MUNDAKA UPANISHAD - 45. Swami Advayananda.

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

Monday  12,  Feb  2024. 06:45.

6 Chapters (64 Mantras)

4. PENETRATING BRAHMAN

(Mantras - 33-43, 11 no.)

triteeya mundake, prathamah khandah – 

Here begins the first Section of the Third Canto.

5. THE “TWO BIRDS” METAPHOR 

(Mantras - 44-53,  10 no.) 

Post - 45.

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

45 - Mantram - 5.2: The Metaphor Expanded & Explained 

"Samaane vrikshe  purushah nimagnah,

aneeshayaa shochati muhyamaanah;

jushtam yadaa pashyati anyam eesham, 

asya mahimaanam  iti veetashokah."

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

Translation:

1.

samaane vrikshe  =  Seated as they are on the self-same tree,  

purushah nimagnah,  =  one of them is the Jeeva (Ego), sunk in ignorance

2. 

aneeshayaa shochati   =  He grieves over his powerlessness,

muhyamaanah;  =  which is due to his being in a deluded;

3.

jushtam yadaa pashyati  =  But seeing the worshipfulness

anyam eesham,  =  in the other bird, he takes Him to be the Lord Himself, 

4.

asya mahimaanam   =  possessing all glory and majesty,

iti veetashokah.  =  and is thus relieved  of all his dejection. 

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

Commentary:

This Mantram throws a flood of light on the metaphor. As the identity of the birds 

unfolds – as the entrapped Jeeva and the liberated Sage – the relationship between the 

birds reveals the 'deepest descent' of man while at the same time throwing up the possibility of his 'greatest ascent' back to his original state of Supremacy. 

What a thrilling metaphor this poses to be! 

Purushah: 

Here the word simply means an ordinary “man”, the Jeeva. But the meaning as “the Supreme Being” lurks around the corner, since it indicates the potential in man to attain that great state, which is projected in the same mantram. 

1-2

 The Jeeva is depicted in his lowest state of sadness, sunk in ignorance. He is a 

picture of degradation, helplessness and powerlessness. Something in the lines indicates   

one who has fallen from a great height into the gutter of delusion. The Jeeva cannot 

remember his grand origin. He does not know that he is heir to a grand kingdom; he has no 

memory of his inheritance. 

The Jeeva grieves because somehow he senses he has lost a power that he once had, 

and has come to a state of impotence, a shadow of his original glory. What has caused this 

loss? A delusion has overcome him, due to which some dark veil beyond its power of 

understanding sits like a cloud over his whole being. 

3

 But the ego-bird sees something in the other Bird, something divine, which 

inspires a reverence in him towards it. The other bird is radiant and peaceful, it is like a Deity 

in comparison to itself. This other Bird looks worthy of worship, it is so lordly and majestic, 

so calm and supremely content.  

4 

Uplifted in spirit by the sight of the other Bird, the ego-bird feels greatly 

comforted. Its dejection disappears, and it feels as if the divine-Bird is endowing it with Its 

own superior strength and majesty. 

RECOVERY OF A LOST SOUL :

Thus the two birds are connected to each other. The first is the individual soul, the 

Jeeva, which is drowning in its own delusions of worldly existence.The second is the 

illumined Sage who comes to remind the Jeeva of its original state of grandeur. 

The Jeeva is like a bottle that is tossed about on the surface of the sea, bashed by the 

waves of ignorance, desire, attachment, the fruits of Karma, and complete identification 

with the body. The ideas of “I am this and that” have gone deep into his intellect and he 

cannot recall anything of his glorious origin. 

Then, repeatedly smitten by grief, after constantly undergoing various births in 

different forms, the soul has come perchance to the path of Yoga due to some good Karma 

and meets a compassionate teacher. After developing some virtuous qualities, it takes to 

the practice of meditating on the worshipful One through a chosen path of Yoga. He comes 

to realize that he is not the illusory self or ego. He also recognizes in the sage the greatness 

and glory of the Self whom he really is. This gives him great joy and he is relieved or 

liberated from his past miserable condition. 

In this way, the Bhashya explains the giant leap made by the first bird in recognizing 

the second as its very own greater Self. 

Now that the metaphor has been established in our intellect, we keep it in front of 

us as we turn our attention to the spiritual journey. It is a journey which promises to 

transform our delusion to illumination; our false identity to our true identity;  our forlorn 

state of ignorance into one filled with the bright propect of divine Knowledge. 

*****

Next 

46 - Mantram - 5.3: The Benefits of Holy Company (Satsang)  

Continued

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