Mundakopanishad : { A seeker seeing meaningless-ness of the wordly and heavenly pleasures advised to approach a teacher and seek 'Supreme Knowledge.' } Mantram-12.

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  themselves  are  explained.



"Brahmana" :   It  is  a  tragedy  of  the  decadent  Hinduism  that  this  divine  word  of  sacred  meaning  has  come  to  be  misinterpreted  and  put  to  endless  abuses.

Today  we  have  come  to  believe  that  brahmana  means  the  caste ( son  of  a  brahmana).

This  interpretation  was  recognized  to  some  extent,  even  in  the  time  of  Sankara,  because  of  the  efficient  hold  of  the  "Sanatana Dharma-scheme  of  living,  which  the  brahmana-s  then  strictly  followed.

But,  once  we  have  fallen  away  from  those  values  of  pure  living,  we  have  deteriorated  in  our  culture  to  such  an  extent  that  today  no  agraharam***  can,  with  any  sense  of  propriety  to  Sruti  declarations,  claim  brahmana-hood.


*** A  residential  enclave  where  brahmana-s  live,  and   /  or  a  grant  of  land  given  by  Kings
( to  brahmana-s )  for  sustenance.
 

Next : Discussion-2.  "QUALITIES  REQUIRED  IN  A  TRUE  BRAHMANA.............."

To be continued   .....