What  Sruti  says  and  the  term  "brahmana".... If,  as  Sruti  says :  Yajnas,  Yaga-s  and  such  other  rituals  cannot  in  themselves  take  a  seeker  to  the  Supreme  state,  it  is  natural  that  a  burning  aspirant  would  wonder  what  he  is  to  do. Here,  in  this  mantram,  the  duties  of  a  true  seeker  in  whom  the  rituals  have  fulfilled ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram-12. { A  seeker  seeing  meaningless-ness  of  the  wordly  and  heavenly  pleasures  advised  to  approach  a  teacher  and  seek  "Supreme  Knowledge." } Mantram-12. Parikshya  lokan  karmaicitan  brahmano nirvedam-ayan-nasty-akrtah  krtena, tad-vijnan-artham  sa  guru-mevabhi-gacchet samit-panih  srotriyam  brahma-nishtham. parikshya  =   after  examining; lokan  =  worlds  of  experiences; katmacitan  =  gained  by  karmam; brahmanah  =  a  brahmana  ( an  aspirant ); nirvedam  =  freedom  from  all  desires; ayat  =  after  reflecting; na  asti  =  cannot  be  had; akrtah  =  that  which ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 11. [ What  men  with  knowledge  ( Upasana )  attain ]. Mantram-11. Discussion-4. 'Summation' ..........  "Kaivalya  Mukti"  ( Pure  liberation )  ............... But,  as  far  as  Jnani  is  concerned,  as  in  the  case  of  a  'Buddha,  a  Sankaracharya,    a  Ramanujacharya,  a  Madhvacharya,   a Ramakrishna  Paramahamsa,  a  Vivekananda,  an   Aurobindo, a  Ramana Maharishi, a  Sivanada,  a  Krishnananda,   a  Tapovanam   a  Chinmayananda,  there  is  no  going  and  comming;  they  reach  what  is  called  as  "Kaivalya  Mukti" ( Pure  liberation )  or  "Sadyo  Mukti"  ( immediate ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 11. [ What  men  with  knowledge  ( Upasana )  attain ]. Mantram-11. Discussion-3. "Krama - mukti" ........ Those,  who,  not  only  perform  the  Yajna-s  and  Yaga-s,  but  along  with  these,  also  meditate  upon  the  great  Truth  of  our  philosophy  (  i.e,  those  who  perform  'Karma' and  Upasana),  at  death  leave  the  body  and  take  the  northern  route  ( Utharayanam )  and,  through  the  corridors  of  the  "Sun,"  go  beyond  and  enter  the  Brahma  lokam,  the  Supreme-most  world  of  the  Creator. There,  these  lucky  souls  not ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 11. [ What  men  with  knowledge  ( Upasana )  attain ]. Mantram-11.  Discussion-2.  " Surya  dvarena (  the  path/orb  of  the  Sun ) ... third  line  of  the  mantram....." Though  the  orb  ( path )  of  the  Sun  ( Surya  dvarena )  : The  route  taken  by  the  subte  body  after  death  in  the  world  are  of  two  kinds  : 1.  the  Moon - path  and  2.  the  Sun - path. The  Sun - path  is  called  is  called  "Uttarayanam"  and  the  Moon - path  the  "Dakshinayanam." It  is  the  theory  of  Vedantam  that  those  who  merely  perform  '...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 11. [ What  men  with  knowledge  ( Upasana )  attain ]. Mantram-11. Discussion-1.  "Slaves  of  ritualism  and  Men  of  REALISATION  ........." Comparing  the  slaves  of  ritualism  with  the  men  of  Realisation,  'Sruti'  is  bringing  forth  the  glory  of  'Sannyasam' to  the  forefront  by  this  mantram. 'Mother  Sruti'  says  that  those  who  perform  'Karma-s' with  the  desire-born  motives  reach  only  temporary  joys,  from  where  they  will  have  to  come  back  to  this  painful  finite  world  of  mortality. On  the  other  hand,  those ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 11. [ What  men  with  knowledge  ( Upasana )  attain ]. Mantram-11. Tapah  sraddhe  ye  hy-upavasanty-aranye santa  vidvamso  bhaiksya-caryam  carantah, surya-dvarena  te  virajah  prayanti yatra-mrtah  sa  purusho  hyavya-yatma. tapah  sraddhe  =  austerity,  penance  ( tapas )  and  devout  worship  ( sraddha ); ye  =  they  who; hi  =  verily; upavasanti  =  live; aranye  =  in  the  forests  ( solitude ); santah  =  having  control  over  their  senses; vidamsah  =  the  learned; bhaiksya-caryam  =  life  of  mendicant; carantah  =  ( moves  about )  living; surya-dvarena  =  through...