MUNDAKA UPANISHAD - 26. Swami Advayananda.

Chinmaya Mission :

Chinmaya Mission Vadodara recently hosted the Chinmaya Summer Cool Camp from April 22 to April 24, 2023, at Chinmaya Sadhana Ashram. 

Each day began with a special session by Swami Deveshanandaji, where participants were enlightened with stories, activities, and Q&A. Smt. Umaben Purohit, the senior-most Bala Vihar Sevika, and the organizing team designed various value-based activities, including ice-breaking, drama-based workshops, art & craft, games, sketching, and storytelling. The participants also enjoyed playing unique games like sensitizing the senses, Hanuman Yatra, and Dream Krishna. They learned a special camp song and other bhajans in the Swaranjali session during the camp.

In addition to these activities, the children performed Ganpati Puja, Matru Puja, and Gayatri Havan under the guidance of Swami Deveshanandaji. Specific episodes of Upanishad Ganga were also screened for the participants during the camp.

The camp was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers, faculty, and donors for their great support in making it possible.

=================================================================

6 Chapters (64 Mantras)

Chapter-2.

(Mantras - 23-32, 10 no.

Section-1 : THE SUPREME PURUSHA)

========================================================================

Friday,  12 May,  2023. 06:30.

 3. THE SUPREME PURUSHA

(Mantras - 23-32, 10 no.)

Thus begins the first Section of the Second Canto.

Post - 26.

=====================================================================

26. Mantram - 3.4: Brahman as Virat – the Gross Macrocosmic Person.

1 

agnih moordhaa, chakshushee   =  Fire (Agni) is his head; the two eyes are the

chandra-sooryau,  =   sun and the moon;

2 

dishah shrotre,  =  the four quarters or directions are His ears;

 vaag vivritaah cha vedaah;  =  the Vedas when uttered are His speech;

3 

vaayuh praanah,  =  air is His breath; 

 hridayam vishvam asya,  =  the Universe is His heart (mind);

4 

padbhyaam prithivee, hi esha   =  from His feet originated the Earth;

sarva bhoota antar-aatmaa.  =   He is indeed the inner Self of all beings.

=======================================================================

Here we have a verse which Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda, describes as, “In 

this verse, Poetry, Philosophy and Art have combined. It is as if Plato has picked up the pen 

of Shelly to paint Cleopatra in order to represent the mighty beauty of the universe!” The 

one part-less Supreme is depicted as having different Parts, each one a Deity governing a set 

function.

1a i) 

Agni Devata: In Vedic culture, pride of place is given to the deity of Fire who 

conveys the messages of the worshippers to the respective Deity to whom it is addressed. 

Agni, therefore, which represents all the heavenly worlds as well as the lower worlds –

fourteen worlds in all – is represented as the Head of the Self.

The various major parts of this huge Universe are then represented by the different 

organs of knowledge which are located in this ‘Head’. These are:

1b ii) 

Surya and Chandra: these deities are represented by the eyes of the Self;

2a iii) Dishah: Space; the four Directions are represented by His ears;

2b iv) Vedah: Fire; the declared Vedas are represented by His speech;

3a v) Vayuh: Air; the Air is represented by His breath;

3b vi) Vishvam: Water; the entire manifested Universe is represented by the mind;

4 vii) 

Prithvi: Earth; among all the various parts of the Cosmos, the Earth is only a 

small pebble represented by His feet – it is so tiny and insignificant.

This is the macrocosmic picture of Virat or the Total Gross Universe, Sri Gurudev’s 

“Cleopatra”! Virat is personified. The entire Samashti Cosmos is depicted as the Supreme 

Being or Person. It makes for a very beautiful, easily remembered Person. Virat is a technical 

term which stands for Consciousness in association with the Upadhi (Body) of the Total 

Universe at the gross level. Hierarchically, Virat stands next in line to Hiranyagarbha. We are 

reminded specifically that its origin lies in the Supreme Purusha, or Being or Akshara.

The Bhashya’s link to this verse explains the necessity of giving the summary (mantram 

3.1) as well as the detail description (this mantram 3.4) of Creation. By doing so, the subject 

becomes thoroughly comprehended. 

All the major parts of creation are pictured as the ‘sense organs of Knowledge’ by 

which the Supreme gathers to Itself information about Himself in His own creation! Each 

part is a Deity given different Names and presiding over the functions of those parts.

Indeed, the Rishis were not short of imagination, and how lavishly and splendidly did 

they splash it out! Perhaps this was not imagination to them, but how they actually saw

themselves to be when they broke through the false limitations of their Upadhis and 

identified themselves with the whole of creation. What appears to us as a flair of exquisite 

imagination, is just daily fare to the realized sages!

*****

Next

27 Mantram - 3.5: The “Panchagni” – The Five Fires in the Cosmos

=========================================================================