MUNDAKA UPANISHAD - 18. Swami Advayananda.

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6 Chapters (64 Mantras)

Chapter-1.

Section-2 : A CLOSE LOOK AT RITUALS : (Mantras 10-22, 13 no.)

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Monday, January 09, 2023. 07:00.

Post - 18.

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Mantram - 2.9 : C. Rituals – Delusion of Reaching the Goal :

With Translation :

1 avidyaayaam bahudhaa  vartamaanaah, = Many are the ways of the ignorant, and they are so engrossed in them that

2 ‘vayam kritaarthaah’ iti  abhimanyanti baalaah; = they declare, “We have reached the goal”,  as only children vainly imagine (when engrossed in toys). 

3 yat karminah na pravedayanti raagaat, = These men who depend on such sacrifices – never do they attain wisdom, due to their desires.

4 tena aaturaah ksheena  lokaah chyavante. = By this approach, these wretched men exhaust their  merits (in heaven) and come hurtling down (to earth).

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Bhashyam (Vyakyanam) : 

The eye-opening comments on the path of Kevala Karma (i.e. complete dependence 

on actions) continues. The path itself is undependable (2.7) due to the many rules and 

restrictions that are mostly overlooked. Over and above this hurdle, the practitioners add 

their own ego (2.8) to it, which makes it even less fruitful. When the rituals are done with all 

the usual flaws of human nature, they become fruitless, and actually work against them.

In this mantram the defect pointed out is the delusion of having reached the goal.

Another defect is that of exhausting one’s merits, caused by sense enjoyments, either on earth or in heaven. Both are on par as far a spiritual progress goes.

1 Acharyaji described their efforts as those of one who, wishing to cook, gets all the 

foodstuffs necessary for the dish, and then thinks the job is done! They do everything except 

the main thing. They lose all sense of the goal which they set out to achieve.

2 A child is an excellent example of the mentality of such people. A child can spend 

hours playing with his toys, achieving nothing except some amusement. That is all most 

people achieve when they set out to do a Yajna. 

3-4 Instead of obtaining wisdom, these men spend all the merit they earn on 

pleasures. All the hard-earned merit is wasted away in revelry after the Yajna is done. We 

see this frequently in practice. A Katha is arranged. The whole family of relatives and friends 

are invited to attend. During the prayer, chit-chatting goes on. After prayer, revelry and 

feasting take place, as determined by their desires. Wisdom passes them by without even 

receiving a nod for its trouble!

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Next
19. Mantram - 2.10: D. Rituals – When Merits Get Exhausted
To be continued

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