The Mundakoupanishad : Post-38. - Swami Krishnananda.

Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF), research wing of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide.

Adi Sankara Nilayam, Veliyanad, Eranakulam, India, Kerala

welcometocif@chinfo.org

Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF)

Vibrant Onam celebrations at CIF 🌼🌸 ✨

Festivities began on ‘Atham’, with daily garden-fresh flower arrangements- pookkalams enthusiastically put together by the staff.

A special Onakkodi (new outfits) distribution for the entire staff on August 24 reinforced the feelings of togetherness and joy!

The celebrations picked up steam with the entire CIF family, along with students from the residential Puja Vidhanam Course, coming together on August 26 for a cultural showcase. Decorating of a beautiful pookkalam was followed by Thiruvathirakali dance and Ona Paattu songs by the staff.

The Puja Vidhanam Course and CVV students even enacted a beautiful musical on the Vamana and Mahabali story – depicting the origin of Onam. Everyone was so overwhelmed that they literally showered the Vaman Avatara with flowers and bowed down to Him. 

This was followed by fun and games such as lemon-and-spoon race, tug-of-war, musical-chairs etc. Not only did this bringing out the sporty competitiveness in all but also rejuvenated the team spirit and bonding among all present. A sumptuous spread of traditional Ona-sadhya (feast) completed the festivities!

The celebrations concluded on Thiruvonam, with Swami Sharadananda leading a special puja for Lord Thrikkakarayappan. CIF's Onam celebration beautifully intertwined tradition, togetherness, and reverence, leaving cherished memories for all.

Onashamsakal!

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Thursday, 31 Aug 2023. 06:30.

Chapter-2, Section-2.

Mantram-10: {All illuminating nature of Brahmam }

POST-38.

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Mantram-10.

"Na tatra suryo bhati, na candra-tarakam, 

nema vidyuto bhanti, kuto'yam agnih, 

tam eva bhantam anubhati sarvam, 

tasya bhasa sarvam, idam vibhati." (2.2.10): 

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na = neither;

tatra = there;

suryah = sun;

bhati = shines;

na = nor;

candra = the moon;

tarakam = the stars;

na = not;

imah = these;

vidyutah = lightnings;

bhanti = shines;

kutah = how;

tat prakasayet = would illuminate that;

ayam = this;

agnih = fire;

tam = Him;

eva = verily;

bhantam = who shines;

anubhati = shines after;

sarvam = all;

idam = this world;

vibhati = is illuminated.

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Translation

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon, nor the stars;

these lightnings also do not shine - 

how then (can) this earthly fire?

Verily, everything shines after Him reflecting glory,

This whole world is illuminated with His light*

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Comments by Swami Krishnananda

In that realm of eternal light, there is no radiance of the Sun. This brilliance of the Sun which is so intolerable to our eyes is like a shadow cast by that eternal light. Just as candle flames do not shine before the light of the Sun, so also the Moon, the stars, fire, and all the luminaries of the world do not shed their light in that eternal radiance. There is no Sun or Moon, no stars, no lightning, no fire or any kind of illumination that we can think of. All these illuminations are external, but this great eternal light is internal, and that is the difference. The internal light is brighter than the external light. Actually, the light of the Sun and the light of anything that illumines objects in this world is a frequency of radiation, and they look like a light that illumines objects only when the frequency of the emanation from the object that sheds the light is equivalent in ratio to the frequency of the structure of our perceptive organs. There are higher frequencies and lower frequencies of radiation, and we do not see them. More intense forms of light cannot be seen with the eyes, and very low frequencies also cannot be seen. We cannot see heaven because it is in a higher frequency, and we cannot see hell because it is in a lower frequency. We are in the middle. Anyway, the objective lights of the Sun, the Moon, and so on, do not play any role in that realm of eternal daylight.

Na tatra suryo bhati, na candra-tarakam, nema vidyuto bhanti, kuto'yam agnih: 

All the luminaries borrow light from that Eternity, as it were. A fraction of the intense incalculable frequency of the eternal radiance is responsible for the lights that are considered as great lights in this world.

Jyotiham jyotih: 

That is the light of all lights. There are lights in the world, no doubt, but that is the light of even these lights. Due to the light of that Eternal Being, everything shines. We are able to cognise the presence of things on account of the radiance that emanates from within us. We do not know things in the world because of sunlight. Sunlight cannot create knowledge, because it is inert in its nature. The awareness that there is an object, this world, cannot arise merely by shedding a ray of sunlight on it. Who is responsible for the knowledge, which is the light shed on the objects? It is our Self consciousness. Self consciousness is the greatest light, and it does not require an external light for it to perform its functions. 

All this world is illumined by this great internal light which is universal light: tasya bhasa sarvam, idam vibhati.

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To be continued

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