The Mundakoupanishad : Post-31. - Swami Krishnananda.

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Wednesday,  07  Jun,  2023. 06:30.

Chapter-2, Section-2.

Mantram-3 (Methods of penetrating Brahmam) :

POST-31.

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Mantram-3 (Methods of penetrating Brahmam) :

"Dhanur grhitva aupanisadam mahastram 

saram hy upasa-nisitam samdadhita, 

ayamya tad-bhavagatena cetasa lakshyam

tad evaksaram, saumya viddhi. "(2.2.3). 

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Translation :

"Having taken the great weapon-the bow furnished by the Upanishad-s and in it the arrow rendered pointed by constant meditation; and having drawn it with the mind fixed on the Brahmam, O good-looking youth! penetrate that mark-the immortal Brahmam."

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Commentary :

Mahstram : 

It is the bow. Hold it in your hand and bend it, strike the string by the power of the concentration of your mind through analysis of the meaning of the teachings of the Upanishads, and delve into their true significance. With the power of intense devotion to it, bend the bow and pitch the arrow, which is the act of concentration. The mind is the arrow here, which is to be fixed on the bow of the knowledge of the Upanishad gained by deep thought and study. And the bow has to be bent by intense longing.

Tad-bhavagatena cetasa lakshyam tad evaksharam saumya viddhi: 

That imperishable being is the target which you have to hit with this arrow of your mind, struck and discharged by the bow of Upanishadic knowledge, and bent with tremendous strength arisen from your longing for liberation. This is the meaning of the third mantra. The Upanishad is the knowledge which gives you the strength to embark on this great adventure of spiritual experience. That knowledge of the Upanishad is compared here to a bow, the mind is the arrow, the longing for the liberation of the soul is the power with which you bend the bow and strike the string, and the target is the Imperishable Reality. Thus is the analogy of the bow and the arrow in the case of sadhana, or yoga practice. It is again briefly repeated in the next mantram.

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Next

Mantram-4.

The analogy of penetration 

"Pranavo dhanuh, śaro hy atma, 

brahma tal-lakshyam ucyate, 

apramattena veddhavyam, 

śara-vat tan-mayo bhavet."(2.2.4): 

To be continued

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