The Mundakoupanishad : Post-51. - Swami Krishnananda

Swaami Udit Chithanya:

Rudrabhisheka auspicious time in the presence of Kashi Vishwanatha. Namami Gange Hail Hail Gange!!! 

Good luck to Ganga Aarti !!! 

Even at the age of 92 doing business at the youthful age, along with Gopinathan uncle, who is the pride and inspiration of woman power, who runs her own medical distribution company that provides employment to many people, even at the age of 80, 

I was fortunate enough to attend the 60th wedding anniversary of Srimathi Chandrika Gopinatha Amma at the feet of Kashi Vishwanatha, Sashtanga Prana at the feet of Vishwanatha Mother. 

May the beauties Shri Gopinathan uncle and Smt Chandrika Amma be blessed with long life, health and wellness. 

Sri Kashi Vishwanatha Darshanam Annapurna Devi Darshanam Gyan Vapi Darshanam and Ganga Aarti Soubhagyam. 

Infinite crores of salutes to Sri Thankaraj ji and Vikas ji of Kashi who lead social service life as Vishwanatha Pooja.

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കാശി വിശ്വനാഥ സന്നിധിയിൽ രുദ്രാഭിഷേക സൗഭാഗ്യം .നമാമി ഗംഗേ  ജയ ജയ ഗംഗേ !!! ഗംഗാ ആരതി സൗഭാഗ്യം !!! 92 ാം വയസിലും യുവത്വത്തോടെ business ചെയ്തു നിരവധി കുടുംബങ്ങളേ സഹായിക്കുന്ന ഗോപിനാഥൻ uncle  ഒപ്പത്തിനൊപ്പം 80ാംവയസ്സിലും അനവധിപേർക്ക് തൊഴിൽ നൽകുന്ന സ്വന്തം medical distribution company നടത്തുന്ന നാരീ ശക്തിയുടെ അഭിമാനവും പ്രചോദനവും ആയ ശ്രീമതി ചന്ദ്രിക ഗോപിനാഥ അമ്മയ്യുടെയും 60 wedding anniversary കാശി വിശ്വനാഥ സന്നിധിയിൽ ആഘോഷിക്കുമ്പോൾ പങ്കെടുക്കാൻ കിട്ടിയ സൗഭാഗ്യത്തിനു വിശ്വനാഥ പാദത്തിൽ  സാഷ്ടാംഗ പ്രണാമം  . സുകൃതികളായ ശ്രീ ഗോപിനാഥൻ uncleനും  ശ്രീമതി ചന്ദ്രികാ അമ്മക്കും ആയുർആരോഗ്യ സൗഖ്യം നേരട്ടെ .ശ്രീ കാശി വിശ്വനാഥ ദർശനം അന്നപൂർണ ദേവി ദർശനം ഗ്യാൻ വാപി ദർശനവും ഗംഗാ ആരതി സൗഭാഗ്യവും ഒരുക്കി തന്ന വിശ്വസേവനം വിശ്വനാഥ  പൂജയായി സമാജ സേവാ ജീവിതം നയിക്കുന്ന ശ്രീ തങ്കരാജ് ജി ക്കും കാശിയിലെ വികാസ്‌ ജി ക്കും അനന്ത കോടി പ്രണാമം

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Wednesday 07, Feb 2024. 06:50.

Chapter 3: Section 2.

Mantras-3 & 4.

POST-51.

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Mantram 3.

"Nayam-atma pravacanena labhyo 

na medhaya, na bahuna śrutena,

yam-vaisa vrnute tena labhyah 

tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam." (3.2.3):

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Translation:

"The Self is not attained through discourses nor through memorizing scrptural texts, nor through much learning.

It is gained only by him who wishes to attain it with his whole heart.

To such a one, the Self reveals its true nature.*"

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This mantram also occurs in the Kathopanishad. It means that logical disquisitions are not the means of knowing the Atman. Not by intellection, not by academic knowledge, and not by scriptural study—it shall be known only by that person who is chosen by the Atman. If God wills that we should know Him, we shall know Him. It is the grace of God. 

#Dhatu-prasadan mahimanam atmanah (Katha 2.20) is mentioned in the Kathopanishad. 