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-6. "Summation......" In  this  mantram,  we  have  also  a  positive  declaration  against  the  optimistic  view,  held  by  some  of  our   'pundita-s,'  including  some  of  the  most  sympathetic  'guru-s'. According  to  them,  having  once  got  the  form  of  man  that  ego  can  never  go  down  to  any  lower  plane  of  existence,  whatever  be  his  actions  in  life. This  idea  is  being  blasted  into  smithereens  in  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-5. "Nakasya  .. the  term  in  the  third  line  of  mantram...." Nakasya : - This  term  ( First  word  in  the  third  line  of  mantram )  is  being  used  here  in  a  peculiar  etymological  meaning  of  it. 'Kama'  :  means,  in  samskrtam  "Bliss";  'akama' naturally  means  then  'pain',  na + akama = meaning  that  state  where  pain  is  unknown. There  is  a  particular  reason  why  Mother  Sruti  has  specially  chosen  this  word  to ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-4. "What  Upanishads  say  about  the  above  two  "ISTA and  PURTA"  ......" "The  Upanishad-s  say  that  one  should  be  a  'Colossal  Fool' to  claim  that  these  ( Ista  and Purta )   and  these  alone  constitute  the  Supreme  most  act  of  divinity,  and  that  there  is  nothing  superior  to  it." This  condemnation  of  the  Scriptures  is  because  the  meritorious  acts  of  both  the  categories,  in  their  reactions,  only ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-3. "Meritorious  acts  ......" Meritorious  acts  are  divided  into  two  groups  by  our  ancient  Rishi-s  on  the  basis  of  the  text-book  that  allow  it. These  noble  acts  of  spiritual  merit,  advocated  in  the  "Sruti-s" called  "ISTA"***,  constitued  the  "Yajna-s" and  "Yaga-s"; and  those  prescribed  in  the  "Smriti-s"  constituted  the  digging  of  a  well,  opening  a  path,  building  of  a  hospitals,  schools,  feeding  the ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-2. "Mint-house-intellects  and  Bank-hearts ............" Today,  the  so-called  educated  class,  in  their  spiritual  illiteracy,  cry  down  the  very  vital  life  of  meditation,  because,  with  their  "Mint-house-intellect  and  Bank-hearts,"   they  read  nothing  but  their  own  "Cheque-Book-Scriptures ( Leaves ),"  and  their  own  sins  come  to  haunt  them.          Naturally,  they  cannot  understand  any  life  more  happy  than  the  life ...

. Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Discussion-1. " Karmam  and  Jnanam" ..... Never  was  the  world  without  this  bitter  controversy  between  the  two  principles  of  life,  namely,  (1).laborious,  extrovert  action  and  (2). peaceful  introvert  seeking. 'KARMA  JNANAM'have  been  at  tug-of  war,  unbroken  at  all  times,  and  this  endless  controversy  itself,  we  may  say,  was  the  main  'motive-force,'  which  have  "HINDUISM"  such  a  perfect  and  tight  "Science" of  "Spiritualism.' ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-10. Ishta-purtam  manya-mana  varishtam nanyac-chreyo  vedayante  pramudhah, nakasya  prsthe  te  sukrte-nubhutva imam  lokam  hina-taram  va  visanti. ishta-purtam  =  sacrificial  and  charitable  acts; manya-manah  =  regarding; varishtam  =  most  important; na  =  not; anyat  =  any  other  thing; sreyah  =  bliss; vedayante  =  know; pramudhah  =  these  ignorant  men; nakasya  prsthe  =  in  heights  of  heaven  (  the  abode  of  pleasure ); te  =  they; sukrte  = ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-9. Discussion- 4.  Summation . This  is  equal  to  saying  tat  these  men,  wise,  energetic,  devoted  and  sincere,  when  in  them  ritualism  has  fulfilled  itself  ----  pursue  this  wrong  path  of  wasteful    stupidity  only  because  of  the  germs  of  "desires,"  that  still  breed  in  their  hearts. Now  the  diagnosis  is  complete  and  the  cure  is  suggested  by  scriptures. In  every  religion  in  the  world,  there  is...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-9. Discussion-3.  " It  is  the  desire  ........" It  is  the  desire,  as  we  have  seen,  that  generates  the  flow  of  thoughts  in  the  mind,  and  it  is  again  the  quality,  texture,  quantity  and  direction  in  which  the  thoughts  flow,  that  determine  the  actions. Thus,  the  'Karmam',  cannot  be  where  desires  have  ended. Thoughts  cannot  end  where  desires  have  not  ceased. Where  thoughts  are  bubbling,  there ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-9. Discussion-2. "ritualism  is  but  a  market-place  ......" To  such  seekers,  titualism  is  but  a  market-place,  where  they  pay  the  price  to  get  the  thing  that  they  want. Prompted  by  desires  and,  wishing  to  purify  them  by  fulfilling  them  they  perform  the  karma - s  as  advised  in  the  Veda-s. We  have  already  seen  in  the  beginning,  how  desires  only  multiply  as  each  desire  gets  fulfilled,  unless  t...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-9. Discussion-1. "Sruti  is  not  angry  ........ " This  mantram  is  again  a  repetition  for  the  purpose  of  emphasis. Sruti  is  not  angry  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term,  her  anger  is  like  the  anger  of  a  mother,  when  her  child  has  not  succeeded  in  life,  as  she  had  planned  him  to. Here  the  actual  word  "balah"  ( children )  is  used,  while  mentioning  the  "blind  followers  of ritualism." In ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram-9. Avidysysm  bahudha  vartamana vayam  krtartha  ity-abhimanyanti  balah, yat  karmino  na  pravedayanti  ragat tena-turah  kshina-lokas  cyavante. avidyayam  =  in  the  ways  of  the  ignorant; bahudha  =  many; vartamanah  =  present  ( being ); vayam  =  we; krtarthah  =  reached  the  goal; iti  =  that; abhimanyanti  =  think; balah  =  people  of  childish  nature; yat  =  because; karminah  =  men  of  actions ( the  sacrifice-rs ); na  =  not; pravedayanti  =  ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram - 8. Discussion-3. " But  it  is  not. ".....  to  explain  this  an  example  follows....".   When  your  child  is  in  the  elementary  classes,  you  have  to  insist  that  child  should  daily  read  and  learn  the  multiplication  table. But,  when  he  has  come  to  the  standard  of  pure  mathematics,  it  should  be  absurd  if  you  are  to  insist  that  he/she  should  yet  read  and  learn  every  day  the  multiplication ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram - 8. Discussion-2. "Sruti  ........." We  must  not  forget  that  this  'Sruti,'  at  the  same  time,  belongs  to  Vedam,  and  the  Veda-s  being  eternal  knowledge,  shall  not  suffer  any  contradiction. In  the  earlier  part  of  the  Veda-s  viz. ,   in  the  'Karma-kandam' there  is  a  sincere  advocacy  of  the  performance  of  the  'Krma-s;  later  on  in  the  Upanishadik  portion,  we  find  in  mantram-s  like  these,  a  vehem...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram - 8. Discussion-1. "laugh  at  fanatical  ritual-mongers  ........................." The  very  scheme  of  this  section  is  to  laugh  at  all  fanatical  ritual - mongers,  and  to  win  those  individuals,  in  whom  ritualism  has  fulfilled,  back  to  the  greater  endeavors  in  higher   meditations. Sruti  has  pointed  out  the  enormous  responsibility  of  a  ritualistic  and  the  terrible  difficulty  in  performing  a yajnam  properly,  strictly  to  the ...

Mundaka-Upanishad Chapter-1. Section-2. ( Rituals ) Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description  of  the  sad  state  of  knowledge-less  ( devoid  of  Upasana )  rituals ] Mantram - 8. Avidyayam - antare  vartamanah  svayam dhirah  panditam  manya - manah, janghanya - manah  pariyanti  midha andhenaiva  niyamana  yathandhah. Avidyayam  =  in  ignorance; antare  =  in  the  modst  of; vartamanah  =  existing; svayam  =  themselves; dhrah  =  wise; panditah  =  learned; manyamanah  =  fancying  themselves; janghanya  manah  =  oppressed  and  miserable; pariyanti  =  go  round  and  round; mudhah  =  the  ignorant  beings; andhena  eva  =  by  the  blind; niyamana...