MUNDAKA UPANISHAD - 48. Swami Advayananda.

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Sunday 24, Mar 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.) 

THE SPIRITUAL ACCESSORIES

Post - 48.

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THE SPIRITUAL ACCESSORIES:

Mantram - 5.4: 
Accessories on the Path – 1 to 2 

1. 

praanah hi eshah yah = That verily which is this One Life (Brahman)   

sarvabhootaih vibhaati, =  that shines in all beings –  

2. 

vijaanan vidvaan = knowing Him well, the wise one 

bhavate na 1ativaadee; = has no desire 1“to be the Best ” (a vain blabberer!); 

3.

2 aatma-kreeda = He then 2 sports in the Self

aatma-ratih kriyaavaan, = and engages in acts that bring him inner delight;  

4. 

esha brahma-vidaam = He who knows Brahman as being This (as above), 

varishthah. = he is the best among all men. 

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This mantram begins the list of Accessories needed to be cultivated in order to attain 

union with the Supreme Brahman. The saint – the senior bird in the metaphor – stands out 

as a living example and inspiration to all spiritual seekers. People are very inspired by the 

saint of God, as the saint is God in flesh and blood, or God made visible to us.

1.

 The Self is described as Prana. Prana has many levels of meanings. Any 

manifestation of the life principle is loosely termed Prana. Here the word’s meaning is taken 

to the highest level – Brahman, the source of all life. The Supreme Being shines through all 

beings (Sarvabhootaih).  

2.

 Accessory No. 1– Na Ativaadi: “one who never wishes to appear as the best”. The 

wise man who has known his true Self has no desire to be great. The Ativadi is the ‘tall 

talker’, the vain blabberer, the one who wants to be ‘ahead of the pack’, one who always 

wishes to stand out from the crowd. This is a trait desired only by the ego.  

When a person gains some knowledge beyond the ordinary, his ego snatches the 

glory and admiration that surrounds such a person. The ego uses the source of the fame to 

enhance itself. It will even try to destroy any opposition in order to raise itself. This is not 

the case in the truly realized sage who has become one with Brahman. The Non-Duality he 

lives in does not see any opposition, and so he has no need to “blabber” about himself.  

3.

 Accessory No. 2– Atma-Kreedah: “one who sports in his own Atman”. This is a 

very special spiritual quality of the sage. He simply enjoys being in the company of himself – 

his true Self! That is satisfying enough for him; he does not hanker after any other joy. The 

sage is a Kriyaavaan who is utterly devoted to practices (Kriyas) such as meditation, study of 

scriptures, detachment and so on. 

 

Some people see in the word Kriyavan reference to the Karma Kanda rituals such as 

Agnihotra. They quote this verse to say that it permits sages to perform such rituals. 

Shankaracharyaji has clear logic to refute this. Karma Kanda rituals are specifically done to 

get enjoyments and pleasures from the world.

 The sage is the very opposite – he is fully satisfied with the enjoyment derived from the Self.

He has no interest in these rituals. 

Acharyaji took great pains in explaining to us this important differentiation. 

4

 Esha: “in this manner”. The emphasis here on knowing Brahman in the manner 

shown above, implies that there are others who think they know  Brahman, but adopt other 

ways. It is unfortunate that ‘Brahman’, like Prana, is one of those words that is used at 

different levels under different contexts. Brahma Vidaam can also refer to other types of 

knowing, such as one who knows the Vedas, or one who does Upasanas or worship. It is to 

differentiate the realized sage from others who are given the same ‘Degree’ but for a lesser 

attainment. Unfortunately, there were no copyright rules placed on awarding degrees!

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Next

Mantram - 5.5: 

Accessories to the Path – 3 to 6

Continued

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