The grace of God is operating everywhere as events in this world, cosmic history, and the fate of people. The past, present and future of every individual are written in the firmament of the cosmos; therefore, it is up to us to devote ourselves to the Supreme Atman, the Soul of the universe, God Almighty, that we shall be in His good books.

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Mantram-4.

Nayam atma bala-hinena labhyo 

na ca pramadat tapaso va' py - alingat, 

etair - upayair yatate yas tu vidvan

 tasyaisa atma visate brahma-dhama (3.2.4): 

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Translation:

"The Self is not gained by the weak ( in body, mnd and intellect or Spirit ), nor by the insincere, nor by those practising ( unintelligent )  aussterities, nor by those men who strive with vigour; attention and propriety attain union with Brahman."

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A weakling cannot attain the Atman. The word 'bala-hīnena' has been used here in a different sense. It does not mean that elephants will reach God, and human beings will not, because elephants have greater strength than humans. Here, strength means toughness of the inner spirit. Of course it also means physical health, which is very necessary; but more than that, it means inner toughness of spiritual aspiration and the power of tapas, the strength of freedom from desire.

All these are implied here by energy, strength, bala; and whoever has not this bala, or strength, cannot attain the Atman. The Atman is great energy, power and potency; and that can be reached only by a powerful person, spiritually great in energy. Therefore, weaklings cannot reach the most powerful. Neither should we be physically weak, nor mentally, nor intellectually, nor spiritually, nor ethically. We should be strong in every field. Na ca pramādāt: A heedless, careless and slipshod attitude towards the Atman will not take us there. How concentrated our mind has to be is mentioned here. Today I think of the Atman, tomorrow I think of the anatman; today I sleep away, tomorrow I shall do work; the day after tomorrow I shall eat, and go for a walk, then go on tour, and do every blessed thing distractedly, in a perfunctory manner. This is called pramada, or careless behaviour. A person who is careless in his attitude towards the Atman will not reach it.

Tapaso vapy alingat: 

By any kind of ostentation, pretension, vainglorious appearance in public life, this is not to be attained. A great person in society need not be really great in the eye of God. And austerities which are just physically oriented, and even torturous mental restraints, may not be adequate for the sake of the Atman, because the highest tapas is love of God. Mumukshutva, and all austerity, converge in this intense longing, devotion; and any kind of tapas or austerity, minus devotion or longing, ends only in a kind of mortification of the spirit, and will not lead us to the Atman.

etair - upayair yatate yas tu vidvan tasyaisa atma visate brahma-dhama : 

All these methods that have been described earlier in this Upanishad have to be adopted. And we know what these methods are. Satyena labhyas tapasa hy ena atma (2.2.5), and so on, is mentioned in earlier mantras. Satya, ahimsa, brahmacharya, aparigraha, asteya are one's powers. And the method of meditation has also been mentioned. By drawing the bow of the Pranava of the Upanishad and discharging the arrow of the Atman on the target of Brahman with the force of devotion, you shall find yourself merged in Brahman as an arrow merges in the object or the target. Unless intense meditation is carried on day in and day out for a protracted period, the knots of the heart cannot be broken, avidya, kama, karma cannot go, and the body may leave you at any time. Life is very short, and even in this short span of life, you do not know the length of life that is actually granted to you. It may end tomorrow, the day after, or two days after. A little grain of rice stuck in the throat will see you in heaven in one minute. So do not be proud of your glory, power, wealth, and the imaginary length of time in this world. Frail is this body, uncertain is life; therefore, gird up your loins just now, and not tomorrow. There is a saying in Hindi. Kal kare to aaj kar, aaj kare to aab: If there is something which you can do tomorrow, it is better you do it today itself, and if there is something which you can do today, it is better to do it just now. Why postpone it until tomorrow? Tomorrow may not come at all.

Now the following mantras, with which we will conclude the Upanishad, speak of the final attainment of the soul, unity with Brahman, the attainment of the final goal. How do we attain that? Some examples and illustrations are given here to make it clear as to how we unite ourselves with Brahman.

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Next

Mantram-5.

"Sampra-pyainam-rsayo jnana-trptah

krtatmano vita-ragah prsantah,

te sarvagam sarvatah prapya dhira

yuktat-manah sarva-meva-visanti."

Continued

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